Free Speech or Hate Speech??
A great essay I "borrowed" from a friend's blog regard a student (Jake) sanctioned for wearing a "Homosexuality is Wrong" t-shirt at a university...
Don't try to justify prejudice
Dr. Scott Eggert, Professor of Music
I find it hard to believe that Jake is unable to understand why he has been discouraged by the Student Services staff from wearing a T-shirt with the phrase "Homosexuality is wrong" printed on it (La Vie, April 21, 2005). Come on, Jake, even though you aren't black, or gay, or a Jew, or physically disabled, (or gee, perhaps not a member of any recently ostracized group at all!), still, you are able to understand the concept, right?
You say you want a dialogue of "ideas," but "ideas" that support and encourage irrational prejudice, and consequently even violence, against innocent members of a society, must not be sanctioned by an institution that purports to educate.
But why do you quote Paul? You know that the "good law" he is reaffirming for Christians in your passage is clearly stated for all to read, right from the "infallible" mouth of God, in the Old Testament. (Even Jesus says, "Think not that I have come to abolish the law.") The prohibition of "sodomy" is right there, in Leviticus and Deuteronomy -- along with all the specific instructions on how to deal with your slaves. Perhaps you should consider wearing a T-shirt on campus saying, "Let's bring back black slavery." How else can you obey God's specific commandments in this regard? All of God's squeamishness about physically disabled and "blemished" people is there too; He obviously doesn't want them anywhere near His altars. Have you got a "No amputees in church" T-shirt? Do you approve of bigamy? God clearly does. His commandments on the status of wives are clear. Do you burn animals in sacrifice as God asks?
The fact is, Jake, that you daily ignore a large number of God's "infallible" commandments as set down in His laws. As well you should. There are many beautiful and useful lessons in the scriptures, but these are not among them. The culture, for the most part, has grown beyond the practices dealt with in these ancient books.But not quite beyond the prohibition of homosexuality, right?
It must be wonderfully convenient to be able to validate one's prejudices and distastes by finding a few choice phrases in a vast compendium of ancient values. And it is only that -- your personal discomfort with the idea of gay people -- that inspires you to wear such a T-shirt, not your faith in the "authority of the Bible," which you frequently, and probably knowingly, ignore.
That distaste, even "disgust" is not too strong a word, is the source of most kinds of prejudice, of course. And your T-shirt, Jake, feeds it, nourishes it. It's like throwing meat to hungry animals. "Homosexuality is wrong" is almost synonymous with: "Homosexuality is immoral," isn't it? And how far is that from "Homosexuality is evil?" If this is true, then, "Homosexuality must be stopped," is a small step, and "Homosexuality must be eliminated," makes perfect sense. And finally, we get to the T-shirt that says, "Kill a Queer for Christ."
I do know, Jake, that you intend no such thing by you T-shirt. But if you cannot see the logic, even the likelihood, of this connection, then nothing that history has to teach will ever teach you anything.
Don't try to justify prejudice
Dr. Scott Eggert, Professor of Music
I find it hard to believe that Jake is unable to understand why he has been discouraged by the Student Services staff from wearing a T-shirt with the phrase "Homosexuality is wrong" printed on it (La Vie, April 21, 2005). Come on, Jake, even though you aren't black, or gay, or a Jew, or physically disabled, (or gee, perhaps not a member of any recently ostracized group at all!), still, you are able to understand the concept, right?
You say you want a dialogue of "ideas," but "ideas" that support and encourage irrational prejudice, and consequently even violence, against innocent members of a society, must not be sanctioned by an institution that purports to educate.
But why do you quote Paul? You know that the "good law" he is reaffirming for Christians in your passage is clearly stated for all to read, right from the "infallible" mouth of God, in the Old Testament. (Even Jesus says, "Think not that I have come to abolish the law.") The prohibition of "sodomy" is right there, in Leviticus and Deuteronomy -- along with all the specific instructions on how to deal with your slaves. Perhaps you should consider wearing a T-shirt on campus saying, "Let's bring back black slavery." How else can you obey God's specific commandments in this regard? All of God's squeamishness about physically disabled and "blemished" people is there too; He obviously doesn't want them anywhere near His altars. Have you got a "No amputees in church" T-shirt? Do you approve of bigamy? God clearly does. His commandments on the status of wives are clear. Do you burn animals in sacrifice as God asks?
The fact is, Jake, that you daily ignore a large number of God's "infallible" commandments as set down in His laws. As well you should. There are many beautiful and useful lessons in the scriptures, but these are not among them. The culture, for the most part, has grown beyond the practices dealt with in these ancient books.But not quite beyond the prohibition of homosexuality, right?
It must be wonderfully convenient to be able to validate one's prejudices and distastes by finding a few choice phrases in a vast compendium of ancient values. And it is only that -- your personal discomfort with the idea of gay people -- that inspires you to wear such a T-shirt, not your faith in the "authority of the Bible," which you frequently, and probably knowingly, ignore.
That distaste, even "disgust" is not too strong a word, is the source of most kinds of prejudice, of course. And your T-shirt, Jake, feeds it, nourishes it. It's like throwing meat to hungry animals. "Homosexuality is wrong" is almost synonymous with: "Homosexuality is immoral," isn't it? And how far is that from "Homosexuality is evil?" If this is true, then, "Homosexuality must be stopped," is a small step, and "Homosexuality must be eliminated," makes perfect sense. And finally, we get to the T-shirt that says, "Kill a Queer for Christ."
I do know, Jake, that you intend no such thing by you T-shirt. But if you cannot see the logic, even the likelihood, of this connection, then nothing that history has to teach will ever teach you anything.
posted by Scott | 10:45 AM
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