"isms" and "phobia"

phobia
fear 
or more 
specifically 
an irrational fear
that leads to a compelling 
desire to avoid

homophobia 

tell someone they 
are homophobic
and the response 

well...

there is 
a range of responses

one common response is:

"oh, i am not afraid

i simply do not accept

i am not afraid
i reject

i'm not afraid
i confidently 
condemn
and GOD 
is on my side" 

tell someone they 
are homophobic
and the reactions
and rationalizations 
abound 

yet say 
racism or sexism 
and for many 
the confident 
"GOD is on my side
condemnation"
wimpers and fades 

for many 
sexism and racism 
are immoral
wrong
and contrary 
to what the bible
teaches
and an affront 
to the foundations 
upon which our 
country was built

and yet racism and sexism 
continue to poison 

there also continues to be 
a double standard
in this game of 
condemnation...

seems 
an "ism" 
out ranks 
a "phobia"

seems we live in a time
when 
it is acceptable 
to be
"phobic" 

in particular 
homophobic

and 
i've been asking myself 
why?

and i've been 
discerning for 
myself that it has
to do with that 
word 
fear

and as i've been 
actively listening to my own story
and the story of others
i've noticed 
that fear has the power
to deflect and blur
confuse and confound

and in the middle 
of all this fear 
the church
and the government 
have not 
found 
the wisdom 
or the ethics
to confidently determine 
homophobia
to be as reprehensible 
as racism 
or sexism  

homophobia
is all about 
maintaining fear 

for many years 
this fear effectively 
shut me down

but 
as i 
confidently step out of 
fear mongering 
i more clearly 
see how

homophobia 
is on the same 
level as 
sexism and racism

and is 
unethical 
and sinful