When does an opinion become bigotry?

Question

There are so many people who seem to believe in opposing views - so how can people ever meet in the middle - who is right and who is wrong?

Answer 1

I actually had to think about this question. An opinion, to me, becomes bigotry when it expresses that only that opinion is right and every other is wrong. Once you are unable to see that other people's opinions are just as valid as your own, it becomes bigotry. Also when that opinion degrades or disrespects an entire group of people based on one over-generalization it becomes bigotry.

let's see if I can combine these two...When an opinion becomes insulting to a group of people or denies them rights, freedom or an opinion of their own it becomes bigotry. There I think that works for me.

Answer 2

no one is right and no one is wrong! The greatest thing about an opinion is there is no right or wrong answer!
However whilst there is always fighting going on.. weather that be fighting for power, fighting for equal rights, fighting for freedom, people will ALWAYS believe that what they say is right.. Its human nature.. when your passionate about something you keep arguing the point.. even though your arguing an opinion so its pointless really. Unfortunately there are too many people who base there life upon these opinions they have.. or on what they believe. What society needs to do is pull its nose out of everyone elses business and let them live how they want.. I

Answer 3

It become bigotry when you place everyone into a lump group and stereotype them or keep them separated into that group.

It's like saying that all mexicans are lazy. (making negative reference.)
-or-
All gays think about is having sex with men which makes them perverts.
-or-
Asian people are poor drivers.

Using sweeping "generalities" to project a negative image of a race, class, sex, or type of people is an act of bigotry and prejudice.

Trying to keep people "separate and apart" is hateful and ignorant.

If you want to know the definition of Bigotry, here it is:
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big·ot·ry n.
The attitude, state of mind, or behavior characteristic of a bigot; intolerance.

big·ot n.
One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.

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Word History: Bigots may have more in common with God than one might think. Legend has it that Rollo, the first duke of Normandy, refused to kiss the foot of the French king Charles III, uttering the phrase bi got, his borrowing of the assumed Old English equivalent of our expression by God. Although this story is almost surely apocryphal, it is true that bigot was used by the French as a term of abuse for the Normans, but not in a religious sense. Later, however, the word, or very possibly a homonym, was used abusively in French for the Beguines, members of a Roman Catholic lay sisterhood. From the 15th century on Old French bigot meant “an excessively devoted or hypocritical person.” Bigot is first recorded in English in 1598 with the sense “a superstitious hypocrite.”

Answer 4

Thanks to liberals, the term bigot (as well as racist, sexist, homophobe, liar, fascist etc.) no longer have any meaning other than, disagrees with their sick agenda.

With regard to gay people, you would be hard pressed to find someone outside the trashcan of society that is truly bigoted against them.

The truth of the matter is gay people act in a way that is sick and depraved. For a significant portion of them (I'm talking about the prison population here) this crosses over into heinously evil behavior. It is this behavior that is the sole source of people disliking them, particularly in religious circles. Previous to recent decades, homosexuality has existed, mostly without incident for all of human history. Simply put, gay people were just like everyone else, only they had sex with people of the same gender. And nobody cared about that in the slightest. But, boy have things changed....bigtime. Most gays today are completely out of control freaks with little decency. They live a life that is downright depraved. The result is that much of society has turned against them and just doesn't want them around. Relatively normal gay folk are looked on with suspicion (with good reason I might add). The whole issue with AIDS has just added fuel to the fire. AIDS is a direct result of the sick behaviors in the gay community. And all this nonsense about bigotry has had the incredibly sick result of thousands of gays needlessly dying a horrible death because society avoids confronting them directly about these behaviors as the cause of AIDS.

This situation could change and quite easily. Stop being sick and depraved. If you are a gay man, find yourself a nice, normal, decent man and settle down. Maybe raise a family. Live a normal life and be a credit to the community. Keep the number of sexual partners in your lifetime able to be counted on your fingers, preferably on one hand. If most gays did this, it would have a dramatic effect on their position in society and how people felt about them.

In short, you must redefine "gay" away from vice and towards virtue.

Answer 5

That is a very important question. I believe it is ok to make your opinions known, but it is also important to back up your beliefs with the reasons you feel the way you do.

I think you should be allowed to say "Homosexuality is a sin" or "Hitler was right" as long as you understand that you have an obligation to explain why you feel the way that you do and are willing to debate someone with opposing views.

Remember the saying "I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Answer 6

An opinion becomes bigotry when the person holding it refuses to entertain opposing opinions, no matter how worthy or sound.

Answer 7

An opinion is bigoted when it's arived at without the benefit of facts, or is kept in spite of facts which refute the view. Or, if a person ignores dissenting information and "cherry picks" the data to support a stand he's decided on. etc, et al.

Answer 8

A bigot has opinions but these are generally founded in ignorance.

A healthy difference of opinion requires sound argument on both sides for any real debate and any "third way" accommodation to be derived.

Answer 9

When one walks around with blinders on, unable to see or consider another opinion and their way is the only way. Now to answer right or wrong. The right would be to agree to disagree and go on. The wrong would be those inflexible to even listen or willing to work toward compromise.

Answer 10

When your opinion is bigoted. Bigotry is defined by yahoo as: The attitude, state of mind, or behavior characteristic of a bigot; intolerance. So when your opinion is intolerant of others, it is bigoted.