IS THE GAY MAFIA A NEW AMERICAN ORTHODOXY?

Fundamentalism is a word which calls forth all sorts of negative connotations in 21st century America.  How many times parallels have been drawn by media figures between Christian fundamentalists and Islamic fundamentalists is anybody's guess, but, unquestionably, they are numerous.  And, of course, there is always the tired old cliche about those poor, ignorant rubes who cling to their guns and Bibles.

Pomposity and arrogance seem to thrive on the left portion of the political spectrum; and, for the life of me, I have never been able to figure out just why that is.  The dons of the Ivy League, judging by queries of basic knowledge submitted to their graduates from certain quarters of the media, appear to be badly failing in educating their charges.  Be that as it may,  one of the major causes du jour on the left is that of gay rights.  And the shrill voices of the LGBT movement have absorbed much of the arrogance of the radical left.  

From the time of the Stonewall riots in 1969, American gays have become increasingly militant. That militancy, however, is a double-edged sword.  While the American populace generally favors fair play, along with basic rights and liberties for minorities, the idea of a strident minority becoming so influential as to silence differing points of view is not an attractive one. 

In terms of the demographics of sexual identity, approximately 4% of Americans, or around 9,100,00, distinguish themselves as being of an LGBT identity.  However, in terms of power 
wielded, the LGBT community's influence far outstrips its numbers.  With wide-ranging support in the Democratic Party, liberal mainline Christianity, the media and Hollywood, the gay push to legalize same-sex marriage, combined with a supportive and celebrity-conscious presidency, presents gays with almost unlimited potential to achieve their goals, while gay strategists continue to rationalize an equivalence with the civil rights movement.

In comparison, the strength of the 35,000,000 American Christian fundamentalists is more limited. With a dominant popular culture, which at every opportunity derides Christian fundamentalism, Christians of that persuasion are more often than not viewed as cranks who would seek to usher the U.S. back into the Dark Ages.  Thus, when push comes to shove, it's usually the fundamentalists who get the shove.

In the recent controversy erupting over the comments of a fundamentalist who had achieved celebrity status from a television program, it should be remembered that his comments were solicited by a journalist representing a major magazine.  In answer to the reporter's question concerning the gay lifestyle, the fundamentalist expressed, in a straightforward manner, his opposition to the behavior of gays, letting it be known that he was opposed.

It is hard to believe that anyone would find it unusual that a Christian fundamentalist would respond in such a way.  With a view of the scriptures as infallible, fundamentalists would be hard- pressed to find a biblical basis for supporting homosexuality.  Furthermore, with a penchant for witnessing, a fundamentalist would not be of a mind to avoid the question.

In the furor that ensued, the fundamentalist in question found himself suspended by his program's originator.  The cause:  a highly concentrated and robust attack from the gay community.

Is this a case with ramifications for the 1st Amendment?  Looked at from one side, employers are legally well within their rights to curtail ill-advised utterances from employees.  During our careers, the vast majority of us knew that we were on thin ice with our employers if we voiced opinions inimical to the interests of those who were paying our salaries.

But looked at from another perspective, there is great risk in a small minority brandishing such power as to strike fear in the hearts and minds of employers to the extent that they might dismiss someone who, from a position of conscience, attempts to answer a journalist's questions.  

From a practical standpoint, the gay community might be better served by ignoring predictable replies from sources known to have deep doctrinal differences with the gay lifestyle.  Our society is now so fragmented, that clamorous rejoinders seem the order of the day.  But for those who consider themselves to have had origins as a movement of individuals whose rights had been violated, the tendency to suppress others who differ bespeaks of bullying tactics. Why should intolerant thugs shut down a TV program over comments made concerning a topic that should be freely discussed? Could it be that the LGBT movement has become so strong that it has now assumed the power of an established orthodoxy?  Or, could we now be witnessing the emergence of a new form of  Mafia - a gay Mafia?

Deo Vindice!

God bless Texas and may the Lone Star State be forever red!