Orlando Shootings and the LGBT-Islam Culture Clash: Be Honest, Not Violent

The Orlando Shootings have evoked a great deal of empathy and sympathy as the nation unites in solitary against violence.  Aside from the normal pro-gun, pro-gun control politics that tend to overshadow these events, there are a number of uncomfortable social issues that need to be discussed.  After all, a Muslim shooter, who proclaimed his loyalty to the Islamic State terrorist group, attacked a gay bar.  To heal and unite as a nation to discourage future violence, the underlying culture clash and hatred, which inspired the targeting of the gay community, must be discussed.  Only by confronting uncomfortable issues will violence be condemned by all. 
 
If the Orlando Shootings had taken place at a bar, instead of a gay bar, the fact that it was the deadliest mass shooting by one person in US history would have garnered a fair amount of attention from the media, even if it was just another bar shooting.  Had the massacre involved a Christian, even if the shooter had pledged his loyalty to an extremist groups like the KKK or the Aryan Nations, the focus would not be on terrorism.  It would be on the individual’s motivation, where it should be in this case.  The victims of the Orlando Massacre may have been gay and the perpetrator may have been Muslim, but the reason for his choice is what matters.

The perpetrator of the Orlando mass shooting was apparently a regular at the Pulse Nightclub.  It appears he was simply scouting the bar in preparation for his attack.  On the other hand, one might speculate that the Muslim was a closeted gay man who was struggling to reconcile his own homosexual impulses with his religious beliefs.  Instead of accepting his homosexuality or choosing to abstain from his homosexual impulses to remain faithful to his Muslim identity, he tried to address his identity crises by lashing out against those whose homosexuality continually reminded him of own desires.  If true, the shooter needed a means to express his internal turmoil.
 
Despite the politically corrupt pleasantries and outrage shared by most, a Northern Californian Pastor decided to praise the shooter’s violence by issuing the hurtful statement, “[t]he tragedy is that more of them didn’t die.”  This remark mind us that not all people do not see LGBT individual as more than just LGBT or universally oppose the unprovoked use of violence against those we find offensive.  While most would never consider saying something like this particular Pastor did, a great number of people share similar sentiments.  At the very least, many people do not feel homosexual behavior is acceptable. 
 
Islam and Christianity define homosexual behavior as immoral; therefore, they can never accept LBGT lifestyles as appropriate, unless they are untrue to their Faith. In which case, some conflict of Faith, a.k.a. an identity crises, will eventual arise and there will either be backlash against the LGBT community or a rejection of one’s Faith.  Christianity does not technically accept sexual behavior outside of marriage or any kind of lustful behavior, yet it is tolerated by modern Christians in order to avoid conflict, foster cohesion, and open the religion to an attitude of forgiveness, among other things.
 
The acceptance of homosexual behavior is, however, a different story as the Christian-Islam remedy would be to no longer engage in homosexual behavior, not acceptance.  The unfortunate reality is that most religious communities and the LGBT community can never be fully integrated without a catastrophic social conflict.  Under increasing social pressure to remain silent, these people learn to repress their feelings When People repress their feelings and beliefs, they tend to grow angrier and angrier to the point they come to hate those who conflict with their views.  Unable express negative, and hurtful, views in a civil manner, people become emotional bombs.
 
Hatred will always exist as long as there are People.  At the same time, people cannot be forced to accept the choices or lifestyles of others.  They can, however, be expected to express their distaste, outrage, and hatred toward others in a civil manner, instead of relying on violence.  Even those who are so opposed to homosexuality that they cannot tolerate the sight of gays and lesbian couples can recognize that violence is not the answer.  Hatred and anger may be distasteful parts living in the same communities as others, but unjustifiable violence against others is something everyone must condemn for community to remain save, secure,.