So-called "Christians" Sue for Right Not to Tolerate Tolerance
ATLANTA — Ruth Malhotra went to court last month for the right to be intolerant. Malhotra says her Christian faith compels her to speak out against homosexuality. But the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she's a senior, bans speech that puts down others because of their sexual orientation.
Malhotra sees that as an unacceptable infringement on her right to religious expression. So she's demanding that Georgia Tech revoke its tolerance policy.
With her lawsuit, the 22-year-old student joins a growing campaign to force public schools, state colleges and private workplaces to eliminate policies protecting gays and lesbians from harassment. The religious right aims to overturn a broad range of common tolerance programs: diversity training that promotes acceptance of gays and lesbians, speech codes that ban harsh words against homosexuality, anti-discrimination policies that require college clubs to open their membership to all.
The Rev. Rick Scarborough, a leading evangelical, frames the movement as the civil rights struggle of the 21st century. "Christians," he said, "are going to have to take a stand for the right to be Christian."
[Hey, Ruthie, hey Ricky, get this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Ring a bell, Ruthie? If not, why not?]
In that spirit, the Christian Legal Society, an association of judges and lawyers, has formed a national group to challenge tolerance policies in federal court. Several nonprofit law firms — backed by major ministries such as Focus on the Family and Campus Crusade for Christ — already take on such cases for free. . .
Christian activist Gregory S. Baylor responds to such criticism angrily. He says he supports policies that protect people from discrimination based on race and gender. But he draws a distinction that infuriates gay rights activists when he argues that sexual orientation is different — a lifestyle choice, not an inborn trait.
By equating homosexuality with race, Baylor said, tolerance policies put conservative evangelicals in the same category as racists. He predicts the government will one day revoke the tax-exempt status of churches that preach homosexuality is sinful or that refuse to hire gays and lesbians.
"Think how marginalized racists are," said Baylor, who directs the Christian Legal Society's Center for Law and Religious Freedom. "If we don't address this now, it will only get worse."
I personally worry so very much about marginalized racists. And marginalized homophobes.
I'm worried they aren't marginalized nearly enough.
More here.
Ruth Malhotra
Rick Scarborough
Christian Legal Society
8 comments:
Marginalized racists? What we should worry about next? Marginalized lynch mobs? Marginalized ax murderers?
Truly boggles the mind.
Doesn't it? Really, they're from an alternative universe. They should go back there.
Isn't it funny how all you liberals want freedom of speech to attack our Great leader, but not to attack abberrations such as homosexuals. if they don't like being picked on, maybe they should stop being gay!
Isn't it funny how the Sunday-school dropout Crappy "Christians" can't read AND can't follow the teachings of Jesus.
What part of "love thy neighbor as thyself" do you think does not apply to you? And gays? You got some new translation that says, "love thy neighbor as thyself except for gay people"?
If you're worrying about who's going to be burning in hell, I'd look in the mirror.
Wait a second. That was satire. Musta been.
bravo.
so baylor worries that "tolerance policies put conservative evanelicalsin the same category as racists" eh?
if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, must be duck.
Marginalized. Hmmm. Problem with these folks is that they don't have any margins. They're all fringe. What's the old phrase? "Jesus doesn't suffer FOR you, he suffers BECAUSE of you." Something like that...
Ain't it the truth!
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