There has been something on my mind for quite some time now but I have been waiting for the right situation to express it. The events occurring this week tell me that now is as good a time as any.
Two different sets of circumstances have garnered my attention this week. The first is in regards to the Westboro Baptist Church and the Supreme Court decision to protect their rights to freedom of speech. The situation is as such: the members of the Westboro Baptist Church have become known for staging anti-gay protests in all different sorts of venues, the latest being at military funerals. The Supreme Court upheld the First Amendment by voting 8-1 that the Church members have the right to freedom of speech. In the interest of full disclosure, I agree with the Court’s decision. That does not mean that I agree the Westboro Baptist Church. Anybody who feels that it is God’s will for them to shout things such as “God Hates Fags” or tells a grieving parent that God killed their child because he or she was gay has a poor understanding of the Bible. The New Testament makes it abundantly clear that we are to love one another. It is the central theme to entire second half of the Bible. Love. It was love that God was showing when he sent his Son to die for us. Not just Christians, ALL OF US. Each and every one. God does not show exclusivity in His love, it is meant for all. Needless to say, it is an absurd notion to tell anybody that God hates them. Of course it should be noted that the Westboro Baptist Church is not a real Protestant Church. Almost all of the some 100 members are family of leader Fred Phelps. NPR says, "even though they call themselves Baptist, Mark Potok at the Southern Poverty Law Center says their extreme theology sets it apart from any other church." As Jon Stewart said, “The Westboro Baptist Church is no more a church than Church’s Fried Chicken is a church.”
However, what worries me is that non-believers will hear what the Westboro Baptist Church says and be turned off to Christianity because of it. I want to make this perfectly clear. People who are true followers of Christ and believe in the Bible do not spew messages of hate. Yes, there are people who will call themselves Christians just as quickly as they will tell you that they and/or God hate you. These people are not only making themselves look bad, but they are making the true nature of God’s Church look bad. Please don’t be too quick to judge Christianity for what some people might believe. Keep in mind that while Christianity in its essence is perfect, Christians are not. Nobody is.
The second story of the week is a little closer to home. Recently, in Yorba Linda, Ca, there was a fairly large protest outside of a Muslim fundraising event. (see video above) According to reports, the protest was originally meant to be against some of the events speakers. However, the protest quickly turned into a hate-fest against Muslims as such slogans as “Muhammad was a pervert,” “Why don’t you go beat up your wife-it’s what you do every night,” and “Get out of here. Go home” could be heard. People who were bringing their families to the fundraiser had to walk through mobs of people shouting such hateful messages at them. Oh, by the way, the fundraiser was meant to raise money build women’s shelters, fight homelessness, and feed the hungry.
Now, what makes this an even more notable situation was that Villa Park City Councilwoman Deborah Pauly and Congressman Gary Miller decided it was appropriate to not only standby the protestors, but also make comments of their own. Pauly said, “I know quite a few Marines who will be very happy to send these terrorists to an early meeting in paradise.” Miller added, “That’s the reason I’m here today to give you a flag. I’m proud of you and what you’re doing.” What is sad is that these people believe they are being patriotic by ridiculing and openly hating Muslims, most of whom were born in the U.S. It’s been almost ten years since the attack on September 11, and people still don’t understand what truly happened that day. Jihad, while mentioned in Muslim teaching is not used in the Islamic majority as a call to violence. It is only the much smaller, radicalized sects of Islam that believe in the use of violence. The odds are way in favor of any Muslims you meet being strictly in favor of peace and nonviolence.
As with the previous topic, don’t let the actions of one fraction of the population lead you to false beliefs about the greater majority. Don’t think that Americans are intolerant and hateful just because some people spew their views under the guise of patriotism. Don’t think that Republicans, (Yes, two Republican Congressmen were in attendance), are the party of hate. This has nothing to do with party ideology and all to do with the individuals. Don’t think that Orange County is a cesspool of hate. Believing that the views of an individual group of people speak for an entire population is just the kind of thinking that went on in the minds of the protestors. I have heard people say they now have a negative view of Orange County. Good luck to those people finding a place that has never had a group of people express views different than their own.
I suppose the moral of the story is to not jump to irrational conclusions. In all honesty, there are always going to be people who believe that they are in the right to: a. believe hateful things and b. express their views. In my opinion, you can say whatever you want to without causing anyone harm or danger. Do I agree with either of the events listed above? Absolutely not. I believe it shows incredible intolerance, misunderstanding and misguided teachings. However, I do not hate these people either. I feel sad for them. I feel sad that they have such disturbing feelings inside of them and that they feel it is appropriate to yell nasty things at people who probably have never done anything to deserve it. But please, don’t become like them. Don’t take your feelings towards a particular person or group and apply it to the greater whole. It does nothing but sink to their level.
Things we have learned:
1. Jon Stewart is hilarious.
2. Just because an individual or small group believes something, doesn’t mean it applies to the greater majority.
3. Yorba Linda is in North Orange County. Obviously the cool place to be is South Orange County.
4. The First Amendment includes the right to freedom of speech.
5. Deborah Pauly and Gary Miller can kiss their political careers good-bye.
6. If you are curious about Islam, read the book No God But God. Fascinating.
