Bullying hits very close to home for me as a mom. And the Christian treatment of the LGBT community hits close to me as a friend. The bill that this post references was changed to exclude the religious exemption. But bullying of the LGBT community continues to happen regularly in the Church. I'm thankful for those who speak out against this behavior and will continue to add my voice to the chorus.
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On November 2, an anti-bullying bill was passed in Michigan that had some last minute changes put in it. Once again, people who have chosen their lifestyle are asking for special privileges that will, almost certainly, make other people uncomfortable. Families will have to have difficult discussions with their children. Some may even feel like they need to pull their children out of schools because this group felt the need to strong-arm language into this bill.
Yes, before the bill was voted on, the Senate Republicans in Michigan added language to Bill SB 137 that made an exception for bullying that was a result of a "sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction."
Oh wait. You probably thought I meant the gay folks.
See, when you frame it that way, it sucks to be on the other side. Yet this is how many in the Church have framed nearly all conversations regarding LGBT rights.
We talk about choice of lifestyle. We talk about how it affects our children. We talk about special privileges. We talk about agendas.
All the while ignoring that religion is a choice. That our actions affect LGBT kids and the kids of gay and lesbian parents. That religion is a protected class. That we have our own agendas that we want to promote.
And we forget that we're to consider others as better than ourselves.
We have a word for people who use their power to push around those who are in a position of weakness.
I don't know about you, but I don't want my religious convictions to be an excuse to be a bully.
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Have you ever been the target of bullying? Have you ever been the bully? Have you ever reconciled with the person that bullied you/that you bullied?
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