I watched someone get called a "bigot" yesterday because they didn't change their Facebook profile picture to the rainbow "pride" tint. Why were they called a bigot? Because they were a Christian. Let me be very clear about something: I know that the accuser does not speak for the masses. There are extremists (for lack of better terminology) that represent every culture, belief, religion, and so on and so forth. This accuser's terminology is clearly uneducated and just plain ridiculous. You are not a bigot simply for not choosing to add a rainbow tint to your profile picture any more than you are a bigot for saying that you don't agree with something.
Bigot is defined as "a person who is intolerant toward those holding different opinions." By its very definition, the above-listed accusation is incorrect. A profile picture or any other such representation has nothing to do with whether or not a person is intolerant. The word "bigot" gets thrown around like a simple, everyday adjective anymore and it's often directed at the Christian or conservative base. If you don't think people should live on welfare their entire life and then pass it on from generation to generation, you're a bigot and you hate poor people. If you don't think that the Confederate flag represents racism (in this day and age), you're a bigot and you hate black people. If you don't think that the government should remove "under God" from the pledge, you're a bigot and you hate other religions. If you don't think that the government should make a federal law redefining marriage, you're a bigot and you hate homosexuals. The word is thrown around to describe anyone whose opinion varies from the masses. Realistically, the masses throwing around this word is the very definition of bigotry. They are being intolerant of someone else's different beliefs.
Our politically correct culture seems to think that offense is NECESSARY instead of optional. Do you want to know the truth? Being offended is a choice. Sometimes it's a more evident choice than others but it is always a choice. You choose how you react to peoples actions. You choose whether or not someone's comment or demeanor or even their picture offends you. It's a choice. Quite honestly, we seem to tiptoe around anymore not wanting anyone to be upset because they might sue us (which is a very real threat being that we live in a sue-happy society but that's a whole different post). We have to define people by their ancestry (aka African American, Asian American, Latin American, etc) instead of defining them of citizens of our country, Americans. We aren't allowed to call people "illegal aliens" because it's offensive, though the terminology is actually completely accurate. We aren't allowed to breastfeed in public without a cover because someone might be offended by the sight of a breast but we also aren't allowed to tell the teeny bopper with her ass hanging out of her shorts that her clothing isn't appropriate; you see, that's offensive. We're a nation of pansies when it comes to hurt feelings and it's absurd. Like I tell my kids when they're whining over nothing: toughen up buttercup, life's hard sometimes. Realistically speaking, you can't get upset over every little thing.
What is my stance on gay marriage? Honestly? I think that if someone else wants to enter in the 50/50 world of marital "bliss", let them. Does that make me less Christian? No....Christianity is the belief that Jesus is our Lord and Savior who was crucified, buried and rose again to save us from our sins. I still believe that. Does it mean I don't believe in the Bible? Absolutely not. I absolutely do believe that the Bible was written by man, inspired by God and that the events did occur. I also believe that we are called by God to love and that Jesus' death gave us the two most important commandments: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. I don't have to want to be gay to love the crap out of every gay person I meet. We are called to not be judgmental but to walk on God's path and to teach others through our actions and words how to be more like God. My focus is on what God calls ME to do. It is not on trying to pick apart every single action of our fallen world and it is certainly not to pass judgment on someone who chooses to live a different lifestyle than I do. Does the Bible define homosexuality as a sin? In the old testament, yes. Does it explicitly say in the New Testament that no one sin is better or worse than another, yes. You see, to me, picking apart things and saying, "Well it says in __enter Old Testament book here__ that this is a sin or that's a sin so you're wrong and I'm right and you're not a Christian because you don't believe it," that's absurd to me. The Old Testament also tells men that they can't shave their beards and women that they can't divorce or remarry after their husband divorces them or a million other things. No, you can't cherry pick what you want from the Bible as it appeases you, but you also can't stand and say that this passage from the Old Testament is important but that one isn't. When Jesus died for our sins, he washed away the old and brought in the new. Do the commandments still exist? Absolutely, even Jesus says that but he also says that the two most important commandments are to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. So do I choose homosexuality for my own life? No. Does that mean I don't think homosexuals should be allowed to marry? Absolutely not. Their lives and their choices are between them and God and my choices are between me and God. I'm no better and I'm no less of a sinner than they are. Everyone sins every single day...who am I to judge whose is better or worse?
I WILL say the following though: the Federal government IS too involved in everyone's daily lives. Nothing that isn't Constitutionally right should be forced on us and redefining the Constitution by stretching it to fit our needs would make our forefathers roll over in their graves.
I guess my summation is simply this: Perhaps if we were a bit more concerned with making our own lives the best that they can be and doing our best to be good people, our country would be better off. Instead of focusing on who hurt your feelings or who is doing something you don't like, focus on bettering your own life and let them do what they want to do. You don't have to agree with them to love them and you don't have to accept their choices to let them live their life the way they choose. If you aren't contributing to their bills and you aren't taking care of their emotional needs, you don't have the right to interject your opinions into their everyday life. You don't like gay marriage? Okay, be straight and be proud of that as the gay population is proud of their choice. You don't like breastfeeding in public? Okay, don't do it and turn your head if someone else is doing it in front of you. You don't like the Confederate flag? Okay, don't display it. No one is making you do any of these things. Let's get back to the fundamentals of our country's Constitution and mind our own business for awhile.
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