Good will to all men? Not from the grumpy atheists! (Thank God not all atheists are grumpy but there sure seems to be a lot of them)
Why is it that so many in the atheist community cannot bring themselves to get past their anger whenever they engage in discussions? The language of many of their contributions in public debate is laced with invective and dripping with sarcasm and bile. There are exceptions of course, but they tend to fall more into the category of being the 'exception that proves the rule' when compared to the hostility of many of today's atheist posters. Comment offered by the theists in the public square is often depicted as being 'malicious' or 'venomous' and intended to enslave the 'feeble minded and weak' by those who post. Nothing could be further from the truth. Venom is something that is oriented to death. Christians are oriented in a 180 degree different direction. We speak not to the culture of death that grips our world but rather for the culture of life and light which ends with the gift of eternal life. For example, the Catholic Church in its hum...
That's distorting the issue. Cakes aside, the law says people can be denied employment or housing because they are gay. Not because what they say or their actions are disruptive, but because who they are. Do Christians really want to align themselves to this behaviour?
ReplyDeleteMichael: The video is only following the same logic that the opponents of the bill used ie) that it would permit bakers (and photographers) from having to serve a gay clientele. That said, I agree that Christians should not rush to align themselves with discriminatory behaviour of any kind. My principle issue is that the Indiana bill was in response to court rulings (strangely enough involving bakers and photographers) in which the government compelled businesses to do something that they were morally opposed to. Put succinctly (I hope), if they refused to serve a client/customer based on his race, gender, ethnicity etc. they should be sanctioned. But if it gets down to an issue of whether or not to offer their specific service in a given manner (like putting a gay message on a wedding cake) the power of the state shouldn't force them to do so. Boycott them... picket them... encourage people not to use their service if you wish. But it's wrong to force them in the manner that the courts in the USA (and H.R.C's in Canada) are is an abuse of state power.
DeleteHere's a link to a story I found on Facebook that makes the point that this debate isn't about equality or discrimination. It goes too far in its conclusions but illustrates its point pretty effectively.
Fr. Tim
http://shoebat.com/2014/12/12/christian-man-asks-thirteen-gay-bakeries-bake-pro-traditional-marriage-cake-denied-service-watch-shocking-video/
Delete