Reply #82: Why on earth do you suppose I, a liberal Christian with [View All]

gay men in my extended family, am not outraged when I see and hear of hate and intolerance?

I am very critical of fundamentalist Christians who speak hatefully, judgmentally, about other people. I can't stand it. However, I will tell you that when I read attacks on Christians and Christianity - and I mean broad-brushed attacks such as "they're crazy, they have a pretend God, I'm glad I don't participate in that kind of evil, they're ill, they poison the innocent" - I'm less likely to feel positive about the particular poster's needs. Why? Because I'm a human with human feelings. It's really hard to cheer for a different cause when someone close to the cause says disparaging things. As long as someone's argument is framed in black and white, someone else is going to take offense.

I guess people around here are either Christophobic, Atheophobic, or homophobic then. Everybody's afraid of everyone else? Nah, I don't think so. It's intolerance and it's hate, in the end. People asking for tolerance without giving it or offering it, people who arbitrarily hate others.

I love being part of this website, and I love the information that I glean from the many interesting and talented posters. I have a hard time reading posts from people who post negative, unkind things, but I get over it - I'm not "persecuted" - far from it.

I guess maybe the "ignore" button will become the best friend of many a poster here. What a shame.