It’s one thing to say that you can’t do something because of your views, but it’s completely different to say that someone else can’t do something because of your views.
There has been so much hostility lately in today’s society; it seems like every other day people of one view are trying to stifle the voices of the other view and I am so tired of it.
The legalization of gay marriage led to Kim Davis deciding that she was going to go against the law and not sign the marriage licenses of gay couples — because her belief differed from theirs. Instead of her losing her job — like would happen in most situations where someone is found not doing their job — she became an idol, representing the idea that you can deny someone their rights sighting your religious beliefs.
The owners of Hobby Lobby are pursuing a Supreme Court case against insurance covering birth control. Obamacare declared that birth control should be completely covered by insurance, but Hobby Lobby owners said that for those who don’t believe in using birth control, that forcing them to provide coverage for birth control goes against their religious freedom — even if the coverage comes at no additional cost to the company, because it was ruled that the contraception would be paid for separately. And in rolls the lawsuit.
A man killed three people at a Planned Parenthood last November, because he did not support abortion. More recently, a bill in Oklahoma passed that made abortions illegal unless the mother’s life was in danger — a decision made in the hope of overturning the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade.
I’m not saying that it’s not okay to believe in what you believe in, I’m saying that your beliefs give you no right to deny someone else their rights. The title of “Christian” now has a negative stigma attached to it; if you identify as a Christian most people see you as someone who is pro-life and anti-gay and very hostile about it. It’s not a deserving title to every Christian in America and it’s not fair to those that who actually aggressive with their views.
This hostility is not just surrounding religion either; many political stances pit people against each other, causing protests from both Republican and Democrat supporters; even vegans are a prime example of putting other people down for their differing views (if you need an example just look at Freelee the Banana Girl). It seems everyone has lost their capability of having a civil conversation with the other regarding their views.
When did people decide what someone else does with their life is their business? When did it become okay to tell someone that because their views are not the same that one is not deserving of the same rights? Why do people care so much about what other people do with their lives? What is so wrong with allowing people to be happy with what makes them happy?
I think everyone needs to take a step back and realize that hostility is really getting us nowhere. More people have been shot because of differing opinions than should ever be acceptable and it’s really not okay. There’s no reason that we are incapable of talking through our differences. Both sides of every argument have been guilty of shutting the other out; having an open mind and just listening to the other opinion is not that hard — you don’t have to agree in the end, but there is nothing wrong with listening. Overall, I don’t see what someone does with their life is of any business to anyone else; your opinions are your own and you have every right to voice your opinion, but you are not justified forcing your views on someone else. In the end, if you don’t like what someone else is doing with their life, just remember it’s not your life, and it’s their decision — not yours.
