Taught me that humans must be taught how to be selfless and compassionate. We are born with a survival instinct that's selfish and greedy.
We must be taught how to share, how to be kind. We must be taught to be empathetic towards others. That lesson is taught to our children on the basis that one must show kindness to receive kindness.
Today I read that gay marriage in Illinois may fail due to African American clergy men's influence on Illinois Democrats.
I don't know how true this is, but one thing I can disagree with is the media's emphasis on race rather than religion.
It never fails to stun me that christianity believes humanity must be taught to be kind, charitable, empathetic, and sympathetic. It's not only religion that teaches this but every parent knows that these behaviors must be taught to children.
Teachers, law enforcement organizations, psychologists, and even governments understand this truth. Humanity must be taught to be humane.
So every time I hear someone say or read what someone writing that African Americans should automatically vote in favor of homosexual rights or immigrant rights because of how they were treated in the past. They should have learned empathy from their history of inequality and prejudice. I am utterly confused.
If my parents were right and Christianity is right and psychologists are right, why are African Americans expected to be different than everyone else? Why are so many people expecting empathy to come from the ideas or reality of suppression?
If this were true why aren't these same standards applied to the Jewish people when their church opposes gay marriage? In fact why aren't white Christians being held to those same standards?
Perhaps African America clergy in Illinois are against gay marriage and perhaps they are trying to influence Illinois Democrats, but if they are it's not because they are African Americans but because they are clergy.