"NO GAYS ALLOWED!"

“As a nation, we began by declaring that 'all men are created equal.' We now practically read it 'all men are created equal, except negroes.' When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty...”

-- Abraham Lincoln

There comes a point when one has to say, "Methinks thou protesteth too much!"  In other words, what are you, yourself, hiding that you must balk so loudly or judge others so harshly?  And the mere fact that your Christian hypocrisy would deign to judge others is, in itself, telling of what kind of faux Christian you truly are.  Contrary to the teachings of scripture, Christians judge their fellows constantly; the answer as to "why" might be found in those clergy who guide them.  For clergy to advise parishioners to "do as I say, not as I do," is obvious hypocrisy; if the tree is rotten, we can expect no less of the fruit it bears.  So it is with all who judge.

“I hate organized religion. I hate that people use it to justify their crappy, bigoted beliefs.”

-- Hannah Harrington, author, Professor of Old Testament

Grainger County, Tennessee business owner, Jeff Amyx, would seem to be a rotten apple.  His Christianity harkens back to the days of the KKK, as evidenced by the photo, shown above.  His sign of "NO GAYS ALLOWED" might as well say "WHITES ONLY" and the tee shirt he's holding just rubs salt in a wound we wrongly thought was healing.  His wide smile in thinking his Christian faith excuses his bigotry is further evidence of a sickness he won't soon be cured of.  The photo also indicates he has a license, issued by Tennessee, to sell hunting and fishing licenses.  The state might want to consider whether a renowned bigot should be issued a license where it appears he represents the state.  Just saying. 

“It is nonsense for the Government to allow any loopholes for religious homophobia. Bigotry is bigotry whether it's dressed up in the language of faith or not.”

-- Giles Fraser, Anglican priest, journalist

The recent Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Christian baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple was spot on, as it protected his Christian beliefs.  The baker, however, was perfectly fine with doing business with the gay couple; he simply could not, in good Christian conscience, make them a "wedding" cake.  Jeff Amyx, on the other hand is simply an old school hater whom one can imagine in a white hood, lynching Negroes out back in the woods.

“...racist thought and action says far more about the person they come from than the person they are directed at.”

-- Chris Crutcher, novelist, therapist

The best a tolerant society can hope for is customers to see the sign as an admission of his desire to commit crimes against our humanity.  Customers might want to shun his business and purchase their wares elsewhere, as a message that they do not agree with his sentiment; if he's the only game in town, try the internet for purchasing.  I would think that anyone to frequenting his establishment is admitting agreement with his hate and bigotry.  Are they Christians?  Then it will also be an admission of their lifelong hypocrisy.  Has their clergy addressed the issue?  If not, isn't this a sign of an infection which is eating away at the very foundation of Abrahamic faith?  Who are they to judge?

“My parents taught me never to judge others based on whom they love, what color their skin is, or their religion. Why make life miserable for someone when you could be using your energy for good? We don’t need to share the same opinions as others, but we need to be respectful. When you hear people making hateful comments, stand up to them. Point out what a waste it is to hate, and you could open their eyes.”

-- Taylor Swift, singer, songwriter

Left unchecked, we can expect other signs to crop up in businesses prohibiting blacks, Jews, Muslims, fat people, women, Christians, straights, the elderly, and other groups, until we find ourselves reliving the sad era of segregation the likes of which we have only seen in the Nazi Third Reich. 

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”

-- Maya Angelou (1928-2014), poet, author, civil rights activist

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.