Some say opinions are like noses, everyone has one—and that is a fact. However, the assumption that each and every opinion ought to be respected is not true and my many years of writing for Ghanaians has taught me that this is the sort of misconception a huge number of Ghanaians have bought into…
Being entitled to an opinion is far different from having your opinion respected. It’s only those with no sense of reason who would assert that every opinion expressed ought to be respected and I will indicate why I am saying this in the following paragraphs.
The truth is, certain opinions ought to be TRASHED—be thrown into the trash can because that is where they belong. Yet, I keep bumping into several Ghanaians arguing that; respect every opinion—irrespective of the details and no matter how absurd these opinions are…
To these Ghanaians (and you can find some of these arguments under this article), even if a person is of the opinion that women are lesser human beings who deserve to be chained or abused by men, we have to respect such an opinion.
The above stated opinion should not be tolerated, in fact, a conscious effort must be made to displace it and push the one holding on this to understand that, such opinions have no place in today’s world.
Perhaps, when we hear of ‘respect the opinion of others’; we forget to reason along the lines that, this phrase does not protect racist opinions/comments, homophobic opinions/comments or any opinion which does not sit well with reason.
If your opinion is that “The ‘Ewes Have Bad Body Odour’, the ‘Ashantis Are Thieves’ the ‘Akwapims Are Fools’ & the ‘Fantis Are Lazy’,” we do not have to respect it…
The fact that you have a right to an opinion does not mean you have to form and express opinions grounded on total absurdity. We can all hold different opinions and express them, but whatever the opinion is, it must sit well with reason and must be respectable of others. Any opinion which has no basis in reason and seek to perpetuate discrimination, violence or any ‘disposed of Palaeolithic era nonsense’ ought not to be respected.
If your opinion is that homosexuals are animals or abomination and as such they should not be equally treated or they should be lynched, do not expect any reasonable person to respect this opinion. In civilized societies, you can even lose your job for such baloney called opinion. In 2013, Former NFL running back-Craig James lost his job for making an anti-gay comment. In the same year, UK’s High Court upheld a classroom ban on a Christian school teacher who condemned the “homosexual lifestyle” in front of pupils. The teacher-Mr Robert Haye told a Year 11 class of students aged 15-16 that the way homosexual people lived was “disgusting” and a sin, according to the Bible.
You are free to hold an opinion and express it but for such an opinion to be respected, it must be deemed as one worth being respected. This may be a little complicated for some of you but the truth is, your right to express opinions is not absolute—you must do so within certain borders.
Indeed, you can actually get into trouble with the law for expression certain opinions. You can hold whatever opinion you want (because no one will know about it) but the moment you decide to express that opinion, you must ensure it falls within certain scope—else you would have to face the consequence which sometimes could be more than not having that opinion respected.
You are free to hold whatever opinion you want but you are not free to express whatever opinion you hold and you shouldn’t expect every opinion to be respected.
But to be frank Ewes really do stink and this is not my opinion which you dont have to respect. It is a fact
Really? This what you are all about?
“women are lesser human beings who deserve to be chained or abused by men”. Judging by the comments from Ghanaians, this statement resonates with many of them. Even years after Europeans and American fought to abolish it. Why? Because the bible says so. The bible also condones slavery. Which means had the opinions of Ghanaians mattered in the world, we will still be selling black people on a block in Liverpool and Charleston. No woman would be educated past 12 years. A grass skirts would be the fashion de jour and girls as young as six will be married off or sold in exchange for farm plots. None of the progress we’ve made in the treatment of minorities would have been achieved. Thank the universe and the world for not paying attention to the opinions of Ghanaians and by extension Africans. Incidentally this mentality also reflects in the absence or the lack of progress in the lands of these people. That’s why most as seeking shelters in Europe and America. Ask them why they want to live, according to their text, in Sodom and Gommorah? Because facing starvation and disease in their lands they ignore they conveniently ignore those verses.
The irony is some of these idiots are the beneficiaries of the policies derived from the fight for equality for all minorities. It is why some of the same people cursing gay people can walk on the streets of America and Europe without being lynched or captured and sold into slavery. Sadly the Ghanaian mind doesn’t do irony because they would have spotted it. Which leads us to the point you stated. Not all opinions matter. Particularly those of the bible thumping breed. Because they never consider their bible in totality. Adultery and prostitution is bad according to their bible and yet when Jesus, the man they claim to follow, was confronted with prostitution and adultery was he dogmatic or a realist? What lesson was he trying to teach his followers? The need to change and adjust your thoughts. Did he also not teach compassion? That is also in the bible. But absent in the lives of the so called persecutors of the gay people. These selective literalists pick and chose what they are going to follow.
Unlike them I cannot claim to know the mind of their god but judging by their book which I have read, they are all heading to HELL.
Finally the opinions of believers in bronze age mythos shouldn’t matter in the world we live in today. Why? The answer is simple. Had the world followed their opinions, most of them would be dead from diseases, predation, gross stupidity and wanton acts of violence from their own. So let them have an opinion. No serious modern day human being gives a damn about what descendants of the flat earth worshippers say. After all we, the progressives, won the debate. They lost and are now grasping at straws.
Well stated…two thumbs up…
Absolutely agree with you. It was a huge shock to me on the Majid article, the number of so called Christians who couldn’t make their comments without insults. They claim to follow Jesus & yet they cannot even follow his basic commandment ie: love thy neighbour as thyself. Yet these same people would want to preach to me about how I’m going to hell for being bi. As someone once said, Christians are the worst advertisement for Christianity.
Well written point and I’m happy you didn’t respond to any of the comments on the Majid Michael Gay article….even with the insults.
The Ghanaian by extension the African mind is damaged beyond ALMOST repair. It will take a great deal of effort and sacrifice to bring the African civilisation into modernity. And as I have said many times a dictatorial revolution is the only regime that can destroy the current mindset and drag the blackman into the 21 century.
The dictatorial regime with a capitalist economic model can be made to work and within two decades completely change the society…
Now of course it will not be easy but China did it and i can see no other way.
Presdo.
Good one there Chris. You should not expect these semi-educated people who think being able to use a computer is all there is. First of all, most of those commenting from Ghana do not electricity yet they want to fight the gays who have everything in their country. We african christians make Christianity unattractive. We choose and pick which laws we want to follow. The bible says gossiping is a sin just as homosexual activities if we are going by the bible, yet everyday we all logon this gossip website looking to read some gossip. Double standard I will call those who have anything bad to say about gays or can’t tolerate them
Yes @Tiffanybabe, is it not ironic that people are acting holier than thou on a gossip site when the Bible says it’s a sin to gossip? If we were to stone people who fornicate, commit adultery, masturbate, watch porn, how many people would remain to point fingers at gays & lesbians? As Jesus said, let him without sin cast the first stone