Why do certain "Christians" see it as a religious duty to spread hate and ignorance?

Question

I don't normally run around announcing I'm gay before every statement. In real life, most people don't know I'm gay at all unless I tell them...and then I have to kill them. j/k.

But on here, I wind up saying it all the time, because I'm constantly having to defend myself, as a gay guy, against all the bigoted invective that so-called "religious" people are always spouting.

Now I know what it says in the Bible. There's the passage in Leviticus that says we should put "men who lie with men" to death - right next to the one that says we should put our disobedient children to death. There are the anti-gay bits in Paul's letters, next to the passages that say women should shut up in church and submit themselves utterly to their husbands.

I'd argue that to cherry-pick these texts from among the hundreds of others they habitually disregard, and to use them as ammo to attack people like me, is exactly akin to the way the "curse of Ham" legend was used to justify black slavery in America.

Now I'm not trying to take away their right to hate me, and they can justify it however they like. But it's equally my prerogative to challenge their hate and their motives for hating. I know it can feel good to hate - it's a primal emotion we're all familiar with, although on general principles we seem to agree that it's not good to feed off of it. But these sorts of "Christians" - and note that I'm NOT talking about ALL Christians here - have decided that it's OK to take a few isolated texts and pretend that they represent God giving them the green light to pour unmitigated hatred an entire group of people. It must feel doubly good to indulge the base instinct to hatred and to feel that God actually endorses it. Let's face it, self-righteousness requires a victim, a person or group of persons whom one demonizes in order to compare oneself favorably against them.

So let's hear from all PsOV. "Christians" who feel this way, do you actually feel that you're justified, that God sanctions hatred of your fellow man? Christians who don't feel this way, are you embarrassed to be associated by name with these kinds of bigots? And religious people of other denominations, and of course my fellow atheists, are you as alarmed on general principles by this trend as I am? After all, the Bible has been used to justify hatred of Jews, black people, gay people, "pagans," non-Christians generally...it seems that we all stand a chance of being victimized like this eventually.

Sorry about this manifesto - read it or not. Thanks all!

I knew at least one person would come back with "Hate the sin, love the sinner." Well, how about this. I don't hate you; I just hate your religious conviction that homosexuality is a sin.

As for the guy who thinks it's as simple as redefining hate and ignorance and "love and compassion," what can I say. I love you too! ;P

I like how family man "Lawrence R" is upset because I dare to have a worldview in which I'm not a miserable sinner, nauseating to God, inviting eternal death upon myself because of who I love. Grieve away, because I do NOT accept your petty bigotry, which you've tried to elevate to God-sanctioned righteousness, as an universal truth.

As as for "John the Seeker" - so I'm supposed to just shut up and submit to this, lest I be a target of the stones thrown by hypocrites? You can forget about that. It's in my nature to stand up for myself and against injustice. If I'm the target of a few stones, I'll wear the scars as badges of honor. Not to be dramatic about it, but how else can I react to these sentiments? Use some of that "Christian compassion" and try to imagine what it's like for people like me. And by the way, if "Wisdom" said "stay in the closet," Christianity would never have taken off. We ALL have our turn to be persecuted.

Answer 1

I can only address the part of the question you aimed at me: yes. I am deeply embarassed. More than that, I am saddened and angered by the harm they do to Christianity as a whole, when they present a gospel of hate in Jesus's name to the world.

I remind myself to pray for those people all the time.

Answer 2

That was one of the best pleas I've read in a long time and I sympathise with how you feel, even if I'm not gay. However I think it is a mistake to automatically associate hate with being put to death. Would you not put down your old crippled dog and still love him?

Even the ArchDevil, Hitler, had them put to death. I would not advocate that and do not agree with the bible's statements on the subject.

What I personally dislike is that, considering that there are well over 2 billion people on this planet that are religious and not in favour of 'gays', why you insist in affronting them with what they view as sin, and are always pressing for more tolerance, to the extent of having marriages and so on.

So it can be no suprise to you that they react against it, even strongly. Wisdom would say stay in the closet and keep to yourselves. When things get rough, as they are going to over the next few years and beyond, it is well known that populations turn on minorities they dislike to give vent to their fear and anger.

As Christ said, Let he who is without sin throw the first stone. I do not throw stones, but others will. Don't be a target seems commonsense and perhaps even wise.

Answer 3

I don't read the old testament because I feel as though once Jesus died we are now forgiven for all of those things...in the old testament it says a lot of things that totally blow my mind and I think that once Jesus died for us, he died for ALL of us and ALL of our sins, so the old testament is just not something that I think we need to concern ourselves with...all of the punishments that are spoken of in the old testament are no longer valid because of Jesus's death. The old testament is a guideline for what is and is not a sin...but we no longer live by those punishments. What you do is a sin (and what I do is a sin....what christians do is a sin...we are all sinners) but you are forgiven and so am I. I am not judgmental and I am a good person, but I sometimes do bad things - - I am forgiven when I ask for forgiveness and you will be too. If someone wants to know about Jesus I tell them...I don't push it on them. God does not condone hatred or judgment of any sort....he only endorses love and compassion. The people who judge you are not real christians.

Answer 4

Re-interpretation is a clever weapon for the religious devout. The sacred text's meaning can only be interpreted, because language isn't perfect, it's translation into English wasn't perfect, and complicated theoretical analysis for various passages creates an infinite amount of doubt -- or proof, depending on the reader.

The Bible wears a bullet proof vest didn't you know? It's condemnation of your sexuality can be interpreted in a "legion" of ways (get it .. legion? :P) Christian myth is like an amoeba, it can twist and bloat to fit any excuse it needs.

Answer 5

It didn't actually start by seeing it as a religious duty. If christians really wanted to follow the word of Jesus, they would not attack anyone at all. The Bible states that God gives 'thou shalt not kill' as a commandment, and Jesus constantly goes on about 'love thy enemy' and 'turn the other cheek'. It seems to me that rather than simply trying to follow the word of God, modern homophobic christians are actually just cherry-picking certain parts of what the Bible says in order to justify a prejudice which did not actually start with religion but with their own feelings about sexuality. I'm an atheist and as such am against faith in any form, but I think the world would still be a better place if more so-called 'christians' actually did follow the teachings of Christ.

Answer 6

Jesus number 1 commandment was "love your neighbor". (New Test, above all other commandments) and you do have to understand what Gods culture and morale laws are. (like eating pig, or being circumcised)

I do not agree with being a homosexual, or doing drugs, or cheating on your wife, or lusting after other women. all sin. I my self am a siner, and first have to know that for salvation. after that i can die in Christ every day. (work on my self with the power of God to stop the sin.) i will always be a sinner, but with Gods grace get better.

i am told to go forth and spread the word of God. You can take it or leave it. I do not hate you or want to kill anyone.

I hope this answered you question.

Answer 7

There is a strong premise in Christianity toward fighting darkness.

Christians believe they must be good, and thus they suppress their own darkness.

This darkness then secretly rules them from the depths of their subconscious.

This is why they lash out, and judge others, because they don't want to face their own darkness.

This is why so many homophobic Christians are later exposed in gay scandals.

It must be very hard for them, trying to live up to an ideal which rebukes the actualities of the world in which we live... denying the sin of living, in favor of some abstract Utopian necropolis.

It's time for everyone on Earth to start integrating our Shadow.

Heaven can wait. The Work is to be done on Earth.

Answer 8

these are new days for the world, including amerika.

i've had to change how I thought about people's lifestyles. once i saw christianity for what it truly is, which is a hate-provoking religion, then acceptance for others was easy and the human thing to do.

the bible is a collection of stories written by god knows who.

noone really knows who authored what in the bible. most of it is fiction. moses was a tyrant to his own people, not just those who were gay. christians suck up after this guy like they were cousins. if you are a christian, why follow after a religious cult that teaches absolute nonsense about how a woman was given a forbidden fruit from a magical tree by a talking snake--and if you do not believe the fantasy they preach, god will justify that they kill you? and if you are not a christian, then why worry yourself about what they teach? have faith in yourself! genesis is a story about how absolute abstinence and mandated legislated prohibition, even under penalty of death, does not work.

king david and jonathon were homosexual lovers. their story is found in the books of samuel and judges. god had ample opportunity to condemn their affair through the prophets and he did not do so! the only complaint god delivered to david was when he had an affair with a woman and then had her husband killed in battle. where was the outrage over homosexuality? there was none.

be at peace with yourself. if there is a god, then god made us creatures that enjoy pleasure. if he did not want us to be able to find pleasure in each other, he should not have made us that way!

the divine is in all of us. the divine is the collective consciousness of the universe. we are all intelligent creatures. we all express love towards someone else. and anyone should be so fortunate to have someone in their life. we are god's children. there are no heterosexuals nor homosexuals in god's eyes as we are his equal because he is within us. homosexuality was accepted throughout most of the known world until christianity, islam, and other RELIGIONS made it a sin. there are no punishments and rewards when we die. they are a product for the living, not the dead.

Answer 9

I have no doubt you do hate that Christians stand against homosexuality. Anyone caught up in their sin will hate those who call a sin a sin.

We do, indeed, hate the sin of Sodom, without hating the person who practices it.

You think you have every possible avenue for a Christian to respond covered and you think that makes you so smart. However, it actually is love to point out that you are in sin and that your sin is what leads to eternal death.

As an example, if I saw you in the middle of the street and a semi was bearing down on you, would you expect me not to say anything, for fear of offending you? In the same manner, when I see someone who is wallowing in their sin, it reminds me of where I used to be.

I know that they can be released from that sin, just as I was. I also know that God would rather that none die in their sin. Because it grieves Him, it grieves me. It is my obligation to warn you. To not do so would be incredibly selfish and could condemn you to a Christless eternity. Quite frankly, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

One last thing, and this is the most important. It is not your choice of engaging in homosexuality that will condemn you to Hell, it is your rejection of the salvation of Jesus Christ by not recognizing Him as Lord and Savior. This is what will separate you from God for all eternity. Quite frankly, it would grieve me for that to happen to you.

To respond to your latest diatribe: I am not "upset" because you don't accept what God says, at least not from a personal standpoint. I do grieve that you are so full of hate that you've become comfortable with it and feel the need to spew it out. You wear it like a comforter.

Also, your argument is not with me. Your argument is with God.

Answer 10

HOLY SMOKES! I have you listed as one of my contacts which means you answered some question with smarts or you wouldn't be on my contacts list! So bravo for that and I am a conservative republican christian.

I have no problem with you or any gay person, minority or any one! In fact, I was raised Catholic, still am and we were taught to be tolerant and to love all of God's children.

I am pro-life and that means against the death penalty too. I know that is not consistent with my party, but it is consistent with my better to error on the side of LIFE and not make a horrible mistake than take a life wrongly.

I know the Bible tells us not to judge one another and "let those without sin cast the first stone" .So why anyone feels that they can "cherry pick" is awful. I am so sorry that it EVER happens to you.

Please use these quotes as your ammo next time it happens to you.

Answer 11

It makes me sad that you feel such hatred from people. I can kind of relate because I feel that people hate me for my beliefs. I don't hate anyone who is gay. That doesn't mean I agree with the lifestyle. Just like some might not agree with mine. Hate of all kind is wrong. I've read a lot of hate questions on here from people who hate Christians. I find it interesting though that people are so passionate about hating God. If they don't believe He exists, then why bother spending so much time hating Him and all who believe in Him. Hate of all kind is what causes all the problems.