What I remember are the days when one might hear someone say, "I disagree with you but I respect your opinion." Civility died a bad death a long time ago.
I had pretty much decided to abandon this blog because, to be blunt about it, I have better things to do. But I have been provoked beyond endurance and feel obliged to speak my mind, pointless though it may be.
Here's the skinny from CNN:
Chick-fil-A wades into a fast-food fight over same-sex marriage rights
"Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy sparked reactions that were swift and strong after he weighed in on same-sex marriage by saying his company backs the traditional family unit. Politicians from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum spoke up. Supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage protested. And suddenly, the type of fast-food bag you carry could reveal your views on a hot-button social issue that has split the country."
I don't want to talk about same-sex marriage. I don't even want to talk about Chick-fil-A beyond that which is necessary to make my point.
Chick-fil-A is a privately owned company. As far as I know the President of that company is free to express his beliefs and his customers are free to take their business elsewhere if they find those beliefs offensive. Chick-fil-A serves gays. Chick-fil-A employs gays. Dan Cathy's opinion is essentially the same as the one expressed by the President of the United States up until a few months ago. The howls of outrage from certain quarters are frankly disturbing.
I respect the fact that gays and lesbians take umbrage with Chick-fil-A. I may or may not agree with them, but we live in a country where everyone gets to, "Speak out against the King."
I do not respect the mayors of Chicago and a number of other cities saying to Chick-fil-A, "Don't try to open a franchise here. We don't want your kind." Yes, I paraphrase, but I don't think I'm unfair in my characterization. One would think that the mayor of a city with a murder rate higher than that of Baghdad or Kandahar would be more tolerant.
And that, at last, is my point. Do you think we'd hear that kind of condemnation from elected officials if Dan Cathy were Muslim?
I believe those are crickets that I hear in the background.
As near as I can tell Islam takes much the same view of same-sex marriage as conservative Christianity. Have you seen any same-sex marriages performed in a mosque?
We have reached a point where ridicule and derision of Christians is socially acceptable. Folks, this is eventually going to harm people of all faiths. This is not a good day for our society.