Putting the con in conservative
Conservatives have been vocal about the need to insure "religious freedom," but it rings rather hollow after we learn that Christian evangelicals believe they are the people most discriminated against in today's world.
That is, of course, just crazy-making.
Case in point: Last Friday, the First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans hosted a town hall meeting on violence against transgender people in New Orleans in the wake of the murder of two transgender women of color on the space of 48 hours.
Standing up for transgender people proved not to be a universally popular thing to do. Yesterday morning someone decided the church's congregants needed to learn that such behavior was actually an act of discrimination against Christians and so they must be punished. A brick was thrown through a stained glass triptych relaying the story of the church's recovery after Katrina.
Rev. Deanna Vandiver, the church's community minister, said there was no evidence to suggest that the attack was motivated by the church's decision to host the town hall meeting on Friday.
Still, the church is known for its openness to members of the local LGBT community. Vandiver said the substantial media exposure Friday's event received may have "stirred up hate mongering."
Ya think? When evangelical Christians are so openly discriminated against, they strike back! Onward, Christian Soldiers!
This does not change our resolve to stand by our transgender neighbors and any neighbors who are oppressed or marginalized in our community.
--Rev. Paul Beedle
Clearly living by the precepts of Jesus of Nazareth is not to be tolerated...in the name of "religious freedom."
Comments
I literally just texted this about scrolling past my mom's FB
. . . posts:
They're always hateful, bigoted, judgemental, JESUS, hateful, bigoted, judgemental, God loves you. Lather, rinse, repeat, ad nauseum.
She calls herself a Christian, and has no problem with hating. I think she feels like it's her duty. She especially hates Muslims, and Palestinians are not human to her.
What I don't understand is how she can believe that gay people are born that way - probably because she dearly loved my favorite cousin, who was gay - but transgender people "decide" to be trans.
I don't get it.
Edit add: I really wish I could tell her when she wonders aloud why my brother hasn't met a nice girl that he has, but he can't bring them around because the girls he likes have "chosen" to be trans women. Grrrrr
Many haters have grown willing to admit that members
of the GLBTQ community were "born that way." So, now, those willing to admit it are saying, "Let's say you can't be hetero.You can still be celibate, as we require most of our clergy to be."
And look how well that turned out.
Mercifully, not all religious people are haters, not even all Christians, Jews or Muslims ("people of the book"). For example, a friend and her life partner attend a Christian church in Cape Cod where out believers (and Christian curious) are welcomed and treated lovingly, which is as it should be in all places of worship (and everywhere else). And, while I am not a churchgoer, I happened to attend a church service in a Methodist church where the preacher discussed the importance of out gay clergy. So, there is (long overdue) progress and some hope at least on this continent.
At long last, have we left no sense of empathy?
We must not overlook the lifelong damaging effects of standing in City Hall in December, viewing the tree, the creche, menorah and Santa (the SCOTUS having required whenever a nativity scene is displayed on public property) and having a passerby wish you "happy holidays" instead of a "Merry Christmas."
And don't even ask about the devastation of placing two female figures or two male figures atop a wedding cake for paying customers, when the fourteenth commandment is, "Bakest thou no marriage cakes for Adam and Steve." Believe you me, no one wants to burn for all eternity over butter cream.
Besides, after the resurrection, Jesus wandered Jerusalem and Nazareth saying, "Wowza! Does being crucified and in a tomb for 1.5 - 3 days clear your head or what? Forget everything I said before, including that Sermon on the Mount claptrap. For the love of God, the Father (and I am talking literally here, brethren--you, too, Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary and Martha): Ignore the beam in your own eye and JUDGE others mercilessly--and be sure to persecute them and their little dogs, too. This is the most important commandment. (Whew! That was close, but, thank heaven, we dodged that 'love they neighbor' bullet. Thanks, Caesar Augustus!"
/sarcasm