Hi everyone!
In the age of the rising religious right and fanaticism, I have a question for all of you: if you were in the business of making cakes, and a gay couple comes by and want to buy a wedding cake from you, would you gladly serve these two customers? Why or why not? Believe it or not, this is one of the topics in the U.S. right now, with conservatives feeling that they do not have to sell their products to gay people.
Personally, I am not the best Muslim out there but I keep trying in hope that all the good deeds (including prayers) that I have been doing will pay off on the Big Day. I try to read as much as I can too. Nothing I found in the Noble Qur'an, or even the Holy Bible, would prevent me as a Muslim to have a gay couple buy a cake from me. Hear me out:
1. Example of Messenger Muhammad pbuh: when Muhammad pbuh received the Call to Prophet-hood from Allah SWT, the Message was to call people to faith in peace and to peacefully coexist with others. Muhammad pbuh did not start attacking people physically for who they are, he did not refuse to do business with them. Nor did his first followers. He did criticize them, and that caused an issue. But for a whole decade it was the Muslims who experienced discrimination, torture, oppression simply for their beliefs. One may say: "well, he and first Muslims were not int he position to stand up or start anything." True, but even when they did receive a green light to defend themselves, they were not a big community. Also, when Muslims returned to Mecca in thousands at the conclusion of Muslim-pagan war, there were still non-Muslims who were allowed to live and remain in the city per Prophet Muhammad's pbuh orders. Which tells me that he still wanted to coexist with others, even if they were his staunch enemies.
2. Example of Jesus pbuh: Jesus pbuh believe din Kingdom of Heaven, he preached Truth, criticized falsehoods, yet did not attack or order attack against people who are different. His people may have still done business with polytheistic Romans. No where does Jesus pbuh say stop doing business with those who you do not agree with.
3. Example of Joseph pbuh: was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery, yet rose to be one of the most important figures in Egypt, right next to the pharaoh. And we know who pharaohs were and what they believed, including majority of the Egyptian people. Yet, there was Joseph pbuh, leading and doing business for the whole polytheistic nation of Egypt. He did not refuse his service to the country simply because his subjects were polytheists. I am sure there were gay people there too.
4. Today examples: majority monotheistic nations do business with non-monotheistic countries all the time. So, Saudi Arabia may do business with Communist China. Israel may do business with Japan, etc. No one is refusing services and exchange of goods to people who are different. NO one goes out there and says: "Hey, your nation has too many gays and if a gay person is going to be using my oil or the computers we produce, we are not selling them to you." LOL that would be ridiculous!
So, why do some people get stuck to the idea that they must discriminate and then claim their religion is preventing them to sell cakes to gay people? It makes no sense to me at all. Business is business. Someone believes I make good cakes, wants to help my business prosper by buying from me: hey, then it is a win-win situation! I would have an issue with someone wanting a cake with Hitler picture on it to celebrate the tragedy of Holocaust. Why? Because that celebrates murder of thousands of people, and murder I do not condone. A gay couple would celebrate their love. And while homosexuality is against my religion, at least no one is being hurt by the gay love: they chose such life and who am I to judge them? They are not there to attack me, they are not there to hate me, they are not buying for me to promote hate of any kind.
Thoughts?
In the age of the rising religious right and fanaticism, I have a question for all of you: if you were in the business of making cakes, and a gay couple comes by and want to buy a wedding cake from you, would you gladly serve these two customers? Why or why not? Believe it or not, this is one of the topics in the U.S. right now, with conservatives feeling that they do not have to sell their products to gay people.
Personally, I am not the best Muslim out there but I keep trying in hope that all the good deeds (including prayers) that I have been doing will pay off on the Big Day. I try to read as much as I can too. Nothing I found in the Noble Qur'an, or even the Holy Bible, would prevent me as a Muslim to have a gay couple buy a cake from me. Hear me out:
1. Example of Messenger Muhammad pbuh: when Muhammad pbuh received the Call to Prophet-hood from Allah SWT, the Message was to call people to faith in peace and to peacefully coexist with others. Muhammad pbuh did not start attacking people physically for who they are, he did not refuse to do business with them. Nor did his first followers. He did criticize them, and that caused an issue. But for a whole decade it was the Muslims who experienced discrimination, torture, oppression simply for their beliefs. One may say: "well, he and first Muslims were not int he position to stand up or start anything." True, but even when they did receive a green light to defend themselves, they were not a big community. Also, when Muslims returned to Mecca in thousands at the conclusion of Muslim-pagan war, there were still non-Muslims who were allowed to live and remain in the city per Prophet Muhammad's pbuh orders. Which tells me that he still wanted to coexist with others, even if they were his staunch enemies.
2. Example of Jesus pbuh: Jesus pbuh believe din Kingdom of Heaven, he preached Truth, criticized falsehoods, yet did not attack or order attack against people who are different. His people may have still done business with polytheistic Romans. No where does Jesus pbuh say stop doing business with those who you do not agree with.
3. Example of Joseph pbuh: was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery, yet rose to be one of the most important figures in Egypt, right next to the pharaoh. And we know who pharaohs were and what they believed, including majority of the Egyptian people. Yet, there was Joseph pbuh, leading and doing business for the whole polytheistic nation of Egypt. He did not refuse his service to the country simply because his subjects were polytheists. I am sure there were gay people there too.
4. Today examples: majority monotheistic nations do business with non-monotheistic countries all the time. So, Saudi Arabia may do business with Communist China. Israel may do business with Japan, etc. No one is refusing services and exchange of goods to people who are different. NO one goes out there and says: "Hey, your nation has too many gays and if a gay person is going to be using my oil or the computers we produce, we are not selling them to you." LOL that would be ridiculous!
So, why do some people get stuck to the idea that they must discriminate and then claim their religion is preventing them to sell cakes to gay people? It makes no sense to me at all. Business is business. Someone believes I make good cakes, wants to help my business prosper by buying from me: hey, then it is a win-win situation! I would have an issue with someone wanting a cake with Hitler picture on it to celebrate the tragedy of Holocaust. Why? Because that celebrates murder of thousands of people, and murder I do not condone. A gay couple would celebrate their love. And while homosexuality is against my religion, at least no one is being hurt by the gay love: they chose such life and who am I to judge them? They are not there to attack me, they are not there to hate me, they are not buying for me to promote hate of any kind.
Thoughts?
