No, I do not respect your beliefs that kill.
In the debate of same-sex marriage and homosexuality in general, there’s something that’s really beginning to bother me. I hear the typical quoting of Leviticus to condemn LGBTQ people. I hear how being LGBTQ people are an abomination and how they should be put to death. I constantly hear how LGBTQ people are possessed by demons and straying from the Lord’s path. I also hear about how LGBTQ people are getting closer and closer to Hell. My disgust over these comments remains, but lately I’ve been examining more important comments on this issue. I’m beginning to see a trend ? and it scares me.
For LGBTQ people and their supporters, I’m seeing a common phrase being used in debate against people who have an anti-gay stance and believe homosexuality is a sin. Recently, I’ve seen numerous debates over homosexuality and same-sex marriage. One man even went to a friend’s Facebook page and condemned her to Hell and stated that she was slipping from God. This kind of religious-based anti-gay rhetoric happens in my life daily. I see it all the time. What surprised me, however, was her response. She stated her case and responded kindly, but she used the common phrase that is becoming detrimental to the LGBTQ cause. ?I respect your beliefs?.? She went on to say that the man who commented on her post doesn’t know her heart or her faith in Christ, so she would rather him not say such things. As more and more comments were posted, I noticed other people using the same phrase before they debated this man. ?I respect your beliefs…?
Today, I am saying NO MORE. For anyone who will be involved in a debate over homosexuality and same-sex marriage, this is for you. Please, please stop using this phrase. Anti-gay people love to use the phrase, ?I don’t condone that behavior.? For me, I don’t condone the behavior of respecting anti-gay opinions. The reason why this phrase is so detrimental is because it sets a precedent for the future. Will we maintain the ?we’ll just have to agree to disagree? attitude forever? No. It’s no secret that LGBTQ people aren’t treated as equal citizens. From marriage equality to workplace discrimination, LGBTQ people are constantly at risk. Let’s take a look back at those who were also treated unequally.
I bet slaves told their masters, ?I respect your religious beliefs about slavery, but I’d appreciate it if you treated me like an equal human being.? I’m sure women told their husbands, ?I respect your religious beliefs that women aren’t equal to men, but could you please not treat me like a piece of property?? I’m sure interracial couples tell their friends and family the same. I bet prisoners in the concentration camps told Hitler, ?I respect your religious beliefs, but I would like it if I wasn’t a prisoner.? Are people supposed to respect the beliefs of radical Christians called the KKK? Are people supposed to respect the beliefs of radical Muslims who kill people in the name of God? Here are a few similarities of the Christian Right and Muslims. Are people supposed to respect the beliefs of pastors who call on Christians to kill gay people? Are LGBTQ people and supporters supposed to respect the beliefs of people who condemn them to Hell, harass them, and bully them? Too many LGBTQ lives have been lost due to bullying, suicide, and hate crimes. So no, I DO NOT and WILL NOT respect your outdated beliefs that cause harm and kill.
In the age of information, ignorance is a choice. If you still think gay people choose to be gay, you haven’t done enough research. If you’re still quoting Leviticus for God’s sake, you’re obviously cherry-picking Bible verses. You’re obviously taking verses out of context and choosing to ignore other Bible verses. If you’re going to condemn someone to Hell, at least make sure you’ve done adequate research. You may think you’re ?showing love? by telling LGBTQ people the ?truth? of the Bible, but your words carry consequences. People hear your words and grow up thinking LGBTQ people are worthless, so they bully them, and even commit hate crimes. LGBTQ people grow up thinking they’re damned for eternity, so they commit suicide more often. Families think they’re doing ?God’s commands? by leaving their child homeless on the street. People are dying and being killed because of these ?beliefs.?
To me, this is a black and white issue. There is no ?gray? area anymore in which you expect me to respect your beliefs that cause harm, discrimination, violence, and death. When history books are read, people will agree that the misinterpreted religious beliefs that caused slavery, the Holocaust, the mistreatment of women, segregation, and the mistreatment of interracial relationships, were wrong. They will not respect the religious beliefs that caused such atrocities to happen. People don’t look back and say, ?I hate that so many women died during the Salem Witch Trials, but I respect the religious beliefs of the people during that time.? Likewise, when people read about the treatment of LGBTQ people and realize that the majority of the mistreatment is due to misinterpreted religious beliefs, people should NEVER say, ?I hate that so many LGBTQ people died, but I respect the religious beliefs of the time.? For LGBTQ people and supporters, we must stop saying this. The passive days are over. It’s time to stand up and say, ?I DO NOT and WILL NOT support your beliefs that kill.?
