I have been reading that the reverend religious right feels "persecuted" by hate crimes laws...

[old mark]

Why is this?
Why should christians be against hate crime laws or feel threatened by them? I have seen this concept several places, and I feel like I'm missing something, a not uncommon occurrance.

???


mark

[JDPriestly]

1. Seems odd since Jesus taught us to love our neighbor, not hate.

[Gwendolyn]

2. It's simple really.

They feel that their right to oppress is going to be oppressed.

Right wing Christians like to oppress gay people in the most hateful, vocal way. They're afraid they may no longer be completely free to do so.

[orleans]

3. well said. n/t

[G_j]

6. it's not hate, it's God's word,

like many have said before, it's the American version of the Taliban.

[azurnoir]

4. Anytime they are not allowed to

teach ID in public schools, postulate to children in public schools or adults in the work place , use public forums to promote their special brand of Christianity they wail HATE CRIME

[Why Syzygy]

5. They are one of the largest perpetuaters of hate crime. Think about it.

Unfortunate.

[Hekate]

7. First, the wingnuts are not all of Christianity. Second, Jesus said "Men will persecute you...

... for My sake." There was a context for that statement; it certainly didn't refer to a country with a church/state separation clause in the Constitution.

It makes the wingnuts feel very special to believe they are being persecuted for Jesus's sake. Think about it. If their preachers tell them that America was founded to be a Christian nation, and that we should be living in a theocracy that "tolerates" other forms of belief (but only barely), then every time some limitation is placed on that grand scheme they feel "persecuted."

In fact, as average white Americans they wouldn't recognize real persecution if it bit them in the butt.

Just my take on it. And remember, the wingnuts do not represent all of Christendom by a long shot.

Hekate

[Eryemil]

8. The anti-gay ones are overwhelmingly Christian

and Christians are overwhelmingly anti-gay. You can't just keep saying that only a small percentage of Christians are bigoted because it's just not true. Only a small percentage might commit violent hate crimes but a much larger percentage of the Christian population is anti-gay.

[bowens43]

9. christains beleive that they should have the right to persecute

those they wish to persecute. Hate laws make persecution of others less attracrive to them.