While the vandals have not yet been identified, it's likely that the swastikas painted on the garage of PFLAG activist Ruth Dorfman were the work of "Godly Christians" or white supremacists who took offense at Dorfman's recent newspaper columns that urged acceptance and inclusion of families and their LGBT children. It never ceases to amaze me how those who claim to be followers of Christ seem to demonstrate non-stop hate and intolerance rather than love of God and love of neighbor as preached by Christ. Here are some highlights from the Edge on Dorfman's experience:*
Following the publication of a newspaper article on faith, acceptance, and the need to strengthen families and social bonds by rejecting homophobia and persecution, a Jewish PFLAG chairperson found her garage vandalized--with swastikas.Ruth Dorfman, 64, is the Chair of the PFLAG Interfaith Convocation in Naples, Florida. In a May 8 op-ed for the Naples Daily News titled "Does God Hate?," Dorfman wrote, "As a person of faith, I am disappointed when some people try to use God and a handful of isolated words from the Bible as a weapon to separate gay and lesbian children from their faith and even from their families."
*
Dorfman referenced a documentary titled, "For the Bible Tells Me So," which takes faith-based persecution of gays and lesbians as its theme. The documentary, noted Dorfman, "utilizes the experience of five normal religious American families to show their faith and beliefs, encourage and require their love for their homosexual children.
*
[V]andals responded to the invitation by paying a visit to Dorfman’s home--and vandalizing her garage door.On June 16, Dorfman, who uses a wheelchair and oxygen, went out to collect her morning paper and found that two swastikas had been painted on her garage. Just to make sure Dorfman knew the reason why, the vandals also affixed clippings of her newspaper op-ed to the garage.
*
Florida Commission on Human Relations member Mario Valle wrote the newspaper to observe, "I know firsthand that this incident is neither isolated nor unique. Around the nation, individuals are being terrorized because of their sex, religion, race, disabilities, beliefs and a myriad of other things."In our own state, there are over 56 documented hate groups, which ranks Florida third in the nation.
*
Once again I am left feeling that religion is more a force for evil in the world than a force for good. WWJD?
No comments:
Post a Comment