tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post702205465755181783..comments2024-03-27T20:09:11.399-06:00Comments on Unabashedly American: The Need for Mutual Respect in the Debate of Gay Rights vs. Religious RightsDarrell Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05474956372325309461noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-16879620545551897862015-04-14T15:40:41.616-06:002015-04-14T15:40:41.616-06:00But Jerry, that really isn’t true. I think most c...But Jerry, that really isn’t true. I think most churches gladly welcome gay people. We are all sinners and in need of Christ’s mercy. What better way to find that then by worshiping Him in His house? What most orthodox Christian churches don’t welcome is when they are told that thousands of years of tradition and sacred scripture are wrong and must be discarded in order to accommodate sin in the name of political correctness. <br /><br />I agree that public businesses should serve all of the public all of the time, except when a customer insists on your serving them in a manner that violates your faith and conscience. NOBODY should have a right to force you to violate your conscience, most especially not our federal government which was primarily and purposefully empowered to protect the American citizens from becoming American subjects by protecting those very rights. <br /><br />Simply going to church each week does not make one a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes a person into a car. Truly being a Christian means to live that life to the very best of one’s abilities every day of the week. And that includes trying to stay away from sin or being a part of another’s sin. You are right; picking and choosing is not one of the commandments. It is because of this that Christians cannot pick and choose which sins they will be participants with, even in peripheral areas. <br />Darrell Michaelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05474956372325309461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-38884848116306629202015-04-14T15:07:07.253-06:002015-04-14T15:07:07.253-06:00No one is forcing another to accommodate gay peopl...No one is forcing another to accommodate gay people in their church. But when you have a public business serving the public, you should serve all the public, not just those your religion say you should. <br /><br />After all, individuals ignore church teachings all the time in serving the public. I don't recall picking and choosing being one of the commandments. Jerry Critterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870618647449723147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-374408607764483192015-04-14T13:14:18.018-06:002015-04-14T13:14:18.018-06:00Is that akin to the bigotry against some Christian...Is that akin to the bigotry against some Christians, Muslims, etc. practiced by some gay people and their supporters who are upset that those people living their faith won’t violate it for the gay person’s benefit? Wouldn’t it be easier to simply find another proprietor that will serve them? But that isn’t what some people want. They aren’t wanting mutual respect and acceptance. They are wanting complete support of their lifestyle and anyone that does not celebrate their choices is branded as a hateful bigot. I wonder how long until orthodox Christianity is outlawed in the United States, considering how politically correct we have become as a nation. It is my opinion that we all need to be kind and respectful towards one another, but we should not be forced to violate our own consciences in how we live our lives in order to show that respect. Unfortunately, I suspect that you and I will simply have to continue to disagree on this issue, Jerry.Darrell Michaelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05474956372325309461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-78596831992527334502015-04-14T09:52:47.379-06:002015-04-14T09:52:47.379-06:00When " living their lives by their faith and/...When " living their lives by their faith and/or conscience" permits acts of bigotry, I consider that using your religion to justify bigotry.Jerry Critterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870618647449723147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-88624690053559621052015-04-14T08:29:33.303-06:002015-04-14T08:29:33.303-06:00Jerry, respectfully, I think you are missing the p...Jerry, respectfully, I think you are missing the point. If someone is denying service to another person because of their gender, race, sexual orientation, etc., then that is unacceptable and is indeed bigotry. If someone does not want to partake in even a peripheral way in an event, ritual, rite, sacrament, etc. that violates their conscience or religious faith, then they should not have to do so. Do you really believe otherwise, my friend?<br /><br />Do you think a gay print shop owner should be forced to print a sign saying “God hates fags” for the Westboro Baptist Church? Do you think a florist shop owner who is black should have to provide flowers for a KKK event? And do you think that a person who’s faith teaches him that marriage is a holy sacrament between a man and a woman should be forced to provide a cake for a gay wedding?<br /><br />If you think that the force of government should be brought to bear on those who are not acting out of bigotry but rather are living their lives by their faith and/or conscience, then that makes me very sad, Jerry.<br />Darrell Michaelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05474956372325309461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-76168253351426481132015-04-13T21:50:45.488-06:002015-04-13T21:50:45.488-06:00"Say" should be sad."Say" should be sad. Jerry Critterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870618647449723147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-83249934967769740482015-04-13T21:50:07.025-06:002015-04-13T21:50:07.025-06:00Using religion to justify bigotry somehow just doe...Using religion to justify bigotry somehow just does not seem right. Perhaps, I don't know, maybe that is one of the attractions of religion. It makes me say..Jerry Critterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870618647449723147noreply@blogger.com