Originally Posted by Sirisian
The problem with the religious standpoint is that their religious evidence is cherry picked out of many passages
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You mean passages that forbid certain things? Yeah, it has to be "cherry picked" because not every single verse in the entire Bible has to do with every single topic in the entire Bible.
So, for instructions on what is righteous sexual conduct, we go to the verses and passages that deal with sexual conduct.
God not wanting people to engage in sin isn't because he's a bigot. It's because he loves people, each, on an individual basis, not just on some holistic bell-curve average. Sin is sin because it is bad for you. Whether anyone else is involved or not. Righteousness is good for a person, a people, and the world as a whole.
God doesn't hate people, and the Bible doesn't teach us to either. In fact, it even decries the concept of disrespecting demons.
I have noticed in reading the Bible that Jesus treated Satan with more respect than most people treat their wives, husbands, or best friends. Just because we, the Christians, don't agree with sin doesn't mean we hate people who are proponents of those sins.
And, the world is full of choices. You can choose to agree with homosexuality, lying, theft, murder, or whatever sin you agree with. And we can continue to condemn sin in its every iteration, while not hating the people who practice it.
But, us not agreeing with you or anyone else on what is right and wrong doesn't make us bigots. But slinging the term "bigot" around for anyone who believes something you don't and is using his legal rights to oppose it, just like you use your legal rights to oppose things you don't like, is being hyprocritical.
"You say that this thing that I like is a sin, therefore you are hateful, a bigot, etc." is not an accurate statement. I am against suicide, and if I could, I would prevent someone from doing it. Me preaching, teaching, or doing what I can to prevent suicide, and to oppose people who may be trying to influence others to kill themselves isn't bigoted. If you are in favor of suicide, you aren't being bigoted by trying to advance the cause of suicide.