In North Carolina, conservative activists are suing to remove re-elected Raleigh City Councilman Cecil Bothwell. Not because of fraud, abuse of duty, hiking on the Appalachian Trail or giving his girlfriend a raise on the public dole.
Not because he wants to limit the death penalty (as if city-level government could do that) or because he wants to conserve water and downtown trees.
No, conservatives want him out of office because Bothwell doesn't believe in God.
And a quaint 1868 provision in North Carolina's constitution makes it illegal for an atheist to hold office in the state. No, I am not making this up.
Of course, that case won't stand up against the U.S. Constitution, which precludes religious tests for holding public office. But it may not deter these conservative activists from launching jihad against Mr. Bothwell.
(In a bit of journalistic sloppiness the AP story that I take this from calls Bothwell an atheist but also says he belongs to the Unitarian church. Unitarians, if judging by the UUC I attended briefly in Jacksonville, do believe in something, they're just not sure what. Perhaps if the conservative activists fail in court, they can get the KKK to burn a giant question mark on Bothwell's front lawn.)
Here's what I don't get about many of the Christian, straight white men in this country:
They are scared shitless. Woefully insecure, they can't tolerate difference.
In this case, they can't be secure in their own beliefs unless the law mandates everyone be like them. If you're different you are legally precluded from society.
In the case of gays in the military, the majority would have us believe our military can resolutely face down global terrorism but if one GI Joe wants to kiss another the whole thing would fall apart.
Growing up gay in a straight world has the advantage of making me feel secure in who I am. Buffeted by unrelenting pressure to conform to the straight world, I had to develop a strong sense of self to survive. I am certain, and secure, in my sexuality and masculinity. I do not tremble or experience self-doubt if a see a man and a woman kiss or get married. And as someone who tries to have an open mind about religion but who has had dominant doubts and questions since college, those doubts and questions don't go away because a majority believes something that I don't. I I certainly don't need laws that mandate everyone be like me or believe what I believe. I don't need laws that mandate that people like me.
I just want to be left alone. And have the same shot in life everyone else does, whether they are like me or not.
Why do so many in the straight, white, male majority have a problem with that?
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