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Articles:
Politics
The
Religious Right vs. Gay Rights
Sunday, May 1, 2005
For
some reason, some people just can't let other people do their
own thing. It has always been my impression of American democracy
that everyone has the right to do what they please, as long
as they don't infringe on someone else's right to do what
they please. Call me crazy, but I think that's the essence
of our venerable institution we like to call "freedom".
Why then do some people insist on trying to limit the freedom
of others?
Most
of the opposition to homosexuality seems to be from religious
people who are concerned that homosexuality is a sin. In America,
these religious people are primarily Christians. More specifically,
the socially-conservative activist group commonly known as
the "Religious Right".
First
let's focus on the minority that are the most vehemently opposed
to homosexuality. From what I've seen, and this is just my
perception, is that some of them seem to think that lynching
gay people is a swell idea. It's like homosexuality somehow
made its way above murder in the list of all-time worst sins.
Then
there are people a little more casually opposed to homosexuality.
While not out for blood, they seem seriously concerned that
this activity is happening. To them, it is sufficient to deny
the freedom for two gay people to wed, to share in same benefits
of heterosexual couples, and to be considered as equals.
Despite
their level of opposition, it boils down to their belief that
homosexuality is a sin. But is homosexuality enough of a sin
to be listed in the Ten Commandments? No. Why then are these
people obsessed with homosexuals, yet seem relatively unconcerned
with violations of the Ten Commandments? Do they express such
unbridled enthusiasm when someone takes the Lord's name in
vain? Do they punish themselves appropriately when they themselves
covet or commit adultery? Shouldn't they be directing their
energy more towards preventing murder than harassing gay people?
Even
if a person views homosexuality as a sin, is it just to involve
government in limiting the freedom of gay people? It's one
thing to disapprove of someone's actions, it's quite another
to try to push your beliefs on them, and quite another still
for a minority to twist the government to impress their moral
beliefs on others. In my ideal view of our country, we should
only have laws to prevent one person from infringing on the
freedom of another. Murder, rape, theft, assault, these sorts
of things. With homosexuality, who is getting their freedom
trampled on? Isn't it more important that gay people can be
free to act as they are, rather than some uptight person being
free from accidentally seeing them? If they don't like seeing
it, why do they stare and carry on about it?
I've
heard some people say that homosexuality is "gross"
and they don't want to see it. This is hardly a justification
for legislation. I think eating shellfish is gross, should
we outlaw that?
I
believe it's firmly in the rights of any church to refuse
to marry gay couples. But marriage is both a legal union as
well as a religious union. While churches can oppose it, the
state should recognize gay couples as any other couple and
give them appropriate recognition. Churches have their own
dogma, but freedom is the dogma of America.
Gay
couples are just like any other couple...two people in a committed
relationship full of love and devotion. With all of the hate
in the world, shouldn't we take all the love we can get? Religious
people preach about love, and yet some oppose it. I would
think they would embrace their fellow man, and be glad that
they have love rather than hate. Sure the religious people
may disapprove of how they express their love. They may believe
it's a sin. But they can still get along.
Religious
people opposed to homosexuality can choose to lock themselves
in their homes and pretend it doesn't exist. They can lobby
Congress to limit the freedom of gay people to be who they
are. They can scream all day about how it makes them sick.
Or they can accept that it exists and learn a little thing
Jesus used to teach...tolerance. I've always been under the
impression that it's not the place of man to judge the sins
of others. Only God can judge the sins of man.
I
would think religious people opposed to homosexuality would
accept it, and live under the belief that God may punish them
for their sins. At the same time, I would think homosexuals
would live under the belief that it's okay to be who they
are.
The
chief cause of human errors is to be found in the prejudices
picked up in childhood. --Rene Descartes
If
we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise,
we don't believe in it at all. --Noam Chomsky
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