Wednesday, December 14, 2016

The Case for Hate

I was laying in bed the other night, texting back and forth with a more conservative friend of mine, and they brought up the point that I should feel lucky to be in the US, because in Iran or Saudi Arabia, they just push homos off of really tall buildings or set them on fire or hang them with cranes. Yes, how fortunate that I live in a Country where I don't have to fear institutional retribution for who I am. I should be thankful that this isn't a Muslim majority country that has instituted Shariah. So yes, I should fear and hate Muslims for what they've done to members of my Community.

But wait, that doesn't seem quite right does it? It would seem that I should feel fortunate that I live in a Christian majority Country, where I only have to worry about being denied marriage equality, healthcare that is LGBT informed, and the ability to hold hands with my boyfriend without fear of having the shit beat out of us. So no, I don't have to worry about being killed, but I do have to worry about the institutional discrimination that I, every member of my Community, and every minority in this supposedly great Country has to face.

So I'm curious. Why should I hate and fear Muslims when I face discrimination here at home by people who have a deeply held religious belief? Why should I be tolerant of their reticence and intolerance? Why should I be tolerant of their subscription to Divine Command Theory as a viable code of ethics?

Because I'm a decent person, that's why. I will stand up for my Christian brothers and sisters (I'm still Catholic) and fight for their rights to worship god in whatever fashion they want, and I will fight for them to be able to post on social media about how evil marriage equality is, or that HIV/AIDS is god's punishment for being gay until the bitter end. And I will fight for women to have ultimate control over their bodies and equal pay to men. And I will continue to fight until the bitter end. But it's striking to me that this seems to be a two way street, but one lane is empty.

I've been admonished by my deeply religious friends not to judge an entire faith by the actions of a few misanthropes. So why the hate and distrust for Muslims? There are over 1 billion Muslims in the world, they compose roughly 1% of the US population, and while there are radical Muslim terrorists, how is the Westborough Plains Church any better? How is legislating against a minority in the US Congress any better? No, they're not hanging us, but they are stripping away rights, and it may continue to the point where gangs can tie up young men to fence posts and beat them to death. A democracy must take into consideration the well-being of ALL people. Not just the minority.

Finally, isn't Love the fulfillment of the law? I've got to jet. Be humble, don't stumble, and I'll see you again soon.

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