If being compassionate and having empathy makes me a snowflake, then I’d like to be a blizzard. If there’s enough of us, we might get something done.

If I hear a person say “Transgender people are perverted and transgender identities are one of the most destructive social contagions in human history,” then I’m done listening. If I hear a person use the Old Testament (Leviticus – where we all would get stoned to death for one reason or another) to defend any and all anti-LGBTQ talk, then I’m done listening. If I hear a person say “black people don’t have the brain capacity to otherwise be taken really seriously. You had to go take a white person’s slot to go be taken somewhat seriously,” then I’m done listening. If I watch an intelligent, educated, trained public speaker ask for anyone in disagreement to come speak, yet not let that person fully iterate their thought/argument/thesis, then I’m done listening.

It doesn’t matter how much love you speak if you include phobic comments like the few I’ve included; it’s disqualifying.

In my opinion, you can’t use the judgment of the Old Testament to enforce the love of the New Testament. I choose the grace of the New Testament to showcase the love of the New Testament. Judgment I leave to someone else. (not you). (not you, either).

To broaden the lens which I’m asking you to use, step back to include ALL the other religions…. because there are hundreds. I note, for the record, that the one that is pushing the cruel words and judgments seems to originate here in the USA where the constitution made clear that we could choose our own.

My vote is that we all stop using violence to try and win arguments. My secondary vote is that we stop using cruel language to diminish our opponents.

If you’re so full of love, then how about taking a break from judgment and exploring what grace feels like in your heart, in your actions, in your life – to ‘the least of these’?