I try to be tolerant of religious people, but some groups make it VERY difficult...

[WillParkinson]

Catholic Church Denounces Move By Cuba To Support LGBT Rights
by The Associated Press

Posted: June 25, 2008 - 8:00 am ET

(Havana) Cuba's Roman Catholic Church is protesting the communist government's growing support of gay rights, including a daylong event raising awareness against homophobia and a law allowing sex-change operations.

"Respect for the homosexual person, yes," said an editorial Tuesday in Palabra Nueva, the monthly magazine of the Archdiocese of Havana. "Promotion of homosexuality, no."

The editorial signed by magazine director Orlando Marquez referred to activities held May 17 by Cuba's Sex Education Center, which is directed by Mariela Castro, daughter of President Raul Castro.


http://www.365gay.com/Newscon08/06/062508cuba.htm

[jobycom]

1. Tolerance of people doesn't mean tolerance of hate-spewing organizations.

I'm sure you're aware that many Catholics reject such garbage, and are as offended by their leadership as you are. Judge people on their own merits, not as part of a group. But condemning the leadership of a group for hatred isn't intolerance.

"Condemnation of the bigoted Catholic leadership, yes. Hatred of all religious people, no." :rofl:

[Not Me]

3. I left the RC church in 1994 over this and a few other issues

that I felt did not reflect my spiritual direction.

Anyone who remains in, and supports the Roman Catholic church is complicit in their actions.

And no, I don't hate them for it.

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. The problem is...

That the Church sees any respect of homosexual persons whatsoever to be the equivalent of promoting homosexuality. Gay people want equal standing under the law? Promotion of homosexuality. Gay people want protection from bullying and bigotry? Promotion of homosexuality.

Pedophiles, on the other hand.... :eyes:

[greenvpi]

4. Why be tolerant of them if they are not of you?

Go on the offensive. You have to beat them at their own game of hate.

[WillParkinson]

5. Hm...

Then how would I be any better than they are?

[readmoreoften]

11. Simple. I know this is tough to swallow but: they're fucking wrong and we're right.

Are we "better than them" morally as a whole? No, not necessarily. Our supporters are not "better people" they're just on the side of truth. Equality is a goddamn truth. That doesn't mean identicalness but rather the opposite. Every human being contains such infinite diversity that we're all unknown quantities capable of great and terrible things alike. In our diversity, we are all equal.

Fighting for equality is fighting for a truth. If a white (or asian, latino/a, etc) person came up to you and said "I respect black people as human beings but I think that my culture has proved that we are special and we deserve superior treatment to them. Our superiority must never be forgotten and we need to keep our interactions with them to a minimum. Meanwhile, we'll pray for their race."
Would your response be "everything you just said is wrong" (and now I want to kick your ass) or would you say "Well, I'd say that you're wrong. But then how would I be any better than you???"

It's okay to call fascist thinking what it is. It doesn't mean the person is bad, but the thinking and sentiments are wrong.

[SCBeeland]

6. Intolerance can't be tolerated

The way I see it, I'm not the one who has devoted his entire life to making other people miserable, so I say screw being tolerant to them. There are religious people who seriously want gays to be given the death penalty. There's no reason to be tolerant of someone who wishes you would die.

[Occulus]

7. The problem with these people is

they think that any form of protection at all- even against being fired, ousted from an apartment, denied medical care/visitation, etc- is in itself "promotion".

It's more of the same "hate the sin, love the sinner" bullshit. Never works in practice, never has, never will. I'd love to be able to give everyone who parrots that an open-handed, "pissy little queen"-style slap in the face.

Or throw a heel, just because I know they'd hate it.

Dammit.

:grr:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

8. you could always love the sinner and hate the sin.

that kind of condescencion is perfectly acceptable in religious circles

[readmoreoften]

12. Love the ignorant fuckhead, hate the 'nads you repeatedly kick them in.

[polmaven]

9. Please understand

that we are not all intolerant assholes.

I consider myself to be a "religious" person. I am the laity leader in my United Methodist Church, and am very involved.

This year, at the UM Annual Conference for my "district", a question came up regarding the wording in a recent piece of ---well---legislation, if you will that referred to gays and lesbians full acceptance and full participation in the life of the church.

I could not sit still and went to the floor microphone to say my piece. When I was recognized by the Bishop, I asked what I called "my own interpretation" of WWJD.....Where Would Jesus Discriminate? ....A loud cheer actually went up in the hall where the Conference was taking place.

I will admit that the church is not there yet, but some of us are trying very hard to bring it around.


I know it is difficult, but it is, I think, just that the assholes are much louder and more vocal. I don't believe that the majority of us discriminate.
:hi:

[Creideiki]

13. I think the problem in bringing the church around is

that they are expecting their growth to come in the extremely intolerant areas of the world (sub-Saharan Africa, I'm looking at you (minus South Africa, of course)). Look at who keeps kicking up the dust in the Anglican squabbles, and these things start making some more sense.

[Smarmie Doofus]

10. Ask them how *exactly * they promote "respect for the homosexual...

>>>"Respect for the homosexual person, yes," said an editorial Tuesday in Palabra Nueva, the monthly magazine of the Archdiocese of Havana. "Promotion of homosexuality, no.">>>>

... person." Ask them to list ten specific ways that the church does this. Example: Do you teach it as part of the fifth grade curriculum in church schools"?

Silence will ensue.

The RC church and offshoot antigay religious orgs. have been throwing out this line for thirty years.

Tell 'em to put- up or shut-up.

[Irishonly]

14. Show tolerance and respect for those who show you the same.

I am a very liberal Christian which is as far from an evangelical fundamentalist as the earth is to beyond Pluto. IMHO, no one should use faith to hide behind bigotry, racism, sexism or anything else. I do not like people who stuff their faces with shrimp, decry slavery and condemn homosexuality using Leviticus as their example. Eating shrimp should be a smiting offense and slavery is ok according to the book. It's is unconscionable that people run back to the OT to justify their own bigotry and hate.

I am thrilled gays are allowed to marry in CA now and will do everything I can to make sure the bigots don't win in November

[mitchtv]

15. I survived Catholic School

I have very little patience for those who have the corner on virtue. That includes RCs/LDS/ SBS,Islam and Orthodox xians, don't want to exclude fundy Jews

[goddess40]

16. When a group has to qualify their support they don't

and they're playing games to get your support or money.

It's the same BS that so many haters use - hate the sin, love the sinner. It means we hate you, we know it's wrong but to damn bad.