Yesterday’s blog generated a ton of mail. Most of it, I am
surprised to say, was very, very positive. Many folks thanked me for speaking
out on this subject. Others encouraged me to keep the fight up. Some just
wanted to let me know they agreed with my point of view: that America is at a
dangerous crossroads as religion tries to drive our government.
But one letter
caught my attention and I decided to share it today as a sample of what I am
talking about when it comes to religion trumping the rule of law.
“Crawley, I have read your garbage for months now and you
say the same thing. The freedoms and liberties of the extreme left are in
danger. Boo Hoo. America is in danger. Obama and you people put us there. Making everyone have the same rights is
silly. I work for a living. I pay taxes and I expect to have more rights than
the freeloaders you represent. I earned it. Don’t try and take it away from me
and don’t step on my religious freedom. I have the God-given right to worship
my Lord and Savior as I see fit, even if it messes up your entire life.”
The letter goes on to call me several names and reminds me
that I am bound for hell. (To the last point, if the letter writer is going to
heaven, I’d rather be in hell, thank you very much.) It also blames all of our
troubles on the “gay and queers” (sic) because …“they are trying to infect us
all with their way of life. It is ruining the family.”
It is that very last line that really got me. Call me any name you wish. Tell me my writing
sucks (Miss Hart at Kilgore High would have agreed with you…) but do NOT blame
the problems of America on an oppressed minority trying to ruin your family.
Excuse my French here…but that is blatant bullshit. (I am
told the Apostle Paul’s reference to sin as a pile of dung is the same language
translated into a proper form by the English scribes under King James.)
My family is not in danger due to gays. Lesbians do not pose a risk to the Crawley
household. Or yours. The bigger risk to my family and to all families and to
American Values is the simple minded, narrow vision of a few deranged folks who
think the water Jesus turned into wine was non-alcoholic, because their
preacher told them so. They are that
stupid as to follow these pulpit pundits in almost anything they say. I am now
hearing pastors preaching against global climate change, like they even know
what they are talking about. It is amazing to me, you can study Greek and
Hebrew and suddenly you are a science scholar and you know for sure the world
is only 6,000 years old.
And when it comes to global warming, this guy quotes his
pastor as saying, “It’s God’s will.” Funny how when things don’t go their way
in an argument or when facts refute their position, they always say, “It is
God’s will.” So I remind my friend, the
election (two times) of Barrack Obama must have been God’s will. (Oh that’s not
bound to sit well with the pious and the preachy.)
That is exactly why I wrote yesterday’s blog. This guy has
just made my case.
America’s ultra orthodox conservative religions are dumbing
us down and trying to take over the rule of law in our land by subjugating
faith over fact.
For the other dozen or so of you who wrote in to encourage
me to keep the home fires lit…I will and I thank you for your support. To the
letter writer whose words I quoted here let me simply say, “You need to live
outside of your little town and your little church and your little circle of
small-minded friends. Take a trip somewhere that they don’t play Fox News
24-hours a day. Talk to real people. Listen to them LISTEN TO THEM. Don’t be
like your mentor, Rush, LISTEN TO OTHERS NOT LIKE YOURSELF…and learn from them.
It is called growing up.”
As for my premise yesterday, one letter writer wrote, “…there
is a play on words in your headline. And it is so true…both ways. (Yesterday’s
headline read: Freedom is in the Balance.) Freedom itself is on a very narrow
edge and walking the fine line where we all have our rights, privileges and
respect in a balancing act that a just society strives for. Keep up the good
words. We need them. We need the balance.”
All I can add to that is a huge — Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment