[WARNING: Rob’s on a rampage again.]
Seriously, can someone let me know, cuz I don’t get this.
No, that’s not true, I do get it…
Christ warned us that living in the world while trying to not be of the world would be difficult:
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.
~ John 15:18-22 NIV
Ok, so it’s -1 here in the prairie ghetto—again!—and I’m predisposed to be touchy, but when the NFL, of all organizations, get’s on its high horse to extort other Americans on religious grounds…well that really chaps my ass!
Don Fanuccui strikes again!
The Arizona bill seeks to protect people from violating their conscience on religious grounds. When the HHS mandate tried to force Roman Catholic organizations to provide contraception as part of their standard healthcare packages as stipulated in the ACA, even though it expressly violates RC teaching, the Church took them to court.
In a similar reaction, some of the people of Arizona felt the need to enshrine what is already a constitutional right in state law. If this bill is signed into law by Gov. Brewer, I’m sure it will face many court challenges. There’s nothing surprising about that.
The LGBT community as a social and political force has become enormously strong as one by one, states and municipalities, of which Chicago is one, legalized gay marriage. I’ve written before about how our PC society tolerates every viewpoint as long as it agrees with its own. That’s not new. It’s been going on since the Garden.
So why should the NFL in particular cause such outrage in your normally mild-mannered blog host? Because the hypocrisy is just too much to bear!
The NFL which employs, murderers, rapists, drug dealers, wife-beaters, and thugs presumes to lecture ordinary citizens about morality and freedom of conscience?
The huge popularity of the sport, combined with the beeelions of dollars it rakes in each year can definitely be a force for good in the culture, but it consistently chooses not to. Instead it blows with the wind. In this case strident, rainbow colored, atheistic wind.
And don’t even try to lecture me about how this is no different than discrimination against women or racial minorities, because it very clearly is. Being a man or woman is a biological fact, not a choice. Being Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, or African-American is also biological fact and not a choice. We are what we are, creatures of God, and due respect.
LGBT people, by virtue of being men and women, creatures of God, are also due respect. However, that does not extend to serving them in my store if it violates my religious beliefs. Most especially just because Don Fannucci says so!
For the record, I’m against “there oughta be a law” laws. I’d prefer that we all act like rational adults and extend one another some common courtesy regardless of our religious or political views. But I can also see why some are afraid that those basic courtesies will not be reciprocated and feel the need to protect themselves.
I love football, but if the NFL continues its extortionist tendencies, then I’m done with it. I’ll just have to learn to like kick-ball.
Oh, puuuuuleeeze!
Americans have used religion as a way, or an excuse, to preserve slavery, segregation and the subjugation of women since it was founded. This is just another chapter in that never ending story.
My God doesn’t discriminate.
“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””
Galatians 5:14 ESV
Julie,
Yes, religion has been used as an excuse to propagate hate and commit some pretty atrocious crimes over the centuries. No debate there. And I think I was pretty clear that I believe that LGBT folks should be treated with the same respect as anyone else. But I reject your argument that a Christian, Jew, or Muslin is not allowed to frown on something that their faith explicitly calls sinful and disordered, or that doing so is equivalent to discriminating on sex or race. That is a lie we’ve been sold as the culture tries to inoculate us against a sense of sin.
As I wrote, being a woman, African-American, or a big, white doofus like me is a biological fact not a choice. I do not believe that is true of homosexuality, nor has it been proven to be to any definitive degree. Now, as I said, I don’t advocate people slamming the door in the face of LGBT people, but I do respect their right to say “I will not serve” if it violates their conscience. Nor do I think they should be coerced and manipulated into doing so.
For me, my conscience is perfectly clear on how I’ve treat LGBT people. I have had friends, at least two roommates, several acquaintances, and many coworkers who are gay. I think it would be better all around if we didn’t act like jerks to each other, but just because I welcome you as a fellow traveler and a human being, doesn’t mean I must be forced to condone what you do.
And I also disagree that God doesn’t discriminate. One day we’ll all stand before Him and he will “discriminate” which are sheep and which are goats. I’m no sheep, but I wanna be!
The powder keg was loaded and the fuse inserted to be sure, but what really put match-to-wick was the poor construction of the law to begin with. As written it would be easy for a person experiencing same-sex attraction to fear that all essential services could one day be unavailable to them. Had the law been written to protect business owners (or anyone else for that matter) from having to participate in any event or activity that violated their religious consciences much of this debate would be moot?
Oh I’m sure the law was poorly written. Name a law that was well thought out and well constructed in this day and age. Pretty damn short list.
Look folks, what I disapprove of is being told by the LGBT community and their enablers in the media and culture how to believe. And that because I see things differently from them, I’m a bigoted, unenlightened asshole. I’m not trying to abridge anyone’s rights, so don’t think you can go abridge mine!
When someone like Roger “Don Fannucci” Goodell in his incessant drive to expand the empire gets involved in telling people “do this or I’ll take my ball and go home,” I’ve gotta call him out. You wanna take the high moral ground Commissioner? Then clean up all the scum in your own house first! Until then shut the F up!
And one more thing. I wrote in the post that I don’t approve of “there oughta be a law” laws. We have a constitution—remember that anyone?—and we have a society, (at least we used to) that adheres to conventions of respect and courtesy toward our neighbors. If we stuck to those freedoms as well as their inherent constraints, we wouldn’t need to write 500,000 word laws to enforce common decency.
That being said, the NFL needs to shut up and go back to counting their money.
So, on one hand you are angry that one business owner is not allowed to conduct business based on their values, and, on the other hand, you are angry at another business owner who actually does conduct business based on their values?
Don Fannucci is not a business owner, but regardless, even if he was, his threat to punish Arizona is the height of hipocrasy.