Arkansas: Leading The World In Intolerance Since 1957.

A terrible law was just passed in Arkansas earlier this week which indirectly makes it legal to deny someone service from a business based on their sexual orientation.  This law actually prevents local cities and counties from passing their own anti-discrimination legislation and forces these municipalities to adhere to the state law, which just happens to allow legal discrimination against homosexuals.  This is one of the proudest moments in our state history ever since banning those nine black children from Little Rock Central High School in 1957.

We have learned throughout history that discriminatory practices can tear at the very fabric of our society.   As a civilized society, we have a responsibility to level the playing field though the laws that we pass.  Anti-discrimination laws have done a great deal to restore social order. However, these laws must be limited so that they do not violate the constitutional rights of the individual.   A free society cannot simply force an individual to provide a service if they choose not to do so.  However, a free society can tell an individual that IF they choose to provide a service to the public then they must indiscriminately provide that same service to everyone.  This does not undermine anyone’s constitutional rights.   The individual provider of a service always has the freedom to simply walk away if they don’t like the rules.

It should be obvious to everyone involved that the act of providing a service for a homosexual person is NOT an endorsement of that person’s lifestyle.  It should not violate someone’s Christian sensibilities to provide flowers or a cake for a gay customer.  Allow me to give you a personal example.  There was a three-week period in the late nineties when I kept a child rapist alive in the ICU.  A local father caught this man raping his young daughter in her own bed and proceeded to beat this man within an inch of his life.  I did NOT decide to take care of this patient because I endorse the rape of children.  I did not show support for this person’s actions by keeping him alive.  I did exactly what I was required to do in that ICU because it was my damn job.

Nobody forced me to be an ICU doctor in the United States, but when I decided to become an ICU doctor then I made an agreement with the rest of society to treat everyone the same way.  If my so-called “Christian beliefs” were so strong that I could not allow myself to save the life of a child rapist, then I should have looked for employment that did not involve my daily interaction with the general public.  If a local florist or baker cannot muster the intellectual courage to provide service for a homosexual customer then perhaps they should also pursue a different line of work.  I would also like to state for the record that while child rapists are absolutely abhorrent… most homosexual men and women are the nicest and most harmless people that you will ever meet.  I use this analogy only to point out the absurdity of the opposing argument but I want to make it clear that I do NOT morally equate these two groups in any way.

If you call yourself a Christian and you still support the foolish laws such as the one recently passed in the state of Arkansas then you need to get over yourself.  A real Christian takes care of all people and leaves the judging up to God.  I would recommend for Christians throughout this nation to stop praying so much for the “hedonistic sinners” that you perceive to be all around you and to start praying instead to be forgiven for your own ugly intolerance.   God is watching us all.