Christians in the US continue to believe themselves a persecuted minority, in spite of the fact that they’re anything but. The relentless expansion of gay marriage has done more than almost anything else to unsettle them and exacerbate the paranoia which is inherent in the psychopathology of their religion. They seem not to comprehend, though, that gays being allowed to marry doesn’t actually harm them in any way. After all, no one is forcing them to marry same-sex partners against their will.
Enter a church in Knoxville, TN, which — according to WBIR-TV in that city — found a bizarre way to express its displeasure at the notion of “equal rights” (WebCite cached article):
A marquee message posted outside an East Knoxville church has sparked controversy. The church’s pastor says people have misunderstood the communication.
The Knoxville Baptist Tabernacle sign read, “Remember Satan was the first to demand equal rights.”
Here’s what the sign looked like:
A Knoxville church’s message has drawn criticism from some in the community. Submitted to WBIR-TV.
Pastor Tony Greene says he meant no offense. He said the church was not targeting a certain group.
He thinks people misunderstood his message.
“Be careful when you demand your equal rights that you don’t hurt others around you. You’ve got to consider everyone around you,” he said.
Greene said it was also a test to see if people were reading the sign. He said he’s received a lot of feedback.
The church changed the sign Monday to read, “Didn’t mean to offend. We all need Christ.”
Greene errs when he suggests that granting “equal rights” to some, can harm others. It doesn’t work that way. “Equal rights” always enrich everyone, because — by definition — they’re given to everyone. Period.
Oh, and the idea that Greene had merely been “testing” people to see if they’d read his sign? That really doesn’t excuse the idiocy of what he put on it. He could have opted for a much less incendiary, not to mention contra-factual, message to use as a “test,” if that’s really what he’d intended to do.
The cold fact is that all Americans have “equal rights” under the Constitution and its amendments (particularly the 14th). Satan had nothing to do with that, and objecting to “equal rights” on religious grounds won’t change it. It’s long past time for Christianists like Greene and his childish flock to stop throwing infantile shit-fits over things they personally dislike but which do not, in fact, harm them in the slightest. They ought to act like grown-ups, fercryingoutloud.
Hat tip: Raw Story.
Photo credit: About.Com.