by Erik Ritland
Rambling On is a seriously fun blog and podcast covering sports, music, culture, and more. Check us out on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, or at our website.
In a landmark decision today the Supreme Court ruled in favor of legalizing gay marriage in the United States. Social media has already gone crazy and I’m sure there will be more than a few animated conversations about it at bars and coffee shops in the coming weeks.
The popular hashtag for discussing it on social media is #LoveWins. But are the people saying this actually filled with love? You can’t go around preaching love while hating, bullying, and trying to silence anyone who disagrees with you. Unfortunately this is the rule and not the exception among many on the left, most notably those who support gay marriage.
For example, Justice Antonin Scalia is being harassed, bullied, hated, and called vicious names for simply dissenting against the majority opinion. How can people who claim to be filled with “love” be so hateful? The same people who claim that “love wins” aren’t even practicing a tiny amount of empathy toward those who disagree with them, much less love. Jesus said “love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” Such a high standard takes the empathy and humility necessary to truly love. But empathy, humility, and love are all difficult and take work, so instead we get the sad place our culture is at currently.
It’s not just the backlash against Justice Scalia that proves my point. While many are simply happy about the decision, social media is also filled with people hatefully speaking about, and talking down to, anyone who is against gay marriage. This ranges from slight sarcastic jabs to long, mean-spirited diatribes. Many are sadistically happy that the decision bothers people who are against it. This is not love; it is pathetic hypocrisy.
The proof of how someone feels, or how they actually are, comes out in what they do, not what they say. You can say that you’re for love all you want, but if you’re actually filled with hate then you don’t have the slightest idea of what love actually is.
Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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