Another example of why I love Jim Hines. Michigan is working to pass an anti-school-bullying law that has a specific exception in it for religious bullies:
THIS SECTION DOES NOT PROHIBIT A STATEMENT OF A SINCERELY HELD RELIGIOUS BELIEF OR MORAL CONVICTION OF A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE, SCHOOL VOLUNTEER, PUPIL, OR A PUPIL’S PARENT OR GUARDIAN
Wow. So if you can sincerely tell a kid that his two dads are going to burn in hell, that's just fine, carry on.
Click through the link above to read the whole thing. My favorite part is Jim's summation at the bottom:
1. Bullying is not okay. Period.
2. Freedom of religion does not give you the right to physically or verbally assault people.
3. If your sincerely-held religious beliefs require you to bully children, then your beliefs are fucked up.
Especially number three.
I've added the whole set to Goodreads quotes; feel free to like it if you're on Goodreads and you agree.
Angie
4 comments:
And it's not like the folks who make such statements 'ever' mean it in any kind of constructive way. it's always holier than thou. Always.
Charles -- exactly. There's no constructive way to inform kids that they or their loved ones are damned to burn hell forever because they're filthy and perverted, and that exact attitude aimed at kids is still causing an appalling number of suicides in college age and younger kids. No one who uses their "sincere" views about GLBT people to bully kids ever means well, whatever they might say. [sigh]
Angie
OMG! That's just so. . .sick.
Suzan -- Isn't it? [nod/sigh]
Angie
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