Leaders of the Christian media are whipping its adherents into a frenzy over Colorado SB 200, which is a bill to amend the state’s anti-discrimination laws to include homosexuals. The purpose of the bill is to make it illegal to ban homosexuals from public places, or from benefiting from the goods and services of public places, including restaurants, hotels, amusement parks, schools, health clinics, etc.
Christian leaders are leading their flocks to believe that a section of the bill outlaws the publication or distribution of any written material that condemns homosexuality, with the obvious implication that this includes the Bible. Here is what that section of the bill actually says:
24-34-701. Publishing of discriminative matter forbidden.
No person, being the owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent, or employee of any place of public accommodation, resort, or amusement, directly or indirectly, by himself or herself or through another person shall publish, issue, circulate, send, distribute, give away, or display in any way, manner, or shape or by any means or method, except as provided in this section, any communication, paper, poster, folder, manuscript, book, pamphlet, writing, print, letter, notice, or advertisement of any kind, nature, or description that is intended or calculated to discriminate or actually discriminates against any disability, race, creed, color, RELIGION, sex, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, marital status, national origin, or ancestry or against any of the members thereof in the matter of furnishing or neglecting or refusing to furnish to them or any one of them any lodging, housing, schooling, or tuition or any accommodation, right, privilege, advantage, or convenience offered to or enjoyed by the general public or which states that any of the accommodations, rights, privileges, advantages, or conveniences of any such place of public accommodation, resort, or amusement shall or will be refused, withheld from, or denied to any person or class of persons on account of disability, race, creed, color, RELIGION, sex, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, marital status, national origin, or ancestry or that the patronage, custom, presence, frequenting, dwelling, staying, or lodging at such place by any person or class of persons belonging to or purporting to be of any particular disability, race, creed, color, RELIGION, sex, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, marital status, national origin, or ancestry is unwelcome or objectionable or not acceptable, desired, or solicited.
http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2008A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/BD7A295EB6F4460E872573F5005D0148?Open&file=200_01.pdf
The only written material that would be outlawed under this bill is material that says or implies homosexuals will or should be denied access to public places or the services of public places. Christians are free to continue printing, preaching, distributing, and posting Bible verses that condemn homosexuality, as long as they aren’t trying to ban homosexuals from a public place.
And just so there is no confusion, the bill makes this clear distinction:
"PLACE OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION" SHALL NOT INCLUDE A CHURCH, SYNAGOGUE, MOSQUE, OR OTHER PLACE THAT IS PRINCIPALLY USED FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES.
Despite the very clear wording of CO SB 200, however, there are many in the Christian community who are under the impression that the bill will wreak mortal havoc on our society. Consider this snippet from Citizen Link:
“All 'public accommodations,' including restrooms, would be opened to men, women, bisexuals, transsexuals and transgendered individuals…The next time you visit Colorado, you may run into members of the opposite sex when you use a public restroom.”
Or from World Net Daily:
“In Colorado, cross-dressers and people with, shall we say, idiosyncratic concepts of sexual orientation and expression are now free to cross gender lines in their use of public facilities such as restrooms. A male pervert or child predator can no longer be arrested for using the ladies' room, as he may claim to be a woman trapped in a man's body when confronted by law enforcement.”
Fear-mongering at its best.
In an email communication, I tried to communicate the facts of this bill to a very concerned Christian family member, who replied “of course you would interpret it that way, because you are not a Christian.”
Apparently you must be saved in order to read Senate bills correctly. Who knew?
She further informed me that there are literally hundreds of cases all across the country in which pastors are being sued for preaching against homosexuality because of bills like this. I asked for links to court records or newspaper articles detailing these cases, but I haven’t received any yet. I won’t hold my breath.
What say you?
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9 comments:
I think it is time to create my own church (The first church of Bill...after all, I HAVE risen again, which is more than you can say for certain science teachers!) I suspect I would become the first martyr right quick though.
I have been agitating for some time here in Canada to run a special interest course built on "How to read and understand advertising", combined with a course on "You and the Law, (because nobody really KNOWS the law) with a special section on "What the constitution really says". That would be the Canadian constitution of course, which is different from the US constitution. (Not better, it hasn't had 200 years of tinkering with it, but just different.)
As far as I can tell from a glance at the google download of SB 200, it seems to be upholding the constitution as it is written, rather than breaking new ground. A lot of smart lawyers have worked on this bill, smarter than me...and I find it hard to believe that they will be intimidated by church groups. They might well decide to "phase in" the provisions of the bill though.
As long as it does not violate the constitution, it should happen.
Most christians would never bother to read and research what it actually says. They will just believe whatever their pastor tells them to believe.. because, you know, he is God's man, right?
This is nothing new....fundamentalist/evangelical Christians have been whipping up their constituency for years on these hyperbolic claims.
What strikes me is the rabid anti-trans sentiment around bathrooms. It belies an ignorance of the trans community.
I'm also struck by the sensationalism and fear mongering. I'm just now writing about that in my dissertation. Why do conservatives always play the worst case scenario/fear card??
Because HP, fear is the most effective form of communication. Fear is the the method of choice used to sell you everything from insurance to diet drinks. And even fear of hell to keep you in that seat in the pew. Fear has replaced "need" as the motivating force that changes societies.
The movie "Bowling for Concubine" says it better.
Stag,
Yeah...I get that. But after a while don't the conssrvatives themselves get a little tired of the ridiculous "sky is falling" mentality?
I'm writing about the conflict in the Methodist Church over homosexuality and in researching it have unearthed a ton of crazy, and I mean crazy statements. It seems like anyone could tell these things are false.
For example:
1. Homosexuals increase the number of illegitimate children.
2. If we let gay people join the church we will have members of the KKK and witches who also want to join.
3. One gay clergyperson spread AIDS to 276 people in the North Central Jurisdiction.
These are all real quotes from the worldwide conferences. I did not make them up.
I usually look at a fear mongering statement, and think "what is that guy selling?"
There are very few issues which are driven by true Christian values like concern for your fellow human being. I regard the abortion issue as being an example of a true Christian response to a situation, as is the Catholic Church's apology to families subject by its members to abuse and displacement. (For that matter, they just recently apologised for the Spanish Inquisition...grin!) These are the sort of issues which really affect people, and people's health. All else is dogma, and dogma is only effective when spread through fear. The more extreme and widespread the dogma, the more fear you can generate.
Fear is irrational, and is not subject to logic, and common sense won't help. Most Methodists and for that matter, Catholics, I know are very level headed people... and when you argue logic, they invariably claim that you are attacking their faith. Faith by definition is unassailable by logic. Unfortunately, through "linkage", you can add homosexuality, pagan worship, blood transfusions, and big dollar payouts to TV evangelists to the things you "don't question because it is faith".
I once made a statment to a good Baptist friend of mine that if I was to prove that his faith was not only justified, but can be scientifically proven, he would probably abandon that faith, and take up another one that would resist challenge. It led to an interesting bible study class!
The first thing you must do is abandon all faith, and question everything. This results in rationalist thinking. I recommend this site for a sample of rationalist thinking.
http://www.rationalistinternational.net/
Plus anything by James Randi.
Nobody said it would be easy. When I was VERY sick, I asked for last rites. And got them. (yeah, I was THAT sick). So I am a lousy example of rationalist thinking! But I am working on it!
http://www.randi.org/joom/
http://www.randi.org/joom/
Wow. Great conversation, guys! :)
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