Sometimes I like to get out of my truck to eat. It's good to get out in public and see how "the normals" live occasionally. I dress up in my "regular people" clothes that Molly got for me. Under Armour shirts, nice jeans, even a nice button up shirt over the t shirt like "look at me, I'm blending in".
Don't get me wrong, we've compromised and I still get to wear my canvas Doc Martin's high tops. Or my Doc Martin's boots. So long as I'm wearing long pants and people can't really see my shoes. I can't express enough how much she really doesn't like my Kung Fu slippers or plaid wing tips. So the Docs are a decent enough compromise. I'm sure, in time, my other shoes will mysteriously "vanish" and more...acceptable shoes will appear. It'll be like the Bermuda Triangle of footwear.
So, anyway, here I am dressed up all fancy with my "goin' out" clothes on and sitting at the main counter at the truck stop diner. Strategically placed to be able to interact with multiple people at once. If I'm gonna run for President then I need to practice my "smiley glad hands" persona.
Directly across from me is a fellow truck driver. I figure I'll listen to his attempts to pick up the waitress behind the counter. It was interesting. And it got more interesting as more people showed up.
I'm watching this guy across from me just laying it on as he goes. Now he looks to be in his mid 60's and Lisa, the counter girl, is probably early 30's. He's telling her that he's headed to Iowa or Virginia or something tomorrow. I wasn't paying attention, really, to where he was heading but I did catch that he could take her to 5 or 6 Lenny Kravitz concerts because he was hauling equipment for the shows. Every advance he made, she rebuffed. It finally culminated in her telling him she was married. That seemed to stave off the last of his attempts.
When she walked off he and I got to talking about the concerts and stuff he's seen. Like most of us truck drivers he really just wanted conversation. I get that. I'm the same way. Being in a truck is almost like being institutionalized.
As another couple drivers came in the talk turned to politics. I may have gently nudged the conversation in that direction. I mean, I did have a personal agenda there. I can't get people talking about my campaign if I don't get them started.
It was going pretty smoothly. Even Lisa was taking part in the conversation. I'm no real public speaker because of my antisocial way of talking but it was starting to flow kinda naturally. I even had a couple people sitting in booths move to the counter. I'll admit, I was kinda proud of myself.
It didn't take long before the conversation turned to the ongoing story about Kim Davis, the County Clerk who's refusing to grant marriage licenses to same sex couples. She states it's because of her religious beliefs. Ole Toothless, the concert driver, just HAD to know my stance on this.
Oh good, we're going to mix politics and religion in public. This should be interesting. Crap. I'm gonna get in trouble no matter which direction I take. Well, here goes:
"Our constitution is pretty clear about separation of Church and State. However, for decades we've ignored this at our own peril. The ambiguity in the rule itself sets us up for failure. It's a slippery slope and we didn't merely "slip" down it, we got a running start like Evel Knievel jumping Snake River. (How's that for an obscure reference these days?)
We set up a tax system and excluded churches. This made religion profitable. Which, by default, gave them money and power. Anything in America that generates that much revenue becomes powerful for the wrong reasons. Even within the church, power corrupts. And that's what we've done here, with today's situation. We continue to violate the Church and State separation.
Here's someone who claims to have strong religious convictions working in a field governed by the State. Whether she agrees with the law or not is immaterial. If she feels she can't perform her legal duty for religious purposes then she should seek other employment.
Again, separation of Church and State. You can't have it both ways. If you don't want the government running your church then you can't cite religion as an excuse to break the law. Religions have been warring for millennia to no avail. The laws of the country are to govern your body, not your soul.
Now, subsequently, I also believe the church is part of the problem. Because of its power. In an effort to gain followers, and therefore more financial gain, the church corrupted itself from the outset. And now people can claim 'religious belief' for or against pretty much anything. The palimpsest of the texts and tenets themselves for the sake of conversion creates muddied morals and principles. Sadly.
The church wants to not be governed by the State yet wants to assert itself in the laws made by the State. If the church wishes to govern itself then it shouldn't meddle in State affairs. If it wishes to do so, then it should be taxed and treated as the business it is.
Arguments can be made both for and against just about anything based on religion. The ironic part is that among her duties is filing divorce papers. Did she not know, the first time she filed those, that this job would violate her religious convictions? I find her excuse invalid and I hate when people pick and choose which parts of the Bible they'll stand behind."
There was only one argument against me. One of the guys at the counter said I must be gay and "homosexuality is an abomination". Well, tell ya what, you show me the passages that say "homosexuality is an abomination but divorce is ok" and I'll show you where it says the only way out of marriage is death. And, if you like, we can look at where it says God loves all his children. I missed the part where it listed the ones he hates.
To his credit, he spent 10 minutes looking. I even offered other options. "Well, is there at least a section about marriage licenses? It's been a while since I read the Bible, my memory may be rusty. Or, do you think maybe it's possible this Davis chick has a personal belief the laws don't apply to her?"
It's pretty simple really. If you're a vegan and believe eating meat is immoral would you take a job at a slaughterhouse? If you did you can't refuse to do your job and expect there to not be repercussions. It doesn't make you a hero, it makes you an idiot. Get a different job. One that doesn't violate your beliefs.
I bet this lady is one of those "Jesus is the reason for the season" people who doesn't realize: A) Jesus wasn't born in the winter and B) Christmas, or "Christ's Mass, was the catholic adaptation of Saturnalia, a pagan celebration that culminated in a human sacrifice on December 23rd. They eventually phased out the human sacrifice part while gaining followers. Sheer genius.
What's her "religious conviction" on human sacrifice and pagan rituals? Hhmm. She's no hero.
Logically, if the church were still smart, they'd use same sex marriage as a way to rewrite the texts again (that's what the church does, it's good business) and incorporate homosexuals.
More followers, more financial gain and power. But the power they already have has blinded them to how they gained power to begin with. They're missing a great opportunity to grow again and become stronger.
Look, folks, I'm not arguing for or against Christianity. Your beliefs are your own. Personally, I believe that as inured as we've become to violence and unethical behavior, we could use a Higher Power. I believe that if someone else's lifestyle doesn't have an impact on your life, why try to prevent happiness. I AM saying that when you pick and choose which laws to obey and which sections of the Bible suit you you're weakening your own religious argument.
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