LGBT people want the right to marry the person they love, with whom they want to openly share their life with. Christians declare that this is an abomination and HOLY unacceptable and work to keep this from happening, overtly acting with selective religiously induced bigotry, discrimination, and oppression while simultaneously decrying any opposition as stomping on their freedom of religious expression. Christians want to be free to treat other human beings with disrespect and intolerance while hiding behind their religion as if that makes it alright. And they don't even have the decency to apply their God-given rules consistently. Where are the Christians decrying Red Lobster as ungodly? Where are the Christians trying to abolish working on the Sabbath as an abomination?

I can understand not liking a particular sexual practice or not being interested in promoting it but to actively attempt dominate and subjugate a class of people and then call anyone who champions basic human decency and the rights of all people to pursue happiness as stifling their right to religious intolerance and playing the victim card is despicable.

LGBT individuals getting married doesn't have any effect on heterosexual marriage--but divorce certainly does. Why aren't Christians trying to get divorce banned as an anti-marriage abomination? God doesn't like divorce. Jesus was particularly scathing. If Christians want to protect marriage then getting rid of divorce is the way to really do some good--for sufficiently small values of good, of course.

Do Christians actually believe that they have the freedom to oppress other people? Do Christians actually want to set the precedent that, if a religion decries a given practice, then it's unimpeachable to denounce it no matter how deplorable it is?

I'm sick to death of Christians and their bigoted self-righteous bullshit. Live and let live. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Treat people as you would want to be treated. Stop hiding behind your idea of religious freedom and accept that your behavior is vile.

Mark, you say you are sick to death of Christian bigoted and self-righteious bullshit live and let live and all that. I am curious, are you saying that your way is so much more tolerant telling them not to stand up for what they believe to be true. You think it is unfair but your response is the same. You say live and let live, but that seems like an uncritical statement made by an adolescent teen with very little world experience. I do not agree with a lot of what these religionist say or do, but when the irreligious are no different, then what do you expect. They have a problem with the secular and LBGT lifestyle and you have a problem with them. How are you any different? Theists, atheists, religious, irreligious, no matter who is dominant or in charge there really is no difference humans are still humans.

From: Dean Mark, you say you are sick to death of Christian bigoted and self-righteious bullshit live and let live and all that. I am curious, are you saying that your way is so much more tolerant telling them not to stand up for what they believe to be true. You think it is unfair but your response is the same.

Believe what you want to believe. I would hope that no person would hold a belief that they had not thoroughly examined and found to be logical, consistent, and beneficial--but I'm a dreamer. But acting on your belief, particularly one that is unfounded, unsupported, contradictory to basic human rights, and hypocritical, in a way that hurts other people is wrong. What would you say if Christians were actively trying to oppress and subjugate blacks because their holy texts declare that slavery is permitted?

The universal and absolute truth of the Biblical God is not evident, even among Christians, and to act as if it were so you, and only you have some god-given right to keep other people from pursing happiness is contrary to American ideals. Christians pick and choose which parts of their God's message to champion. The selection of the LGBT community as a target is not based upon any actual harm that they would do to Christians. Gay people marrying doesn't in any way affect heterosexual marriage. The fact that gays exist doesn't cause harm to heterosexuals.

I simply pointed this out and said that it is immoral to act on your religiously based bigotry and hatred. To do so is contrary to the teachings of Jesus. Again, I'm not saying they can't believe in asshole ideas and concepts but they must refrain from acting as if they are right to act on them to oppress other human beings.

Dean said:

You say live and let live, but that seems like an uncritical statement made by an adolescent teen with very little world experience. I do not agree with a lot of what these religionist say or do, but when the irreligious are no different, then what do you expect.

No different. I decry Christians acting on their beliefs to the detriment of other human beings. I did not actively begin a campaign to declare that anyone who possesses the capacity to oppress another human being should not be allowed to marry because then they might have children who will share their ideas. All Christians should not be allowed to hold any job, particularly those working with children, as that would lead to possibly influencing them to become a Christian, which, of course, is a continuation of the horror of Christianity. All Christians should be stoned to death. They are an abomination in the sight of any rational human being.

Dean said:

They have a problem with the secular and LBGT lifestyle and you have a problem with them. How are you any different? Theists, atheists, religious, irreligious, no matter who is dominant or in charge there really is no difference humans are still humans.

I'm a humanist who believes that the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are there to protect everyone from oppression and they believe their God gives them the right to oppress anybody who doesn't believe like they do particularly those that have an "icky" lifestyle.

As Matt D. says, "your right to swing your arms ends at my nose." Believe what you want. Denounce homosexuality as against your religion. But don't try to declare your beliefs as universal truths and then actively pursue ways to hurt other people.