Why Bother?

Tonight my father and I were reading over a series of posts on Facebook debating the evils of–wait for it–contemplative prayer (my father is a minister).  In the course of the discussion, my father was asked if he believed homosexuality is a sin.   He said no, further explaining that any sexual identity/drive/desire can fuel appropriate or inappropriate behavior.  He was of course rebutted by the man who baited him, who left logic aside, calling my dad a  “deceiver” and then explaining that while (apparently in every other case) temptation isn’t the same as sin, that homosexuals are because… Well, about this time my mother says something to the effect of “I don’t know why you participate in these debates?  They make me tired, and they don’t accomplish anything!”  Why bother?

I’ve come to the conclusion that the bothering is worth it.  Taking time to state your position, especially in the face of differing viewpoints, is valuable for a couple of reasons.  First, while the active participants have generally made up their minds, those listening or following the discussion may not have, particularly if the issue or angle is something they haven’t spent time considering before.  This happened to me regarding the concept of modesty.  Not something I’d ever really thought about at all;  it was never an issue growing up, and I’d never really listened or read anything on the topic.  When a friend of mine laid out his strongly held views on the topic, my mind reeled a bit, I was sure that I didn’t agree, but I wasn’t really sure why.  It was several months of thinking and reading and stewing on the topic (I must confess, the more I though about what he said, the madder I got) before I really knew what my position on modesty was.  You can be sure I know now, about as much as I know anything (I tend to see a lot of gray in life, as opposed to black-and-white).   I guess I should be thankful to my (misguided) friend for developing my world-view.

The second reason I think it’s worthwhile to participate in discussions might be more specifically related to my dad’s work.  Imagine a child of church members is homosexual, and the only voice of authority they hear condemns their very existence.  Regardless of any church’s official party line, that kid needs to hear that somone sees them as a valuable, normal human being, not as someone whose very essence requires extermination, and if they aren’t “cured”, it reflects further on their depravity and failure.

It seems to me that in a broader sense (outside of religion and churches), open diversity of viewpoints promotes tolerance and community in the long run.  We learn that not everyone thinks or lives just like we do, but that they are still intelligent human beings worth treating with respect.  And for all the people who feel isolated or without a sense of community, being able to read a blog or discussion (or listen to the radio, watch online etc.) and discovering “I’m not alone” can be a powerful experience.

For the record, I do not believe homosexuality is a sin, but that teaching a girl that her body is a source of shame, that she’s responsible for a man’s self-control and must dress to consider his thoughts and actions, rather than function, comfort, and aesthetics, and that she must always dress in a way that reminds her that she is a walking vagina first and human being with a brain second, that’s evil.

(An aside:  I find it funny that it’s no longer enough to go after Satan worshippers, churches must now attack anyone who prays to the right deity, but happens to focus on listening to that deity, rather than simply asking for special treatment and lots of money.  Kind of like it’s no longer enough to condemn abortion, now true believers must condemn contraception as well.)

Oh, and in writing today’s entry I think I’ve figured out why I’m attempting to blog.