There is a word in this post that some
might find offensive. Whatever. If you're not grown up enough to see
the word religion Jesus penis
in a blog post, then just ... find another blog to read or play Angry
Birds or something.
A friend on line recently posted a
picture of a billboard that said, "Religion is like a penis.
It's okay to have one. It's okay to be proud of it. But don't go
waving it around in public." I find it seriously odd that the
same people who are usually first to defend our rights are so quick
to try to subvert them when it comes to religion.
(I don't find it nearly as odd when the
people who are first to try to defend their religion are so quick to
try to subvert our rights when it comes to everything else. That's
"show biz".)
I live in a great country ... or what
should be a great country: The United States of America. It was
founded on a set of principles found in The United States
Constitution and The Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments to the
Constitution). The first of those rights is, "Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of
the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to
petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Now,
first, yes, the amendment is that Congress shall
make no law... but still, the principle is that an individual -- any
individual -- has the freedom to express himself or herself, to
believe what he or she wants to believe, etc, etc.
So, there are a bunch of people who
believe that abortion is wrong, that homosexual sex is wrong, that
contraception is wrong ... and some of this group even believe that
women working is wrong. And let's not limit this to the "God
hates gays" crowd**. There are also plenty of people who at
least claim that someone being gay doesn't bother them, that they
just don't want it "shoved in their faces." You know what?
This is America*. Whatever they believe, they don't have the right to
pass laws forcing those beliefs on the rest of you (or, as the case
may be, us). You have the right (via Roe v Wade) to terminate a
pregnancy. I have the right to smooch my boyfriend
same-sex relationship in public (yeah, if only) and if you're a
woman, you have the right to work. You should have the right to equal
pay, but we haven't managed to get that law passed, so ... good luck
with that *sigh*.
But you know what? Because this is
America, THEY have the right to believe that abortion is wrong, that
homosexual sex is wrong, that contraception is wrong. And they even
have the right to express that belief. What they don't have the right
to do is force you to believe what they believe. They do have the
right, however, to tell you what they believe.
But the same people who are defending
my right to hold hands with my boyfriend same-sex
relationship (see above in re "if only") -- because I
should have the freedom of expression in the face of those who say I
am "flaunting my sexuality" -- will claim that these people
don't have the right to flaunt their religion and should ... keep it
in their pants. People have even told me, "But your sexuality
isn't a choice." When did the Freedom of Expression start only
applying to things we have no choice over? Also, if you can't control
who you hold hands with in public, then ... there are treatment
centers that may be able to help. Seriously, I'm actually all for
public displays of affection (well... mostly for, anyway) but there's
a name for not being able to control what your hands do, and it
usually requires medication.
In the movie, The American
President, President Andrew Shepherd, played by Martin
Sheen says (in part), "You want to claim this land as the land
of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag;
the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to
burn that flag in protest." Well, for you liberals out there,
you want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol
of your country can't just be one of its citizens exercising his
right to burn that flag in protest. It also has to be someone
exercising his or her right to say something you find repugnant.
The freedom of speech is a great and
wonderful thing, but it has to be applied equally to all. If someone
is saying something that you find offensive, sure, you have the right
to be offended. You have the right to say that you're offended. You
even have the right to tell that person he or she is wrong. Heck,
tell the whole world that person is wrong. This is America*! But you
don't have the right to prevent that person from saying his offensive
thing. This is America*.
And while we're at it, let's be clear
on the difference between "Freedom of religion" and
"Freedom from religion". The United States Constitution
guarantees freedom of religion. You want to
believe Jesus is the Only Way? You have that right. You want to
believe the universe was created by The Spaghetti Monster? You have
that right. You want to believe nothing at all? You have that right.
But when someone comes up to you and tells you that Jesus is the Only
Way, they are not infringing on your right to
believe in the Spaghetti Monster. If someone comes up to you and
says, "You're going to hell," it doesn't mean that you are.
... It doesn't mean you aren't, either, let's just be clear on that.
It just means that that person is rude. And you have every right to
tell that person that he or she is being rude. Because this is
America*.
And if that person tells you, "I'm
just telling you what I believe" -- doubtful that they'd be that
insightful, but let's go with it -- well, they have every right to
believe it. They even have every right to be rude in their expression
of what they believe. Because this is America*. Rudeness is protected
speech under the US Constitution. But you know what? When you tell
people, "You can't go up to people and tell them that Jesus is
the only way because it's rude," ... well, you may have the
right to say that, but you're wrong. You're now
infringing on their right to freedom of both
speech and religion.
*Apologies to those of you for whom
this is not America, but for me it is.
**God doesn't hate gays, but that's
another blog post. ... And you can read it here.
