SectionsA letter to religious moderates: speak up
J.T. Eberhard
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: Opinion
Hello. I'm writing to you for help.
I recognize you as the Christian who disdains the inhuman products of faith as much as I do, perhaps even more so since you have a vested interest in how your faith is perceived by the world.
You do not directly join in with the fundamentalists, which, despite my feelings towards faith in general, endears you to me.
However, most of you are closing your eyes to the actions of the pious many.
It is unforgivable that we live in a society where grown men and women must still struggle to come to grips with something as ordinary as homosexuality.
It is even more unforgivable that many young homosexuals choose not to live rather than to exist in a society that condemns them for an imaginary crime - for loving who they choose.
The true gravity of where we stand is that people die over our unwarranted prejudice. Even I believe that faith deserves better than to be a shield for those who would cultivate this type of world.
I can't presume to imagine how you must feel about your faith being employed in this cold, compassionless fashion.
You cry that extremists are only a handful - a minority that gets all the press; but apparently they're a minority that also casts all the votes, because gays and transgenders still do not have equal rights in this country.
If you are a moderate, you can no longer silently watch this situation play out.
There are people out there who do not care about fairness, tolerance, or compassion.
These are people like Fred Phelps and others determined to make the barbarity of our ancestors their own.
They are hate-mongers like Pat Robertson and the millions that follow him like lemmings to a cliff.
They are the most public cogs in the loving machinery of justice they ascribe to the god you follow.
If you grow tired of invoking explanations and apologies for the actions of those touting the banner of Christianity, then it is time for you speak. If you don't, people who would use your religion to dredge the ideals of ancient ignorance into the 21st century are going to continue to speak for you.
I recognize you as the Christian who disdains the inhuman products of faith as much as I do, perhaps even more so since you have a vested interest in how your faith is perceived by the world.
You do not directly join in with the fundamentalists, which, despite my feelings towards faith in general, endears you to me.
However, most of you are closing your eyes to the actions of the pious many.
It is unforgivable that we live in a society where grown men and women must still struggle to come to grips with something as ordinary as homosexuality.
It is even more unforgivable that many young homosexuals choose not to live rather than to exist in a society that condemns them for an imaginary crime - for loving who they choose.
The true gravity of where we stand is that people die over our unwarranted prejudice. Even I believe that faith deserves better than to be a shield for those who would cultivate this type of world.
I can't presume to imagine how you must feel about your faith being employed in this cold, compassionless fashion.
You cry that extremists are only a handful - a minority that gets all the press; but apparently they're a minority that also casts all the votes, because gays and transgenders still do not have equal rights in this country.
If you are a moderate, you can no longer silently watch this situation play out.
There are people out there who do not care about fairness, tolerance, or compassion.
These are people like Fred Phelps and others determined to make the barbarity of our ancestors their own.
They are hate-mongers like Pat Robertson and the millions that follow him like lemmings to a cliff.
They are the most public cogs in the loving machinery of justice they ascribe to the god you follow.
If you grow tired of invoking explanations and apologies for the actions of those touting the banner of Christianity, then it is time for you speak. If you don't, people who would use your religion to dredge the ideals of ancient ignorance into the 21st century are going to continue to speak for you.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Foreign Born Patriot
posted 3/02/08 @ 1:38 PM CST
Mr JT: If this is the religion that you advocate then all others pale by comparison because your religion accepts no others. "Inhuman products of faith"??? Whatever do you mean by that? How can religious moderates, which would assume a level of concordance with science, side with you as there is no real tie between homosexuality and science. (Continued…)
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