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Okay, so Kirk Cameron doesn't like gay people and thinks they are corrupting America. He came right out and said it. Then, a bunch of other people called him bigoted and small-minded and said he should shut up already. Then, other people, said that he was brave and a true Christian and that he has the right to say whatever he wants because "This is America!" Free speech! Amen!
And, you know what? I believe both sides are correct. It is brave to stand up and admit that you hold beliefs that are out of step with the majority. Brave or foolhardy. Certainly it is honest. Kirk thinks people are sinning and he wishes it would stop. More power to him. He can pray. He can hand out pamphlets. He can give interviews. And he can take the social ostracizing that his opinions bring down on his head. We won't be throwing Kirk in jail and we shouldn't be demanding he lose his job because he's a bigot. Of course, I should be equally free to tell him that in my opinion he is a bigot and the opposite of what I consider a Christian. I, also, feel that he is ignorant and ill-informed when it comes to genetics and his bible, and I am thankful that we don't live in a theocracy where crazy ideas like his can be made into law.
And there's the difference between what Kirk was talking about and what I am talking about here. I am talking about SPEECH and its consequences. Kirk thinks we SHOULD have laws supporting his belief system. And that crosses over into another person's actual life and rights. Separation of Church and State means you can't impose your belief system on other people. Murder is against the law, not because it is a sin and God told us not to do it, but because it is one person inhibiting another person's right to live. If a someone sleeps with your spouse, it is a sin in many belief systems...morally shaky and you can rail against it...and it can be grounds for divorce...or annulment under church law...but it doesn't give the state the right to deny your rights and it isn't a crime in America...because your spouse is a consenting adult. But if someone kidnaps your spouse, it is a crime, because that someone is interfering with another person's right to liberty.
Here in America, we have the right to believe whatever we want and say whatever we want aloud without fear of being denied our liberty. But, we can certainly be denied the good will of others. And yes, I know that means people get to say some pretty horrible things...about women and minorities of all types. We are free to tell those people they are jerks, though. If you are the sort of misogynist who thinks using birth control is a sign that a girl is a slut, then feel free to say so and take the consequences of people calling you or your advertisers and expressing their own opinions.
We are free to use the N-word or the S-Word. We are free to hold idiotic opinions about creationism or alien abductions and to share those opinions openly at cocktail parties. We are free to say that Rush Limbaugh is very creepy and misogynistic and we will not be buying products from people who support him. We are free to boycott the products. We are free to tell Kirk that we think he's a bigot. But we are not free to picket Kirk's house and make him miserable. We are NOT free to legislate our firmly held moral convictions. We are not free to tell Rush or Kirk that they can't marry whomever would have them, just because they do things that we find morally reprehensible. Lord knows, my skin crawls whenever I think of Rush Limbaugh breeding.
Oh, great...now I have to go watch House/Wilson vids until THAT idea is cleansed from my mind.
And, you know what? I believe both sides are correct. It is brave to stand up and admit that you hold beliefs that are out of step with the majority. Brave or foolhardy. Certainly it is honest. Kirk thinks people are sinning and he wishes it would stop. More power to him. He can pray. He can hand out pamphlets. He can give interviews. And he can take the social ostracizing that his opinions bring down on his head. We won't be throwing Kirk in jail and we shouldn't be demanding he lose his job because he's a bigot. Of course, I should be equally free to tell him that in my opinion he is a bigot and the opposite of what I consider a Christian. I, also, feel that he is ignorant and ill-informed when it comes to genetics and his bible, and I am thankful that we don't live in a theocracy where crazy ideas like his can be made into law.
And there's the difference between what Kirk was talking about and what I am talking about here. I am talking about SPEECH and its consequences. Kirk thinks we SHOULD have laws supporting his belief system. And that crosses over into another person's actual life and rights. Separation of Church and State means you can't impose your belief system on other people. Murder is against the law, not because it is a sin and God told us not to do it, but because it is one person inhibiting another person's right to live. If a someone sleeps with your spouse, it is a sin in many belief systems...morally shaky and you can rail against it...and it can be grounds for divorce...or annulment under church law...but it doesn't give the state the right to deny your rights and it isn't a crime in America...because your spouse is a consenting adult. But if someone kidnaps your spouse, it is a crime, because that someone is interfering with another person's right to liberty.
Here in America, we have the right to believe whatever we want and say whatever we want aloud without fear of being denied our liberty. But, we can certainly be denied the good will of others. And yes, I know that means people get to say some pretty horrible things...about women and minorities of all types. We are free to tell those people they are jerks, though. If you are the sort of misogynist who thinks using birth control is a sign that a girl is a slut, then feel free to say so and take the consequences of people calling you or your advertisers and expressing their own opinions.
We are free to use the N-word or the S-Word. We are free to hold idiotic opinions about creationism or alien abductions and to share those opinions openly at cocktail parties. We are free to say that Rush Limbaugh is very creepy and misogynistic and we will not be buying products from people who support him. We are free to boycott the products. We are free to tell Kirk that we think he's a bigot. But we are not free to picket Kirk's house and make him miserable. We are NOT free to legislate our firmly held moral convictions. We are not free to tell Rush or Kirk that they can't marry whomever would have them, just because they do things that we find morally reprehensible. Lord knows, my skin crawls whenever I think of Rush Limbaugh breeding.
Oh, great...now I have to go watch House/Wilson vids until THAT idea is cleansed from my mind.