A lesson in tolerance

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year last year in the NFL.  This year he may once again be the NFL’s offensive player but not in the way he intended.  In the ever-growing politically correct climate of professional sports Peterson’s views on gay marriage are being deemed offensive.

The Vikings recently cut punter Chris Kluwe who has been an outspoken supporter of gay marriage which becomes legal in Minnesota on August 1.  Peterson told Sirius XM NFL radio, “I have relatives who are gay.  I’m not biased towards them.  I still treat them the same.  I love ‘em.  But again, I’m not with that.  That’s not something I believe in.”

Peterson was excoriated on Twitter.  One Tweeter wrote, “It’s called equality, bro.  Get with it.”  Another wrote that Peterson was “less demi-god and more semi-troglodyte.”  JustZoe wrote, “He should’ve kept the anti-gay opinions to himself.”  As I’ve often said, the left is always about diversity except for diversity of thought.

They love to make gay marriage into an equality issue.  You’ve seen the equal signs on the backs of cars and posted on Facebook.  It’s as if to say that if you support traditional marriage then you’re somehow treating people unfairly.

Let’s take a look at the restrictions already on marriage.  You can’t get married until you reach a certain age.  Does that mean anyone supporting traditional marriage is engaging in ageism?  (And, yes, that’s actually a word)  There’s a prohibition in every state against brothers and sisters marrying, against having more than one spouse, against marrying your father or your mother.  Does that make those who want to break those rules victims of discrimination?

I know, there I go using logic again.  The simple fact is you don’t see these same gay marriage proponents standing up for polygamists and sibling marriage even though a case can be made that they’re just as much in love as two men could be.

It’s time we had a frank discussion.  It’s easy to think of the gay issue in terms of wonderful, caring neighbors or a co-worker who does such an exemplary job but that’s not being gay.  Being gay is two men having sex.  Let that image sink in for a moment.  That’s not an image that sits well with most people.  If you just cringed when you read those words you’re not a homophobe, you’re not a bigot or someone who hates.  You’re a completely normal heterosexual and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you.

Heterosexuals have a natural aversion to gay sex.  If you don’t then you’re either bisexual or gay.  Our culture today is brainwashing us into believing that if we don’t completely embrace homosexuality on the same level as heterosexuality that we’re somehow evil people.  We’re not.  There’s a huge difference between tolerance and acceptance.  I tolerate all sorts of things I don’t believe in because we live in a free country.  That doesn’t mean I have to accept everything as being just fine.

That’s not to say that we don’t love people who are gay.  When I learn someone is gay it doesn’t change my love or admiration for them.  But it also doesn’t mean that just because I love them I have to love what they do.  That’s the distinction that needs to be made.

If I’m to accept that you’re a person of worth even though you’re gay then you should be willing to accept that I’m a person of worth even though I don’t believe your marriage should be legally recognized.  Tolerance is a two-way street.