(October 8, 2013 at 5:23 pm)freedomfromfallacy Wrote: I am going to tell on myself now; this is embarrassing.
When I was a christian I was very outspoken against
homosexuality and the "gay culture". I was a vehement
advocate for the sending of homosexuals to the hottest
depths of hell. I praised the god of the bible for his
righteous judgment against the sinfulness of the gays,
and I sung praises to Jesus™ for his mercy toward me.
I encouraged my christian wife to tell her gay brother
what the bible says about homosexuality, and that if he
didn't change his lifestyle (meaning sexual orientation)
that god would send him to hell. This was, of course
also the belief that my wife held (still holds). Now that
I am an atheist, I no longer feel like I once did concerning
homosexuality. I have, in fact, become a very strong
supporter of gays and gay rights. I volunteer at a local
"rainbow" thrift store that I, at one time, swore I would
never even cross the threshold of. I have visited my
brother-in-law and I have asked him for forgiveness for
my vicious agreement with god's violent judgment. I
no longer think or act like a bigoted fool. I am also
now beginning to realize that my formerly outspoken
ugliness toward gays was caused by the root of something
stronger than the hatred my bible recommended I carry;
I was now free to love these human beings. I found that
my hate (which was strong) was replaced with love once
I ditched religion, and I now love gay people to the same
proportion I once loathed then.
You may as well have stoned people to death for working on the Sabbath day while you were at it. You had a hold of the wrong end of the stick even though if God exists you did have the right stick.
Come all ye faithful joyful and triumphant.
