On denying service because of "religious beliefs"

By now this is really old news.  So many other scandals, of far greater significance, have made headlines since the bigoted bakers refused to cater a same-sex wedding.

Where exactly is the line between defending civil rights and allowing people to be jerks?  Some people tried to create a mirror image by asking if a gay baker would have to cater a homophobic rally.  But a same-sex marriage is not anti-Christian, it is just non-Christian (at least according to certain denominations).  So what would be a parallel?

It occurred to me that a Christian baptismal or confirmation ceremony may well choose a kosher caterer, especially if the extended family includes Jewish members, or even just if the kosher caterer has an excellent reputation for quality.  Would the kosher caterer refuse to serve an event which is, from his/her religious point of view, idolatrous?   Highly unlikely.  That is not at all the same as asking a Rabbi to perform a Christian baptism.

So, no, refusing to serve a same-sex wedding is not a legitimate expression of your religious belief, it is just bigotry.

Presume Competence

This article is well on the way to becoming viral.  The vision of what's possible when we presume competence is glorious in its brilliance.  Read the article.  Support the vision.  Go.

This image startled me when I read the article a second time:


100 years ago, all of the individuals in this picture would be ineligible to benefit from a college education, whether due to gender, race, or disability.  All would be considered inferior, incompetent, undeserving.

How much richer our world is when we presume competence.

The Waltzing Bear

I was showing someone some of the stories about people with Down syndrome who succeed in pursuing a normal life in spite of the odds, and he said, "This is like the Waltzing Bear.  It's not that he dances so well, but that he dances at all."

This is actually not that unlike what most people think of children and adults with Down syndrome, I suspect.  Sadly, they are viewed as little more than animals, properly kept in cages or protected areas.... or killed if they are in the way.  They are seen as "trainable", but somehow not fully human.

But what if it turned out that bears were far more capable and intelligent than we give them credit for?  What if it turned out that with the proper care and assistive technology, they could learn to talk, read, write, and function in society? And that some bears could in fact learn to waltz, as well as pursue music, sports, arts, etc?  That they could have meaningful relationships with both people and other bears?  How would we then feel about seeing bears kept in cages at the zoo, deprived of the opportunity to fulfill their potential?  Would we not want to shout far and wide for these bears to be released, adopted into homes where they could get the care and assistance they need to blossom, and accorded a proper place in society?  Would we not want to see a world where a dancing bear is appreciated for his joy and creativity, rather than dismissed as an oddity?