Practice What You Preach

In his article for the right wing web site, Real Clear Politics, Barton Hinkle  asks Can Gay People, Too, Live and Let Live.  While celebrating our recent hard fought victories over DOMA and Prop 8, he argues that in the name of tolerance, should we not tolerate businesses serving the public who discriminate against us because of religious beliefs.  In other words, should we not tolerate their intolerance to prove how tolerant we are?  Discriminating in the provision of goods and services in the public sector is not a protected Civil Right.  If the subject of the question was people of a different gender, race, religion or economic class, the answer would be no.  Why, then, should the answer be yes just because the subject of the question is Gay people?  We should tolerate their hate, bigotry and discrimination to prove our capacity for tolerance?  Isn't hate, bigotry and discrimination against us the problem to begin with?  Hinkle argues that Live and Let Live cannot be a one way street, and I agree, but it is about time for those who oppose our right to live to travel down the road in our direction as it is for us to travel in theirs.  They must let us Live just as we must let them Live.  We should not force them to believe something that their religion does not teach but then neither should they force us to do without that which they provide to all others because of that belief.  We are not declaring war on the religious as has been suggested by those such as Peter Sprigg and Tony Perkins, in fact we are actually asking them to be more Christ-like in their actions.  Would Jesus turn his back on someone just because they were not his same race, gender, religion or economic status?  I think not.  Jesus sat with the marginalized citizens of his times and carried the love of God to them.  If that is the standard, then those that argue against us for religious reasons fall far short of that standard.  No one is perfect, but neither should we not strive to come as close as we can.  To do otherwise is both illogical and it violates the first law of human relations, Do Unto Others and You Would Have Them Do Unto You.  If they want us to Let Live, then they should practice what they preach.

 

Your Monday Musical Moment features Cello works by Camille Saint-Saens as interpreted by Cellist Steven Isserlis.  Included in the play list are Cello Concerto 1, Cello Concerto 2, La Muse et le Poète (duet with Joshua Bell); Suite for Cello & Orchestra, Op.16 and Prayer (with Francis Grier on Organ).  Performances recorded with both the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas and the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christoph Eschenbach.  Then comes this week's edition of men in their Monday's Undies with a variety of muscular body types lounging about the page below the play list.  Thanks for sharing part of your Monday with me, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!