The Fight Against Gays

       Religious liberty is attempting to make a most unflattering comeback in the United States. Mike Pence, Republican Governor of Indiana, recently signed a Religious Liberty Bill modeled on the former Religious Restoration Act. The bill will legally allow business owners and the like to refuse goods and services to LGBT individuals on the basis of religious freedom. While Pence later went on to “fix” the bill, the fix does not directly apply to religious groups and LGBT individuals are still unprotected by Indiana law. The fix was simply a way to make the bill more palatable to those opposed to it. Arkansas, Louisiana, and Georgia are also in the process of enacting their own Religious Liberty bills, further enhancing the threat to LGBT Americans. The bill in question goes way beyond upholding religious liberty. It allows for discrimination on the grounds of faith. Many religious people argue that they should not be forced to participate in a same-sex wedding or serve same-sex couples and individuals because they believe it is sinful and unnatural. And of course these same people go on to implement the ever popular “it’s say so in the Bible” excuse. Anti-LGBT christians do not want to knowingly aid those of that “lifestyle”. But in what way is discrimination supposedly Christian? Of course no one who supports this bill is willing to admit to what it actually does, that it legally allows someone to discriminate against another person. Of course they deny it. Read the news articles and watch the videos. They cannot outwardly admit to it.

        Interestingly enough, no one is preventing Christians from practicing their faith, going to church, praying, wearing whatever religious garments and accessories they choose to. Yet many still claim that is in fact the Christians who are being discriminated against. However, the Christians are not the ones being denied service, and that is the very important difference of the matter. One cannot infringe upon someone else’s rights, call it religious liberty, and then act as if they are the real victim in question. It is completely unethical. It is also uneconomical. Businesses will only end up losing profit by turning away paying customers on the sole basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Big businesses like Apple will take a stance against states in which the bill is enacted, which will certainly not be a loss for the billion dollar corporation, but rather for the various local Christian-run eateries and flower shops. Hopefully, it is this argument that will turn some heads because apparently money is much more greatly valued than the rights of other people. Needless to say, there are many Christians who strongly disagree with using religion as an excuse for homophobia. However, it is the Anti-LGBT Christians whose voices overpower the non-discriminatory ones.

Author: Catherine Caruso

Writer of words. Lover of dogs.

37 thoughts on “The Fight Against Gays”

  1. “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.” – Luke 6:31

    It would be nice if those Christians who are wanting to discriminate against others would simply understand that little phrase. Do you want other people discriminating against you? No? Then why would you do it to them?

    Jesus made it so simple.

  2. As a gay, it’s strange to think some people wouldn’t want to serve me just for that reason; it’s when the personal becomes the political. You’re right, the nastiest voices usually shout the loudest about it, though.

  3. Loved your article! Written by a righteous person who just wants equality for human beings who are judged by certain people in religious organizations. People that take things to the extreme will always find something or someone to condemn!

  4. Very nicely written. I agree with you; it’s so sad that these laws are making discrimination legal. What happened to freedom?
    If Georgia passes a law like that, I’m going to flip a table and then spend a good 5 years ranting about it.

  5. Excellent post and so very true. We outside the US are aghast at what is happening in some states in the name of religious freedom. It is simply discrimination against a minority – and that is anti-Christian. I wonder what’s inside some people’s heads that they can think the way they do!!

  6. It seems to me that your minority groups want to rule the country. Individuals should be able to say or do as they please and not be told by your over bearing L & G groups. It seems one can’t say boo to a goose without someone jumping on there back.

    1. Individuals can say whatever they like. This is not simply a matter of freedom of speech. And if our “L & G groups” were overbearing, this would not be happening at all.

  7. Hi Rejectreality. Through my years of living in this society. I have always observed and stayed neutral. We are all one people and mostly human sure there’s aliens amongst us and should live the life that we want. Who am I to criticise how they live? Thank you so much for liking my poem Grey Stallion! Hope your journey is going well. Be Safe and Well. The Foureyed Poet.

  8. *whistles slowly* dark days with slow progress constantly being fought against, yeah? Unfortunately it seems like some people, and especially some politicians, would rather exercise their freedom of speech than use their freedom of common decency. From a Christian perspective, it’s really getting old that people keep using a religion that I was taught is about love as a justification for hate. We never seem to learn from the past do we?
    Either way religion and politics should stay the hell away from each other; never should the two taboo dinner conversation topics become one. It’s only polite. Great post.

  9. Tolerance, peace, freedom, liberty, empathy, respect, responsibility, freedom of speech, love, peace and fraternity – and an end to all medieval superstition. That sounds good to me!
    Love and respect from Opher’s World
    Best wishes
    Opher

  10. The thing I always bring it back to is, whether or not the Christians feel their religious liberty is being threatened (even though anyone with sense knows it’s not,) the bottom line is that in this country, basic civil rights trump religious rights in terms of how people are to treat others under the law. They can not practice anything that violates the laws of this country. Take Sharia law for instance. You are welcome to be Muslim in this country, but you are not welcome to marry/bed children, or mutilate women just because it’s part of your religious practices. While I agree these things are not the same as, say, selling gay people wedding cakes, the same concept applies. Religious people can’t use their religious beliefs as an excuse to violate civil rights laws, and DISCRIMINATION IS ILLEGAL.

    Seems so straight-forward you would think even a simpleton would get it… but they don’t.

  11. I lived during the sixties. Freedom was opening up. World had gone backward. Need the old ways. Respect and rate a person for what they do. A powerful blog today. You open the door to a large conversation.

  12. Very thoughtful, clear and well-reasoned. Interestingly enough, this was never an issue, say, 50 years ago; ‘Christian’ businesses (knowingly) served homosexuals and others because they could do so without overtly admitting anything. The situation was one of an unspoken knowing, i.e. one simply didn’t talk about it … but business went on anyway. Now, however, an extreme minority has drawn an arbitrary line and managed to convince x-number of Christian businesses, organizations and whatnot that crossing this line is tantamount to denying one’s faith. Here is the point at which it might do well to ask that oh-so poignant question: What would Jesus do? Kudos to you! And blessings, too!

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