Religious roots of hatred resurface in Orlando

[Warren Stupidity]

Religion News Service
June 12, 2016

If there was one message in the massacre, it seemed to be that LBGT people are still not safe, and that religious teachings — or at least a narrow reading of them — may be a contributing factor to hatred against gays.

“There’s such a cognitive dissonance for me when public officials ask us to pray when the majority of world religions promote anti-LGBT theology,” said Eliel Cruz, executive director of Faith in America, an organization that attempts to end the harm to LBGT youths it says is caused by religious teachings.

“This isn’t isolated to Muslim beliefs. It’s seen in Christianity and it’s just as deadly,” added Cruz, a former RNS columnist.

Yonat Shimron is the managing editor of RNS.

[kwassa]

1. But not so much in the US.

The Bible is interpreted as very differently in different denominations, and in different parts of large denominations.

Many mainline Christian denominations are predominantly liberal, including my Episcopal church. Most of the gay people I know are Episcopal clergy, and they are out with their partners, and often married. We are welcoming.

[Warren Stupidity]

2. while attitudes are changing, bigotry is alive and well and religion remains a factor.

And the status of doctrine:


And as we have seen in the states pushing discriminatory legislation - they are doing so under a theory of "religious freedom" that is truly vile and dangerous, and they have had enormous success across what we used to call "the bible belt".

[rug]

3. One of many factors.

[skepticscott]

4. What are the other motivators

of homophobic bigotry in this country, other than religion (including Blank Frank's roman catholic CC)?

Love to see your list.

[rug]

5. Not my list.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/roots/overview.html

[cleanhippie]

6. "People who are involved in church groups represent the historical religious bias..."

People involved in church groups reflect the historical religious bias against lesbians and gay men, and this is especially so for Christians.

[rug]

8. "more likely to manifest high levels of authoritarianism and related personality characteristics"

Cherry picking is bad science.

[cleanhippie]

7. If it weren't for religious belief, homophobia would be quite rare.

But it's not religion that the problem, amirite?

[rug]

9. Got anything to back that up?

Because if you don't, and are seizing on this to feed your anti-religious bias, you're doing nothing to confront homophobia. To the contrary, if this is not true, you're spreading a lie that is dangerous.

[mr blur]

10. Those magic holy books are certainly responsible for perpetuating some vile attitudes.

Why is it that so many focus on and take away the negative, divisive fear-based aspects of the 'holy word' rather than the positive, inclusive ones?

[trotsky]

11. When the foundational documents of these religions...

contain such explicit prohibitions against homosexuality, how can it be surprising at all when homophobia results?

It's great when liberal believers find a way to ignore or dismiss these verses - but they're still there, still in what is believed by billions to be the holy word of a god.