In a recent Los Angeles Times article (http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-christians10apr10,1,2532138.story), it was reported that Christian groups such as the Christian Legal Society are trying to overturn tolerance policies on university campuses such as Georgia Tech. Using the principle of free speech, the Christians involved in the lawsuit are claiming that these tolerance policies, which promote diversity training and forbid the use of harsh words against homosexuals, infringe on their right to speak freely. And apparently, condemning homosexuals in public is the kind of speech they see in need of liberation.
What is particularly interesting is that they don’t consider gay-bashing hateful speech along the lines of racism, sexism, or Nazi views on Jews. The reason is that they see homosexuality not as an in-born trait, but as an alterable behavior that can be condemned when it isn’t changed. How the moral distinction between behavior and in-born trait can be justified in regard to homosexuality puzzles me. But I’ll return to this point in part 2. For now, I’ll just say that it strikes me as over-rationalizing an irrational prejudice. In any case, as they believe anti-discrimination policies go too far when they protect behaviors instead of merely unchangeable in-born traits, their conclusion is that policies intended to prevent discrimination are themselves discriminating because they prevent Christians from speaking out their minds. Christians are the new, unjustly harassed victims, it seems.
Free Speech, Tough Skins
I’m very tempted to say “Aw, poor babies,” and move on to something else. For a country in which the majority espouses Christian beliefs of one kind or another, protestations of being victimized seem awfully hollow. But as it happens, I’m not a fan of regulating speech and hiding behind the law. Just because speech is offensive it isn’t grounds to ban it outright. Besides, freeing up speech can be beneficial. If we allow people — yes, even these hate-mongering Christians — to speak their minds, the snakes can be shaken out from the grass. Not all Christians hate gays, of course. Many actually stand by the commandment to love your neighbor. The same is true of people in general. But if we allow expression of even offensive viewpoints such as the ones underlying some Christians’ hatred of gays, we are in a better position to try to educate, persuade, reason, in short, discuss the issue.
On another level, really free speech will also reveal the Christian persecution complex the media gets so excited about for what it is: hypocrisy. If we’re going to free up speech, then Christianity — which is surely a behavior and not an in-born trait — must open itself to the same kind of withering scrutiny it wants to unleash on gays. Of course that’s not what the zealots want. As much as they complain about being discriminated against on the basis of being (conservative) Christians, they have no problem pursuing their own religious persecution of non-Christians and non-heterosexuals. What they want is to dominate without being challenged and criticized.
Unfortunately, the world is filled with hateful people. The only way to stand up to them is not through law but through good actions and a refusal to leave unchallenged the bigoted bile they spew out. I think gays, like atheists and other popular targets of Christian wrath, have tough enough skins to withstand criticism, however offensive. And there is nothing to prevent a critical response. Case in point: Brian Fleming, director of a film (The God Who Wasn’t There) refuting the belief that Jesus Christ actually existed, is engaged in a rather intriguing guerilla marketing campaign. “A total of 666 DVDs [of The God Who Wasn‚t There] will be hidden like Easter eggs‚ in sanctuaries, church yards and other holy areas by Beyond Belief Media’s national team of volunteers,” announced Beyond Belief Media. “The DVDs will be slipped into hymnals and other locations where they are likely to be discovered by unsuspecting worshippers.”
So let the hatemongers peddle their hateful speech. The targets of their anger are not defenseless.
Next week: The anti-gay agenda hits close to home.