MR2-Sooner86
1/31/2011, 09:36 PM
So today there was an article about an openly gay officer sharing his story of acceptance by the Tulsa Police Department (http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20110131_11_A15_ULNSbP518209) in the Tulsa World.
Anyway, a girl I'm friends with on Facebook had a conversation with some people on the subject. She posted it up as a note, deleting all names, and I'd like to share the conversation she had with everybody here.
I want to say I'm surprised by this but I'm not.
Original Status Poster: "The Tulsa World has an article in it today about local openly gay police officers. Just what we need, a buncha fags keeping our streets safe"
Responder #1: "Kinda scary. What will they do to the criminals slap them."
Me: "Wow.... I really hope that statement you just made was a joke. What a hateful, hateful thing to say. You should be ashamed. Religion aside... I don't see YOU doing their job, and I'm sure if you were the one robbed or beat or in any sort of distress, you wouldn't care what sexual preference the officer helping you is, all you would want is HELP. Their sexual preference shouldn't even matter for you. And if you're so close minded that this statement was serious, then let me say... I feel incredibly sorry for you as a human being. Very... Very sorry for you."
Responder #2: "I must side with (****) and (****), until recently sodomy was a crime throughout every state in the entire United States of America. I'm still for old time christian values!!"
Responder #3: "Police officers must put their jobs before their personal lives its sad but it's necessary that's why most of their marriges end in divorce. It's obvious that these individuals put their own personal things ahead of their department and being a police officer. I am a police officer and would not want one of these individuals covering me on a call because they are more concerned about gay pride then their job."
Responder #4: "Amen Br. (****). PREACH IT!! It is a sad world we are living in when this kind of filth is allowed! The one's I feel sorry for are the one's so blinded by the devil that they think this is acceptable!"
Responder #5: "I have several friends who are police officers. I have done ride arounds with them. The subject of gays in the military has come up and to a person none of them approved. The police are very similar in some respects. When it comes to trusting your brothers in arms with your life most people don't want to take chances. When I served in Viet Nam gays were in serious trouble of being fragged. Peoples preferences can get them in some bad trouble. If I was a police officer I would resign before I accepted a gay patrol partner."
Me: "This has nothing to do with religion. This has to do with HATRED. Pretty sure when I went to church, the message I received was it is NOT a humans right to judge another human... that is GODS RIGHT. If you're going along with Christian values. But this... this stems far from judgment and straight into hatred. It may be wrong that this person flaunts it and makes it a priority that EVERYONE in the world knows... and I'm not saying I agree with that at all. What I disagree with is calling all of them fags and spreading such nasty hatred. When you're in a car accident, or have a heart attack, or stub your toe... or something happens to one of your loved ones... what exactly are you going to say to the paramedic who has come to HELP you, as a human BEING, who is gay? Are you going to say no, please let me lay here and bleed to death?? Hell no... because you're human and your need to survive will overcome that. And in the end when you're LIVING because of that paramedic... will it really matter that HE LOVES MEN??? For gods sake, pull your heads from your asses and stop spreading hate. You can disagree with what they do all day long... but spreading hatred is humanities downfall and you're going to be prime contributors. And I really... REALLY hope GOD has mercy on you."
Responder #6: "God's Word is a book of God's rules and judgments, and His Word says that homosexuality is not only SIN, it is an abomination to God! God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son to die for it---but he also will not excuse sin! He destroyed Sodom & Gomorrah because of the sin of homosexuality, and it is ridiculous to say that standing against homosexuality is Hate! To be a Christian, u have to hate sin!! Tolerance has gone too far in this country! God will not tolerate sin--in his love, he will cast every person who chooses to continue in that lifestyle, into Hell! They have a choice--but if they don't chose God, they choose damnation to their soul! Homosexuality is disgusting and perverse in the worst way, and more people need to take a stand against it! Thank you for taking your stand (****)!!!"
Me: "Responder #6... maybe you're right, maybe God will send them to hell for what they've done. And what are you going to do when you get there, and he says, (****)... when did I ever say it was alright for you to make my judgment on that person for me? You're right, there is no commandment of "thall shall not judge" and in the bible when it talks about judgment it's talking about hypocrisy. And like I said, this really has nothing to do with religion. You can disagree or dislike what someone does all day long and you are entitled to that right. But to use words like that towards someone else for what they believe?? How dare you?
Maybe you should spend less time concerned about what other people are doing and focus on being GOOD PEOPLE IN YOUR OWN LIVES. Take this energy you spend HATING and put it to GOOD, CONSTRUCTIVE use. Your life is a GIFT, and if you waste it hating other people... well then you've wasted something pretty amazing.
The only reason most of you think the way you do is because your parents did, and their parents did... and that's all you know. And you choose not to know or learn any other opinions or beliefs in this world because they are not the ones that are originally yours. And if you were raised to love the devil... well guess what, you'd be loving the devil right now.
Oh, and one last note. Thanking him for taking a stand... I really wouldn't say him calling people fags is "taking a stand". I would say that's a cheap shot way of making an uneducated insult. But that's MY opinion, and apparently my opinion is from the devil... lol. And I'll pray that one day, you are in need of one of my homosexual co-workers... and I will pray for you that they don't pass the judgment on you that you have passed on them, and that they save you regardless of your hatred and don't let you die because of your judgment on them."
Original Status Poster: "Me, my apologies for offending you. With that being said, I do not retract my statement. I do not agree with homosexuality in any sense of the lifestyle. However this conversation appears to gave shifted to the topic of judgment, and quite frankly most of you are wrong here. I will be the first to say I wholeheartedly disagree with one man judging another. I see everyone of you judging the other in some area. Maybe we should all focus a little more on our own faults instead of pointing fingers at everyone else."
Me: "Original Status Poster, I appreciate your apology and I respect your opinion as long as it's made in a tasteful way. That's where me being upset comes from. I understand everyone is entitled to their opinion as I am to mine. But when the opinion is more on the side of hate rather than just opinion or belief... that's when I become upset. You're right, we are all judging each other and with that said, I'll stop my side of this. I know that I can't change what any of you think, as well as you can't change what I think. All I'm fighting for is respect for your fellow humans... and using a more tasteful way of expressing your opinion that isn't so full of hatred."
Responder #7: "The Bible says that you shall know a tree by the fruits that it bears. This has absolutely nothing to do with judgement."
Responder #7: "And no, I would not want someone gay working on me in a medical situation period. That lifestyle CHOICE brings with it some very serious health threats. I wouldn't want the possibility of any contamination due go someone elses bad choices."
Responder #8: "Why would anyone want to get to know the lord if they are judged before they even get in the door by there choice of lifestyle. It is your job as a child of God to keep an open mind and open heart to love the ones that need Gods guidance the most!!! Love you Bub!! :)"
Responder #9: "Original Status Poster, don't call them fags... come on man, be kind. Use biblical descriptions, unclean, dishonorable, against nature, and dogs."
Christianity, where if you don't do any of the things we want, there's a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where you're sent to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time!
But God still loves you.
Anyway, a girl I'm friends with on Facebook had a conversation with some people on the subject. She posted it up as a note, deleting all names, and I'd like to share the conversation she had with everybody here.
I want to say I'm surprised by this but I'm not.
Original Status Poster: "The Tulsa World has an article in it today about local openly gay police officers. Just what we need, a buncha fags keeping our streets safe"
Responder #1: "Kinda scary. What will they do to the criminals slap them."
Me: "Wow.... I really hope that statement you just made was a joke. What a hateful, hateful thing to say. You should be ashamed. Religion aside... I don't see YOU doing their job, and I'm sure if you were the one robbed or beat or in any sort of distress, you wouldn't care what sexual preference the officer helping you is, all you would want is HELP. Their sexual preference shouldn't even matter for you. And if you're so close minded that this statement was serious, then let me say... I feel incredibly sorry for you as a human being. Very... Very sorry for you."
Responder #2: "I must side with (****) and (****), until recently sodomy was a crime throughout every state in the entire United States of America. I'm still for old time christian values!!"
Responder #3: "Police officers must put their jobs before their personal lives its sad but it's necessary that's why most of their marriges end in divorce. It's obvious that these individuals put their own personal things ahead of their department and being a police officer. I am a police officer and would not want one of these individuals covering me on a call because they are more concerned about gay pride then their job."
Responder #4: "Amen Br. (****). PREACH IT!! It is a sad world we are living in when this kind of filth is allowed! The one's I feel sorry for are the one's so blinded by the devil that they think this is acceptable!"
Responder #5: "I have several friends who are police officers. I have done ride arounds with them. The subject of gays in the military has come up and to a person none of them approved. The police are very similar in some respects. When it comes to trusting your brothers in arms with your life most people don't want to take chances. When I served in Viet Nam gays were in serious trouble of being fragged. Peoples preferences can get them in some bad trouble. If I was a police officer I would resign before I accepted a gay patrol partner."
Me: "This has nothing to do with religion. This has to do with HATRED. Pretty sure when I went to church, the message I received was it is NOT a humans right to judge another human... that is GODS RIGHT. If you're going along with Christian values. But this... this stems far from judgment and straight into hatred. It may be wrong that this person flaunts it and makes it a priority that EVERYONE in the world knows... and I'm not saying I agree with that at all. What I disagree with is calling all of them fags and spreading such nasty hatred. When you're in a car accident, or have a heart attack, or stub your toe... or something happens to one of your loved ones... what exactly are you going to say to the paramedic who has come to HELP you, as a human BEING, who is gay? Are you going to say no, please let me lay here and bleed to death?? Hell no... because you're human and your need to survive will overcome that. And in the end when you're LIVING because of that paramedic... will it really matter that HE LOVES MEN??? For gods sake, pull your heads from your asses and stop spreading hate. You can disagree with what they do all day long... but spreading hatred is humanities downfall and you're going to be prime contributors. And I really... REALLY hope GOD has mercy on you."
Responder #6: "God's Word is a book of God's rules and judgments, and His Word says that homosexuality is not only SIN, it is an abomination to God! God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son to die for it---but he also will not excuse sin! He destroyed Sodom & Gomorrah because of the sin of homosexuality, and it is ridiculous to say that standing against homosexuality is Hate! To be a Christian, u have to hate sin!! Tolerance has gone too far in this country! God will not tolerate sin--in his love, he will cast every person who chooses to continue in that lifestyle, into Hell! They have a choice--but if they don't chose God, they choose damnation to their soul! Homosexuality is disgusting and perverse in the worst way, and more people need to take a stand against it! Thank you for taking your stand (****)!!!"
Me: "Responder #6... maybe you're right, maybe God will send them to hell for what they've done. And what are you going to do when you get there, and he says, (****)... when did I ever say it was alright for you to make my judgment on that person for me? You're right, there is no commandment of "thall shall not judge" and in the bible when it talks about judgment it's talking about hypocrisy. And like I said, this really has nothing to do with religion. You can disagree or dislike what someone does all day long and you are entitled to that right. But to use words like that towards someone else for what they believe?? How dare you?
Maybe you should spend less time concerned about what other people are doing and focus on being GOOD PEOPLE IN YOUR OWN LIVES. Take this energy you spend HATING and put it to GOOD, CONSTRUCTIVE use. Your life is a GIFT, and if you waste it hating other people... well then you've wasted something pretty amazing.
The only reason most of you think the way you do is because your parents did, and their parents did... and that's all you know. And you choose not to know or learn any other opinions or beliefs in this world because they are not the ones that are originally yours. And if you were raised to love the devil... well guess what, you'd be loving the devil right now.
Oh, and one last note. Thanking him for taking a stand... I really wouldn't say him calling people fags is "taking a stand". I would say that's a cheap shot way of making an uneducated insult. But that's MY opinion, and apparently my opinion is from the devil... lol. And I'll pray that one day, you are in need of one of my homosexual co-workers... and I will pray for you that they don't pass the judgment on you that you have passed on them, and that they save you regardless of your hatred and don't let you die because of your judgment on them."
Original Status Poster: "Me, my apologies for offending you. With that being said, I do not retract my statement. I do not agree with homosexuality in any sense of the lifestyle. However this conversation appears to gave shifted to the topic of judgment, and quite frankly most of you are wrong here. I will be the first to say I wholeheartedly disagree with one man judging another. I see everyone of you judging the other in some area. Maybe we should all focus a little more on our own faults instead of pointing fingers at everyone else."
Me: "Original Status Poster, I appreciate your apology and I respect your opinion as long as it's made in a tasteful way. That's where me being upset comes from. I understand everyone is entitled to their opinion as I am to mine. But when the opinion is more on the side of hate rather than just opinion or belief... that's when I become upset. You're right, we are all judging each other and with that said, I'll stop my side of this. I know that I can't change what any of you think, as well as you can't change what I think. All I'm fighting for is respect for your fellow humans... and using a more tasteful way of expressing your opinion that isn't so full of hatred."
Responder #7: "The Bible says that you shall know a tree by the fruits that it bears. This has absolutely nothing to do with judgement."
Responder #7: "And no, I would not want someone gay working on me in a medical situation period. That lifestyle CHOICE brings with it some very serious health threats. I wouldn't want the possibility of any contamination due go someone elses bad choices."
Responder #8: "Why would anyone want to get to know the lord if they are judged before they even get in the door by there choice of lifestyle. It is your job as a child of God to keep an open mind and open heart to love the ones that need Gods guidance the most!!! Love you Bub!! :)"
Responder #9: "Original Status Poster, don't call them fags... come on man, be kind. Use biblical descriptions, unclean, dishonorable, against nature, and dogs."
Christianity, where if you don't do any of the things we want, there's a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where you're sent to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time!
But God still loves you.