Let me just start by saying I know religious freedom is a hot button issue and this article will probably unleash lots of hate emails and comments. But just know that no one at ValueWalk is going to get into an argument with anyone on this topic, so there’s no point in emailing any of us about this. We will not be responding to emails on this issue. Feel free to leave your comments below.
We’ve covered Tim Cook’s editorial in which he speaks out against religious freedom laws. So why shouldn’t the other side of the story be told? Mainstream media is choosing to ignore the other side because it isn’t popular.
Religious freedom a complex issue
The key issue in the religious freedom debate that it seems everyone is missing is the fact that no matter which way you lean on this, there is discrimination. Those who say churches that truly believe being gay is wrong must hire gay people are just as guilty of discrimination as business owners who hold no religious beliefs and choose to discriminate against the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community simply because of their sexual orientation.
But people are not speaking out against discrimination by opposing religious freedom laws. They’re saying that it’s OK to discriminate against religious beliefs but it’s not OK to discriminate against sexual orientation.
Is this logical?
Hate words not necessary
The key issue here is discrimination, something both sides of the religious freedom issue claim they won’t tolerate. The scope of this article is not to offer solutions to this complex issue. It’s to remind everyone that this issue is not as simple as the mainstream media would have us think.
The great thing about living in a free country (although it can be argued that some of our freedoms, including freedom of speech and freedom of religion, are being stripped away one by one) is that we are allowed to disagree and speak up about our different views. Does this mean we should use our words in a way to tear each other down? Of course not. We must find a way to live with each other, but the incendiary comments on both sides are simply not necessary.
It is possible to express our views without being hateful. Does it mean we will always like or agree with what everyone says? Of course not. But at the end of the day, both sides of the religious freedom issue are becoming so heated that they’re forgetting what they’re arguing about in the first place and that it’s something they actually agree on, supposedly. Now if only we could find a way to work together on this issue.
