The combination of a college student contorting her face into expressions of agony today when a fellow classmate discussed gay rights, and the outrage from the left over this new TV show about gay men married to women, has got my wheels turning on hyper-speed. What makes us so ugly towards each other? How is it that we don't recognize it in ourselves? Why do we object to the "weakness" of those we consider our allies when they dare reach their arm out to the other side? I have arrived at my current explanation for this phenomenon of what I will call "social issue hate syndrome", though my ideas are ever evolving. I'll look at homosexuality exclusively today, but truly, this concept applies to all issues we find ourselves at battle in as a society.
Our greatest hindrance in finding common ground, understanding, and in being Christ-like (or just loving, for nonbelievers) is the lack of a wide and healthy worldview. The more narrow our perception, the more unforgiving and judgmental we are.
I have been trying to figure out why republicans and Christians seem to be so hateful. It has really bothered me because I don't want to believe that it is true, but more and more, if I hear a hateful comment, I can almost guarantee that it came from a hard core conservative Christian. This is why liberals feel so justified.
BUT. They in turn use that justification to become guilty of THE SAME THING. They squeeze their eyes closed to the other side, make up their minds about them, and close off their ears. So, my current belief is that harsh judgment and refusal to accept what you do not personally agree with is due to worldview. Not religion. Not politics. But, MANY Christians misinterpret scripture or follow a crazy religious leader and get caught up in the fire and brimstone. They are taught to not question things, but to rely solely on faith. The result is conservatives/Christians with a narrow and unchallenged worldview. Hence the association. Their religion is simply one factor contributing to the actual problem, it is not the problem. We see this among confused Mormons too, but that doesn't make it a religious thing as a whole. Our actual doctrine is far more compassionate and understanding towards homosexuality than any other mainstream Christian religion, if we would all just follow it....
The left making these hasty judgments to shut down a show they haven't even seen is no different than the conservative Christians refusing to, say, listen to the plight of a gay man and his struggles, or listen to the case for gay rights. They are both rooted in the same thing-an inability to separate the idea of principles and beliefs from the idea of questioning and compassionately seeking out other views.
I'll say it again. The reason for complete and willful ignorance, which often leads to prejudice in the way we view and treat others who differ from us, is an inability to separate the idea of principles and beliefs from the idea of questioning and compassionately seeking out other views. The two do not need to be exclusive from each other. In fact, they never should be.
