The Moral Argument Against a Gay Wedding Cake is Thin


Whether it's the famous wedding cake boycott, wedding photography or serving gay customers in a restaurant the argument is the same, "My religious beliefs tell me it's immoral." The latter, not serving gay customers in a restaurant came from Fargo, ND. Years ago a server called me to say her boss told the staff to just let the gay customers sit with no service. She told me the servers got together and vowed to defy him.

Claiming the "moral argument" is "Christian" is where the things get iffy. The majority of Catholics poll in favor of gay marriage. Plenty of Christian churches march in the gay pride parades where I appear with atheists. No one can point to a passage in the Bible that condemns gay marriage. The passages used to claim gay sin are riddled with bullet holes. Anti gay Christianity is the classic example of using religion to justify prejudice. It was done with slavery and segregation and it's no different with homosexuality. Among the things nonbelievers find disgusting about conservative Christianity this is near or is the top.

As I've said here often, the generation making the more case against gays will death itself out. A generation of so from now anti gay "morals" will look like anti mixed racial marriage did a couple of generations back. 

The Bible is Christianity's enemy. When cruel and disliked people use it to justify their cruelty the faith goes on a downward trajectory. What's happening to Christianity is not unlike what happens to a pilot who happens into fog and has not visibility. He/she does not feel the turning or spirally of the aircraft--instead feels it is flying a steady and true course. 

We can expect a steady stream of people claiming their religious freedom is harmed by being required to serve people they are prejudiced against. So far they have been quite successful in getting their way. It has not help Christian numbers, however.   


Comments

  1. Bryan KJune 14, 2021 at 3:27 AM

    I'm going to go way out on a limb here and say that this lingering anti-gay sentiment that still lingers is not religious in nature. Quite the contrary, people use religion to support outlandish views that lie outside of the realm of logic.

    You said it yourself. The majority of Christians support gay marriage, and even if The Bible did have passages outlawing gay marriage, Christians themselves are pretty notorious for only following the parts of The Bible that they believe in.

    Which essentially means that at the end of the day, someone's decision to oppose gay marriage has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with personal conviction. Religion is just a convenient excuse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jon LindgrenJune 14, 2021 at 6:36 AM

      Bryan K "...someone's decision to oppose gay marriage has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with personal conviction."

      Thanks for commenting. Good summary. An increasing percentage of Christians are approving gay marriage just as they have come to approve interracial marriage. If they had a religious problem with either they have found a way to approve these kinds of marriage and keep their faith. "True believers" and clergy leadership always arrive late at the right decision. Best we leave them out right from the start.

      Delete
    2. Bryan KJune 14, 2021 at 8:55 AM

      The interesting part about this is that it was originally a Lutheran minister (I think from St. Anthony's in North Fargo, but my memory is not what it used to be) who first taught me to be accepting of others. Essentially, I don't hold others accountable to the same code of conduct I hold myself to unless another's actions have the potential to negatively affect others. I think we would all be in a better place if everyone followed that simple guideline.

      A Lutheran Minister taught me all of that.

      Delete
    3. Jon LindgrenJune 14, 2021 at 10:15 AM

      re: Lutheran minister--- I think that was a minister are St. Marks Lutheran. Just now his name escapes me.

      Delete

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