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Now how can you make such a statement without knowing me personally?
Your numerous posts about the LGBTQ community make it pretty dang easy.
There is nothing wrong with judging people. Do you vote? Congratulations....you've judged the candidates and picked your favorite. If you think judging people is wrong....I suggest you stop voting. Maybe you'll want to look into becoming a JW. You could be a good fit. Most are anti-LGBTQ conservatives, they don't vote and the exercise walking door to door is more beneficial than sitting behind the computer arguing with people on the internet. Buy good shoes so you don't get a bunion.
Last edited by DewDropInn; 09-20-2015 at 09:35 PM..
This story echoes 100% of what I've been saying. The whole issue with gay rights wouldn't stop with legalizing SSM because the real agenda is to force Christians into submission. Here is another case of a man losing his job simply because he dared to share his faith in the workplace. Since his faith made a gay coworker uncomfortable, well of course he must go bye bye. Nevermind that this guy worked there for 13 years and DID his job:
This is the type of intolerance that I keep seeing more and more against Christians. Why couldn't the boss have a open discussion between the employees and work out an arrangement that makes everyone comfortable? Nope, they wanted him gone immediately. If this is the new America then a Christian needs to be extremely careful with socializing in the workplace!
The author nailed it. The broad use of "discrimination" will be used to basically hogtie Christians in public or be punished. Don't like a coworker who doesn't support homosexuality? Just claim they are making you "uncomfortable" and watch them get kicked out the door!
I would like to know both sides of the story and also if the guy was given any warnings. This is the kind of story that is very easy to spin in a way to feed the Christian persecution complex. Regardless of whether or not he should have been terminated or why he was, he should have known better getting on such a controversial, explosive topic like homosexuality in the workplace especially with people who don't share his views on the subject. It just isn't a good idea.
Also, Audacity is a very offensive, homophobic film that perpetuates stereotypes so its not surprising the lesbian woman was very offended when asked to watch it.
I would like to know both sides of the story and also if the guy was given any warnings. This is the kind of story that is very easy to spin in a way to feed the Christian persecution complex. Regardless of whether or not he should have been terminated or why he was, he should have known better getting on such a controversial, explosive topic like homosexuality in the workplace especially with people who don't share his views on the subject. It just isn't a good idea.
Also, Audacity is a very offensive, homophobic film that perpetuates stereotypes so its not surprising the lesbian woman was very offended when asked to watch it.
The info you are looking for is on the page linked to....Yes, Chris Routson was told to stop, but refused....I checked out his facebook page....All of his comments relate to religious stuff.....The guy is obsessed.
This is a very asian social strategy in such situations and it is admirable, but my concern is that in most Western societies it would be misunderstood as actual interest and openness, depending on how it is handled on both sides. In your case it sounds as if you have sufficient clarity and firmness that you can convey the notion with your actions, that although you respect their right to both hold and express their beliefs, you are not interested in actually embracing them. I am not so sure that everyone I've seen use this tactic, follows through to that extent, but rather, endures the whole sales pitch and extracts themselves from the situation as soon as they can without clearly explaining that they are not interested.
And some of these proselytizers have trouble taking even an explicit "no" for an answer as it is.
We are also, in general, far too impatient. Your approach takes both time and patience and, speaking for myself, I am not bound by any implicit code of politeness to TAKE the time with someone who is impertinent and disrespectful in the first place, inherently, by first of all assuming they have the right to talk to me about deeply personal matters such as (un)beliefs; that they have in any way been invited to do so; and that my time is unimportant enough that it can be used up on such matters.
Which is in no way to say either that you are wrong or that I am right. I suspect our approaches / attitudes are BOTH right -- for US. And I also suspect that if a proselytizer caught me on my best day when I happened to have the time and inclination I might not be more like you; and that if they caught you on your worst day, you might be a bit more like me ;-)
Also of course I am white, heterosexual, and upper middle class, which is a luxury you're not afforded. In your situation I might feel the need to be much more accommodating because it would literally be a survival strategy, particularly in some areas.
I appreciate you sharing your experience, it is food for thought.
Thank you. I'm not that strong-willed as you think. I don't have good impression with American version of Christianity, but I still believe in a higher power. That belief gives me a sense of gratitude. I practice to look down instead of looking up all the time. In Vietnam, people can't say anything that is remotely against communist government. I understand how oppressed they may feel.
In contrast, in America, people take it too far, Christians or nonbelievers. Both sides like to provoke the other side. Because I am grateful to the higher power/God for destining me in this wonderful country, I don't complain much about Christians, racists, and homophobes. They can say whatever they want. They cannot legally hurt me. I'm not immune from not feeling offended, but I am thick-skinned enough to deal with those people.
Having said that, I also understand why Americans are sensitive with certain sayings. They are already at the freedom level that I didn't have when I lived in Vietnam, so they want more. It's not wrong, but sometimes we cannot have everything we want, including the right not to be offended unfortunately.
I was fortunate enough that Christians left me alone when I said I have no interest in a polite manner. Certainly if they were pushing I would seek legal assistance to remove them. Thankfully I never had to do that, and I don't want to.
I appreciate your post. It's refreshing to see someone post who can actually look at the situation objectively instead of respond with a knee jerk reaction that Christians are always the bad guy.
The guy lost his source of income, but yet people act like the lesbians are the victims here. My biggest beef with this story is the punishment doesn't fit the crime. Losing your job because someone found you annoying? The big sticking point seems to be that he was given a first warning. But the first warning was uncalled for because his offense occured outside work and the lesbian did encourage it somewhat by accepting his friend request.
Now if he was constantly getting in someone's face and disobeying the boss then I could see more grounds for firing him, but only as a last resort, not a first one.
Thank you. I'm not as objective as you think. I simply believe that "an honest enemy is better than a false friend". In this case according to my understanding, this man was not an honest person, and neither were his co-workers. Maybe he pretended to be open-minded and then revealed his true color when he got accepted by his colleague as a facebook friend. However, I agree that this happened outside their work, so each one is responsible for their own action.
The second colleague was also not an honest person. If she told him to leave her alone immediately after he mentioned the movie, he wouldn't be lead on to further discussion.
I generally don't like fundamentalist Christians. I don't want to have anything to do with them. I don't believe in "love the sinner, hate the sin" mentality, nor do I believe in tolerance. I only believe in acceptance. You either accept me or you don't.
If Christians accept me, we can be friends wherever we are on earth.
If Christians don't accept me, we can be neighbors if we have to coexist in a same place.
I have to be black and white in this situation because it's not as simple as disagreement of different opinions. Being gay is a part that makes me who I am. I cannot have a friend who denies a part of my identity, a critical part that makes me the person he/she wants to be around in the first place. When I am feeling down after a breakup, the last thing I want to hear is "I guess God wants to spare you from eternal damnation, so He helps you end the relationship with that man". I need someone who can understand and want to share the pain of lost love with me. A "I respect you but I disapprove your lifestyle" cannot do that.
Nobody in life is immune from offend. I'm not afraid of being offended, but I'm afraid of being hurt. These feelings are not the same. I'm offended when a Christian stranger tells me that I am going to hell for being gay. I'm hurt when a Christian friend says to me he loves me but disapproves my "lifestyle". I invest my emotion and my trust in friendship. If it is a false friendship, it may take me a very long time to heal.
I don't know about other people, but I want Christians to have an outlet to express their opinions without any censor. I don't want them to use political correctness to protect my feelings. I may be offended, but I will get over it. I believe that everything happens for a reason. If a Christian and I mean to be friends, our friendship will triumph our beliefs.
I think in this story, this man made friend with his colleagues simply because he wanted to proselytize them, but they were the ones who lead him on. Both sides made a mistake.
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