Posted by Ibrin at inehou-pxy04.compaq.com on August 02, 2001 at 09:50:31:
In Reply to: GLAAD is not a true organization to worry about... posted by Ali164 on August 01, 2001 at 23:42:35:
: These people are not the problem. Instead of going after those who are truly dangerous to their cause such as Rush Limbaugh or Dr. Laura, two people who truly represent a lot of the right and the leaders of the religious right themselves (the so-called Attorney General of the United States).
Why is it that these people are dangerous? Is it just because they don't agree with your viewpoint? If that is what makes someone dangerous, wouldn't we all be considered so, as we couldn't get everyone in this country to agree on any one thing.
I listen to Rush Limbaugh every day. I share many (but not all) of his views, and find his show hugely funny. On the other hand, I can't stand Dr. Laura, as she is rude, pompus, and just plain annoying. And I haven't even gotten into how she has no real moral foundation, no real sense of right and wrong, she just tells the person who calls in to stop causing the trouble, even if they are in the right.
: The (once again "so-called") Supreme Court of this country and organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America and the Salvation Army who are biased based on sexual orientation.
Let me try and set educate you on the Boy Scouts issue. The Boy Scouts is a *private organization* that is allowed to choose it's own members. As an organization founded on moral principals, it has the right to use those principals as grounds for admission. It's not as if joining the Boy Scouts is some requirement. What I don't understand is why many in the gay community seem to think they have the right to force the Boy Scouts to change their moral founding. If they don't agree, why don't they put forth the effort to start their own organization? For all of the time, effort, and money they have spent fighting the Boy Scouts, they could have started their own organization.
Now, for the Salvation Army. You may be unaware, but the Salvation Army is an actual Christian denomination. That is right, *they are a church*, complete with services and clergy. Do you, or GLAAD, or anyone else, have the right to force a church to change tennets that it holds as part of it's faith? No, no outside force has the right to do that. What can you do, if you don't like them? Well, don't drop your change in the bucket at Christmas. I'm not saying don't donate to those in need, but if you don't like the Salvation Army, choose a different organization.
Finally, let me share with you my POV. I am a Christian, and I am Conservative. Does that make me a hate monger? No. Does my Faith tell me to accept all persons as creations of God? Yes. Does my Faith tell me that I have to accept the actions and lifestyle of all persons? No. One thing that so many people seems to misunderstand is that there is a difference between "tolerance" and "acceptance."
Merriam-Webster (www.m-w.com) defines tolerance as: (defs 2a & 2b) (a) sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own, (b) the act of allowing something. This means that I will allow you to do something that I don't agree with. That I will allow you to live your lifestyle, as long as your lifestyle doesn't doesn't interfere with mine.
Merriam Webster (www.m-w.com) defines acceptance as: (def 1) an agreeing either expressly or by conduct to the act of another. This means that I agree with you, that I hold your beliefs to be true. What people fail to understand (on all kinds of issues), is that I can be tolerant of you living your lifestyle, but I do not have to accept it as Truth.
I enjoy Kevin Smith's movies, or why else would I be here. I absolutely loved 'Clerks' and 'Mallrats'. I didn't care for 'Chasing Amy'. Why? For one, I could identify with Clerks and Mallrats. I grew up in a small town that had a convenience store and a video store like that of Clerks. I went to a mall like that in Mallrats. I like comic books, I play video games, and I live for the Star Wars references. I grew up in the 80's, watching the teen movies of those by-gone days. Most importantly, I found the characters to be deep, engaging and extremely funny, even if there wasn't much of a plot. Did I mind that there wasn't mich of a plot? No, because much of daily life doesn't have a huge plot, but it's got great characters.
Why didn't I care for Chasing Amy? Mostly it was because of the abundance of frivolous profanity. I just couldn't stomach the needless use of swear words, for what seemed no other reason that to say them. Also, I thought there was a big emphasis on the plot (which is fine), but it left the characters a little thin for what I expected in a Kevin Smith flick. I loved the scenes at the Comic show, with the race issue and with the issue of being a "tracer." I could identify with longing for and chasing a woman you will never get. But, the gay issue really didn't bother me, it was the language.
You may ask if, based on my religous views, did I like 'Dogma"? Honestly, I haven't finished it. That's only because I have unhooked by VCR, for by DVD player, and I only had a borrowed copy of the movie. I wasn't going to waste money on the non-Special Edition version of the DVD. But, what I have seen, I liked. I don't mind someone questioning faith. In fact I encourage it. How can you be solid in your beliefs, if you don't know what or why you believe, what you believe.
I have gay friends. I am friends with them, not because they are, or are not gay. I am friends with them because they are nice, honest people. I may not agree with their lifestyle, but I don't look down on them or think of them as lesser people. I do think they should be protected from discrimination, but at the same time I don't think they should get special treatment. We are all human, and we are all of equal (great) value.
I'm sorry that this may have gone off topic, but I felt the need to respond to the attack on people who don't agree with your POV. Why is it that you can't agree to disagree, but that you have to attack me if I don't agree with you. It's amazing to me how one group of people can claim to be so tolerant, but can't tolerate my point of view, even if they view it as intolerance. If you are truly "tolerant," then you have to be tolerant of intolerance. As my grandfather always said, "Every one is entitled to their own stupid opinion." Some reason with that statement, I think of Jay. :-)