Personally, I think it's because people were taught by parents, church, etc that homosexuality is wrong.
Once someone has been taught, it is very hard to un-teach.
Kind of like brainwashing.

People are scared of what they don't understand. Sometimes fear can be projected as hate.

I don't think it is just Homosexuality that is the focus for religous groups. Adultrey is one to along with others but in this forum it seems that homosexuality it more of a focus that the others. Wonder why that is?

I get what you are saying. Adultery is certainly frowned upon, however adulterers are allowed to re-marry, and homosexuals are not allwed to marry at all. Nobody pickets the funerals of adulterers. I haven't heard of adulteryphobia, either. I haven't heard of a kid being pistol whipped and left to dies in the middle of a field because he was ______________ (enter any other biblical sin). So why homosexuality?

I agree with you. However, my father was racist against african americans. I didn't even know it until i brought home a black boyfriend. He freaked out and threatened to diswown me. I was only in 8th grade at the time. I did not adopt his view, in fact it showed me that his actions were completely wrong. What makes some people adopt these views while others reject them and see them for what they are? I wonder in the historical context where homosexuality began to be viewed as wrong.

I think lonestarguy nailed it: fear. Fear is the driving force of all discrimination.

I think that large religious bodies systematically discriminate against homosexuals because they are percieved as a threat, and I think this goes hand in hand with fear. We constantly hear about the 'gay agenda', and how it seeks to pervert the minds of children by blurring the lines between sin and goodness. Most importantly, I think that homosexuality is focused on so much because its a lifestyle. It involves the human emotion of love, and many people feel threatened when their version of 'intimate love' is being used inappropriately, as many devout Christians believe is the case with homosexuality.

I dont think homosexuals are the "whipping boys" of the Catholic Church at all I just think it is an issue that many non Catholics dont understand. I think many right wing protestants take the whole "homosexuality is immoral" to the extreem often on the verge of victimisation, then the liberal theologists have a tendency to use that as a means to discredit Christianity. I Know that it does not bother me, I am not a nazi, I would not criminalize homosexuality, although I wouldnt make it legal. I believe it is wrong both for the individual and society, where I would not prevent a homosexual living according to his/her sexuality I would not want my society to go down the line of "normalizing" it.

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Wow.

You contradict yourself constantly. It is ridiculous.

(Actually, the whipping boys of the Catholic church are the alterboys, aren't they? )

And actually Guest doesn't want the homosexual to live their own life. S/he wants homosexuals to burn in hell.

"You contradict yourself constantly. It is ridiculous"

either that or you just dont undertsand me.

"Not making it legal makes it,,,what??????????????????? Is there a semi-legal category? "

of course there is, In Holand it is not legal to smoke marjuana, it is not Ilegal neither, it is "decriminalized."

"How do you normalize it?"

By making homosexuality legal, by teaching it in schools, by promoting it through the media, by..... changing peoples perceptions.

"Actually Guest doesn't want the homosexual to live their own life. S/he wants homosexuals to burn in hell."

Eiri isnt that a little bit wrong of you to try say such things, I want every person to repent of their sins, convert to Christ and obtain heaven, I certainly do not want people to burn in hell.

Christianity hurts, it has since its very inception, we have a crucifix as our symbol for goodness sake, it dosnt hurt those who refuse to give creedance to Christianity, but those of us who accept it, it hurts and we can not pretend to others that it does not, even if they dont want it to hurt.... it does.

Why does Christianity have to hurt? Didn't Jesus accept the pain to help relieve our pain? He accepted his fate to save ours.


I just thought of something too. Isn't the bible against idolism? Isn't having a crucifix as a symbol a form of idolism? I'm asking this seriously. I haven't read the bible in a while and forgot what the bible defines as idolism. So I'm curious.



Eric

Well I know you weren't really asking me, but I was always taught that the crucifix is meant to remind us of Christ's sacrifice - he died for our sins so that we might enter heaven. I'm not sure that having a symbol and worshipping, say, a golden calf would really be in the same category.

Hello, i just popped in and seen this on the message board and i wanted to comment because i am a christian and i understand what all of you are asking/debating/wondering, and i thought it would be helpful to hear it from a christians point of view.
Anyways~ the reason it looks like homosexuality is the "whipping boy" instead of all other sinful lifestyles is because homosexuals try to defend their sin and say that it is right. Let me give you an example, alcholics know they have a problem and it is sin, thats why there are AA groups and rehab facilities, but homosexuals just believe that their lifestyle is correct even though the Bible strictly warns us against it. Christians would be targeting any "sinner group" if that sinner group tried to justify their sin, and say that "God made me this way" or "I was born this way" when that's not the will of God.
Although I do see alot of Christian groups being hateful and cruel. I will say that I DO NOT condone this behavior nor does that behavior represent TRUE christianity. God loves the sinner but hates the sin, and Christians are supposed to be the same way.