Tolerate This
Thursday, February 17th, all charges were dropped against the Philly Five. Yes, even the 17 year old . After watching the video footage of the arrests, Judge Dembe found no basis for the charges brought against them. Seeing the videos, I also came to the same conclusion. Go figure.
Many people believe that the charges were wrongly brought against the group. However, it amazed me to hear that people with the same belief about homosexuality as those arrested, do not believe they should have been speaking out against homosexuality. They thought it better to “tolerate” them. My opinion on this is two-fold.
Today's world thinks that to tolerate something means to allow a person, with whom you disagree, the privilege of continuing on without the slightest bit of negative comment from you. In fact, tolerate means to put up with; to endure; to barely allow someone to do something. It means that you won't ki11 them. It means that you're definitely going to try and convince them to stop doing the thing you're tolerating. Yes, that means telling someone you think they're wrong. No, they may not like that. Yes, that means possibly offending someone. No, I'm not joking.
This column is actually me tolerating those people. I'm allowing them to say what they think (although it's wrong). And I'm also telling them what I think (which amazingly enough is right). And no, silly liberals, that's not stepping on their freedom of speech.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech...”That's the First Amendment. It allows us to say what we want, without the government trying to stop us. Freedom of speech allows me to tell someone they are wrong. The opposite is true, they can tell me I'm wrong. Today's America seems to think free speech is any belief that is less restrictive than societies norm. Or maybe they think free speech is any words uttered from a left-wing liberals mouth, and any words spoken by a right-wing conservative is breaking that freedom.
I have some questions for those people who have a belief in a right or wrong, but don't like to share their beliefs. If someone you knew was a bank robber, would you be afraid to tell them stealing was wrong? “Oh dear, I wouldn't want to step on their beliefs. After all, it's their way of life. How will they survive without an income?” What if you knew a cannibal? “Oh me oh my, I couldn't tell him it's wrong to eat people...besides, he might starve.” What about someone with a gun pointed to your head? Would you plead? “How could I, that would be self-centered, they have feelings too.” What if you knew a homosexual? Would you tell them you believe it's wrong? “How could I? They might be offended. What would they think of me?”
Grow up, stop being a sniffling-nosed Christian who's afraid of stepping on other's beliefs. Because when you do that, you're stepping on God's.