You might not remember the name of Matthew Shepard.
You might not remember how he was tortured, beaten unconscious and tied to a fence in a mock crucifixion, left to die in a remote area of Wyoming.
You might not remember that he was targeted because of his sexuality. But I do. I remember each and every case of teen suicide, school bullying and violent homicide that continues in the face of ignorance espoused by religious “defenders” like Erik Skipper.
Aside from his belittlement of the First Amendment, Erik used his column to mock O’Reilly’s defense of homosexuals’ rights as American citizens to be treated equally, and he implied homosexuality is akin to polyamory and incest. Simply and emphatically, it is not.
Skipper doesn’t bother to argue why such unions are fundamentally wrong. He prefers to rely on shock and religiously instituted social norms to win you over. While Skipper sits on his self-awarded laurel as a defender of Christianity and moral law, he fails to offer any compelling argument, ironically ignoring the message of tolerance and love found in the biblical verses he cites. The Bible has no place in legal or social arguments, but you should at least try to understand what you’re saying first.
On one hand, Skipper complains Christians get a bad rap when all they really want to do is love every individual regardless of circumstance or sexuality. On the other, he blindly adheres to categorizing “legitimate” love as that between a man and a woman — even concluding that any other union will lead to society no longer understanding the difference between right and wrong. To be honest, if Erik Skipper is the one defining right and wrong, then humanity is in pretty bad shape. The only prerequisite in his mind is opposing genitals.
Skipper states the role of the government is to uphold the values given to us by God, not man. When it comes down to it, “all they know how to do is ‘thump the Bible.’” Grow up, and read a new book. You fear gay marriage endangers the sanctity of marriage while we fear for our lives.
