In Derby, a devout Christian couple, Eunice and
Owen Johns well known for their anti-gay views over the years, have lost
their appeal to the British High Court over an adoption case.
It was not that the couple was prevented from
adopting children simply because they were christians who had anti-gay
views, but they had themselves withdrew their application after being
told by the Derby City Council that they could not spread their anti-gay
rethoric to the children. They have asked the judge to declare that
their "anti-gay" position were Christian values and anything deemed as
Christian values should be protected under the law.
The couple had wanted special rights and special
exclusions simply because they were Christians, setting a risky
precedence that would mean that Christian religious opinions had special
considerations under the law and above all other rights and religions.
For example, if our faith did not allow us to have
fellowship with a "non-Christian", a sales person could not be taken to
tasks for refusing to serve a Hindu couple buying groceries since he was
not to touch the unclean!
In a landmark decision, Lord Justice Munby
and Mr Justice Beatson ruled that laws protecting people from
discrimination because of sexual orientation "should take precendence"
over the right not to be discriminated against on religious grounds.
The justices rejected the argument that this was a
threat to religious liberty, adding that "No one is asserting that
Christians .... are not fit and proper persons to foster or adopt.
No-one is contending for a blanket ban".
We are reminded that the Focus on Family calling
for "dialogue", or Liberty League affirming their right for religions
opinions. However, the claim to "religious opinions" or for a dialogue
and debate is simple untenable. It's hardly a dialogue on equal terms,
for the Christian Right agenda has gone from a private religious faith
belief/opinion, to a demand and insistence as a "religious right" to :-
a) Unduly influence Politics
Christians are hounding
the politicians demanding special rights to deny the basic rights of gay
people simply on account of their own religious beliefs even though it
does not impact them one way or another. They want laws to limit the
basic rights of gay people, rights which Christians themselves have and
indeed been flounting such as marriage and adoption.
b) Unfairly influence the judiciary
Christians are
demanding special rights for criminal laws to persecute Gay people to
put them in jail simply on account of their own religious beliefs even
though it does not impact them one way or another. They termed two men
having sex as "promoting homosexuality" and in Singapore has insisted
that two men having sex be put to jail.
In summary, the Christian Right wants special
religious rights to override the basic rights of others simply because
of their religious opinions. They are inisisting that what they say ie
their word is "Law", with power to penalise others.
The Christian Right have become a law unto
themselves. When they insist on their "rights", they are worshipping
themselves and self has become an idol and god they are worshiping. The
god of the "religious right" is themselves.
The call for dialogue as if the Christian Right
were
"well meaning Christians" is also insincere and self delusional on
their part. We are not talking here about two sides of equal power
constructions or sincere motives, but a significantly one sided
context:-
a) In America, the
Christian Right has a massive majority following, whilst gays form far
less than 10% of the population and have little voice. The voice of the
Christian Right is like a loud horn speaker through the thousands of
churches, the mega TV televangelists, the hundreds of radio stations and
Internet TV/radio portals, and major news/religious web sites. The voice
of the GLBT community is hardly heard above the white noise.
b) The voice of the
Christian Right, including all their deliberate false rethoric and
demonization of the gay community is taken as blibical truths by the
community. The protests by gays against such mis-information and
deception is hardly heard.
It should not be taken
as a matter of religious opinion or religious dialogue, but a case for
persecution of the religious right peddling false rethoric leading to
gays being put to prisons and death. Under the law they will not be
persecuted, but under God's moral law, surely the Christian Right will
be held accountable.
For example, in
Singapore, the likes of Rev Derek Hong and Rony Tan can preach and
spread their false anti-gay rethoric to a very large audience of tens of
thousands without restrictions. The more lies that are preached and
often enough, would surely in time become "blibical" truths! When the
American Christian Right preachers came to Singapore, they off-loaded
their teachings to our local pastors who are indoctrinated without
questioning.
The bible doesn't call
for civil dialogue with those who spread false witness as a religious
life style, but to call for separation against these unrighteous and
ungodly people.
God is a God of justice and I don't believe that He
will be mocked by those who treat His grace and mercy in vain.
Gays are far too small and weak to ever be an effective voice against
the flood of the Christian Right. But there is always justice at the
end, and those who used the name of Christ in vain for their own
anti-gay agenda may find themselves being judged and treated on the same
bar of judgement as they have condemned the GLBT community. God is
rising up a banner for the Gay community and the Christian Right is
fighting a loosing battle however powerful they may be.
Therefore, let us err on the side of God's love,
grace and mercy personified in Jesus Christ lest we bear up arms and
kill the innocent, their blood which will become sin amongst us.
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