For those of you not familiar with the Westboro Baptist Church; they're the people who make asses of themselves at funerals of slain military personnel. They proudly hold up signs that state god strongly dislikes homosexuals. They claim god is punishing all citizens of America because our government allows gays to roam as free as the African Wildebeest.
You too could be a member of the Westboro Baptist Church.
I'm sure you think of yourself as a strong minded individual who only reaches conclusions based on sound reasoning.
I hate to burst your bubble, but if your parents - the people that fed you, that nursed you back to health and tucked you into bed every night - had repeatedly informed a youthful you that god would send to hell anyone who engages in homosexual activity, you may have started to believe it.
You may even have started to believe that god would punish entire nations for the crime of failing to execute homosexuals based solely on their inherent preference of bedmate.
The above is not meant to equate all organized religions with the vile Westboro Baptist Church; it's meant to illustrate the potential harm in refusing to allow children to make their own decisions.
Footage of entire families holding up signs reading, "God Hate Fags," at the funeral of an American serviceperson causes my blood to boil. Then I realize the children will one day take on the role of the parent and therefore receive rightful scorn from every rational human being on earth.
But he or she never had a chance.
I suppose it's difficult to excuse this kind of behavior, but what option do the kids have that will spare them from a life of pretending to know full well exactly how vigorously god hates homosexuals and eventually bearing children they will brainwash into believing they have the same connection to the thoughts of the almighty?
Do we expect their underdeveloped minds to grasp exactly how much evil their parents possess, and, because of this advanced comprehension, run away from home and live out their youth in multiple foster homes? Or, due to the fact that no legal basis for a separation from their parents exits, perhaps they'll be forcibly returned to their hate-filled home. I can't imagine guardians who loathe homosexuals with such passion are tolerant when it comes to offspring covertly abandoning the nest.
I want to reiterate the fact that I am not calling all religious parents modern day versions of Adolf Hitler.
I just want to make sure every parent fully comprehends the amount of power they hold over the growing minds of their children.
Please don't tell your lads that opinions are facts. On their own, let them develop theories about life's unanswerable questions.
Don't give them a Bible and say, "You must believe every word printed on these pages or be subjected to an afterlife of misery."
Instead, hand them a Bible and say, "Please read this and then we'll compare notes."
If I had a child who approached me with a yearning to visit a Mormon temple or Catholic church, I would happily escort them and afterward discuss, in a non-bias way, what we witnessed.
If your children make a similar request, please don't act like you're disappointed. Don't act as if they said the equivalent of, "I have chosen hardcore pornography as my vocation."
Don't only announce, "I'm very proud of you," after occasions in which you learn the conclusions of your children coincide exactly with yours. Declare your pride after instances in which they think for themselves.
Tell them you're beaming with pride even if they have recently informed you that they completely reject the notion of a higher power.
Yes, you'll worry about their souls, but just think how much more secure you'll be regarding their long-term faith if, on their own, they decide to join you at church every Sunday morning.
And if they choose not to believe, do you really think - if there is a god, he or she will punish your kindhearted child for making an informed decision after thoughtfully considering every piece of evidence?
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