The Religious Right Hurts America
By Jan Larson (11/27/06)
Recent comments by Rosie O’Donnell equating radical Islam with Christianity and Elton John advocating the banning of all religion were viewed as outrageous by most clear-thinking people.
There is simply no logical explanation for the equating of people that would blow themselves up and take others with them in the name of their religion to those that would condemn a homosexual lifestyle or for calling for the elimination of the institutions that provide so much charity and work to reduce the suffering of so many around the world.
Or, is there?
Most non-Muslims in the United States don’t know the difference between a Shiite and a Sunni. All we know is that they are Muslims and they are blowing each other up with increasing frequency in Iraq in the name of their religion.
O’Donnell, openly gay, views the condemnation of the homosexual lifestyle as oppressive and threatening. John, also openly gay, said, “Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays.”
It seems apparent that O’Donnell and John both lump “religion” into one big basket without making any kind of distinction among the various religions of the world. They don’t see one religion as being better or different than another.
Part of the blame for this must fall upon the so-called religious right. Conservative publications and websites regularly feature articles and commentary condemning gays and the homosexual lifestyle. It follows that people who may not be particularly religious (or religious at all) in their day-to-day lives would not make a distinction between Islamic extremists and Christian extremists (if that is an appropriate term).
The deepest fear of “progressives” is that the United States would become a theocracy where a religion (in their view a fundamentalist Christian religion) would be imposed on the country. This theocracy would subsequently eliminate gays and impose various other restrictions on the guilt-free lifestyles that progressives live and advocate.
Of course, this entire notion is preposterous. Even people that are spiritual and religious in their daily lives would not want a religion imposed upon them, but this doesn’t seem to register with those fearful of religion.
This conflict would not be so evident if those on the religious right would get off the soapbox about homosexuality being a “sin” and an “abomination.”
There are some simple facts with which the “anti-gays” must come to grips. There are a certain percentage of people born that are gay. They cannot change this no more than a tall person can become short. Preaching that being gay is a sin or is wrong will not change anything and will not “convert” anyone. Children will not grow up to be gay just by being in the presence of a gay person. If one does not like that someone is gay, then the best advice is to not associate with that person. You’ll feel better and they will too.
A position of intolerance toward gays, as advocated and practiced by some on the far right, flies directly in the face of the Christian ideals of compassion and inclusion and that also feeds religious paranoia.
This issue (along with the abortion issue which will not be addressed here) is the main source of paranoia and fear that many have with respect to the religious right. If those that continually espouse that gays “will go to hell” and must “repent” and change would just keep their opinions to themselves, the paranoia of the progressives would not lead them to equate Islamic extremists with Christians or to advocate the elimination of religion entirely.
Copyright ©2006 Jan A. Larson All rights reserved.
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