Ms. Carmona's explanationthat all people and lifestyles are equal sounded reasonable to Shawna and yet, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise, something about it nagged at her. Although she had learned in church that all individuals have great worth because they are made in the image of God, the church did not teach that all lifestyles are equal and, therefore, acceptable. Rather, Shawna had been taught that right and wrong are determined by God and expressed in the Bible. However, she found it hard to argue with the logic that every individual
is special and has the right to do what is best for himself or herself. In spite of her doubts, Shawna was eager to hear more.
"In its purest sense," Ms. Carmona continued, "tolerance is simply the kindness to accept and to praise people for the lifestyles they have chosen. Tolerance says, 'I'm OK with what I believe and how I live, and you're OK with what you believe and how you live.' That's just where the narrow-minded bigots screw things up. They say, 'I'm OK, but I'm not so sure about you.' They say, 'I accept you as a person, but I can't accept your lifestyle.' What right does anyone have to question
your lifestyle? None, because everyone is created equal. Anyone who says, 'My truth is right and yours is wrong' is setting up a hierarchy of truth. Because everyone is created equal, all beliefs, values, and lifestyles should be equal. The most loving thing your friends, teachers, and parents can do for you is to accept your lifestyle. If they don't, they are intolerant. And no one is more
selfish or arrogant than someone who is intolerant."
1 comment:
Thank you for discussing this. It's making scary inroads into the minds of Christian young people. By the way, my wife and I just watched your new movie. She had been molested much of her life, and it profoundly touched her.
Post a Comment