In conclusion I have looked at two main reasons why Christians have the negative attitude towards gays that they do. While there are other factors that have led to the attitude of Christians towards gay people, these two factors form the foundations of the debate today.
The Bible, while it never mentions homosexuality, is referrenced by nearly everyone who dislikes gays. The books of Genesis, Romans, and Leviticus are those most used to argue the sin of being gay. For those who take its words literally, the Bible says clearly that homosexuality is a sin and should result in death. Everybody from St. Paul to Thomas Aquinas to Pat Robertson have told their followers that homosexuality is an abomination and should not be tolerated.
Modern fundamentalism has built a huge political machine based largely on its oppositin to gay rights. This opposition by religious leaders has set the tone for their followers attitudes towards gays. Todays Christians have been taught that gay rights are a threat to Christian rights. If Christian leaders, who know what*s really right from wrong, see gays as evil then they must be.
I believe that the Bible, much like the Constitution, seems clearer than what it is. It has been written in a way that allows for interpretation. And it is these interpretations which cause so much conflict, not the actual writings themselves. As far as fundamentalism, it is a movement like so many others which had a beginning and will have an end. As a gay person I would like to thank fundamentalists for their harsh treatment. I believe that without their hate-filled and public rethoric the gay rights movement would have languished in obscurity, if it hadn*t disappeared altogether.
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