DENIERS

A DENIER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. SOMETIMES THE PACHYDERM IS A BIG, FRIGHTENING FUNDAMENTALIST, WAGGING HIS TRUNK LIKE A HEAVY FINGER AS A REMINDER OF SIN. THE SINNER, HOWEVER, HARDENING HIS HEART, REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIS SIN. HIS DENIAL AND RATIONALIZATION OF THE LEGITIMACY OF SIN IN NO WAY CHANGES THE SIN OR DIMINISHES IT. YET HIS ACTIVE WILL STANDS BETWEEN HIS SIN AND HIS FREEDOM TO CHOOSE TO SIN NO MORE.

THIS INSIGHT BEFELL ME AS I HEARD TWO GAY MEN JUSTIFY THEIR LIFESTYLE CHOICES. BOTH HOMOSEXUALS TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO CONFESS THEIR BEHAVIOR, THEN JUSTIFY ITS NATURALNESS AND IGNORE ITS INHERENT DISREGARD FOR VIRGINITY OR PERSONAL, PERMANENT COMMITMENT AND, FINALLY, TO GIVE THEMSELVES ABSOLUTION. NEITHER GAY MAN STOPPED TO COLLECT HIS SIN OR HIS GUILT. RATHER HE PASSED 'GO' AND WAIVED - AS WELL AS DENIED A NEED FOR - PUNISHMENT.

SOON AFTER I HEARD THESE 'CONFESSIONS' OF GAY PRIDE, I HEARD A FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIAN DISCUSS FORGIVENESS. LORD FORBID, THE MINISTER SAID, THAT A PERSON'S INABILITY TO FORGIVE SHOULD LEAD TO ITS OPPOSITE, BITTERNESS. THE MINISTER FURTHER CLARIFIED THE MEANING OF FORGIVENESS AS GIVING UP THE RIGHT TO PUNISH THE OFFENDER. THE TWO HOMOSEXUAL ‘INTELLECTUALS’ THAT WERE ON PARADE WERE NOT BITTER. THEY HAD ASSUMED THE ROLE OF THE GOD, WHO LOVES US AND FORGIVES US OUR SINS, AND FORGAVE THEMSELVES.

NO WONDER, A FUNDAMENTALIST IS A BOGEYMEN, OR THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, TO CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE HE SCOLDS ABOUT THE TEMPTATIONS TO SIN THAT PLAGUE MANKIND. NO WONDER, HOMOSEXUALS AND TRUTH DENIERS OF ALL PERSUASIONS FEAR THE BIBLE-LOVING CHRISTIAN. NO WONDER, BECAUSE SINNERS REFUSE TO HEED THE ADVICE OF CHRIST WHEN THEY SIN SOME MORE.