Not really. I don’t believe atheists, agnostics, and people of “spiritual paths” other than Christianity are necessarily fearful of Christians. But since this “homophobia” inflammatory jargon designed to disengage legitimate opposition to the homosexual/gay agenda is now politically correct, I thought the use of the phobia tactic is apropos solely for illustrative purposes.
The truth is many homosexuals/gays-and those who are simply perceived to be homosexual–have been beaten, persecuted, marred, murdered and discriminated against simply because they are believed to be homosexuals. This denigration of humanity is never acceptable. We need not discuss the historical and current persecution of Jews, Christians, and African-Americans through mass genocide and the like. The annals of utter hatred against these classes of people cannot be justifiably encapsulated in one blog post.
Yet, the disdain and intolerance of the homosexual lifestyle and agenda is met with a nifty “phobia” marking. The connotation is as if the logical one who does not agree suffers from some unreasonable fear of what is otherwise simple or normal. I think it is safe to say, most people do not have “fear” of homosexuals or homosexuality. The disapproval, rejection and opposition to a thing are not necessarily synonymous with “fear”. I can’t stand onion rings. My personal preference is to never have onion rings. My failure to order onion rings, or efforts to vote them off of the fast food menu does not mean I fear them. I have made a valuation and judgment that they are not desirable and are not good, although many people may prefer and love onion rings. My personal beliefs regarding homosexuality are clear: it is not a desirable lifestyle. I’m not scared, nor am I ignorant. I just don’t agree.
My belief system is firmly rooted in my faith and commitment to Christianity. Need I be “converted” to another point of reason by one whose belief system is rooted in self by way of intellect, education, philosophical affinity or life achievement? To another woman’s valuations based upon impulse and present life goals and experiences? To another person’s values because he is good? To the current trend of thought because it is increasingly common? The opinionated Christian—not all of us are this involved—has her right to reason to a final resolve just like the non-Christian. We do not enjoy blanket classifications about how we live and respond to the questions of life any more than anyone else. Our opinions and right to be involved in the political process is no less weighty because we serve the True and Living God. We need not cow-tow to those who wake up and go to bed and the world should be as s/he thinks based upon the breadth of knowledge s/he has thusly consumed, or those who heighten the import of the human experience.
There is no civil system of government where the law is not largely composed of moral codes. However a man identifies his own beliefs and morality, and that system of government employs that man’s belief, it is what it is. Christians have every right, PARTICULARLY SINCE THE UNITED STATES IS FOUNDED UPON JUDEO-CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES, to stand up for what we believe and what we do not believe. A crucial tenet of the faith is that God is the Creator and loves all men. Yet all will not believe what we believe. We are to share our faith because the relationship with God and benefits of being in fellowship with God are available to everyone. We are prepared to encounter those who do as we often do to other belief systems: REJECT the faith. We must simply keep on believing and keep on living. So then, are we dealing with Christianphobia when some atheists, agnostics, and people of other religions do not accept and conform, form interest groups, create and produce programming released through various media outlets to promote their beliefs, lobby for their beliefs to be encoded as statutory rights, file zillions of frivolous lawsuits, actively discriminate against Christians, endanger the lives of Christians, and fight to thwart the values of Christianity because what they believe should be?
MULLOVERTHIS.
Note: Not all Christians share this view. The emphasis of the Christian message is that we have all been born in sin, shaped in iniquity, and have the grace of a loving, merciful God to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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