Thank you! This is exactly what I was trying to get across. I don't care if someone doesn't like what I do, I don't care if they don't like me, but that doesn't make it okay to treat me like a second class citizen.
Yeah, Brendan, a few words for some perspective from someone with many friends with conservative christian views (I'm more liberal with my Christian views; I've had many a heated discussion about "biblical facts" that they assume are universal interpretations... although I'm straight, so i can't relate to the depth that you do on this issue).
One thing to keep in mind is how some of these people were raised, like Cafe said. And not just that they were taught this--that, for some people, this "biblical fact" (that homosexual acts are a sin) is one part of a very tall and skinny castle they have built for themselves to live above. They look down from it and are fearful for all the action and commotion that they see going on around them, and are very weary of the fact that should one part of the castle's weight-bearing pillars be torn apart,
the whole thing will fall.
What I'm trying to say is this: for many conservative Christians, the issue with homosexuality is
not that they interpret it as a sin. The issue for them is that
any non-literal interpretation of the bible means that the
entire belief system that they live their lives by would crumble.
The battle you wage in discussion with many people (although, admittedly, not all. Just most) like Sean is not a battle over homosexuality as you interpret it to be. In reality, it's a self-preserving all-out war from these literal biblical interpretors... you're dissecting the specific issue of homosexuality, they're fighting with every bit that they have over the truth of their faith. And, by extension, themselves.
Worst of all, most don't know this. It's taken me years of debate to figure this one out. Whenever you have a discussion with one of them, if they are calm enough to go deep enough to the "why's" behind their beliefs, I've found the common link that they're either a) convinced that the entire bible is literal, and therefore have no fear proclaiming every literal interpretation that they have, or b) they're sweating over the fact that just possibly
the bible can be not literally correct. Which, for a Christian like me, is just plain obvious. The metaphors and bigger picture are glaringly obvious to me. But to them, it's all or nothing.
This is what they live by. This is what they live for. God. And they do this through God's word. So while you're debating homosexuality, they're fighting for God.
This perspective has got me way further than any specific issue with homosexuality ever has in discussions with firmly-entrenched conservative Christians.
