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sparkindarknessIf it weren’t for my deeply cynical view of humanity, I would be surprised at some of the people and groups that constantly try to claim some kind of moral authority - and right to judge us. More, I am rather depressed at how many people who are willing to accept these “moral authorities” and their judgements despite their actions.
Case in point - Hiram Monserrate just lost his run to re-enter the New York Senate. And this is certainly something to celebrate.
During the campaign, Mr. Monserrate presented himself as a “family values“ politician (yes, we know what that means, don’t we? Yup, homophobe. Honestly, I‘m getting a bad reflex reaction to the word “family.”) And he was supported by pro-family moral groups. Such as the “New York Family Research Foundation.” Including THIS little website (don’t click the link unless you feel the need to confirm my words, don’t give them hits unnecessarily) that reaches out to Christians: “Christians, we need to wake up and fight to preserve our values”.
Yes... Hiram Monserrate was expelled from the senate after he cut his girlfriend's face and dragged her through their apartment by her hair. This is family values? This is morality?
Frankly, this is doubly disturbing. It is disturbing that anything anti-gay is praised as morality even when it’s downright evil, that homophobia can be used to redeem any evil. And it is further disgusting and awful that a brutal attack on a woman is so casually cast aside. Her rights, her bodily integrity are dismissed. They are willing to not only ignore an attack on a woman - but call her attacker moral - call her attacker “pro-family.” Violence against women is NOT a family value.
Similarly, the Catholic Church is in the headlines again for yet another sex abuse scandal - more child abusing priests and more cover ups from the Catholic hierarchy - apparently extending right to the top. Coming on the heels of so many other, similar scandals, there is clearly a real and horrendous problem here. Child abusers can appear anywhere and in any organisation - but the institutional cover up of these abuses is shameful beyond compare.
Yet, even as scandal after scandal breaks, they still judge, they still hold themselves up as a moral authority. They are still treated as a moral authority, a source for discerning good from evil - and how to judge and condemn people based on that morality.
Men who attack women and people who cover up child abuse are not moral authorities, they’re not pro-family, they’re not sources for goodness. Don’t ignore the evil they do in the hurry to use their words to support homophobia. It’s not only homophobic - but it is grossly disrespectful to their victims. It dismisses their pain, it dismisses what was done to them - not just them but everyone like them. It puts the seal of morality and justification on the abuse of women and children. That is evil on evil.
Those in great big crystal palaces should not operate catapults (we’re beyond glass houses and stones here). Those up to their necks in the quicksand of evil shouldn’t claim to have the moral high ground and shouldn’t be treated as such.
Case in point - Hiram Monserrate just lost his run to re-enter the New York Senate. And this is certainly something to celebrate.
During the campaign, Mr. Monserrate presented himself as a “family values“ politician (yes, we know what that means, don’t we? Yup, homophobe. Honestly, I‘m getting a bad reflex reaction to the word “family.”) And he was supported by pro-family moral groups. Such as the “New York Family Research Foundation.” Including THIS little website (don’t click the link unless you feel the need to confirm my words, don’t give them hits unnecessarily) that reaches out to Christians: “Christians, we need to wake up and fight to preserve our values”.
Yes... Hiram Monserrate was expelled from the senate after he cut his girlfriend's face and dragged her through their apartment by her hair. This is family values? This is morality?
Frankly, this is doubly disturbing. It is disturbing that anything anti-gay is praised as morality even when it’s downright evil, that homophobia can be used to redeem any evil. And it is further disgusting and awful that a brutal attack on a woman is so casually cast aside. Her rights, her bodily integrity are dismissed. They are willing to not only ignore an attack on a woman - but call her attacker moral - call her attacker “pro-family.” Violence against women is NOT a family value.
Similarly, the Catholic Church is in the headlines again for yet another sex abuse scandal - more child abusing priests and more cover ups from the Catholic hierarchy - apparently extending right to the top. Coming on the heels of so many other, similar scandals, there is clearly a real and horrendous problem here. Child abusers can appear anywhere and in any organisation - but the institutional cover up of these abuses is shameful beyond compare.
Yet, even as scandal after scandal breaks, they still judge, they still hold themselves up as a moral authority. They are still treated as a moral authority, a source for discerning good from evil - and how to judge and condemn people based on that morality.
Men who attack women and people who cover up child abuse are not moral authorities, they’re not pro-family, they’re not sources for goodness. Don’t ignore the evil they do in the hurry to use their words to support homophobia. It’s not only homophobic - but it is grossly disrespectful to their victims. It dismisses their pain, it dismisses what was done to them - not just them but everyone like them. It puts the seal of morality and justification on the abuse of women and children. That is evil on evil.
Those in great big crystal palaces should not operate catapults (we’re beyond glass houses and stones here). Those up to their necks in the quicksand of evil shouldn’t claim to have the moral high ground and shouldn’t be treated as such.