March 2nd: Making the Separation

In case being considered racist wasn’t enough, Arizona now wants to add “homophobic” to their list of adjectives.

Earlier last week, the state was discussing the possibility of passing a law that would allow business owners the opportunity to deny service to any customer on the grounds of their own religious beliefs. While not explicitly stated, this would effectively allow an Arizona business to reject gay customers because, in their eyes, a patron’s sexuality is an insult to their moral integrity.

There have, of course, been a wide variety of reactions from the American public. On one side, a few states have joined in, including Missouri and Mississippi, attempting to write their own, similar pieces of legislation. On the other side, there were rumors that the NFL would refuse to host Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona’s University of Phoenix Stadium as it had originally planned, in protest of the bill.

This ridiculous law is a thinly veiled attempt to suffocate the people of Arizona within the context of the Christian religious values that the few in power hold. This is, though, a blatant violation of the idea behind the first amendment. While it can safely hide behind the fact that it doesn’t distinguish between faiths, it is the imposition of faith upon citizens in a baseless way that is contradictory to everything this country stands for.

One question, though, that comes to mind is how a religious Christian will identify a gay when they walk into a business. Are you going to deny someone service if they are holding another man’s hand? If they are wearing jeans that are a little too tight? If your gay-dar just kinda sends you that vibe? This looks like a heinously arbitrary way of allowing for terrible action against another human being with no basis in real business or economic success.

As an active member of a religious community, it drives me crazy to see religion used as a template for hate. This is, after all, what is going on here. Christian extremists have hijacked the social advancement of this country and need to be put back in their place. Not only are they imposing their religious beliefs on the rest of the country, but they are giving all religious people of all faiths a bad rap.

There’s another piece of the puzzle, though, that the Christian right may not have fully considered: to allow this law to take effect, it would open the door to all religions and all views, not just the white majority. If this were to have happened, it would bring up the opportunity for a Muslim to refuse service to a Jews, a Jew to refuse service to a Christian, or any other form of otherwise baseless discrimination. The idea of a member of another religion using their faith to deny service would leave any soap box preacher crying.

Luckily, Governor Jan Brewer vetoed the bill. For the time being, this will not be accepted into the legislation of our country. That doesn’t mean, though, that we’re in the clear.

This all really comes down to power, and the fear of losing it. As society changes and move progressively forward, there is a small group of Christians (not all Christians by any means) that is afraid of growing impotent at the hands of the gays and the blasphemers.

Using religion as a basis for discrimination and hatred is a fundamental error in the understanding of faith. Anyone who uses the Bible in a way that causes another person harm or emotional distress is bastardizing the real meaning behind faith. Religion is a way that an individual can wake up in the morning and live a meaningful life. Religion is a way to do what is best for one’s own self. There is no way to read the Bible and come away with hate.

If there is a debate that the Christian right would like to have, let’s have it. We can talk, we can learn, we can move forward together. But using legislation to write discrimination and hate into our laws will not be accepted. If an individual wants to use his or her faith to make life more meaningful, by all means. I, of all people, understand. Religion as a means to ruin the life of someone else, though, will not be tolerated.