Christine, first off, I would be happy to acknowledge that you, in the "is it possible that Jesus..." post were simply bringing something up off a web-site. I very possibly over-reacted, because for one, because the statement was not put in quotes or italics, so I did assume it was your idea. Further, I was very surprised that the "discussion" had advanced virtually overnight from bad parenting to whether or not Christ had whatever.
Of one's personal religious beliefs, you say:
"particularly if you offer them as justification for discriminating against people in employement and other areas of their lives... This is you trying to force your beliefs on others, nothing else, and I find that repugnant, personally speaking."
1) Again: I personally am providing my own income and occupation through self-employment. I work out of my own personal home, in a home office, and I live alone. In this situation, I have a RIGHT to hire someone who I feel will be compatible with my personality, my values, my credo, etc. If I don't want to hire anybody, then I won't. That is the option I operate under at the present time.
How many gays have you personally paid the wages for, Christine? Show me the money, before you get too sanctimonious.
The fact is, even gender based discrimination goes on all the time in all sorts of circumstances. For example, I was interviewed for a job when I was in my early 20s, and after two interviews, I was told "the person who vacated the job was a woman, so we'd rather like to hire a woman again". I was a man (still am, actually). Tough luck. So I went elsewhere. You may not believe it, but at Bonneville Power Association, a Federal Agency, I was told flat-out by the personnel dept that I couldn't even have a job application because I was a white man, and white men had nothing "going for them" such as some minority status, so I wouldn't have a ghost of a chance of ever getting hired. Again, tough luck for me. Perhaps I should just commit suicide for those people making me feel bad.
2) Public corporations are different, as are government institutions, which are publicly held also, though they don't issue stock. I 100% agree that it is wrong to deny a homosexual OR ANYONE the right to work on a discriminitory basis, from which work produces MONEY, FOOD, SHELTER, etc. Furthermore, NOBODY could ever find Biblical jusification for intentionally causing some class of people to suffer in the realm of physical needs, which "needs" we will include the full access and enjoyment of all public property.
re If you want to choose to not associate with homosexuals in your private life, for example, I suppose that is your right.
That's generous, Christine. I thought I was going to have to take out a want ad to find a homosexual friend, because I don't know any gays.
re My own position is that regardless of whatever your belief system is, it needs to stay clearly in the realm of belief, and Do No Harm to the larger society
Christine, the one time in my life that a man told me face to face that he was gay, I treated him with the utmost respect. I didn't give a clue what MY personal beliefs are. He moved to a different city shortly after that, so there was no other contact. I don't remember a time where I ever personally reprimanded or otherwise showed my disapproval for someone elses personal lifestyle.
Actually it's never occured to me that anyone would assume that because I was a Christian, I was running around needlessly causing people personal torment and grief. I guess that's another reason why I am somewhat mystified by your automatic assumption that I would be doing that. For the record: I'm NOT, so get off your high horse.
As for parents throwing their kids out of the house because they admitted they were gay, read my prior post. Suffice to say that if I am somehow responsible for something I've never in my life personally heard of happening, what the heck more can I do? I find it difficult to conjure up a lot of fake guilt, when we're talking about things that I've never even heard of happening. The connection is just a HUGE stretch. |
