2009-01-26, 06:12 PM
Sometimes the religion itself isn't teaching too many horrid values (with the exception of slavery and some discrimination), however, people interpret religion in a way that makes it seem as if the religion wants all homosexuals to die.
For example, The Bible states that homosexuality is a sin. I disagree with that, but is what it states. However, as far as I know, it says nowhere that homosexuals should be persecuted. In fact, The Bible does say repeatedly, just in different terms to respect your neighbors (in general terms, this includes coveting your neighbor's goods and all that), so they obviously don't want you to attack homosexuals. Unfortunately, all the religious fanatics out there interpret it just right out wrong and think that the homosexuals themselves are evil people, and commit hate crimes against them, sometimes killing them (against one of the Ten Commandments ironically).
The Bible obviously has some contradictions in it however. I remember someone posting earlier a quote that states that slavery is okay (sorry for forgetting who you are), which obviously goes against respecting your neighbor.
Back to the religious fanatics and The Bible though. Most religious fanatics think that everything in The Bible actually happened, which isn't the way they should read it. They should read it for (some of) the values, not learning how some guy magically rose from the dead. Most of the story stuff in there thrown around the values are mainly to keep people from just randomly killing people, simply so they don't get smited by some God that may or may not exist. It's similar to government. What's the point of having laws if you have no one to carry them out and enforce them? Think of it as the Ten Commandments being the laws and God being the police.
For example, The Bible states that homosexuality is a sin. I disagree with that, but is what it states. However, as far as I know, it says nowhere that homosexuals should be persecuted. In fact, The Bible does say repeatedly, just in different terms to respect your neighbors (in general terms, this includes coveting your neighbor's goods and all that), so they obviously don't want you to attack homosexuals. Unfortunately, all the religious fanatics out there interpret it just right out wrong and think that the homosexuals themselves are evil people, and commit hate crimes against them, sometimes killing them (against one of the Ten Commandments ironically).
The Bible obviously has some contradictions in it however. I remember someone posting earlier a quote that states that slavery is okay (sorry for forgetting who you are), which obviously goes against respecting your neighbor.
Back to the religious fanatics and The Bible though. Most religious fanatics think that everything in The Bible actually happened, which isn't the way they should read it. They should read it for (some of) the values, not learning how some guy magically rose from the dead. Most of the story stuff in there thrown around the values are mainly to keep people from just randomly killing people, simply so they don't get smited by some God that may or may not exist. It's similar to government. What's the point of having laws if you have no one to carry them out and enforce them? Think of it as the Ten Commandments being the laws and God being the police.