Religious right leaders celebrate win, look for next fight
I can tell you God’s on our side, too. I don’t think the God that most of us believe in discriminates.
- Glen Maxey
Now that Proposition 2 has made gay marriage (to steal a phrase from Chuck Kuffner ) Double Secret Illegal, the Evangelical community in Texas is feeling pretty good about themselves. It must be nice being one of God’s Chosen, doing the Lord’s work as you marginalize and oppress those who happen to think, believe, and live differently than they do. Of course, being one of God’s Chosen, Evangelical Social Conservatives now feel they have the perfect right to subjugate Da Gayz in the name of our Lord, who being the mean-spirited, vindictive Diety these folks seem to think he is, no doubt smiles upon the efforts of these trolls. It’s a good time to be a hate-filled, judgemental, narrow-minded Evangelical Republican, isn’t it? Our business is hating those we consider different, and business is GOOD!
I understand that there are many in Texas who think that acceptance and tolerance is a bad thing. While I can understand their point of view, I cannot accept their contention that as disciples of the Lord, they stand for all that is good and holy. These “family values” proponents have forgotten one very simple truth: hatred is not a family value. Of course, with the passage of Prop 2, hatred still isn’t a family value, but it is enshrined in the Texas Constitution. Nice going, eh?
What scares me is that the self-righteous, judgemental, hate-filled “Christians” behind Prop 2 are only getting started. Stay tuned…because you have to expect that after their Prop 2 victory, the Evangelicals and Social Conservatives are gleefully plotting their next assault. It’s only a matter of time before these folks find another group to hate and marginalize. You can take that to the bank.
Conservative church leaders, buoyed by overwhelming passage of a state amendment banning gay marriage in Texas, now ponder their next show of political strength.
The ban, which received support from pulpits across the state, rolled to an easy victory by a 3-to-1 margin Tuesday.
“If that becomes a trend, the evangelical community becomes the largest political voice not only in the state of Texas, but America,” said the Rev. Ryan Rush, senior pastor of Bannockburn Baptist Church in Austin. “I think that’s a positive thing because evangelical Christians stand for what’s right.”
Yeah, and I suppose the rest of us are in the fast lane on the expressway to Hell, eh? It must be nice to be so completely concvinced of your own correctness and the righteousness of your cause. Of course, it’s arrogant as hell, but I imagine that it must feel pretty good to be so thoroughly at peace with your narrow-minded, fearful, judgemental ways.
The arrogance of Texas Social Conservatives will be almost unbearable in the wake of their landslide victory in the Prop 2 battle. Given that gay marriage was already illegal in Texas, how can their fight to amend the Texas Constitution be interpreted as anything but enshrining hatred and discrimination as the law of the Great State of Texas? Church pews throughout the state will be ringing with cries of righteousness and self-satisfaction come this Sunday morning.
The margin outpaced predictions and emboldened social conservatives, who have been politically powerful in Texas for 20 years, said Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
“There’s a good old Texas phrase about getting the bit in your teeth,” Jillson said. “If the horse gets the bit in his teeth, he can run as he wants, and I believe the social conservatives feel like they have the bit in their teeth.”
Besides strengthening Republican Gov. Rick Perry’s re-election plans, the show of ballot power means social conservatives will be geared up for the next fight. Jillson said it’s unclear what the next big issue is, but religion in public schools is likely.
The results of the election demonstrated “values issues” are primarily important to most Texas voters, said the Rev. Laurence White, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Houston.
“I hope those in the political dialogue who believe such issues should be avoided or are divisive or are politically nonviable will read these results for what they are,” said White, who chairs the Texas Restoration Project, which mobilized 2,000 conservative pastors for the election.
It will be interesting, and quite disturbing to see where Prop 2 leads those willing to hate, marginalize, and discriminate against those who think and live differently. Who’s next? Stay tuned, y’all; we’ve got a collection of holier-than-thou Evangelical Christians who feel that they are doing God’s work and that the Lord is clearly smiling on them. God help the rest of us….
