Over the last few days I have been reading many articles discussing the outcome of the Supreme Court Case; Masterpiece Cake Shop v. the State of Colorado. I have yet to read the entire story anywhere. The most I have been able to find is that the owner of the bakery suffered some form of harassment because he wouldn’t make a wedding cake for a gay couple. However, no specifics have come to light regarding the type of harassment mentioned.
By not reporting the entire story, including the details of the harassment the baker suffered, the media has created a shit storm of controversy based on ignorance from both sides of the issue. The Religious Right sees this as a big win for their side, even though SCOTUS has stated its decision was not based on the baker’s right to refuse service to LGBTQ patrons. The Liberal Left is now crying in their beer because they feel like the country has turned on them and their kind, and the civil liberties we have gained will be washed away entirely, not to mention it has presumably has all been caused by the fact that Donald Trump was elected.
If I understand SCOTUS’ statement correctly, this case does not set a precedent for future cases regarding discrimination of the LGBTQ community because of the oddity of the circumstances in this trial. Furthermore, I believe as does Ruth Bader Ginsberg does, that a wedding cake is a wedding cake regardless of the sexual orientation of the two people getting married. I also believe if you choose to be a merchant who pays taxes to the US, you don’t get to pick and choose your clientele. Furthermore, I wonder if the ruling would have been different had the said harassment not happened.
Additionally, the freedom of religion act was put into place in order to protect those people who choose to practice their religion safely without harm. It does not, however, say that you are able to use your religious beliefs to harass or harm someone else, and Christ most certainly would not have approved of this type of behavior either.
Please be wary of jumping to conclusions without all of the facts in these matters, especially when being viewed through your present biases and beliefs, regardless of which side of the issue you fall.
Please be wary of jumping to conclusions without all of the facts in these matters, especially when being viewed through your present biases and beliefs, regardless of which side of the issue you fall.
Today I read the below article about a teacher being forced to resign because he refused to call a transgendered student by their preferred name. I am posting the link so you can read it for yourself.
As a Bisexual Christian and cisgender male, I whole heartedly respect transgendered people, but I am still at a loss after reading this article. For me the article doesn't give the complete facts for either side. 1) What is causing the trans female to not feel safe? To me; feeling "not safe" means she feels in danger when she is around this teacher. Is he threatening her? Is he trying to convert her to his Christian way of life, by harassing her? 2) Why was the district not happy with the teacher using last names only? If the teacher insisted on calling this student "Mr." Last Name, instead of Ms. Last Name, I can see this would still be an issue, but the article doesn't give that information.
Jesus spent the majority of His time on earth with what modern day Christians would consider "Sinners." He always treated them with the love and respect they disserved regardless of their sins. So I can't understand why this teacher feels like his Christian beliefs give him the right to treat someone differently because they believe different than he does. The Bible I read says, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." God clearly says It isn't for us as Christians to decide what God will or will not except when it comes to sinfulness. Furthermore, treating people from the LGBTQ community differently, i.e. as a lesser person because of what someone deems God will be disapproving of and is not what Christ taught, nor would He have wanted us to do so. He preached we should all treat each other with the same love and respect He shows us. Lastly, Christ came to earth and died on the cross so that all are freed from the grip of sin, death, and eternal damnation to Hell.
Additionally, I find it epically maddening that this is the face of Christianity which most of the world sees, because it is not how the majority of Christians believe or act. For example, Fred Phelps from Topeka Kansas who traveled the country picketing funerals of service men and women with signs saying, “God Hates Fags!” First of all, God doesn’t hate anyone, nor would He ever label anyone with such derogatory terms. Secondly, what most people don’t know is Fred Phelps’ church was an independent ministry, and most of his followers were close family members. The ironic thing is that he was also a civil rights lawyer. How conflicted can one man be?
God also warns Christians to be wary of false prophets and says in 2 Timothy Chapter 4 verses 3 and 4:
God also warns Christians to be wary of false prophets and says in 2 Timothy Chapter 4 verses 3 and 4:
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
I believe it is time for Christians to stand up to those who are twisting God’s words in an effort to educate the community we live in that what these people are saying is not at all what God has taught us, but it is these individuals own misinterpretations of the Bible.
As far as the transgendered student's safety goes, if the only thing causing them to feel unsafe is the fact this teacher will not call them by the name which they feel best suits how they feel inside, they need to toughen up a bit. Expecting everyone will always treat you with the respect you disserve, and making a stink about it every time they don't is being a bit of a cry baby. If your emotional state of being is so fragile that not being called by a name you identify with causes you emotional distress, it might be a good idea to seek professional counseling. Not because you are broken due to being transgendered, but because you need help dealing with your own internalized transphobia. Which has nothing to do with the other person's behavior.
I know how confused and conflicted I was growing up in a home, where both of my parents were church workers, and trying to deal with my conflicting sexual and romantic attractions towards both males and females. The only way I was able to cope was to stuff the feelings so far down inside of me they never saw the light of day until I was 48 years old. I will never be able to imagine, or understand the difficulty of dealing with gender issues is, and my heart goes out to anyone who does. It took me three years of counseling with a secular and spiritual counselor before I able to completely deal with my issues. Never once did I ever blame anyone for my own insecurities because I knew where they lay, deep within me.
My birth name is Timothy. Ever since I can remember people have always called me Tim. From a very young age I have hated being called Timmy. My parents told me I asked them, when I was very little, not to call me Timmy so they switched to Tim. I am currently 52 years old and on occasion people still call me Timmy at work. In most cases, when I ask them to not call me Timmy because I don’t like it and I am no longer 3, that’s the end of it. However, there are still people, who after being told multiple times by me not to, still insist on doing so.
I no longer identify as a 3-year-old, and haven't for many years. People who insist on calling me Timmy, after being asked not to, are at the very least being disrespectful of my wishes and at worst, just being an asshole, plain and simple. Every time someone calls me Timmy I feel very disregarded. It is as if they are trying to force me into an identity that I believe no longer depicts who I am.
Do I feel unsafe? No. Is it frustrating AF, absolutely! It tells me they have no regard for my wishes and don’t care how it makes me feel. While this is a form of manipulation, control I can still over come the other person’s unwanted behavior because I am confident in who I am, and am emotionally strong enough to handle their disrespect with out becoming emotionally harmed in any way. There was a time in my earlier life, when I was not able to handle things like this as easily as I do now. My father was the principal and I was harassed and beat up daily. It took lots of counseling for me years of counseling to overcome all of the self hatred that was programmed into me by the bullies I endured.
Because of this I can understand who someone might feel emotionally unsafe. However, the world is a cruel place and you will never completely be able to avoid behavior that is damaging. It is far better to strengthen yourself in an effort to ward off the adversity which comes your way rather than expecting everyone to walk on eggshells around you. I no that sounds a bit harsh, but it is the reality of the world.
That said, if it turns from minor disrespect to harassment and or harm to you emotionally, physically, financially and the like, definitely stand your ground. Sue if you have to, and take to social media to make the world aware of the horrible injustice that was done to you. Strengthening yourself emotionally and spiritually will help you to better understand when someone is really infringing on your civil rights, and you will be more likely to gain the respect of others, as well as their help.
That said, if it turns from minor disrespect to harassment and or harm to you emotionally, physically, financially and the like, definitely stand your ground. Sue if you have to, and take to social media to make the world aware of the horrible injustice that was done to you. Strengthening yourself emotionally and spiritually will help you to better understand when someone is really infringing on your civil rights, and you will be more likely to gain the respect of others, as well as their help.
In the end, I believe both sides of these arguments need to grow up a little. Yes, there are still times when it is worth speaking up for one’s rights, and when it is warranted, I will stand right next to you regardless of which side you are on. However, if you are being petty just to make a statement and prove your point, regardless of the side you are on, helps no one and most often makes matters exponentially worse.
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