Note to My Christian & Republican Friends--Stop Voting Behind My Back! (And an explanation as to why I'm so angry with you).

A while back, when one of my Christian friends was unfriending me on Facebook despite my offering to block her from my atheist posts, she made the comment that she’d come to her decision based on the fact that even though she wouldn’t be able to see the posts that were offensive to her, in a way, it would be like I was just talking behind her back. I felt she made a valid point and I respect her decision to this day. As time has gone on though, there was always something about that sentiment that I kept coming back to, some aspect of it that I intuitively knew I was not grasping.

Meanwhile, I’ve been asked by another Christian friend why I can’t just not be such an activist, why I seem to wake up with an “agenda.” And this I do not deny. I clearly do have an agenda, several in fact, and am quite doggedly determined to promote them whenever possible.

But then, suddenly, the light bulb went on. It was so obvious and simple, it almost sounds stupid now—I’m so angry with evangelical Christians and republicans these days –I have such a clear agenda of exposing and ridiculing their behavior because it’s as if THEY are not just talking behind my back and the backs of those I love and care about, but they are VOTING behind our backs.

These people, some of whom I truly love on a personal level, are walking into the voting booth, year after year and voting against the LGBT community, against the environment so crucial to the survival of our race, against the right to have medical coverage for all Americans, against the rights of the children of illegal immigrants and against science education. And I am furious with them, no matter how much I love some of them personally.

So does this affect me? Let me explain:

• I have friends and family who are LGBT. These people do too. Yet, they will nicely and politely befriend or interact with these people to their face, yet disparage them and VOTE AGAINST THEIR RIGHTS behind their back. They are mysteriously silent when you post something pro-gay marriage or LGBT rights, though they'll gladly speak out and argue with you about fiscal policy or the fake scientific "debate" about global warming. Even the non-evangelicals, the non-denominationals are suspiciously quiet on these things. Don't assume because they are nice to you and joke with you and share a meal with you that they don't still think you are going to hell and that your way of life is a threat to them, that they will not blink an eye voting your rights away or expressing that belief when you're not in the room listening. Go ahead, push them a little and ask. I did. I pushed Andy Stanley's people on the gay rights issue. Boy, they wanted to dodge it but when push came to shove, they're agin' ya my friends.
• It should go without saying that the environment is crucial to all of us. Yet, evangelical Christians and other republicans would do away with the few laws we do have to protect it, in fact, the entire EPA. Indeed, while they are busy making laughingstocks out of America and adding to the general feeling of contempt abroad with their ignorance about global warming, the clock is ticking and we are already seeing the effects scientists have been warning us about. And why? Because number one they feel that this earth was put here for us and God will destroy or not destroy it as part of His Plan and IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT WE DO ANYWAY. Secondly, because they believe that this world is unimportant—it’s just a proving ground to get to the eternal afterlife, where we won’t have to worry about things like the environment anyway. Think about it like this--if you know you're inheriting billions of dollars in a few years, would you really worry if you squandered some of your cash today on some needless merchandise? You'd be less inclined to save for the future and safeguard those savings for your children, wouldn't you?
• We are the only developed democracy that does not provide universal health coverage as A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT to its people. People literally DIE here because they are poor. They go broke here because of medical bills and do not seek the treatment they desperately need because they can’t afford it. I am one of those people.  I'm not going to go into my medical history but trust me, I am.  I have also never had a mammogram because even if I could get a free one somewhere through a program, I wouldn’t be able to afford anything that was uncovered anyway. (I know, I know, you can argue with me about this later.) I haven’t been to the dentist in years because I can not afford to go. My son, who DOES have medical coverage and has epilepsy, asthma and ADHD requires medical treatment and medication that requires large sums of out of pocket expenses. Yet, my evangelical Christian friends vote against universal health care, they want to repeal the small progress we have made with the Affordable Care Act and privatize Medicare and Social Security, which would devastate people like my mother. (It’s also important to note that in this case at least, they are voting against their OWN self-interest, so hypnotized by the GOP they are.)
• My evangelical friends think I’ve committed murder for having an abortion—and have gone so far as to tell me so and remind me of the everlasting burning in hell scenario that awaits me. I can’t have children anymore, but just because it doesn’t affect me personally, doesn’t mean I no longer care about the millions of women, including the women in my family and amongst my friends who find themselves in such a circumstance. Indeed, beyond abortion, a woman’s right to receive accurate, unbiased information and access to services and the right to make decisions about her own body is something that my evangelical Christian friends would and have gladly tried to strip away. (Note: I will say though that I will concede the point that there is a valid argument to be made over the point after which a zygote, then a fetus should be granted the rights of personhood, but such arguments can not and should not be based on the non-scientific theory of a “soul.”)
• Evangelical Christians continue to attempt to insert their religious mythological beliefs into our public school system and prevent the instruction of valid scientific fact. Just look at the school districts that have been infected this past year alone all over the country with attempts to add ID/creationism into the curriculum! Studies have now proven that science teachers in many areas are SCARED of teaching the truth about evolution or touching on the subject except in the lightest fashion, because of the backlash from Christian parents. You are trying to actively dumb down our science education at a time when we are already lagging WAY behind in the world. This is a danger to be reckoned with, believe me.
• Finally, as many of you know I have a sort of “step”-daughter who is Mexican. These evangelical friends, while telling me how cute and sweet she is, walk into that voting booth and vote to strip her of her rights to receive an education, access to health services, to have her family stay together, etc., because one of her parents came her illegally. Christians! Christians are doing this.

So you see, these sweet Christian and republican friends have been committing the ultimate betrayal in my mind—they’ve been one way to all our faces and another when they walk into that voting booth. And they do it all with the full belief that they are on the side of righteousness for God. Their justifications are found in the bible after all and we all know that the bible is infallible. And you wonder why I think religion is such a dangerous thing.

Here’s the deal. I have friends who believe all kinds of what I think are silly, nonsensical, pseudo-scientific things and I have no problem with that, as ridiculous or misled as I feel that thought process may be—because they’re not trying to take away my rights, to destroy the earth for MY son, to marginalize and demonize My friends and family. If you don’t want to educate yourself about evolution or global warming or health care for whatever reason, including laziness or sheer willful refusal, that is your right—you have the right to be as ignorant and/or stupid as you’d like and I’ll even defend that right. But do me a favor and don’t suggest that it is me who is talking behind your back because I’m not. I’m right here, saying it to your face and when you walk into that voting booth don’t pretend that you are being an honest friend to your gay cousin, your neighbor, your sister, MY son or ME, when you would gladly strip us of our dignity and the right to equality in this country. Don’t pretend that you’re not putting the screws to me, my son, and my family when you ignorantly and yet, deliberately refuse to look at facts or stand up for our rights. I’m not trying to take away your right to your childish beliefs. I’m not trying to take away anything of yours, except your blinders.