"Duck Dynasty", Christianity, and freedom of speech

Let me just say right now that I don't watch Duck Dynasty. I can almost guarantee you that I wouldn't watch it even if I got the channel it comes on, not being a fan of reality tv.

I do, however, support people's right to say anything they want, even if I personally don't like or approve of what they say. I also have to say that I haven't read the full GQ profile of Mr. Robertson, although I did read the quotes where he seemed to  compare homosexuality with bestiality and where he spoke about living in pre-civil rights Louisiana. (About that: Maybe that was his experience. But he shouldn't act as if it were the experience of every person at that time and place.)

Re: Homosexuality = bestiality/pedophilia -- I took that to mean that homosexuality is a sin, just as bestiality and pedophilia are. Which, if you read the Bible, it is. The Bible calls it an abomination and (if you don't like Leviticus) in Romans it does say that homosexuals are not going to heaven.

A lot of criticism I've read today has regarded Jesus being loving, which he is. But he also judged. He told the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultry, "Go and sin no more." He called them out on their sin! That's what people seem to hate these days -- they don't want to be called out on their sin. They say, "Look at the plank in your own eye before looking at the dust in mine." And I think Christians should be willing to do that. We should be transparent about our sins. And you know what else? We should make damn sure we've truly repented of those sins. I've done stuff that I've repented of, and I truly believe that God helps me every day to go and commit those particular sins no more. But I still stumble. I'm still human and that's what we do. But with God's mercy, love, and help, we can do better. We won't be perfect; only God (and the human Jesus) are/were perfect, but we can definitely be more Christlike.

I also uphold the right of anyone who feels that Mr. Robertson was wrong to call him out on it. Boycott A&E; boycott the show itself. That's also free speech. I don't believe anyone is infringing on Mr. Robertson's right to free speech by doing so.

Let me also say this. Do I think homosexuality is a sin? Yes, I do. Do I think homosexuals are going to hell? If I believe Romans, yes they are. Would I make those beliefs public? If asked bluntly, yes. Would I treat gays differently based on those beliefs? NO. I have two gay men that I love and think of as my family. Do I think marriage equality should be law? YES!!! Because whatever fundamentalists think, this is NOT a solely Christian nation. Nor is this a theocracy. We CANNOT force people who don't believe in the Bible (or hold different beliefs about what the Bible says) to conform to laws that are Bible-based.

There is at least one sin (adultery) that does harm to more people than homosexuality does, and yet it's legal. Why is that? Why should we make an act that does no harm (except perhaps spiritually) illegal while an act that causes pain to many is still legal? Huh? I don't understand.

Well, time for me to get off my soapbox. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

Question

You know, I've been hearing/reading the past few days about how pro-equality folks are trying to "force" acceptance of same-sex marriage. What I want to know is how are we doing that? No one has to accept it; just tolerate it. You can tell a gay couple that their marriage is "fake", just like you can tell a mixed-race couple that their marriage is "fake". (Just don't be surprised if either couple tells you what you can do with your opinion.)

I haven't heard much about pastors and other religious people in Canada and other places being arrested for speaking out against homosexuality lately. (A few years ago I read about that.) There's a reason I don't think that will happen in the U.S., though... you see, there's a little thing called "freedom of speech" in our Constitution, which I'm not sure is included in the constitutions of other countries. This means you can say just about anything you want to about anyone without being arrested. (That does not mean there won't be other consequences, as many folks have already discovered.) But haters will still be allowed to hate; bigots will still be allowed to be bigots, and things will go on pretty much as they always have (except there will be more people getting married).

As for incest, polygamy, bestiality, etc.... we may have to redefine marriage to include two unmarried, unrelated humans. (Of course, we all know why children and animals can't get married... neither of them can give informed consent. In the animal's case, it can't consent at all. At least not in a language humans can understand.)

Oh, and as far as.crazy people who claim to be "married" to the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Building (inanimate objects)... *snorts* just let 'em. The Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building didn't consent, either.