The Republican Party is making clear that it has an anti gay agenda, with very few Republicans willing to condemn the hate and prejudice that is being espoused by religious Right pastors, and by social conservatives who are doing everything they can to undermine any possibility of fair treatment of gays and lesbians.
Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council have succeeded in forcing Mitt Romney to fire a gay adviser, and it seems clear that Romney will not stand up to these religious bigots.
Instead, elements of the Catholic Church, and evangelical Christians are acting in a way that Jesus Christ would not approve. So we have Joel Osteen, who seemed inclusive when he first became noticed on the national scene from his mega church in Houston, who shows no open mindedness at all toward gays, disillusioning many who thought he had a more tolerant approach; and we have Pastor Sean Harris of The Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina, who went on a rant against gays in a sermon last week, and advocated violence against any boy who showed a “limp wrist”, or any girl who acted “butch”. What was even more shocking is how his congregation laughed when he spoke of smacking children, and many seemed to agree with his hateful tirade. Harris apologized, but he lied about what he had said, which was taped. What kind of a religious leader can lie openly and be believed?
Christianity in America is being poisoned and polluted by people who claim to be “good Christians”, but have no problem in advocating violence, hate, prejudice, discrimination, ostracism, and more!
The Republican Party should be ashamed for allowing itself to become captive of these hateful peddlers of a faith that some of them even wish to deny that Jesus was Jewish. Anti semitism, anti black, anti gay, anti immigrant,and anti women views have become common among many elements of Christianity, thankfully not all, but much more prevalent than many want to admit!
Mitt Romney, showing no guts or courage, needs to be walloped on Election Day, or else the dangers of militant, extremist Christianity spreading to national policy are increased, and his party needs to get the message of defeat as well in Congress, that the good people in America are not going to allow their despicable agenda to be advanced, and instead to be clearly repudiated!
Could you expound on the Islamic treatment of gays, please? Thank you Progressive Professor.
The Islamic treatment of gays is horrific, but that is not an excuse for ANY religious group to persecute and endanger the lives of gay men and lesbians in America or anywhere else. And it is some evangelical Christians who have promoted violence against gays in Uganda. Religion in any form which discriminates based on sexual orientation is reprehensible and indefensible!