Sum Blog 3
In class this week we discussed religion and some of the heated topics surrounding it. I want to focus on the extremist church, the Westboro Baptist Church. I don't want to talk about the church it self or any other extremist group. I want to ask questions like, Why are other peoples opinions so important within society? The supplemental reading (Chaves) talked about how people are identifying with their religion. This brings up the question, Why are someone else's religion, practices, or beliefs so important to everyone else? I could write endless blogs on my opinions about the Westboro Church, same sex marriage, or abortion... but what does it matter? I am all for a heated discussion about differences in beliefs. I am a conservative Christian and I have lived with strong Catholics, I have had a gay roommate, and I have supported a close friend when they decided to have an abortion. I bring these up to ask another question. What does their belief or actions really change in my life? I believe nothing and that is why I am still good friends with all of them. Today's society is obsessed with labeling and categorizing everyone. It has become the means to defining people and unfortunately the means to segregate and discriminate. I will be the first to recognize that I don't believe or practice the same things as anyone else, but I also try to be the last person to judge them . The reading talked about 'nones' or people that don't identify with a religion. The fact that this 'none' category even exists proves our need to label everyone. My challenge is why does it matter what anyone identifies with? Take some time and figure out what you believe for your life and why you believe that and nothing else should matter. Someone else's beliefs does not have to have any affect on your life or beliefs. For example I can be pro-life and still recognize a friend that is going to need help going through her decision to have an abortion. I think sometimes the fundamental human elements get lost because people are to worried about what group they are a part of or how everyone identifies.
http://www.kgw.com/news/politics/AZ-law-allows-religious-beliefs-for-no-service-to-gays-246539261.html
This link to an article demonstrates my point. They are attempting to pass laws in Arizona that state an organization that claims a religious affiliation has the right to discriminate against homosexuals. This means that a religious hospital or religious based food pantry would leagally be allowed to withhold medical care and food from someone based on what their preference happens to be. Human decency gone. When did what someone believes in matter to their ability to eat and be treated medically?
One of the major problems within our society today is that we have to label everything and everyone. When people don't fit into to familiar categories we feel uncomfortable and unsure how to act around them. It's interesting that you pointed out the nones category and people that don't even affiliate with a religion have to still be placed in some type of category. It brings up the question why it's so important for us to always label people; and if we didn't have to put labels on people would we be more open minded to peoples differences. People are always talking about equality and a world free of hate, but until we stop labeling everyone we will never get to that point.
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