Now in the news...
Christian Mingle Lawsuit: settled!
2 gay men (identities surprisingly covered up) sue the Christian Mingle company because they discover that there is no place for them to sign up. You have to be a heterosexual christian to sign up. Oh dear!
The world is ending! (okay, maybe not today!) I had no clue this was happening until I read the article on a FB friends page. I even responded with a lengthy post, but it magically disappeared. What's becoming increasingly clear is that if you do not adopt a broad spectrum of service for ALL people, even if it does not fit clearly in your mission statement or in your business, then you are violating the human right of an individual to participate and you will get slapped on the wrist, you will be sued etc.
Christian Mingle was now forced by coercion to put on their site a place for gay and lesbian Christians the ability to sign up. They also paid the legal fees of the two men (450,000) and money to the 2 gay men (9,000 each).
Sit with that info! Sit with the amount of money that was spent on this 'human rights violation!'
I then researched dating sites specifically for LGBTQ+ including those who identify being Christian LGBTQ+. I wasn't sure what would pop up, and so I informed my accountability guys that "hey, I wasn't looking at things that I shouldn't, nor was I thinking or tempted to sign up on a site!" (yup that is what accountability looks like for me!)
A whole list of sites came up and then I wondered. "What was the meaning to this law suit?" Because it wasn't because there were no sites available, on the contrary, there are many sites.
I don't like how this sits...period!
Firstly: Do we as self identifying heterosexuals sue all (ALL) LGBTQ+ dating sites? Maybe if I held that as a cultural response (that I should sue people), I could get enough money to go on a cruise or do a much needed reno on our house! But I would much rather see the 468,000$ go toward a good cause.
Secondly: If those 2 unidentified gay men were Christian's, why are they suing Christian Mingle anyways? Why not start your own company if this bothers you so much. One that will cater to your community. Not all communities (businesses like Christian Mingle) need to cater to your belief or the ways you live your life. Christian Mingle was targeting a specific group...Christian heterosexual men and women...period, and this should not be classified as a human rights violation.
Thirdly: There is no mention whatsoever in any of the articles written that they will cater to transgender individuals. Is it just Christian gay or lesbian's who get the privilege? How come the 2 gay men did not stand up for the rights of those who identify themselves as Transgendered?
I am all for baking a cake! If you have read anything that I have written, I believe that a business should cater to all people...but something like a dating site which is specific...that is different. There should be a freedom in that place, just as there is a freedom to have just a christian lesbian dating site, which caters to just that specific group.
Again we have a double standard! Dictated by culture in the name of human rights violations. When will this stop? Until there is clearly no specific groups anymore? Why not just do away with all narrow, specific groups and classifications? Wouldn't that just solve everything? Or would that just make everything a bit more chaotic and challenging for everyone?
As for the 2 unidentified gay men? I have no idea who you are, or what your motives were (though I have an inkling what it was!) I hope you use the money you got on serving the community around you. Instead of fighting for something that is so not worth it, why not feed the poor, care for the widows and orphans and look after the sick!
I'm going out to do the same!
4 comments:
Excellent article!
I think you make a lot of good points.
It does seem like there are certain businesses and organizations being targeted right now because of an agenda that some people have.
I think this is a very complicated issue. I was actually just talking to a colleague of mine just a few short hours ago about this very topic!
I have the belief that both sides can ease up a bit and in some ways we are Christians living a life counter-culturally. The question is, how can we most effectively engage people within our society and culture and do so in a way that keeps the conversation going? It's one thing to take a stand but it's another to be able to communicate in such a way that allows further dialogue.
For me I go back to tolerance... what is tolerance? how do we define tolerance? And in the process point out how often times those who cry the loudest for tolerance are themselves most intolerant.
At the same time however, when it comes to a public service... keeping in mind the way laws are currently written. To segregate one group of people by a certain criteria allows for other businesses to do the same. If we are not careful, because the way the laws are written, to challenge it would be to undermine all the work that has been done within the context of the civil rights movement. But believe you me, I completely understand the fact that we don't have the choice when it comes to what colour of skin we are born in but we do have a choice when it comes to behaviour and religious practices. In order to make it legal for Christian Mingle to only cater to people seeking a biblically defined marriage the courts will have to firs recognize that people are not born with a gay gene and therefore not discriminatory for religious organizations and businesses to cater towards a biblically defined marriage because of religious freedom but the courts are not there at this time.
Last one... Sorry .. due to length I broke it up..
When Catholic hospitals in Canada were forced to allow women to seek abortions in said Catholic hospitals the only response legally they could make was to step away from a Catholic endorsement of said hospital and Nuns running said hospitals relocated. It's sad when stuff like that happens but it did. Why? Because laws changed and abortion or not to have an abortion became a woman's right to choose without considering the right of the unborn which in my opinion abortion is murder and a genocide of a human being and yet, courts don't recognize a fetus as a human being. At what point does the unborn become recognized as a human being? Not until his or her first breath of air. How does this relate to race? Hitler tried to dehumanize people. The African-American Slavery was built upon dehumanizing African-American People. The Indian Residential Schooling System built on dehumanizing People. Where does it stop is a very good question to ask. With our changing culture, how do we begin? There's different language being spoken now. How do we communicate the same truth yet differently and in way that will allow people to actually practice the critical thinking skills?
Post a Comment