Discrimination

Discrimination is a bad word. We all know we shouldn't discriminate. Well, most of us know. Because the phrase "We shouldn't discriminate" is discrimination. Discrimination is simply defined as telling the difference between one thing and another. "We shouldn't discriminate" is saying that one thing -- not discriminating -- is right and the other -- discriminating -- is wrong. So we should discriminate ... on the subject of discrimination. Oh, it gets so confusing.

So what do we generally understand the term to mean? Well, that would be "the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex" to which we would like to add "sexual orientation, gender identity, or favorite color." Or something like it. (We tend to include "religion", but in a misleading way. "If you're Buddhist or Muslim or something like that, you should not receive prejudicial treatment. If you're a hated 'conservative Christian', we should have the right to stone you in the gate." So to speak.)

The accusation, then, is Christians (those Christians who view the Bible as God's Word and understand it as it has been understood since its inception) discriminate against homosexuals. (You see? Words are difficult. By "discriminate" here I'm referring to the second version. By "homosexuals" I'm referring to males or females ... or whatever span of gender you wish to apply ... who have a sexual predilection for the same ... gender. Oh, man, this just gets muddier as we go along. But you get the idea.) What I'm wondering is how do we apply unjust or prejudicial treatment to people who categorize themselves (however unclear it may be) as "homosexual" or "transgender"?

Keep in mind, this "discrimination" comes into play when someone like me says, "The Bible says that homosexual behavior is a sin." Keep in mind that it doesn't require that I say, "No shirt, no shoes, no service ... or if you take my 'gay test' and fail." You need not be denied anything from me except acceptance. (See what I did there? "Except" and "accept" in the same sentence. Oh, never mind.) The perception seems to be "If you do not fully embrace my sexual proclivities, you are discriminating." Yes, I am discriminating (in the first sense), but what, pray tell, is the unjust treatment here?

Somewhere along the line someone fed us the line that we have to embrace that which we currently deem immoral. I don't know why. If my child does something wrong, it's not like I stop loving my child. Nor does love require that I embrace my little teenage car thief's behavior. No, love doesn't require that I embrace sinful behavior. Except, apparently, if that sinful behavior is sexual immorality. Why is that?

Since I am not treating people unjustly or prejudicially by simply saying, "The Bible says this behavior is sin," and since that is classified as "discrimination", I can only conclude that we, again, have a language barrier. I can only conclude that the discrimination that they want to avoid is the first kind, the kind that says, "This is different than that" or, more pointedly, "This is moral and that is not." As if that's a good thing.