<p>Gilbert, it is you who are ignoring a couple of things. I’ll point them out succinctly:
- Parents controlling how their kids are raised - Yup, they have that right. In fact, as I understand all of the articles that appeared about the canceling of the play at issue, the parents at the school had made the decision to allow their kids to participate in the play and had supported the production. Their decision was overruled by someone who was not a parent of the kids and the play was canceled despite their wishes and without any dialog with the parents before the decision was made. I guess parental control only applies sometimes - like when it suits your agenda. And what about parents who want to raise their kids to believe that even if they are gay, they are still entitled to all of the benefits of a free society, including forming relationships with whom they please, as long as they are responsible, productive members of society. But then these kids run into the kids of the parents who have taught that gays are really second class citizens not entitled to the same freedoms and rights of others because a gay “lifestyle” violates certain religious or “moral” principals to which the gay kids and their parents don’t subscribe. Bit of a problem, isn’t it.</p>
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<li><p>People have the right to lead their lives and raise their kids in accord with their own religious beliefs without being called a bigot - Yup, you’re right again. See, we do have a lot in common. As long as it remains within the zone of one’s own life. As soon as one’s religious beliefs or sense of “morality” gets pushed into the zone of someone else’s life and is used as the basis to interfere with that person’s life or to deny them the same rights and benefits as you, that’s when you become a bigot. Forcing someone else to conform their lives to your sense of morality, whether based on religious tenets or messages from Mars, is just plain wrong, unless, of course, you think the Spanish Inquisition was just good sport. </p></li>
<li><p>Why Can’t I just leave religion out of it - Third time’s a charm, right again. I’ve got mine, you’ve got yours, let us lead our respective lives consistent therewith and go our ways in peace. Sounds good to me. Except for those who believe “I’ve got mine and you better too” and then use their religious beliefs as the basis to argue that a minority group should be denied the same secular and civil rights, the same opportunities in society, as those within the “fold”. Sorry, been there, experienced that and am intimately familiar with a long history of that song and dance. </p></li>
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<p>This discussion has never been about bashing one religion or another or those who are of “faith”. For me, it’s about using religion as an excuse, rationale or justification to meddle in the lives of others. I don’t like it even when it’s for my own good - like the Salem Witch Trials.</p>
<p>As to the specific incident that kicked off this discussion, my objection all along was that even though the parents and local school authorities involved had approved of and were supportive of the production, the Bishop waltzed in and yanked the rug out from under them. No discussion, no dialog, no effort to find a way to accommodate the interests of all stakeholders. The use of censorship based on religious grounds to destroy what could have been a great educational opportunity to guide the kids involved to look at a complex issue from a diversity of viewpoints, including the teachings of their religion. Instead, all they learned was that those in power often act with dictatorial purpose.</p>