Religion Is A Poor Excuse For Bigotry

The bigots have always been with us. But they never own up to their bigoted beliefs. Instead, they have for centuries tried to use religion as a cover for that bigotry. They have used religion to justify slavery and discrimination. They have used religion to deny voting and equal rights to women. They have used religion to deny the right of interracial couples to marry. They have used religion to deny rights to those who believe in a different religion (or no religion).

The idea is that if you can find a verse (or pervert the meaning of a verse) in your favorite holy book that seems to back up your favorite bigoted belief, then you couldn't possibly be a bigot because you are just following the word of your favorite god. That simply doesn't fly. We have already discarded the religious reasons for the beliefs in the above paragraph, and it is time to do the same with same-sex marriage.

The predominantly christian nations in the graphic above have all realized that there is a difference between a government granting equal rights to all of its citizens and people's beliefs in their favorite religion and its teachings. While people must always retain the right to believe in their favorite religion (or no religion at all), those beliefs must never be used by government to deny equal rights to any of that country's citizens.

Sadly, the United States has not recognized this simple truth about equal rights -- that it must include everyone or it is not truly guaranteed to anyone. We still allow religion (christianity) to trump our own Constitution (which is the basis for our laws and rights. This is not freedom -- but religious bigotry. And it must be stopped.

The simple truth is that bigotry is still bigotry, even when it comes wrapped in a nice religious package.