www.ac4lt.org Harmonious Raspberry

Why do religious leaders feel the need to resort to unsubstantiated rhetoric to try to win their arguments? Actually, it's not just clergy, politicians seem to be victims of the same disease.

The latest example is Anglican Archbision Peter Akinola. You may have heard him referenced in the news over several Episcopal churches that broke with the US Episcopal hierarchy to align them with the Nigerian Anglican church. The reason they left is that the Episcopal church ordained a gay bishop. At least that was the catalyst that started this whole process.

Now, I don't really care what the Anglican church and it's various branches do within it's own house. But, I can't help but but notice when the news media gives people space on the page or on the air for words like this: "Homosexuality seeks to destroy marriage as we know it, unity as we know it, family life as we know it, so how can we endorse that?" Like his colleague, the one with the big headgear, the Pope, Akinola makes these wild claims and never once backs them up.

I'm really tired of these "sky is falling" claims without a shred of evidence. I believe in debate and free speech, but when you make a claim that something is so, you should be required to provide some support for that claim. The news media should really start doing their job instead of simply printing what someone says because there is a title in front of their name.

The list of places where some form of state recognition of gay relationships exists continues to grow and the only place I see where this has caused any stress to society is in the writings and sound bites of social regressives. For the 99% of the remaining population, life has continued on unaltered or improved by these changes.

It's time for the rhetoric to end. Demand the media to stop printing unsubstantiated claims and demand that religious and political leaders stop trying to use fear to motivate their constituents.