Quote:
Originally Posted by paleshadow
Thanks for the reply. It is funny how none of the people who seem to reference the bible here answered. I have asked some people in person why they feel that way, but it is hard to find someone that follows the bible who A. will not get offended, and B. who will not try to lecture me. I asked someone I work with last night about this, and he just stood for a long time looking off into space and then finally said "I don't know". I guess it's just about blind faith, which I think is fine if it makes you happy, and a better person in general, but not when it encourages discrimination, fear, and hatred.
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Hmm... the only thing is several believers sincerely believe, for example, homosexuals are going to hell. So what they're in fact trying to do is help them, while the rest of society tells them not to help. (At least, I think that's probably the way many Christians feel about it...) So they don't really see it as discrimination in the same way as, for example, racism.
In any case, good beliefs are merely a shortcut to a rationally desirable outcome, like the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as they do unto you," or usually even better, "Treat others as you would like to be treated"), while bad beliefs... well, there's plenty of them, so I won't labour the point... anyway, as with any shortcut, people can tend to miss things - many anti-abortionists, proclaiming the sacredness of human life, don't spare a moment's thought on animal welfare. And often it's not because they haven't considered it, but because they think humans are much more intrinsically important - we're made in God's image, after all!
Ultimately, I don't think anyone should justify any of their actions/behaviours/ethics according to simple, irrational beliefs. If you want to practice those sorts of things in your private time, that's okay - just don't let it deeply affect other aspects of your life.