Are these forms of discrimination that should be punishable by law?

Question

People saying that marriage between two people of the same gender is a sin.
People saying that sex between two people of the same gender is a sin.
People saying that homosexuality is a choice and can be changed.
People saying that the Bible and the Qu'ran is the truth.
People saying that non believers will go to hell.

Once I asked the question here: "Why is religion legal? " and got many angry answers. Please explain again why discrimination against other is ok when it comes to religion.

Answer 1

Well, people are allowed their opinions (we do have the KKK marches as well as other groups we find discriminating.) But they shouldn't be allowed to make laws of that nature. Back "in the day", blacks were considered less than human - backed up by the Bible no less - and were considered nothing more than property/slaves - also backed up by the Bible. Today we consider it discrimation to even suggest such things, but we still have Neo-Nazi groups that say it under the Freedom of Speech law.

Personally I think that people who say such things should be treated as bigots. If they can treat another person as less than equal just because they don't like the type of sex they are having, then they should be treated as less than equal because they're bigots.

It isn't religions fault people act like that. If they didn't have religion to justify their actions they would simply find something else to support their opinions. I can't blame religion for those actions when, if you look, not all of the people within the religion act like that.... only the bigots...

Answer 2

None of them should be punishable by law! People have the right to "say" anything they want and believe anything they want. Discrimination is a legally protected right each of us have (in the US at least).

The majority of laws governing discrimination apply only to the government itself and other entities legally recognized by the government (business that participate in government contracts, businesses that employ a significant number of people). The concept of "discrimination" is a legal concept not a moral one and as such, is only punishable to the extent of the law.

Thus, if the government tries to prohibit marriage between any two adults, if the government tries to prohibit same-sex relationships, if the government tries to force anyone to believe that homosexuality is OR is not a choice, if the government requires its citizens to say that the Bible (or any other religious document) is the truth or if the government condemns non-believers to hell (or even just to jail), the government is WRONG, and people should be able to prohibit such discrimination.

On the other hand, if you want to believe that same-sex relationships are ok, that they are a result of birth instead of choice, that the bible and the Qur'an are myths, and that there is no hell, that is your right...but if you want to claim that right, you must grant the same right to every person that believes the reverse!

Answer 3

None of the things you list are discrimination. Disagreeing with someone is not discrimination. You can't yell discrimination every time someone doesn't agree with you.

Discrmination: treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit:

Thinking that its wrong to be a homosexual is a part of free thought, free belief and free speech. Not hiring someone because he is a homosexual or suggesting someone is stupid because he is a homosexual...that is discrimination.

Answer 4

Nope...they are not offenses that should be punished, since they are only forms of free speech. It makes no sense to jail people for what they say about what they think.

Religion is legal because it is, at least in this country, optional. It's not mandated that you be religous, any more than it is mandated that you must be homosexual. There is nothiing illegal about anyone's beliefs. Where questions of legality arise is when your beliefs lead you to ACTION. Then you have an offense.

So, saying marriage of two men is a sin is an opinion. Taking action to stop them (as in physically preventing it) is not an opinion, and therefore actionable. But these questions are academic in nature; at one time, slavery was legal in this country because the law said it was legal. It took hundreds of years to change, and eventually it was made illegal. I expect that it may take many more decades, but eventually people will be able to marry whoever they wish. In fact, in some places, they can (dang few, I know).

I frankly don't care who tells me I am going to hell...my memory tells me that even if I believe in Christianity, only one person will judge that of me, and it isn't Jerry Falwell (wonder where he made it?) or Pat Robertson. That's their opinion, and they are welcome to express it...but if they try and MAKE me go to hell, or make be BELIEVE as they do...then we have a problem

Answer 5

The last one is the only one that I feel is discrimination the rest are just stupid opinions with one of them being plain wrong, that being "Homosexuality is a Choice" it isn't so stop saying it is.

Answer 6

Calling an act a sin doesn't constitute discrimination. Ignorant though it may be, Christians have a right to define their own beliefs. What they CANNOT do is force intelligent people like me to follow them by writing them into the Constitution.

Answer 7

Freedom of speech! People have a right to their opinion.

But putting these opinions into law should be a no-no.