Thinking and Speaking

Recently I was exposed to some posters, on the subway trains and buses here in Chicago, and while the subject of those posters was ostensibly common courtesy and tolerance, it was clear to me that the real agenda was altogether different.

In response, I sent the following letter to the folks who had placed those posters:

I've seen your advertising posters, and I've visited your website.

While you're on the subject of thinking before one speaks, you might want to give some serious thought to the pejorative and frequently inaccurate nature of the "homophobic" label which is often mindlessly applied to any and all opponents of homosexuality and/or the liberal gay agenda. There are many reasons for opposition to such things, and some of those things (such as sincere beliefs about the nature of biblical revelation regarding homosexuality) have nothing whatsoever to do with fear.

You might also want to give more thought to the idea that a phobia is not just any fear. It is, more specifically, an irrational fear, according to most dictionary definitions. Some fears are both rational and justifiable (and are therefore not phobias), on account of the fact that they motivate us to take preemptive measures to protect ourselves against known dangers. We put smoke detectors in our homes because the threat of fires is a real, documented threat. While it is true that any legitimate fear can become a phobia if it's exaggerated beyond reason, a specific fear itself may nevertheless be rational and justifiable.


There are many who believe that the damage which can be caused to a person's body by physical threats such as fire in one's home is trivial in comparison with the eternal damage which can be caused to a person's soul by spineless acquiescence to politically correct trends in relation to practices which are regarded by many of the faithful as sin. Fear of eternal judgment is incontestably a type of fear. Is it therefore an irrational phobia as well? Only if you disagree with the premise that there is a God, and a coming judgment to which we will all be subjected. The manner in which people define terms such as "rationality" depends a great deal on their foundational premises which, more often than not, are based on large or small leaps of faith. This is no less true with regard to your beliefs than it is with regard to the beliefs of conservative Christians, such as myself, who disagree with you. And it should be pointed out that many (not all of whom are Christians) regard the fear of God as a virtue, not a vice.

The frequent use of the term "homophobia" as a political tool is therefore a disingenuous form of anti-Christian bigotry. The use of that term undermines the credibility of organizations which claim that "tolerance" is a universal virtue, even though many of those people wouldn't know tolerance if it bit them on their collective behinds. Protests of people holding alternative views (at places such as Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral, to name just one of many recent examples) illustrate that most gay activists are unwilling to practice true tolerance. What they desire and seek is total capitulation obtained by means of political intimidation, harassment, incessant propagandizing and obnoxious, antisocial behavior.

They will not get the capitulation they seek in my lifetime.