SEPTEMBER 4, 2019 BY SUSAN COTTRELL
A florist in Washington, a clerk in Kentucky, a baker in Colorado… discriminating against LGBTQ in the name of ‘religious liberty.” I am not going to let you get away with it anymore.
These stories, and others like it, are often trending and, as one of our readers said, “I’m sure we will always see the wave of persecution-whining on Facebook,” from those who claim to be losing their religious liberties, who claim to be persecuted because of their religion.
Meanwhile, in their ongoing pursuit of “religious freedom,” these people step over LGBTQ youth literally stranded on the street, they turn a blind eye to the horrible injustice all around them, in order to maintain their ideal of pretending they are fighting sin.
25% of LGBTQ homeless youth become homeless the day they come out to Christian parents. 57% of transgender youth without supportive parents attempt suicide. When even one parent is supportive, that number drops to 4%. Faith-based family rejection is deadly.
If those statistics doesn’t turn your stomach, it’s time to go back to your knees in prayer.
Like the whites who ignored the lynchings of blacks, like the Germans who ignored the acrid stench from the crematoriums, to maintain this pretense of “religious freedom” is horrifying blindness and hypocrisy. You could really not get any more selfish than that.
You who maintain that fiction for yourselves do so at your own peril. You will be washed away in the changing tide.
Enough is enough.
Accepting LGBTQ people does not limit anyone’s religious liberties. But to marginalize and discriminate and shut them out limits THEIR religious liberties.
So Christians, tell me again why you need protection for your religious liberties? For the life of me I can’t get it. You live in a country with more religious liberty than any other in recorded history. Please, tell me exactly what liberties you believe are being encroached?
I’ve looked at the requirements of Christianity. I’ve read the words of Jesus, and I cannot find anywhere that he asks his followers to NOT serve your neighbor, NOT be kind to your neighbor, NOT to love your neighbor… (and he said everyone is your neighbor). I’ve searched and searched but it is not in there.
I’ve read the words of Jesus, and I cannot find anywhere that he asks his followers TO judge their neighbor, TO condemn their neighbor, TO reject their neighbor. In fact, he said the opposite.
I’ve read the words of Jesus, and I cannot find anywhere that he asks his followers to change laws so you can legally discriminate those you think are in sin.
This is not rhetorical. I am asking you. I’ve been asking you – in posts, in comments: where does Jesus ask you to do anything other than embrace, in love?
Because I must tell you, you are breaking a lot of direct commands by driving people over the edge, laying on them heavy burdens you do not lay a finger to help lift, making them follow traditions of men, not the love of God.
Please, help me out here. Do not collapse paradigms. Don’t throw random stuff in here. I’m asking you where Jesus, the one you claim as your Savior, the Christ whose name you claim: where does he tell you to pass laws to protect your ability to exclude those you consider sinners.
Note: Especially to those who want laws to protect their religious liberties (i.e. to exclude “sinners”), remember this:
Remember Simon the Pharisee was highly offended at the “sinful woman” who washed Jesus’ feet – Simon wanted Jesus to throw her out. Instead, Jesus corrected Simon!
Simon was just like you, a religious man who believed he was fully justified to exclude this “sinner.” Yet, Jesus corrected him, instead.
So please, tell me. Help me get this straight.
Because honestly, I know Jesus never said anything like this. God does not justify your “religious laws” in any way. In fact, he would correct you instead.
Unless you can prove otherwise, then you are just reflecting your own preferences. It’s time to admit it, because if you are proceeding on your own power, not Jesus’, then don’t call it religious liberty. You’re just fighting for your right to discriminate.
You don’t have to like LGBTQ people. You don’t have to like black people, or women, or other races, or children, or bank tellers, or libertarians – or anyone you don’t want to like. Usually when people dislike groups of people, it’s because of fear or self-centeredness. They’d like to pull God into it, and because that sounds so much nobler than, well, personal preference. But you don’t get to do that.
I’m calling BS on this being about religious liberty. Really, it’s just personal preference.
And we as a civilized society are not going to let you get away with it.
For more information on our live, print and film resources for parents of LGBTQ children; for those in the LGBTQ community; and for those in the church, just CLICK HERE.