So the other day I had a conversation with someone about same-sex marriage. It's the topic of the day in Canada because the legislation is in debate in the house right now. This person has a comment that is the same as most others with variations on the same theme:
The bible says it's wrong. Two men or women marrying is against the bible! We shouldn't have it!
(others come up with different variations on this theme, some of them to do with religion and some not.)
My answer is the same every time. I ask a simple question:
What is your highest value?
Of course because they were just talking about it they always answer with whatever value they placed on the issue. In this case the woman said "her religion".
To which I said "And what gives you the right to practice your religion without fear of persecution?"
"What do you mean?"
"Freedom gives you the right to practice your religion without fear of persecution."
"Oh, I'd still be able to practice my religion."
"Until someone more powerful than Christians comes along and becomes the majority and decides that they don't like Christianity. At which time you'd no longer be free to worship God and you know then because just like you, that person/group would feel that they were justified in limiting the freedom of those horrible Christians because their religion teaches them to hate Christians. "
"That would never happen."
"Really? Ask the Jews in Germany if before WWII they would have ever thought that Hitler would have happened. Or better yet, ask the Christians in Russia that were killed and the Bibles that were burned under Stalin. Or better yet, ask a Muslim extremist what he would do if he got control of North America with all of these infidels running around. Then tell me that it will never happen. This is the lesson that should have been learned by WWII, not that war is bad, that freedom is worth dying for. There is no more worthy cause to die for than freedom."
*Stare with mouth open* No argument at all. There is no argument.
The point to all of this is, whatever you think your highest value is, your truly highest value MUST be freedom, because without freedom being your highest value, the one that you're willing to fight for above all others without exclusion, you are throwing away that which allows you to have all of those other highest values that you think you have.
It is only when you believe that you're entitled to believe what you wish without persecution and do whatever you wish so long as you don't physically harm another, and more so, that you believe that not only does that apply to you, but to everyone that you can be free to do and say the things you believe in are you protected, because only then do you have a foundation for all interaction with other people. Only when you believe as strongly that others are free to do whatever they wish as you believe that you're free to do whatever you wish do you have a position that doesn't result in the powerful dictating to those with fewer numbers, or are less organized or do not hold power what is ok to believe and what isn't ok to believe.
And to be clear, this applies both ways. Just as a Christian, no matter what they personally believe about the issue does not have the right to dictate to a homosexual if they can partake in the government provided service of marriage, the homosexual does not have the right to dictate to any church that that church should marry them if the church does not wish.
The government cannot offer a service to one group of people and not to another. They cannot make laws that apply to one group and not to another.
Persons and businesses have no such limitation. You can chose to work for whomever you wish, join any group that offers you membership if you wish, gather with whomever you wish, speak to whomever you wish, believe whatever you wish. You can also limit those who can talk to you, or play golf with you, or decide to charge someone more money for your product than another simply because you don't like them, or you feel like it. It doesn't matter if your decision is based on skin colour or not. You still have the right to make that (ignorant) choice. You can also choose to hire whomever you wish, including the great looking secretary over the 65 year old woman who's breasts have sagged to her waist even if that 65 year old woman has greater qualifications. It is your right to be an ignorant fool if you so choose. The government does not have the right to tell you who you can and cannot hire, just as the government could never tell a church who they can and cannot marry. Why? Because of freedom. Because freedom says that you are allowed to believe whatever you wish and act on that belief so long as you don’t harm another. And someone else’s desire to partake in your service does not veto your right to deny them that service simply because the majority of the population thinks that your beliefs are wrong.
And before you spout "the greater good". There is no greater good, because by sacrificing freedom, you undo all other goods. It is the highest of all highest goods, the greatest of all greatest goods. Without freedom nothing else means anything, because they can all be taken away in a heart beat. Just ask the people of Iraq. They may not like the Americans much because they've been told that the Americans want to run the show there, and take over Iraq by their ignorant media, but ask them what they thought of life under Saddam Hussein’s rule where the Sunnis ran the show, and the Sheas were oppressed, as were the Kurds. It's specifically "the greater good" that was used as justification for the atrocities of Saddam Hussein, just as they were used in the case of Hitler, and Stalin before.
Nothing, NOTHING is more important than Freedom. Consider this the next time you take freedom away from the rich "because they can afford it" or tell a 18 year old man that he can't get into University because his marks were only 10% higher than the Black woman that was given the position because she was black and a woman and not because of her own merit. When you understand that someone else could do to you what you’re attempting to do them and be just as justified in their position, do you realize that freedom is non-negotiable. It is the basis for all civilization. It is that which brought us out of the dark ages. It is what made the legend of King Arthur that endures to this day. It is what made a small group of Americans fight the most powerful military force the world had ever seen in the British army and then WIN.
It is what we all take for granted and what we seem so willing to throw away with impunity at every turn “for the greater good”.
I for one am not willing to throw away my freedom and I’m not even willing to throw away your freedom either.
Not even a little.