Who’s the bigot?

Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary Definition:

a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices ; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance

I hear this term thrown around quite a bit nowadays.  Especially after the voters passed Proposition 8 in California and now with Obama asking Rick Warren to give the inaugural prayer.



I have to tell you, I feel a lot of hate and “bigotry” being aimed towards me as a straight white Christian male.

Just so we are talking the same language, here is my view (opinion) on the gay marriage issue:

- I believe that God intended marriage to be between a man and a woman.  That’s why the pieces are built the way they are built and work the way they work.

- I believe that the Bible teaches that sex outside of marriage is wrong.  Hence, sex between the same sexes is inherently wrong since marriage requires a man and a woman.

- I believe that God loves everyone regardless of their sexual orientation.  However, it’s not sexual orientation that determines the fate of your eternal soul anyway.

- I accept that I don’t understand all there is to know about sexual orientation.  There may be people born with an orientation towards being attracted to others of the same sex, I don’t know.  However, there are probably real instances of  sexual andor emotional abuse leading to a different sexual orientation as well.

- I believe sexual conduct is a choice.  Regardless of sexual orientation and desires, it is my believe that homosexual sexual activity is wrong.

- I also believe that heterosexual sexual activity outside of marriage is wrong.  So is pride, greed, selfishness, indifference, etc…

- As proofed by my two points above, I don’t put myself on any higher plane than someone that is gay.

- I believe the people have a right to vote on issues like “marriage” and define it as the majority believes it to be defined as long as it does not infringe on the rights of the minority.  If I understand Proposition 8 correctly, only the “marriage” term was being defined.  Civil Unions are still recognized.  I do not believe a government should restrict rights or benefits to just “married” couples that are different than “civil union” couples.

- I believe churches have the right to believe what they want and to set their membership standards as they choose.  If a church decides that “membership” requires acknowledgement of homosexual sexual activity as wrong, that is that churches prerogative.  However, I also believe that all Christian church doors should be open to anyone that wants to attend and anyone that attends should be loved.  Attendance is not the same as membership and love does not mean condoning what is believed to be wrong.

This is a deep topic and I have really only scratched the surface and have probably not explained myself a clearly as I would like.  However, I think the above points give you a good idea of my opinion.

So I ask you, am I a bigot for my beliefs?  Or is there some bigotry towards me for my beliefs by those that see this issue completely differently.

What I hear from men like Rick Warren is close to what I have stated above.  Yet, do a Google search and see what people are calling him.

I have to ask sometimes, who’s the bigot?