It would be an over-simplification of an increasingly complicated situation to believe that all the recent controversy surrounding Yvette Schneider and her personal testimony is actually about "freedom of speech" or "sparking intellectual discourse." It is clear that the most fervent supporters and critics from both sides are not concerned nearly as much with First Amendment rights or the right to disagree, as they are with the fact that the opposing side's rhetoric is somehow offensive to them. Indeed, it is increasingly difficult to read the back-and-forth editorials between members of Voces Clamantium and supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community without realizing that what originally started as a disagreement over a speaker has become a fight over differing personal morals and the implications of upholding these morals.
As someone who has followed the controversy closely, I have been at a continual loss as to where my faith in Christ lands me amidst this impassioned dispute. On one hand, I hesitate to support Voces Clamantium for inviting a speaker that many members of the Dartmouth community were so terribly offended by. Though I understand some students wanted to hear what Schneider had to say, the benefit those students derived does not justify all the hurt Schneider caused others. Then again, I'm not saying that I think it was "wrong" for Voces to invite Schneider -- only that it was insensitive, especially considering the abhorrent nature of some of the quotes that one critic pulled off links to her organization's website.
On the other hand, it has become impossible for me to support the DRA-led coalition against Schneider. Some of the rhetoric disseminated by the supporters of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community seems either uninformed or hypocritical. As a Christian, I do place faith in the teachings of the Bible -- including the passages that list homosexuality as a sin. I understand that this view is offensive to people, and I am perfectly understanding if others would describe my views concerning homosexuality as deluded and mistaken. However, I am absolutely resolute about the fact that my beliefs about homosexuality do not make me hateful, bigoted or ignorant in any way. If a DRA boardmember wants to condemn Voces on the grounds that Voces is inviting a speaker that undermines "the rights of all to identify themselves accurately and with pride," then I would like to point out the hypocrisy inherent in the DRA rhetoric which ultimately stereotypes and identifies all who believe homosexuality is wrong as necessarily hateful, venomous and bigoted. And how much further does that hypocrisy extend when critics in the audience attempt to forcibly deny Schneider's essential right to assert that she neither said nor condones the aforementioned hurtful statements pulled off the Internet?
In my mind, if Schneider tells you that she doesn't hate homosexuals though she believes homosexuality is wrong, and you immediately conclude that she's lying and must be an evil bigot, then you are the one guilty of ignorance. After all, there is a huge difference between a person who believes a certain behavior is wrong and a person who is actually hateful of the people who may practice that behavior. Believing something is wrong does not necessarily lead to the persecution of those people.
If you disagree with that statement then allow me to use Mother Theresa as an example. She was the epitome of love, sacrificing her entire life to serve others in need. She was also an old-school Catholic and I am certain that Mother Theresa believed that not only was homosexuality a sin but a lot of other currently acceptable behaviors were sinful as well. Yet no one would ever label her as hateful or bigoted, nor would they compare her views to the KKK's as some have done with Schneider. So why is there universal adoration of Mother Theresa? Because despite the fact that she identified a lot of behavior as sinful, she served and loved those same people with a devotion and generosity that most of us can never emulate. She understood that homosexuals are no better and no worse than anyone else. After all, in accordance with Christian beliefs, she believed all mankind is universally and equally corrupt, and she considered no one morally inferior or superior to anyone else. So as open-minded, tolerant and politically correct as you think you may be, I'll bet Mother Theresa treated people with more love and selflessness than you ever could, and she was able to do this despite sharing the basic belief with Schneider that homosexuality is a sin.
Thus, if Mother Theresa has proved that it is possible to believe a behavior is wrong and still treat those people who practice it with love and respect, then I think it is narrow-minded and hypocritical to stereotype Schneider as a hateful bigot and to refuse to even listen when she claims otherwise. In fact, nothing hurts me more than to think that many students would stereotype Christians like myself as hateful simply due to one tiny facet of our beliefs. I'm prepared for the possibility that my views on homosexuality could be wrong -- and I deeply regret that people are offended by my beliefs -- but I will never believe that my views on homosexuality automatically make me hateful, nor that they make it impossible for me to treat all people alike with the respect, love and compassion that they deserve.
