Tolerance and Love

I'm not against the movement to improve the quality of life for those of the homosexual persuasion.  This movement encompasses many streams who are fighting for many different things.  The most easily definable things are homosexual marriage (and/or civil unions), laws that protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation, church membership, and the right to adopt.  I am not necessarily against these things.  I'm a strong supporter of civil unions and am somewhat undecided about marriage.  (More on that in a blog soon.)  I strongly support the movement to help gays live a more equal life and hope a more comfortable environment is being created for them.  While one may disagree with the lifestyle, it is certain that they should not placed in an awkward position.  The high rate of mental problems and suicides of those in this community is a sad manifestation of the discrimination, whether it be overt or hard to see, that befalls these individuals.  

However, I am deeply distraught and disturbed by what I see as the radical stream of the homosexual rights movement.  The movement has become very aggressive and very angry. They have stormed into churches and made scenes.  They have, on several occasions, gone into churches, run up front, and thrown literally thousands of sexually explicit pages of material in the air (to be cleaned up by those at the church) and run out.  They have made a circus, literally, dressing up as animals and clowns to disturb others, out of communion at a few churches. Recently, an elderly woman kneeling and praying by a church during a discussion for those with concerns about same-sex marriage was hit and had a crucifix knocked out of her hands.  They are taking kindergarteners to same-sex weddings for school field trips.  They are insidiously angry at those who don't agree with them.  

When Rick Warren was chosen by Barack Obama to give the invocation at his inauguration, there was a culmination of this anger.  He's been compared to a Nazi, a KKK member, been called "evil", "hateful and ignorant", "gluttonous", "homophobic", and many have criticized his supposed "bigotry".  There was a large demonstration in Washington against him the day of the inauguration, as well as many others across the country.  A website, called "dumprickwarren.com" was also created.  

I like Rick Warren a great deal.  I certainly disagree with a good amount of his theology, but the way he has transformed the Evangelical community, to be not just relevant, but to be a force for social justice, should be greatly admired.  He should be thanked and honored for his work on AIDS, abstinence education, third-world education and literacy, the climate, and poverty.

It baffles me to no end why people would be upset with his choice for the invocation.  If he was the only speaker I could understand somewhat.  However, Gene Robinson, the first openly-gay man (or woman) to be ordained as an Episcopal bishop also offered a prayer during inauguration festivities.  The Gay Mans' Choir also performed.  

Rick Warren is NOT a bigot.  He is NOT homophobic.  He is CERTAINLY NOT hateful.  I have never heard him say anything hateful about gays, nor anything slanderous.  What I have heard him say is that we should love gays and support them.  In fact, when Bishop Robinson, who has been extremely controversial and divisive in his comments, was invited, Warren applauded the decision to invite Robinson.  

It doesn't make sense to get so excited over Rick Warren.  He is one of the best-selling authors in the world and stands as a sort of bridge between liberals and conservatives, both religiously and politically.  There is no doubt he is one of the most influential men in America.  He is also clearly an affable, jolly fellow.   Barack Obama choose him because he is popular and because he wants to represent everyone as president.  So why would it make people so upset?

The radical gay community is so naive, confused, and arrogant that it now sees anyone who disagrees with them as bigoted and homophobic.  Aren't gays trying to spread tolerance and love?  Or do they just want whatever helps them the most?  By the standard definition of the word they, the radical homosexual rights movement, is filled with bigotry.  They are certainly hateful.  They are the ones who are truly being intolerant and unloving.  They are the hypocrites.  They know nothing of true evil and true hatred.  Their struggle is not the same of blacks in the 60s.      

What they don't seem to understand is that you're not going to change the minds of religious people.  A belief that homosexuality is a sin is not just an opinion, it is a sacred belief.  It is something that, according to those who do believe it is a sin, God doesn't like.  One's belief about homosexuality is a deeply personal conviction.  Nobody is going to be able to change someone's mind that believes homosexuality is wrong on religious grounds.  And, in fact, it is wrong to make them forget about it.  In fact, it is just plain dumb to criticize someone's belief when you don't understand their faith.  How can you criticize somebody who is trying to do what their faith tells them?

What can a Christian who believes homosexual relations are wrong do?  They can love the gay. They can pray for them.  They can be friendly and not judgmental while still believing it is wrong.  What more could a gay person ask for from a person who believes their lifestyle is wrong?  It is certainly more tolerant and better than their reaction.  But the radical gay movement doesn't see this.  Tom Hanks recently said that those who supported the California ban on same-sex marriages (Proposition 8) in California are "un-American".  Thankful, he apologized.  What is un-American, is when people deem anyone who disagrees with them hateful and evil.