A good friend of mine is involved in an extracurricular religious (Christian) organization (involved in a leadership position). She's a strong, confident Christian who is not afraid to stand up for her values and beliefs. Any of them.
One of these beliefs is that civil marriage, as a civil institution, should be available to all couples who want to get married under the eyes of the government.
That's right, she supports civil marriage equality.
As a person (not as a representative of her organization, understand, but as a representative of herself) she has worked tirelessly as a volunteer for Equality Maine in order to help create equality for citizens in this state. She has given up her free time to support a political campaign that she believes in--time she could have spent doing other things, like homework, relaxing, or spending time with friends. She stood up for rights for her friends, stood up to give voice to those who historically have not had one, stood up to gain equality for human beings. Though I am not a Christian, my understanding is that these are all values Jesus Christ would have shared.
She has since been "asked" to "resign" from her leadership position with this club.
I am shocked, angry, and appalled. This is wrong. This is wrong morally, ethically, and probably legally. I can not imagine how she must be feeling right now--especially since she was standing up for the rights of others. Sticking her neck out on an issue that would not have directly benefited her. And this supposedly Christian organization turned their backs on her as a member and as a person because they did not agree with her personal political opinion and the way she volunteered her personal time.
I spoke just this past week with another person in this organization, another person in a significant leadership position, about bridging the gap between religious clubs on campus and the Alliance. We are all people, all students at this school, and though we may have some significant differences from each other, our similarities far outweigh them.
He told me he agreed. "I know a lot of people have been hurt by the Church in the past. I want them to tell me. I want to be able to apologize for the Church. This hatred is not what we're about."
You have proven otherwise.
I don't know about anyone else, but I am beyond-words-angry at the hypocrisy of this organization. Know that you have done wrong to her, and to yourselves, but refusing to acknowledge and respect her as a person with an opinion different than your own. She has, in the time I have known her, consistently shown the same values that Christ preached. You, on the other hand, are showing values that belong to no part of the Bible or Christ's teachings that I am aware. She is strong, confident, and proud woman who knows what is and is not right. You, on the other hand, as an organization have shown none of those characteristics. I am shocked and appalled by your conduct, and can not honestly understand how you feel you have done right in this situation.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Being A Christian Means Loving Your Fellow Human, Not Judging Them Because They Have Different Political Opinions
Labels:
Christianity,
equality,
hatred,
judgmental,
wrong
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)

No comments:
Post a Comment