Bill Mills redux
An earlier posted article on my blog titled “Fear and Loathing in Truro” took issue with the Truro Mayor for not only not flying the gay rainbow flag after a community request, but his assailing of the gay community for flying in the face of scripture. For Mills, Christ and Liberace don’t mix.
But how wrong is Bill Mills over all?
We live in a consumer culture that is value-less. We are taught how to jam up our Visa cards but not how to be happy. All the important life lessons are never reinforced by our culture – in fact the opposite is true. Parents, on a daily basis, have to fight through the plethora of porn pervading the internet.
Moreover, advertising and movie culture promotes and promulgates the notion that sex is power and a plaything, perverting the role of sex, its nature and function, reducing it to an empty toy; alcohol is categorized as a Godly reward adorned by the objectification of women — an objectification that, ultimately, victimizes both those that can play it and “win”, and those who are less attractive and feel that they can’t compete.
So, what does all this obviousness about society not having values (except to buy and spend) and, also, actually discouraging “values” mean? And how is it related to poor old Truro Mayor Bill Mills?
It is correctly against our codes to not be inclusive; however, many of faith feel that they are under siege by a consumerist culture that has been pummeling them for years, forcing their permissiveness to the point where “anything goes” and, “if it feels good, do it” — without a consideration of a sexual moral compass or values of any kind.
It is wrong, of course, to exclude gays from societal acceptance. But where is the respect and understanding for those of conservative faith who have a harder time accepting what society sells? While we are secular, we are not without God, we have just replaced him: The notion that we are all equal before the law stems from the notion that we are all equal before God.
On Monday, my broadcast will feature the sociologist author Laura Sessions Stepp who’s book Unhooked: How Young Women Pursue Sex, Delay Love, and Lose at Both, chronicles the plight of women and how a culture without values limps along, desensitizes, generating self-recrimination, isolation, and confusion.
Bill Mills is still wrong, but at least he has a compass.
August 18th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
I want to teach my children about tolerance but I know I would not introduce them about the gay community through the gay pride parade as we all know that some aspects to the parade are offensive and is NOT for family viewing. I don’t want see loin clothes and nipple rings thanks.