This is such a great post that I'm linking to, very long though so I won't say much myself in addition to passing on the link.
For many years, when I believed that being homosexual was a sin rather than a sliver of humanity like being tall, prone to freckle, or having exceptional athletic ability, I could not understand why the rest of the world considered my opinion "hate". I was very offended at being called full of hate.
"No!" I would say, parroting the evangelical line, "I don't hate gay people, I hate the sin of homosexuality. I love the people. And anyway, why do you care that I think it's a sin? How I live my life is none of the community-at-large's business. I have freedom of religion!"
Of course I would never say that about my son's freckles*:
"Oh I love my son, I just hate his freckles. If only he would stop freckling and tan like normal people he would find freedom and joy. As soon as he stops freckling, he will be accepted and welcomed. But first he needs to stop that unnatural freckling. It's a sin to freckle, the Bible says so: just plug "without spot" into Bible Gateway King James Version and it's all there plain as day. Sacrifices with spots were unacceptable; Paul says in Ephesians that the Lord is only coming for a bride without spot.** No spots allowed. All he has to do is stop freckling. There are even ministries that will help him choose to stop freckling, or at least help him come to grips with the fact that he must live his entire life indoors, while wearing heavy sunscreen, so no one ever knows that he freckles."
Here's the link:
Why "I don't believe in that" is unacceptable
* When the creators of South Park decided to create an episode that pointed out the ridiculousness of excluding and condemning people based on unchangeable human characteristics, they chose this same scenario. Instead of inspiring people to stop the exclusion and ridicule, American school children began to bully people with freckles too. The Ginger Kids episode, meant to expose the stupidity of intolerance and abuse, instead brought about an internet campaign, Kick a Ginger Day, that promoted violence against people with red hair and freckles. Google "kick a ginger day" and "hug a ginger day" to see how bad it actually got.
**(and without wrinkles too: does this mean women who have cosmetic surgery are sanctified, while women with wrinkles are not? New moral dilemma! Ack!).
For many years, when I believed that being homosexual was a sin rather than a sliver of humanity like being tall, prone to freckle, or having exceptional athletic ability, I could not understand why the rest of the world considered my opinion "hate". I was very offended at being called full of hate.
"No!" I would say, parroting the evangelical line, "I don't hate gay people, I hate the sin of homosexuality. I love the people. And anyway, why do you care that I think it's a sin? How I live my life is none of the community-at-large's business. I have freedom of religion!"
Of course I would never say that about my son's freckles*:
"Oh I love my son, I just hate his freckles. If only he would stop freckling and tan like normal people he would find freedom and joy. As soon as he stops freckling, he will be accepted and welcomed. But first he needs to stop that unnatural freckling. It's a sin to freckle, the Bible says so: just plug "without spot" into Bible Gateway King James Version and it's all there plain as day. Sacrifices with spots were unacceptable; Paul says in Ephesians that the Lord is only coming for a bride without spot.** No spots allowed. All he has to do is stop freckling. There are even ministries that will help him choose to stop freckling, or at least help him come to grips with the fact that he must live his entire life indoors, while wearing heavy sunscreen, so no one ever knows that he freckles."
Here's the link:
Why "I don't believe in that" is unacceptable
* When the creators of South Park decided to create an episode that pointed out the ridiculousness of excluding and condemning people based on unchangeable human characteristics, they chose this same scenario. Instead of inspiring people to stop the exclusion and ridicule, American school children began to bully people with freckles too. The Ginger Kids episode, meant to expose the stupidity of intolerance and abuse, instead brought about an internet campaign, Kick a Ginger Day, that promoted violence against people with red hair and freckles. Google "kick a ginger day" and "hug a ginger day" to see how bad it actually got.
**(and without wrinkles too: does this mean women who have cosmetic surgery are sanctified, while women with wrinkles are not? New moral dilemma! Ack!).
This was a very good post. I remember when I finally blew up at my mom's mentor and dared to tell her that my MIL was abusive (in protest of her declaration that it was my mom's fault all that woman's kids had problems because my mom was supposed to be their spiritual leader). Her response was, "Well I don't believe in that. I just don't go for that stuff."
ReplyDeleteUmmm... What "stuff?" I asked if she was saying it was impossible for an adult to abuse a child, and she pretty much said yes.
So many people live in Crazytown...
ReplyDeleteParker & Stone's South Park in-joke about "Ginger Kids":
ReplyDeleteReverse the order of the first three letters and re-read the single-asterisk footnote.
Makes perfect sense.
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