Fallout Over Olympics and Diverse Lifestyles

Like a lot of people, I was outraged at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. In fact, I was going to rant and rave a week ago in this space, but what was it we were taught as youngsters – stop, take a breath, count to 10 . . .

OK.

With the games just a few days from the closing ceremonies (wonder how many are holding their breath for that!), AND with the controversy not dying down even a little, please let me add my two cents (pun intended) to the fray.

First, if anyone believes the cockamamie story from Thomas Jolly — the artistic director who orchestrated the production – then I have some land I’d like to sell you. By now you have seen the videos and clips and his non-apology apology. He has said that there was no intention of making a mockery of the Last Supper and that if we thought that, well, we’re just wrong. Thing is, according to that treasure trove of information (the Internet), members of his team have said that’s not true – there were plenty of references to the Last Supper during planning and rehearsals.

Maybe. Maybe not. But let’s play his silly game and assume there was absolutely no intention to tick off a quarter of the planet’s population and mock Christianity. OK. Then someone explain to me how during rehearsals, camera shots and what surely had to be endless hours of working and planning that someone, anyone didn’t stop and say: “Hey, I may not be the smartest guy in the room, but I’m thinking this looks a little like Jesus and the Apostles.”

No intention my big ol’ butt!

Even worse though was what Jolly’s cheap and ill-advised stunt did to today’s world.

Let me start with I do not agree with a gay lifestyle. I especially do not agree when it comes to children, trans and young people.

My take is pretty simple – I subscribe to a biblical view of what a man is, what a woman is and what physical relations between them are OK.

That said, I have friends – good friends – who are gay.

How does that balance?

Easy. Their life and what they do with it is none of my business. I mean c’mon, we’re talking about a pretty big subject, but when it gets right down to it – how is this any different from other things that our friends do or don’t do? I don’t agree with smoking. But I have friends who do. I don’t agree with road rage. But I have one friend in particular who . . . well, never mind.

There are any number of things we do, and others do, that are purely our or their business. I’m pretty sure their rights and opinions are just as valid as mine or yours. And speaking of that biblical world view – I’m also pretty sure there’s nowhere in the good book where Jesus is asking me to pinch-hit for Him when it comes to judging. Talk about above my pay grade!

That said, a lot of folks who have similar views to mine have been getting pretty fed up over the last few years. It feels like we are getting the LGBTQ jumbled alphabet shoved down our throats. We are told we have to be tolerant, accepting, loving. OK, I can get behind all of those concepts . . . except there are those on the jumbled alphabet side who are a lot louder and a lot more abrasive. Those folks – God love ‘em – don’t tolerate my Christian beliefs at all. I thought tolerance was supposed to work two ways. Apparently not.

So the tension and the resentment has been growing.

On. Both. Sides.

And what did Jolly’s show do? He single-handedly made that gap wider. A lot wider.

Look, I will continue to disagree with a lifestyle I believe is wrong – and I will continue to love and support my friends who choose to follow it. Who will ultimately be right or wrong isn’t my call or theirs – it’s just all of our jobs to do the best we can while we’re here.

Too bad Thomas Jolly didn’t live up to that.

Two cents, which is about how much Timmons said his columns are worth, appears periodically on Wednesdays in The Paper. Timmons is the publisher of The Paper and can be contacted at [email protected].