There's been a number of articles and news stories about Christianity and homosexuality in America, and the scorched, barren earth that seems to be pretty much all that's left of the intersection between.
The good news pretty much everyone knows: Obama has come out in favour of gay marriage. Not to the extent one might like (I'd be interested to see how he'd respond to the idea that it should be left to the states to decide whether a black man and a white woman can get married), but historic progress is historic progress, and I'd suggest we take what we can get, for the moment at least.
The rest of the week's developments have been less encouraging, not just for gay rights activists but for Christians too (and I'm not ignoring the fact that there are plenty of people who are both, indeed given the demographics of the US, I'd be more surprised if the majority of gay activists weren't Christian). A new survey lists the number one description of Christianity among 16-29 year-olds, and among all non Christians, as "anti-homosexual".
Think about that for a moment. Nothing about loving thy neighbour, or peace on Earth, or even making sure the Philistines get a damn good kicking. When young people and those outside the faith think of Christianity, their first thought is of the subsection of the population that a vast swath of a religion has dedicated itself to treating as shittily as possible. Pro-tip, church bigwigs, when more people think you primarily stand in opposition to gay people than think you're against tyrants, the greedy, and those who worship graven images ( the American flag ) you have fucked up, and I make no apologies for my choice of phrase, to a Biblical extent.
And it keeps getting worse. A man who made a fortune - which Jesus said he shouldn't want and should give away if he got it - by screwing over as many of the people God told him to help as he possibly could is busy suggesting that five centuries of theological differences (to say nothing of a few decent-sized and exceptionally bloody wars) should be swept aside in the face of the true enemy; men deciding they only want to bum one other man for their entire remaining span in this veil of tears. He's by no means alone in his crusade; the goldhugging Catholic muckity-mucks in Vatican City (national motto:-"If we can't engage in criminal conspiracies to protect those who abuse children, then those who want the right to love who they choose have already won") have been sending "Disgusted of Italia" letters to American convents, expressing their outrage that these be-wimpled ladies spend so much time healing the sick and helping the poor and take so little opportunity to tell homosexuals and pro-choice women that they're going to burn for eternity, along with the Protestants and Muslims and everyone stupid enough to violate their oaths of care in the most hideous way possible before being ordained.
(Also, while we're on the subject? Fuck off out of secular concerns, 'K? Is there any more disgusting insight into the current Republican id than them arguing they didn't reject someone for the bench because they're gay, but because they're gay and think they should be allowed to get married? Well, the answer is "yes", actually, since they're worthless, unrepentant fuckers.)
The various Christian hierarchies treatment of the issue of gay marriage has long since moved past busybody nose-poking, driven past obsession, and has become an all-consuming hunger for getting their own way not seen since Captain Ahab decided that getting himself some white whale-skin slippers was totally worth being smashed to a paste and/or drowning. If the Christian Right keeps on down this road, it's only a matter of time before they realise they've made the same decision. I say the arc of history bends towards justice, but they say their God will roast them in fire for all eternity for being douches.
Which you'd think would give them pause, quite frankly, but maybe not. Maybe they've finally realised their time on this earth is coming to a close, and it's simply a matter of being as colossal a group of dicks as possible before time swallows them forever, leaving a footnote that simply reads "Hundreds of thousands of citizens wanted public recognition of their vows to love their partners for the rest of their natural lives; these people stood against that."
3 comments:
Important to point out though a large number of christians aren't homophobic and find the very conservative position as frustrating as everyone else as the article you link to illustrates too.
As is often the case the noisest ones aren't always the majority. (indeed Obama classifies himself as christian) for example)
That's why I mentioned the Christian Right and the hierarchy of same (as well as pointing out that the majority of gay rights activists in America are likely to be Christians).
That said, and in reference to the survey I mention, it seems to me (and I realise this is easy for me to say) that the fact this particular group of Christians so dominates the airwaves suggests something is amiss. I don't see how the silent majority is worthy of too much praise for remaining silent.
Of course, given how critical I've been of the US press over the last few years, it would be stupid of me to not at least consider the possibility that there are just as many voices in the American Christian community shouting that everyone should be allowed to marry whomever they choose.
Regardless, the fact remains that poll after poll demonstrates that the objection to gay marriage (or even gay judges) is most common in Republican circles, that objection is commonplace, and the reasons given are religious. This is a real and serious problem, especially when mixed with politics, and this is as I see it a problem for Christianity as a whole, despite the fact that many (maybe even most) actual American Christians would much rather take a live or let live position.
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