It always has puzzled me that homosexuals would even have a political agenda. I consider homosexuality to be a sexual preference, as opposed to a race or gender. I realize that not everyone thinks the same as I do. But every homosexual individual in America has the right to be what he/she is… to live with a same sex partner, to share life together, to choose their sexual activities, as long as there is mutual consent and the practice is not harmful or destructive to others. Therefore, although I have heard every reason that homosexuals have for politicizing homosexuality, I still do not understand the point of redefining marriage to include homosexuality as the norm. Marriage was first instituted by the God of the Bible, who and which many homosexuals (mostly political activists) either disagree with or flatly despise. Why would marriage even be important to a homosexual if this is so? One would think that someone who doesn’t care what the Bible says also doesn’t care whether or not they are married. The main reason that people wish to marry is to do the right thing… in other words, recieve God’s approval or blessing on the union between two people.
The fact is, it is not the norm in America, and has never been the norm. The norm is marriage between a man and a woman. And I disagree with those that say my opinion is anti-progressive, but I believe it is actually destructive and harmful to society as a whole.
Here is why: If America redefines marriage by law to include homosexuality, it requires all people, by default, to include homosexuality as the norm. And if the religious leaders of churches who teach Judeo-Christian values (Biblical values to be precise), refuse to marry homosexuals for religious beliefs, they would likely be sued and possibly jailed for refusing to marry homosexual couples. It is already happening in some instances. A pastor was sued for refusing to marry a homosexual couple.
Consider the doctor who refused to perform a procedure due to her religious beliefs and made a referral. She was taken to court over it. To me, that is stupidity. The person refusing service clearly proved that it was not about the money, and the person demanding service would have just as easily been promoting her own pro-choice cause by simply accepting the referral and giving her business to someone willing to do the procedure. But a lawsuit? That is over the top.
Things like redefining marriage and such may cause religious do-gooders to resort to underground worship and religion practiced more secretly for fear of being forced to perform acts that cause them to go against their religion, rather than the homosexual community keeping its sexual activities private and personal, as it ought to be, and as heterosexuals do.
Do you see the injustice it imposes on others? I am a Christian. I don’t hate homosexuals. I love them, in fact, like I do all sweet people. I can’t say that I love what every sweet person does, however. And my Christian friends would say the same. But when it comes to push and shove, the pushing is on the part of the homosexual activists, not the religious zealots.
We all enjoy American freedom together, so far. Why should one group impose anything upon the other? We are not opposites or enemies, as some activists would like the rest of the world to believe. Homosexuals and religious people should respect each other’s beliefs and opinions. If a homosexual person were to tell me that homosexuality is normal, I would disagree. It doesn’t mean that I hate him/her. Likewise, if a religious person tells a homosexual person that homosexuality is a sin according to Biblical teachings, he/she would beg to differ as well. Homosexual activists should not hate Christians either. Yet I see name-calling all too often, and I’m certainly not placing all homosexuals in the same bucket. Many are beautiful people who are turned off by that kind of thing.
Believing that homosexuality is unnatural is not only a religious belief, but in some cases, a scientific opinion. Opinions are an American right. It is not hatred. It is a belief that is equal to the belief that homosexual people are just that… homosexual. Many believe that homosexuality is not by choice, but scientifically proven. Some scientists have claimed it is a physical thing, some scientists have claimed that there is no proof of that. So, we non-scientists are left to choose which story we believe. Homosexuals believe they are truly homosexual and that it isn’t a choice and that it is not a sin. And Christians and Jews believe that the practice of homosexuality is a choice and that it is a sin. These beliefs are equivalent. Both are a matter of what each group chooses to believe. But these beliefs do not prove that anyone in the mix is hateful, fearful (phobic), bigoted, or intolerant, whether religious because one chooses to believe the Bible or religious because one chooses to believe what some say about sexual orientation, that it is not a choice.
Yes, you heard the implication correctly… homosexuality has indeed become just as much a religion (set of beliefs) as Christianity and Judaism. But in spite of it all, we must respect the freedom and beliefs of all Americans. We have never lost our liberty to choose what we wish to believe… God forbid… or America would no longer be a free country. And the freedom to be what we want to be… to convert to Christianity or homosexuality, already exists. There is no need to legislate either one, whether that legislation is harmful or helpful to either cause, because we are all already at liberty to practice as we choose, and that’s the way it should remain.
I have to say that, ironically, I can relate to a homosexual’s “coming out” experience. When I became a Christian, I did so in secret, because my family was extremely liberal. And I didn’t tell anyone but my closest friends until four years later. That’s when I experienced not only the disappointment that homosexuals experience when their parents find out that they are gay, but I was the target of a great deal of name-calling, antagonism, harassment, and persecution… sadly, from my own family. I was naïve…. I expected them to be happy for me because, as a Christian, I was less likely to engage in activities that were simply not in my best interest, such as drug abuse, excessive drinking, premarital sex, cursing, dishonoring my parents, greed, murder… not that murder was an option for me before I believed in Christ, but I think you get the point.
The truth is that my family was afraid of what they didn’t know much about. They had collected these preconceived ideas of what it meant to be a Christian. We are all naturally inclined to do this. We would rather stick our heads in the sand sometimes. People who mock Christianity would rather listen to the hype, the media, and the left’s biases and definitions. I am convinced that many, not all, simply do not wish to know the truth about any religion. Religion often requires change. And change, when it involves the removal of well-known pleasures, is uncomfortable. Granted there is a lot to learn. But it is no excuse for dumping all religions into the same bag and attaching the label “hate.” In reality, Jesus Christ’s command to his disciples before his ascention was to love one another. And the Bible even defines love, saying that it is kind and patient… and to refute misinterpreting love, that verse makes it clear that love does not rejoice in iniquity, but it rejoices in the truth.
Another thing I have observed over the years… it used to upset me, but now it makes me chuckle a bit when it happens because I have grown to understand it better… is when someone who is not religious (usually one who carries religion in that hate bag) quotes the Bible to someone who is religious (ie: a Christian or a Jew) in the attempt to prove hypocrisy… when the person quoting the scriptures doesn’t even live by or believe in what they are quoting! Hello? I mean, think about it… will the real hypocrite please stand up!
Anyway, I’m sure that homosexuals often feel the same way that I did at my “coming out” with Christianity… persecuted, shamed, mocked… belittled and devalued. I understand that, I’m sorry it happens, and I wouldn’t do that. But according to what I see happening in social circles today, the scales tip in favor of homosexuals in comparison with Christians and Jews, because of today’s political propaganda that makes all religious people out to be villains that need to be stopped, even at the price of their own freedom. I have to ask… stopped from what? Praying for you? We certainly don’t walk around with bombs strapped to our bellies. We certainly don’t use violence to vandalize and litter the lawns of activists opposing our views or walk down the middle of San Fransisco half-naked while humping the air in front of families and children once a year. And unfortunately, the same people who wish to stop religion make homosexuals out to be gods who should receive special privileges; who shouldn’t be treated like normal, every-day, responsible, hardworking citizens with the same rights as everyone else, but should be granted extra privileges. They are free to call people like me names like homophobic, hateful, bigoted, or intolerant… not to mention the brash unmentionable ones. But I can’t wait to see the emoting responses to this article! Those will prove my point well enough.
And… as soon as that bill gets passed that criminalizes people for expressing their opinion –you know, the hate-crimes bill – they will not only equate religion with hatred, but eventually people will be thrown in jail simply by association; that is, for announcing themselves as practicing Jews or Christians.
Jail was intended for murderers and thieves, but that is no longer the opinion of the left. The left wants to legalize genocide (defined as abortion), put the government in control of everyone and everything, instead of the people (defined as socialism), and make criminals of all who disagree with them (both fascism and communism). The left’s agenda is to slowly pull the rug out from under Americans of faith (and/or common sense) in order to benefit small interest groups who are already just as privileged as everyone else.
This is why I fight to keep America free, for people of all beliefs, and this is why I am proud to be a Republican in 2008.
~ Jeanine Dyer
