Religious Freedom
At times I feel as if I am back in an introductory class in college which requires me to learn the language of the subject matter – language which was not spoken in my high school or in my home. I recall the very first college introductory philosophy class where I first heard terms such as metaphysical, epistemology, ontological, dialectic, hermeneutics, and many others. I immediately questioned my right to be enrolled in an institution of so-called higher learning. Clearly I had not done due diligence to my lower learning classes and needed to immediately apply to repeat first through 12th grades. I often feel the same way when listening to or reading the so called “news.” Such was the case when I was reading about the “religious freedom” legislative bills in Indiana, North Carolina, and most recently, Georgia. Florida also passed and the governor signed the pastor protection act. I read these bills as restricting the rights of certain individuals although they purport to protect religious freedom. The Florida act is the least restrictive in that it is concerned with protecting pastors from having to officiate at same-sex marriage ceremonies. Apparently such a bill makes someone or some group of people feel better although I am not aware of any gay or lesbian couple attempting to force a particular pastor to perform a marriage ceremony. In fact, how would they go about doing that? Would they hold a gun to the head of the pastor and force that person to officiate at the ceremony intended to cement and celebrate love? Really? Pastors, of course, refuse to marry heterosexual couples all the time for not having a previous marriage annulled, for not satisfying particular rules of that church, or for any other reason which the pastor thinks violates the intent of the ceremony according to their church, temple, or mosque. I cannot recall anyone ever suing a minister, rabbi, or priest for refusing to marry them. If anyone knows of a successful suit against a clergy person for refusing to marry a person I would love to hear from them.
No, in fact, although clearly my education is deficient in many areas, it is not my deficient education which prevents me from understanding the use of terms such as religious freedom or pastor protection when used in legislative bills. These bills are about discrimination. They are a way for legislators - elected officials – to voice their disapproval of any rights accorded members of the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) community by federal law, decree, or court order. It is clearly not enough that all religions have the right in the United States to pray that the God of their understanding will reign down his or her wrath on those who dare to love each other and who may even desire the same legal or community support as is afforded those who are publicly affirming their intention to live as a heterosexual couple. Until fairly recently, in this country it was still possible to insure that someone who engaged in an expression of love with someone of the same gender spent considerable time in jail and/or was bullied and/or harassed by school officials, church officials, and law enforcement officials. Sadly in some countries one can still be put to death for engaging in such an act of love with a person of the same gender.
It is ironic that it seems as if the very same persons who are most vocal about calling down the wrath of the God of their understanding on radical, religious terrorists– assisted by weapons of mass destruction – are those who would, in the name of the God of their understanding – restrict the right of those who do not believe and live as their beliefs dictate. It seems God fearing Christians who “love the sinner but hate the sin” will do everything in their power to prevent passive or active public support” of those they determine are sinners. They may no longer lynch and do not engage in suicide bombings. Yet they may be dropping bombs from a drone or an airplane on those who, unlike them, are evil.
Fortunately the latest “religious freedom bill” was vetoed by Governor Deal of Georgia. I do not know whether he did it for economic reasons or because he knew it was a hateful act borne of fear. Bless his heart. Some are now saying, “Governor Deal could not muster up enough courage to sign a watered down religious freedom bill. The people of Georgia deserve better.” (It does not matter who made this and similar comments which are published on web sites of news outlets such as Huffington post.) It does appear as if Governor Deal wanted to avoid the potential mass exodus of major corporations from the Peach state.
The distance between those who act under the guise of religious freedom to attempt to ensure the passage of non-discrimination bills by any governmental entity in their state and those who commit acts of suicide bombing is not nearly as many miles as some would like us to believe. Unless and until we are able and willing to admit this we will find ourselves losing our battle with ISIS and other fundamentalist, radical, religious groups who see themselves doing the work of the God of their understanding. Apparently they, as is true for some Christians, conceptualize a God whose ego is so fragile that they have to protect that fragile God from those who do not believe or act the same as they do.
It is imperative that we close this illusionary gap between the groups who would impose their religious beliefs on others if, indeed, we want to begin to put an end to the insanity which is leading to such behavior. We cannot form an alliance nor an understanding with those who one determines are as “non-human” as they envision us to be.
Perhaps it is time for a tiny bit of honesty and humility if we want to understand “those people.”
Written March 28, 2016
At times I feel as if I am back in an introductory class in college which requires me to learn the language of the subject matter – language which was not spoken in my high school or in my home. I recall the very first college introductory philosophy class where I first heard terms such as metaphysical, epistemology, ontological, dialectic, hermeneutics, and many others. I immediately questioned my right to be enrolled in an institution of so-called higher learning. Clearly I had not done due diligence to my lower learning classes and needed to immediately apply to repeat first through 12th grades. I often feel the same way when listening to or reading the so called “news.” Such was the case when I was reading about the “religious freedom” legislative bills in Indiana, North Carolina, and most recently, Georgia. Florida also passed and the governor signed the pastor protection act. I read these bills as restricting the rights of certain individuals although they purport to protect religious freedom. The Florida act is the least restrictive in that it is concerned with protecting pastors from having to officiate at same-sex marriage ceremonies. Apparently such a bill makes someone or some group of people feel better although I am not aware of any gay or lesbian couple attempting to force a particular pastor to perform a marriage ceremony. In fact, how would they go about doing that? Would they hold a gun to the head of the pastor and force that person to officiate at the ceremony intended to cement and celebrate love? Really? Pastors, of course, refuse to marry heterosexual couples all the time for not having a previous marriage annulled, for not satisfying particular rules of that church, or for any other reason which the pastor thinks violates the intent of the ceremony according to their church, temple, or mosque. I cannot recall anyone ever suing a minister, rabbi, or priest for refusing to marry them. If anyone knows of a successful suit against a clergy person for refusing to marry a person I would love to hear from them.
No, in fact, although clearly my education is deficient in many areas, it is not my deficient education which prevents me from understanding the use of terms such as religious freedom or pastor protection when used in legislative bills. These bills are about discrimination. They are a way for legislators - elected officials – to voice their disapproval of any rights accorded members of the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) community by federal law, decree, or court order. It is clearly not enough that all religions have the right in the United States to pray that the God of their understanding will reign down his or her wrath on those who dare to love each other and who may even desire the same legal or community support as is afforded those who are publicly affirming their intention to live as a heterosexual couple. Until fairly recently, in this country it was still possible to insure that someone who engaged in an expression of love with someone of the same gender spent considerable time in jail and/or was bullied and/or harassed by school officials, church officials, and law enforcement officials. Sadly in some countries one can still be put to death for engaging in such an act of love with a person of the same gender.
It is ironic that it seems as if the very same persons who are most vocal about calling down the wrath of the God of their understanding on radical, religious terrorists– assisted by weapons of mass destruction – are those who would, in the name of the God of their understanding – restrict the right of those who do not believe and live as their beliefs dictate. It seems God fearing Christians who “love the sinner but hate the sin” will do everything in their power to prevent passive or active public support” of those they determine are sinners. They may no longer lynch and do not engage in suicide bombings. Yet they may be dropping bombs from a drone or an airplane on those who, unlike them, are evil.
Fortunately the latest “religious freedom bill” was vetoed by Governor Deal of Georgia. I do not know whether he did it for economic reasons or because he knew it was a hateful act borne of fear. Bless his heart. Some are now saying, “Governor Deal could not muster up enough courage to sign a watered down religious freedom bill. The people of Georgia deserve better.” (It does not matter who made this and similar comments which are published on web sites of news outlets such as Huffington post.) It does appear as if Governor Deal wanted to avoid the potential mass exodus of major corporations from the Peach state.
The distance between those who act under the guise of religious freedom to attempt to ensure the passage of non-discrimination bills by any governmental entity in their state and those who commit acts of suicide bombing is not nearly as many miles as some would like us to believe. Unless and until we are able and willing to admit this we will find ourselves losing our battle with ISIS and other fundamentalist, radical, religious groups who see themselves doing the work of the God of their understanding. Apparently they, as is true for some Christians, conceptualize a God whose ego is so fragile that they have to protect that fragile God from those who do not believe or act the same as they do.
It is imperative that we close this illusionary gap between the groups who would impose their religious beliefs on others if, indeed, we want to begin to put an end to the insanity which is leading to such behavior. We cannot form an alliance nor an understanding with those who one determines are as “non-human” as they envision us to be.
Perhaps it is time for a tiny bit of honesty and humility if we want to understand “those people.”
Written March 28, 2016
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