1) I want to say, “you know they can hear you right? they’re sitting right there”! ‘Those people’ are our family, our friends, our neighbors, our cops, our soldiers, our EMS, our teachers, our work colleagues, members of our church (well most of our churches) … get the point? So don’t talk about them like you don’t know them or they live in another country or on the other side of town.
2) This is not a religious conversation. It is perhaps informed by our faith; however my faith is about grace, forgiveness and kindness and every time ‘church people’ in the bible tried to recruit Jesus to support their control or denial of others he admonished their attitudes. He did not once respond with, “Oh my God right? Those people should be excluded and avoided until they agree with us”.
3) This is about laws. Laws are only needed because people are unreliable, untrustworthy and hateful. Laws are supposed to protect the lives and rights of ALL PEOPLE (in the USA) from hate, deceit and failures of others.
So, in my opinion, …
don’t bore me with trying to justify YOUR attitude with claims that God is on your side. If God wants to correct me, I will respectfully listen when God is ready to lecture me for my failure on the topic.
don’t talk to me (or write on my Facebook) about ‘those people’ or any variation of that attitude. you’re talking about my family, my friends, people I care a lot about and hope daily that they are blessed with the love and companionship and RIGHTS that I have enjoyed.
don’t tell me we should have legal barriers that prevent or limit the hopes I just expressed above.
don’t expect me to rally with your support for lawyers and law makers when they violate point number 3 above.
don’t EVEN get me started on opinions about sexual behavior … just don’t. History has demonstrated that those who make the most public display of indignation often are the SAME people with the most to regret. Just zip-it!
PLEASE do not forget we are discussing the rights of people we love and hopefully our core value is indeed Freedom and Justice for ALL.
Sincerely,
dws.
my road 