I was talking to someone I know who knows someone I'm acquainted with. Turns out that this shared acquaintance is a Christian and has recently discovered that his son identifies as homosexual. The son is angry with his parents. They don't let him bring his boyfriend over for visits. They should.
My first thought -- toward the angry son -- was "Is it your view that your parents must change their beliefs in order to accommodate you?" But that's not where I'm going here today. I was struck with another thought.
The hue and cry today is "Inclusivity!" Companies and universities have instituted Inclusivity Departments. Schools teach it. Organizations have "inclusivity training." Some groups, because they are not deemed "inclusive," are rejected. Oh, wait ... so in the name of "inclusivity" they are excluded? Yes. Over and over again. Without end, it seems. Blindly. They don't even hear themselves say it. "They are not welcome here; we are inclusive."
These inclusive folks would necessarily exclude those Christian parents from their circle because those parents were not inclusive enough. And I noticed that this isn't what I was thinking. I thought they were mistaken in their approach. I thought that they were wrong, inconsistent, perhaps even unloving. But I did not think, "I need to disassociate with them until they change their ways." Maybe I would talk to them if I thought they'd listen. Certainly I'd pray for them because, unlike most of our current society, I still believe God acts in the lives of people. I believe prayer really is effective. I might take a variety of approaches, but I would not, in the name of inclusivity, exclude them. I believe in their freedom to believe what they believe and would include them even if they're not inclusive.
Does that make me more inclusive than the high-and-mighty "Inclusivity" folks these days?
7 comments:
The very notion of "inclusivity" as practiced by the American Political Left, is almost by definition exclusive. I've seen people literally revel in listing those who aren't included. Even the phrase "Marriage equity for all." has been demonstrated to be faux inclusiveness. Because, when pushed, those who trumpet the phrase will trot out the exceptions to the word "all".
I;m not sure whats worse. Being exclusive, and being honest about it. Or pretending to be inclusive, when you have no intention of being so.
To "I'm not sure what's worse," that has been my position. While they are opposed to being judgmental and they're very judgmental about it, I am in favor of being wisely judgmental. While they are opposed to being intolerant and won't tolerate anyone they deem intolerant, I think there is a very real place for tolerance (real tolerance) and intolerance. While they call for "inclusiveness" while excluding others, I call for inclusiveness to a point and allow for the need for excluding some in some situations. They just don't seem to see it.
I agree, I don’t have a problem in theory with drawing lines with different levels of inclusion or exclusion, just don’t hide behind false labels.
I'd like to go off it a bit of a tangent, if that's OK. It concerns "They don't let him bring his boyfriend over for visits. They should."
What's your thinking here?
That was the son's thinking. "They won't let me bring a boyfriend over. They should." (I didn't mention it, but his sister also identifies as homosexual but is allowed to bring her girlfriends over.) I would suggest, if nothing else, consistency. This uneven treatment as a response from something other than principle. Either neither child should be allowed to bring a friend over or both.
But that phrase was his, not mine.
Thanks for the clarification. Since it was the son's words, I wonder if he's leaving anything out that would explain why he can't bring his friend while his sister can...if even that's true. Isn't it curious that we only get the homosexual's side of these stories? In so doing we're expected to buy their claim of victimhood.
All we ever get is the perspective of the story teller. I don't find his story unreasonable. I don't think it matters.
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