the Seems Like God blog,
by David Keating

A (rather progressive) Conservative Pledge

May 17, 2008

By David Keating

Regular readers of this column will know that I don't exactly classify myself as a "traditional" Christian. Nor as a "conservative" or several other labels that we tend to saddle each other with. Nor would I call myself a "progressive" or a "liberal".

In fact, I'm not a big fan of labels. They generally come with too many assumptions. People are too diverse to be so easily categorized. It's been noted throughout history that the first step in persecuting any group is to give them a label and then to make that label into a bad thing.

So I am approaching this week's column with a mixture of optimism and trepidation. Optimism because I was made aware recently of a very positive application of the Golden Rule. Trepidation because in writing about it, I am going to have to use terms that are often thought of as negative labels. I hope, dear reader, that you will bear with me as you read on.

A few years ago, a movement was started on American college and university campuses. Several thousand schools have now embraced it. It's called the Day of Silence. Participating students make an effort to go through the day without speaking. They do this as a show of support for the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered) community, who are often forced to remain silent in regards to their sexual orientation out of fear of persecution.

In response, some conservative "Christian" groups organized a counter event that they called the "Day of Truth". In protest, they staged demonstrations, pulled their kids from school for the day, and so forth.

Already, I've used several labels. They will no doubt raise different images for different readers. Those who know me will also no doubt have a pretty good idea of what my position is on this issue. Which is another reason I broached it with some trepidation. Not because I hesitate to take a stand (have I ever?) but because this column is not about which of the two groups above is right or wrong.

It's about another group altogether.

The group I'm talking about is a conservative Christian group. In this case "conservative" meaning that the group considers same gender relationships to be a "sin."

However, they also saw the actions of the "Day of Truth" crowd as "sinful" and as against the core teachings of Christianity. They believe that first and foremost, everyone without exception deserves to be treated with respect.

They created a Golden Rule Pledge.

It's been my experience that many Christians, regardless of their particular "brand" of faith, have a problem when it comes to the Golden Rule. Although they acknowledge it, it's usually followed with a "yes, but".

So I was very pleasantly surprised to learn about the Golden Rule Pledge.

They employ much the same format as the Day of Silence folks, and staged their action on the same day to emphasize the relationship. They created and handed out cards to anyone curious about what they were doing and they didn't hesitate to let people know why.

Some questioned why they didn't simply support the Day of Silence. The answer is simple. Their belief is that the LGBT lifestyle is not supported by their interpretation of the Bible. They are entitled in a free society to hold that belief.

But unlike their strident and reactionary neighbours, they didn't abandon their understanding of love and compassion as the basis of faith. They realized that we can disagree, even about religion, and still respect one another.

And that, dear reader is what the rule "which is the law and the prophets" is all about.

You can find out more about the Day of Silence and the Golden Rule Pledge at their respective websites - www.dayofsilence.org and www.goldenrulepledge.com.