“Christians” ignoring Jesus (yet again)

by Feòrag

United Kingdom: Jesus had quite a lot to say about the way his followers should deal with the people around them. Matthew 5:43-47, for example, is the bit where Jesus insists that you should love your enemies, and do good things for people, even if they hate you. Then there's Luke 10: 29-37, otherwise known as the parable of the Good Samaritan. And what does the Bible record of Jesus' words on homosexuality?

Which is why Christian organisations are at the forefront of protests against new anti-discrimination legislation in England and Wales, which insists that sexuality not be an issue when it comes to the provision of goods and services. And to prove their point, the alleged Christians have chosen to further ignore the words of their deity when he emphasised the importance of the Ten Commandments in Matthew 19:18, Mark 10:19 and Luke 18:20. Three out of the four gospels say that Jesus had a downer on telling porkies, so guess what the fundies have chosen to do? Let Polly Toynbee explain:

They claim the law will force all schools to actively promote homosexual civil partnerships to children (from primary-school age) to the same degree that they teach the importance of marriage. No it won't: the curriculum does not actively promote homosexuality, nor even make sex education compulsory. They claim the law will force a printing shop run by a Christian to print fliers promoting gay sex. No it won't, unless the same printers promote heterosexual porn too. Or how about this one? Force a family-run B&B to let out a double room to a transsexual couple, even if the family think it in the best interests of their children to refuse to allow such a situation in their home. Oh no it won't: it doesn't even cover transsexuals - and what a daft scenario anyway. The National Secular Society has complained to the Advertising Standards Authority. But on and on go the prurient situations the religious homophobes dream up.

It's not just barking mad fundies who want the right to ignore Jesus. The more mainstream churches have got in on the act and demonstrated the degree to which they are devoid of compassion and driven by hatred:

Lord Ferrers in the last debate said hospitals should be allowed to discriminate if they had a Christian ethos. Does that mean they do now? Are they turning away gay Aids patients? He said a pro-life Catholic hospital should be allowed to turn away a lesbian for fertility treatment. (Though any non-Catholic turning to Catholics for fertility treatment needs their head examined.) The Catholic adoption society said it will shut up shop if it has to allow gay couples to apply. Churches say they will never let out a hall to a gay organisation. Christians running soup kitchens say they want to refuse gays shelter and soup. (Soup!) The Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool threatens to withdraw all cooperation over schools and charity programmes if the law goes through. The Bishop of Rochester says it will damage church work in inner cities. (Only if his church shuts down services.) The C of E pretends that the law would force it to bless civil unions (it won't).

Still, if this means that priests have access to fewer vulnerable children, this can only be a good thing.

As Toynbee notes, many of the services provided by churches are funded by the taxpayer (and recent legislation means they can get access to more of our money). Yet they want the right to use government money to discriminate and promote hatred.

Homophobia, not injustice, is what really fires the faiths—The Guardian, 9th January 2007.

Tags: bigotry, Christianity, homophobia, religion, United Kingdom