Referring to homosexuality, Oklahoma lawmaker Sally Kern said, “I honestly think it’s the biggest threat our nation has, even moreso than terrorism or Islam.”. What? Are you freaking kidding me? I find this to be so saddening and disheartening on two levels. First, Islam is not a threat to our nation, just terrorists are. And many religions, including Christianity, have extremists who do harm in the name of God. Though, that is not what this posts is about. I find it to be so sad that people, specifically so called Christians, will continuously degrade homosexuals with statements such as this. It reminded me of the comments that Jerry Falwell said following the attacks on September 11th, 2001. He said, “I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say ‘you helped this happen.”.
I don’t think I have made a post on homosexuality as of yet but I am 100% in support of homosexuals having all the same rights as heterosexuals. I believe that they are born gay and that it isn’t a choice. It is not a lifestyle and I find it degrading to my homosexual friends and family when that word is used to describe who they are. Ms. Kern said that she says what she said because she is Christian. Well, I believe in what I have just said because of my Christian faith, not in spite of it. Didn’t Jesus teach us that the second greatest commandment is to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22: 39)? How can the words spoken by Kern be keeping true to this commandment?
I have always grown up believing that homosexuality was not a choice. I attribute that to being raised by my mother (someone who has always been accepting of homosexuals) and because of the faith movement that I have grown up in. My belief that it isn’t a choice was confirmed to me a few years ago when I went back to Independence, Missouri, for the 2004 Peace Colloquy. I stayed with a lesbian couple, Sharon and Meta, who were friends from church that I knew from when they lived in Oregon. As I shared the weekend with them I became aware of many things. When Sharon picked me up from the airport she shared a article from that day’s local newspaper with me. It was an article, if I remember correctly, about legislation that was being worked on that would clarify marriage as between a man and a woman. I could see the pain in her eyes and hear the frustration in her voice. Then the next night I was in the living room watching the news with Meta and Sharon and they went to a story in Texas of how a group of males had beaten a gay man to death. Meta began to cry in reaction to what she was watching. My heart wept as well. It became even more clearer to me that they did not choose to be gay such as I didn’t choose to be straight. No one can convince me that Meta and Sharon and everyone else like them chose to live a life where they would be ridiculed, despised, rejected, and even killed.
It has been pointed out that Representative Sally Kern has a right to free speech and can say what she wants. This is true. Though, as an elected official, the constituents in the district that she serves also have right not to elect her back into office when she is up for re-election. It is my hope and prayer that the good people of Oklahoma will use exercise that right.
