There has been a long and heated discussion about the intolerance shown by the religious parties towards the serious issues posed by the people. It can be anything, but the main source of disagreement the Church has with the secular state governments is the issue of homosexuality. Same-sex marriage is the debate everyone wants to have. First of all, the question should be asked whether the state is a secular state or a religious state.
If religion is the basis for the governing state, then religious bodies such as the Church can take stringent actions against those who are not complying with the rules of the Bible. If the state of the country is such that there is no religion that has precedence over the laws stated by the government, then the religious bodies do not have the authority to impose their religious beliefs. In the past, the state and the church worked together, and the rule of law was the rule stated in the Bible. Every citizen was bound by those rules, but after the revolution in many countries, including the United States of America, where the state and the Church were separated from each other, and only the law stated the government had the authority to punish or give freedom to people according to their laws. The rules and laws of the Church were considered superfluous to the point that the religious beliefs held by the people were just beliefs, and these were not considered laws anymore. If the Church does not allow a person to be homosexual and does not permit one man or woman to marry another man or woman, then it should be their own opinion, but they have no authority to impose their opinions on the citizens.
The Christians are being criticized for the beliefs they hold regarding the issue of homosexuality and same-sex marriages. The one thing to be noted here is that the law of the state has given them full liberty to exercise their right to choose their life partners, regardless of the fact that an individual chooses a life partner of the same gender or different. They have been given their right in the Bill of Rights. It can be the case that Christians hold their beliefs regarding homosexuality and can still respect and have love for these people. There are black sheep in every religion and every movement. Just because the actions of a few zealots tarnish the image of the overall organization, the perception that Christians hate all people who do not follow their belief system or who do not comply with the rules of the Bible is not correct.
The media has its way of projecting things, and most of them, if not every time, people fall into the deception. Christians do not hate people who have an opinion that contradicts their belief system. Hate is a very strong word, and people use it very casually. Most Christians do not despise or hate homosexuals because their religion has prohibited them from indulging in same-sex marriage. They are tolerant, but there are a few rotten eggs in the basket that give a bad name to Christians. People say Christians are bigoted towards homosexuals; as a matter of fact, they are anything but bigoted. Bigotry, in all essence of the meaning, is intolerance and prejudice toward an idea or a person. Christians just disagree with them. Disagreement is when you listen to other people’s opinions and are tolerant and, in the end, agree to disagree. This is healthy for discussion and debate. But in bigotry, people are not ready to listen to other people’s views.
The people, especially Church Ministers, in the past were holding a monopoly. They asked for unnecessary exemptions from the state in the name of religion. They were free from giving taxes, and on top of all that, the state was funding the Church and its school. When the revolution came to Europe, they separated the Church and the state, and only one law had the power to impose rules on the citizens, which was accepted by the majority. The United States of America has declared the separation of Church and state in the constitution. The founding fathers realized that the segregation of Church and state would prove to be a vital step in making this country great. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States of America, wrote a letter to the Baptists of Danbury, stating that it would prove to be fruitful if the state was separated from the Church. In his letter, Thomas Jefferson said that the belief of an individual is the matter between the Creator and a man. He said that there should be no law restricting a person from his or her basic rights, nor will it allow anyone to do transgression. There would be no religion that has precedence over another, and only the rule of law would have supreme authority.
The play ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller has a concept of reputation and integrity (Miller). In the play, a few people are on trial for a witchcraft crime, and among them, one of them lies on the stand just to protect their ego, whereas the other tells the truth as they are on oath. Reputation is the image of the person in front of society, and integrity is the image one has of oneself. People are afraid if someone knows something bad and deplorable about a person, they will despise and hate that person, and in the worst-case scenario, they will subject them to punishment. The homosexuals were afraid to come out of their closet because they were afraid that the Church would punish them for having wrongful feelings. Society was not functioning well, and that is why Arthur Miller, in his play, showed that it is dangerous for society. If people are honest with others, especially with themselves, then society will prosper. Homosexuals have rights, and they started proclaiming it, and it has proved healthy for society as a whole.
In the article ‘Do Christians hate homosexuals?’ written by Amy Orr-Ewing, the writer sheds some light on the issue of homosexuality and how Christians perceive the concept, which is against their beliefs. The writer, in unambiguous terms, clarifies the position of most Christians that they do not hate homosexuals just because they do not see eye to eye with them in this regard. In the past, Christian Ministers had the power to make judgments, and when the power shifted from them to the state, the Church looked displeased with anything that went against their beliefs. However, the Church Ministers do not represent the stance of every Christian. The shift of power from the Church to the state did not happen overnight, but it was a long struggle. It is in the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution that there would be no citizen whose rights would be breached without due process (Guelzo). The amendment has granted the liberty to every citizen to live their lives, and that, by extension, means that no minority group would be stopped from practicing what they believe is right under the constitution.
Works Cited
Guelzo, Allen C. Commentary: 14th Amendment Laid Foundation of Civil Liberties. 2016.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible: Revised Edition. Penguin, 1996.
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