Contempt for religious ideas is not bigotry

[Major Nikon]

A saying I like is...

Tolerance does not require one to tolerate intolerance.

[font color="color" size="5" face="face"]When Christians become a 'hated minority'[/font]

(CNN) - When Peter Sprigg speaks publicly about his opposition to homosexuality, something odd often happens.

During his speeches, people raise their hands to challenge his assertions that the Bible condemns homosexuality, but no Christians speak out to defend him.

...

A literal reading of the Bible was used to justify all sorts of hatred: slavery, the subjugation of women and anti-Semitism, scholars and pastors say.

“Truly damaging speech cannot be excused just because it expresses genuine religious belief,” says Mark D. Jordan, author of “Recruiting Young Love: How Christians Talk about Homosexuality.”

...

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/05/when-christians-become-a-hated-minority/

[Manifestor_of_Light]

1. When I call Christianity what it is here, I am told it's offensive.

Primitive syncretic magical-thinking cannibalistic death cult.

The Christians get quite pissed at DU.

[AlbertCat]

5. Primitive syncretic magical-thinking cannibalistic death cult.

That is the most accurate definition I've ever seen!

[Stuckinthebush]

2. Replace Homosexuality with Interracial Marriage

in that article and the absurdity is quite stark.

Christians have always used their book to justify horrible cultural practices. As culture changes, Christianity changes - or dies.

Christians are a hypocritical bunch. I actually have more "respect" (to use that phrase very lightly) for the Westboro Baptist Church types because they stand by the words in that crazy book. They don't use clever tricks in their logic to account for abhorrent Biblical demands. I find them sickening but at least they are honest.

This begs the question, "Do fundamentalist Christians have a point about progressive Christians when they say they are not adhering to Biblical principles?"

I appreciate the universalist thinking of progressive Christians but do they truly represent the fundamentals of the religion? Should progressive Christians be characterized as a totally separate religion?

[Major Nikon]

3. Most Christians I've known seem to be more militant towards other believers than atheists

...even when those other believers happen to be liberal Christians, let alone people of other faiths. It's almost as if when it comes to Christianity (and perhaps for most who subscribe to abrahamic religions) the more pious one becomes, the more of a threat is perceived by those who are less pious and the more exclusionary and less tolerant they become. Compare this to the most pious in many non-abrahamic religions who don't consider any difference in belief to be a threat.

What I found interesting to the article was the reactions of Christians to being unable to effectively use their privilege while promoting nefarious ideas. This must be quite a shock for them.

[stone space]

4. LOL! Dude is confused.

When Peter Sprigg speaks publicly about his opposition to homosexuality, something odd often happens.

During his speeches, people raise their hands to challenge his assertions that the Bible condemns homosexuality, but no Christians speak out to defend him.

“But after it is over, they will come over to talk to me and whisper in my ear, ‘I agree with everything you said,’" says Sprigg, a spokesman for The Family Research Council, a powerful, conservative Christian lobbying group.

We’ve heard of the “down-low” gay person who keeps his or her sexual identity secret for fear of public scorn. But Sprigg and other evangelicals say changing attitudes toward homosexuality have created a new victim: closeted Christians who believe the Bible condemns homosexuality but will not say so publicly for fear of being labeled a hateful bigot.

He's not talking about closeted Christians. He's talking about closeted Homophobes who are openly Christian.

I see nothing here suggesting that the folks who he is talking about are hiding their religion. They are hiding their bigotry from their fellow Christians out of embarrassment, so they are reduced to whining in secret to their fellow haters.

They have enough sense to realize that history is passing them by.

Well, boo fuckin' hoo.

LOL!