I politely jeered at Andrew Sullivan in my last article for not going “straight” on religion. However, I revel in his attacks on his conservative brethren, because Andrew has the ability to be unforgiving. In this case, the target of his indignation hits close to home: gays. Andrew correctly states that conservatives of the NRO are saying that “homosexuals can go to hell”. Too bad Andrew fell short again.
But, here we are in front of the same issue as before. Is this really a cultural issue? Maybe. Everything that goes on in our society is in some way, culture. Culture comes from cultivate or to grow. Anything cultural stems from whatever growth we experience as a society. For to grow as a society, we must grow as a culture.
In his article, Andrew correctly identifies the stereotypical, culturally conservative position that is magnified in the NRO’s editorial as not giving a damn about homosexuals. They definitely don’t. However, again, Andrew misses the point. No wonder Andrew doesn’t accept comments on his blog.
The NRO editorial exemplifies the impact of religious culture in our society, even though the NRO never mentions the word religion. There is no reason to deny homosexuals any number of rights, privileges or recognitions in our society, and there never has been except for religion. Oh, the NRO mentions “social institution” and “public policy” as the reasons to deny homosexuals the right of marriage, but the NRO is intellectually bankrupt because the same arguments were used to keep blacks in slavery. You see, the only basis for denying homosexual marriage is religion. If the abrahamic faiths didn’t exist, very likely neither would mores against homosexuals and homosexual acts. Anti-homosexual positions may exist in non-abrahamic faiths, but Judaism, Christianity and Islam have done, by far, the most damage to homosexuals, among others, by sheer size and clout.
I must shout to Andrew over and above the din of mad clicking activity that happens at his blog to make him aware that while I agree with his view of the NRO editorial, he is yet again falling short on the real subject: religion has caused the anti-homosexual social practices, attitudes and laws that he is fighting against. Andrew can’t see the forest for the trees.
When will Andrew Sullivan give up on his religion and recognize it for the shortfall it has created in his life and others?
Update: Andrew, Andrew, Andrew … Deal With It, Maggie? Here it is, “But I can note that as one of the first and longest campaigners for marriage equality, my own commitment to religious freedom in America is as ferocious and as impassioned as any Christianist’s”. Andrew, you want religious freedom but you fail to understand that your desire to have religious freedom means that nobody gets any freedom from any of it. Christianity, above all faiths (just barely), requires proselytization, which means you must submit to my will. Do you get it yet?
