Sad Sunday Story

 

I went to church today, as I do most Sundays.  The day's sermon started off with a TRUE Story, which devastated me and I had to hold back my emotions for the rest of the sermon.  As a Christian, but more importantly as a HUMAN BEING, the story which the priest relayed, hurt.  And it made me ashamed for what our nation has become.

The story wasn't really a story at all.  It was a letter (okay an email) from a fellow clergy person in his former parish.   This email had been sent to all the parishioners past and present to announce the fact that they were leaving/retiring and moving to Spain. 

It's important to note that in addition to being a member of the clergy, this person had also served in the military, so you know they had seen and experienced things that were ugly in their lifetime.  I also think that ANYONE who serves has a sense of commitment and belief in America and is brave/courageous no matter how or when they served.

So why did this email feel like a punch in the gut to me.  This person was leaving the country they served because they no longer felt safe.  Why?  As you may have guessed from my use of pronouns, they are transgender.  And our current administration has made it clear that transgender individuals are an abomination.  (Really?  Maybe they should look in the mirror instead.)  In 2025 126 anti-trans bills have passed. Of those, 125 have been signed into law.  (https://translegislation.com/).

I am by no means saying that every transgender person (aka human being) is perfect.  That never in the history of the world has a transgender person committed a crime.  (Although I don’t know of any, except for those found in movies like Silence of the Lambs  or Dressed To Kill.)  That would be as ridiculous as saying ever Republican male is a rapist.  Ridiculous, right?   ANYONE who commits a crime no matter who they are:  what sex, what color, what nationality...well you get the gist, should be tried for that crime.  And if a jury of their peers finds them guilty, they should be held accountable.  

The question comes to my mind is why are some people so OBSESSED with transgender people?  WHY?  They are just people.  Let me say that again, they are PEOPLE, just like me, just like you.

You may well say they are not like me.  Okay...maybe they're not.  Maybe they are not as obsessed with you as you are of them.  

To be honest it seems a little weird.  Not that there are transgender human beings, but that there is such an incredible focus on them.  WHY are you so focused on sex?  Why are you so concerned that a person who was born as a man and now identifies as a woman might use a woman's bathroom?  (Hey, as long as you put down the seat, flush, wash your hands and leave me a paper towel so that I can dry my hands I'm okay with whatever bathroom you use.)  Let me be completely frank here (and I hope this doesn't get me into trouble), I HAVE used the men's bathroom.  There was no line.  I went in and did my thing and went out.  Am I a criminal?  If I am...I am.

It just seems to me, that there are more important things to focus on.  Keeping our country healthy. (No one wants a repeat of the pandemic.)  Keeping families from going hungry.  (And I don't care what good they eat...as long as they eat.)  Keeping our children and our teachers safe from gun violence.  (Does ANYONE remember Sandy Hook or Uvalde?)  Those are just a few...there is so much more that we seem to be ignoring.

Finally, I think it is soul crushing that people, no matter what their sex or skin tone or "race" is, are afraid.  We shouldn't have to be afraid.  This SHOULD NOT be happening.  People are people.  My best advice:  keep your own house in order and let everyone else do the same.

The world is not an easy place, but it is not a bad place.  Unless WE make it so.  Don't make it so. It's certainly not Christian (maybe I'm not a biblical scholar, but I don't recall Jesus ever telling his disciples to persecute others) and it's definitely ANTI-humanitarian.  (In case you didn't know, a humanitarian is:  "a person or organization dedicated to reducing suffering and protecting human dignity in the face of crisis. True humanitarian action operates independently of political or religious agendas, guided by four core United Nations principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence.")

Be HUMAN.  Treat others, no matter how different they may be from you, as living human beings.  And let's make this country, THIS WORLD, a place where EVERYONE can feel safe.