Compassion fatigue

Thanks to the public service I finally caught up on the big panel discussion on gay rights and homophobia on Finnish TV2 this week.

Very disappointing. Not because it wasn’t entertaining and empathic at times, but because instead of driving for solution the channel wanted to stage a fight. What else can you expect if you put lock a bunch of queer activists and religious conservatives in the same room with tickles of nationwide exposure and general election on the horizon. It’s so trendy to get offended these days. That’s means, motive and opportunity –  a premeditated murder one from the broadcasters side. J’accuse!

I mean, what possible good could come out of such meeting of queers, queer activists and representatives of different Christian factions? Well, actually a lot, but nothing new. The former made case for equality, love, human condition and science – the latter mostly referred to tradition, sin, interpretation of the Bible or The Unhinging of Pandora’s Box. A sexologist lady turned out to be the voice of humanism and reason. The woman priest from Helsinki was the lone emphatic voice among fundamentalists.

Her compassion was left unnoticed, since this nonsense has led to a mass exodus from the stately Lutheran Church. But why? I wonder if people actually can tell apart the gay-bashing Christian Democrat party, various sects and The Church. They’re not the same, although perhaps in the popular mind yes. I’ve understood that the church is fairly progressive and multi-voiced – it’s just standing on clay feet. It was a big miss from the bishop on the panel, that he as high-ranking minister failed to make this distinction.

However, I would have been way more interested in hearing about how to make things better.

There’s nothing new in that, that some sects are offended about homosexuals, and how irritating some gays find those sects. Instead, I rather see enthusiasm and drive for solution on societal level, based on basic human rights and equality – still maintaining religious freedoms.

I think it should be pretty easy:

1. Homosexuals get the same legal (civil) rights to marriage, adoption etc. as straight people. Luckily enough, this is already in the works through parliamentary processes.
2. Religious communities can decide themselves whether they want to bless these marriages, according to their own beliefs and policies.

Results:

• Everybody gets treated equally (basic human rights)
• Religious communities can still govern themselves (religious freedom)
• Discussion gets redirected into proper forums e.g. gay rights discussion within the churches, zealots don’t have to worry that the state would oppress their sects (less distraction for all)

The sooner we get this sorted out the better. Live and let love, and bring on something that actually is an issue, like… passive-aggression.