If you choose a bigoted faith - or have a bigoted interpretation - you're a bigot.

[mondo joe]

No one has to be any faith, and no one has to adhere to a bigoted interpretation. It's YOUR choice, and the responsibility is on YOU.

See?

[terrya]

1. Yes.

No one is pointing a gun to anyone's head to belong to a faith that preaches bigotry. If they themselves aren't bigoted.

[Midlodemocrat]

2. I'm a practicing Catholic. I'm not a bigot.

I grew up believing that the word of Christ was far different than the words of men. Christ preached tolerance and acceptance.

[IndianaJones]

8. can you admit that the Catholic church is inherently homophobic? nt.

[mondo joe]

15. I think interpretation is the bigger matter anyway.

:-)

[Bicoastal]

3. Yeah, but...

...who are you to label an entire faith as "bigoted?" Unless you belong to Fred Phelps' unholy clan, it's ALWAYS all about interpretation.

[yardwork]

5. I don't think that the OP intended to label entire faiths.

There is a DUer posting today that his religion justifies his belief that homosexuality is wrong.

[Bicoastal]

9. Oh. Never mind then. n/t.

[mondo joe]

14. That's why I included "interpretation".

[yardwork]

4. White supremacists justify their beliefs on the basis of religion.

The Nazis murdered millions of Jewish people using religion as an excuse. Slavery was justified on the basis of Biblical readings.

Using religion as an excuse for bigotry is just that - an excuse.

[IndianaJones]

6. you mean hatred due to "supernatural being" or "moral grounds" is not excused? I'm outraged. nt.

[Az]

7. I am dealing with a member of Christian Identity in a different forum right now

And it is a bit frightening to consider how easy it is for some minds to be pulled into such hateful shapes.

For those that do not know Christian Identity is a twisted off shoot of Christianity that insists that the Jews are not the true chosen of God. Due to mixing with mud races (blacks and others) they have become tainted. It is their claim that the people of the British Isles are the true lost tribe of Israel and the only true Chosen of God. This religion is often found mixed in with various Neo Nazi groups and is far more active than one would wish in this modern age.

The individual we are dealing with in this other forum is bragging about how they deal with miscreants in Ireland. They are practicing vigilante justice and do some rather barbaric things to people including tar and feathering some, burying people alive in bogs, and other Old Testament style punishment.

[Marrah_G]

10. Mine is not biggoted at all.

[Tyler Durden]

11. BINGO.

Hit the nail square on the head.

[jpgray]

12. Even if you are prediposed to that faith via environmental factors

No one is forcing you to use your religion to bully, intimidate or attack others.

[Psychmd]

13. I agree

Fits my partner's sister perfectly. She has chosen to distance herself from her brother after marrying a bigot and attending his bigoted church. We have almost completely written them off since we don't want our young children around them with these beliefs

[Deep13]

16. Bigot! err...I mean... Bingo!

[Xithras]

17. There is a fundamental difference between bigotry and discrimination. We're all bigots.

As I posted in yesterdays bigotry thread. The definition of bigotry: "One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ."

If you despise Republican's, you're a bigot. If you don't agree with chastity balls, you're a bigot. If you think that forcing women to wear a burkha is wrong, you're a bigot. If you support abortion rights, you're a bigot. If you oppose abortion rights, you're a bigot.

The only way to NOT be a bigot is to NOT care about ANYTHING. If you hold strong opinions on any subject and have negative opinions of those who disagree with you, you are by definition a bigot.

I'm a bigot. You're a bigot. We're all bigots.

The difference, in a modern an civilized society, is that we should all keep our bigotry to ourselves. People who want to demonize others for their BELIEFS are advocating for a 1984ish big brother society where only "approved" thoughts can go unpunished. I don't care about thoughts. I don't care if people don't like me because I'm bi. What I care about is DISCRIMINATION. You can be as bigoted as you want in your own head. You can even talk your bigoted bullshit talk to your bigoted friends and I don't care. What I DO care about is the ACTIONS that some people take to turn their bigotry into discrimination.

I wouldn't want to live in a world that bought equality at the price of freedom. Tragically, freedom means having the freedom to be a bigoted asshole. I can deal with that, because the alternative is too frightening to contemplate.

There is no way to fight bigotry, so focus your energy on things that matter...like fighting discrimination.

[mondo joe]

18. I don't buy your definition of bigot. Just the same, if for the sake of argument

we go with it, it's still the choice of the bigot. "It's my religion" is a BS excuse.

[Xithras]

20. My definition is straight out of the dictionary.

American Heritage Dictionary, printed in 2004. Sits on the bookshelf above my computer screen.

But let's look at some competing definitions:

"a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion." Random House Unabridged.

"a prejudiced person who is intolerant of any opinions differing from his own" Princeton WordNet

"a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices" Mirriam Webster

All the definitions are differing ways of saying the same thing. If you believe strongly in any subject and refuse to concede that the opposition may be right (think abortion rights), you're a bigot. If you are intolerant of those who disagree with you (think global warming deniers), you're a bigot.

Excepting very young children and members of small subsets of the Buddhist faiths, I doubt there are many people on this planet who are NOT bigoted about something.

There is, however, a huge difference between being a bigot and acting on that bigotry.

[mondo joe]

26. I think you have extrapolated ACTION out of the definition. I don't see it there.

For what it's worth, however, I do agree with you that ACTIONS are what matters - certainly in a political and legal context.

[niyad]

19. what BS-- you overlooked the very word you used--iNTOLERANT. I dislike many things, but, as

one who believes that each person is on hher/his own path, I understand that they have the freedom to be whatever they are. that I choose not to associate with them does NOT make me a bigot, simply somebody who prefers to keep her energy field unsullied.

try again.

[Xithras]

21. Everyone is bigoted about something.

Intolerance is not tolerating the presence of something you dislike, or not respecting contrary opinions, actions, or people.

By not wanting to associate with people you disagree with, you are failing to tolerate their presence. You are failing to respect their beliefs or actions. By being intolerant of them, you are harboring bigotry.

Kudo's for keeping it internalized, but you've simply made my point. There is a HUGE difference between holding intolerant and bigoted beliefs, and actually acting on those beliefs in a discriminatory way. I have no problem with people who want to quietly internalize those beliefs under an "I don't like it and want to avoid it, but live and let live" belief system.

We are all fundamentally bigoted, which is why it's such an incredible waste of time to argue about whether or not group X or person Y is a bigot. What matters is whether they act on those bigoted beliefs in a discriminatory way.

[niyad]

24. again, BS. I don't deny them their right to whatever opinions they want. it really is that simple.

my choosing not to associate with them does NOT make me a bigot, as I am doing NOTHING to prevent them from holding whatever beliefs they choose. I have a RIGHT to decide who is, or is not, in my energy, that does NOT make me a bigot.

you really need to try harder. it's more of "but the other guy is doing it, too" bs.

[bryant69]

22. Very simple

Nobody could take offense at this.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[stirlingsliver]

23. I'm A Bigot

I am a Bigot.

I Choose to believe that right-wingers, Republicans, anti-choice, and anti-gay people are inferior, evil, and defective.

It is entirely my choice to believe that.

In fact, it is a matter of faith. A faith that I have chosen.

I have chosen to be totally and completely intolerant about this.

I am a bigot.

[SidDithers]

25. Stop picking on Christians!!!!...

:sarcasm:

Sid

[Deja Q]

27. So all the GLBT people who tell bisexuals to make a decision,

and then get pissed off if the bi people choose heterosexuality...

Oh dear, there's that awful "C" word again. "Choose".

I think plenty of people, on any side (there's far more than just two) have their own responsibilities.

[ulysses]

28. right, because all Christians are either Klansmen or Phelps flunkies.

:eyes: