06-14-2016, 03:19 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-14-2016, 03:24 PM by Eric the Green.)
My discussion with radind about religion on the "Debate over the Vietnam War" thread is off topic there, so I think it deserves a separate thread.
I am not alone in saying that perhaps the horrible event in Orlando should give some people pause about their ideology. Not that it will, but it should. Ideologies of discrimination are historically quite clearly associated with killings and lynchings. In the past, black people were the most frequent victims. Nowadays, it is more likely to be gays/LGBT people.
Social conservatives are likely to claim that they have a right to refuse service to gay people if such service violates their religion. This is called "infringement of religious liberty." Candidates like Ted Cruz use "religious liberty" as a code word to permit discrimination and hatred. They also of course do the same thing with the "second amendment," claiming they are "protecting the constitution" by running for office to make sure judges are appointed who will "uphold our rights" to discriminate and let people have weapons of mass murder.
People who think discrimination against providing services to gays who are getting married, or to dispense contraceptives, and so on, is upholding religious liberty, are contributing to the attitude of hatred that infects the minds of creepy lunatics like Mr. Mateen in Florida. Perhaps religious people like radind should take a look at how to modify or rephrase their beliefs, so that they don't contribute to creating a culture of hatred in which murders like the ones in Orlando are enabled and facilitated.
I also note that Donald Trump's response to this event, is to shout more slogans that further create more of these events. The shooter Mr. Mateen was clearly against all diversity. So is Mr. Trump. It matters little that Mateen is against diversity from his Muslim religion, while Mr. Trump is against diversity that includes Muslims. It's the same idea. Those OTHERS are dangerous, and ruin our country, and they must be stopped. Mr. Trump is therefore culpable of furthering more events like the Orlando shooting. By diverting attention from the real causes: hateful prejudice, and easy access to weapons of mass murder, he is also promoting further such tragic events. Mr. Obama's statements by contrast are accurate and level-headed. Rather than Obama resigning, as Mr. Trump has called for, it is Mr. Trump who should now end his campaign, crawl back into his tower, and stfu. And no-one who doesn't want more events like the Orlando shootings, should even remotely consider voting for this creep.
I am not alone in saying that perhaps the horrible event in Orlando should give some people pause about their ideology. Not that it will, but it should. Ideologies of discrimination are historically quite clearly associated with killings and lynchings. In the past, black people were the most frequent victims. Nowadays, it is more likely to be gays/LGBT people.
Social conservatives are likely to claim that they have a right to refuse service to gay people if such service violates their religion. This is called "infringement of religious liberty." Candidates like Ted Cruz use "religious liberty" as a code word to permit discrimination and hatred. They also of course do the same thing with the "second amendment," claiming they are "protecting the constitution" by running for office to make sure judges are appointed who will "uphold our rights" to discriminate and let people have weapons of mass murder.
People who think discrimination against providing services to gays who are getting married, or to dispense contraceptives, and so on, is upholding religious liberty, are contributing to the attitude of hatred that infects the minds of creepy lunatics like Mr. Mateen in Florida. Perhaps religious people like radind should take a look at how to modify or rephrase their beliefs, so that they don't contribute to creating a culture of hatred in which murders like the ones in Orlando are enabled and facilitated.
I also note that Donald Trump's response to this event, is to shout more slogans that further create more of these events. The shooter Mr. Mateen was clearly against all diversity. So is Mr. Trump. It matters little that Mateen is against diversity from his Muslim religion, while Mr. Trump is against diversity that includes Muslims. It's the same idea. Those OTHERS are dangerous, and ruin our country, and they must be stopped. Mr. Trump is therefore culpable of furthering more events like the Orlando shooting. By diverting attention from the real causes: hateful prejudice, and easy access to weapons of mass murder, he is also promoting further such tragic events. Mr. Obama's statements by contrast are accurate and level-headed. Rather than Obama resigning, as Mr. Trump has called for, it is Mr. Trump who should now end his campaign, crawl back into his tower, and stfu. And no-one who doesn't want more events like the Orlando shootings, should even remotely consider voting for this creep.