@neologist,
Neo I am not trying to degrade your character.
I am just noting that religion had degraded the character of many of its constituents.
The more avid the follower the more radicalized their views on the LGBT lifestyle.
Is this an anomaly of religion or its core?
If hateful views towards LGBT people are the core of religion then somewhere along the line religion itself had deviated from what is natural and loving (just the opposite of what many claim).
Homosexuality is a result of natural predispositions that are born into individuals much like our immune system and DNA.
For a religion to push two young homosexuals into celibacy because it cannot stand their private lifestyle is simply cruel and contrary to the message of what love and liberty mean.
I say if a city was very "gay" like Sodom and Gomorrah it might show that gays are actually a good influence on cultures, even back in antiquities. That gay culture has often dominated urban areas and politically, anti-gay, indignant religious hate is usually behind any kind of "fire and wrath". Not God...
This gay culture has facilitated liberty to flourish in places like southern Spain, Rome and western civilizations. Perhaps homosexuality is even responsible for the Renaissance through secret societies and the age of reason.
What is the main thing the gays have going for them?
The answer is kind of ironic. It is "persecution".
It is even more ironic that religion had used this persecution to try and impose repressive life behaviors that they call "standards"..
So they have taken the repression of gays and created a martyr err, who "condemns sin in the flesh".
This is what I refer to as a "knight move". It is a way to change the color you stand on to try and create an illusion of holiness. Gays are not making a political movement they are simply being who they are. It is religion that had to create political martyrs to facilitate its bigoted and chauvinistic views.
It is like how do you solve persecution of gays? By creating a martyr that seemingly opposes homosexuality? How is this supposed to help reduce persecution?
Is that going to convince people to not act out on their homophobia?
It seems unlikely.
It is more likely that anti gay clerics wrote the Bible out of a pure hatred for Rome's liberty and attempt at equality and freedom through acceptance of homosexuals.
Religion has taken "gay persecution" (something the gay community has suffered from for what is inexplicable) and wove a story around it to turn that persecution even harder upon gays.
Religion has had no positive influence on martyrdom. Quite the contrary religion has become martyrdom's greatest supporter.
Religion had concealed itself within homophobia as a victim! ...and acted out upon hateful prejudices.
It comes down to weight. Does loving Jesus mean I have to stop loving non believers? Are people who do not attend my church going to hell?
Does loving Jesus mean I need to stop caring about the poor?
Does loving Jesus mean that LGBT people are now sinners and should be treated with hate and persecution?
Does loving Jesus mean we need to be constantly at war over religion?
This is the persecuting Jesus, quite a knight move and it has shifted the logic of many "Christians" in a way that is far from holy.
How did we shift from a persecuted Jesus to a persecuting Jesus?
Therein is the logic.
He who is persecuted is guilty right?
He who is not guilty is persecuted.
It should be noted that one knight move in this religious logic and the innocent LGBT people become the persecuted...
Religion is guilty of persecution. LGBT people are guilty of nothing.
Get the logic right.
Where is true enlightenment?
Is it evolving or found while trying to recapture some bygone age of innocence?
I think enlightenment it is taking the good parts of life and leaving religion its own godless fate.
