Labelling anybody that supports protecting the definition of marriage as "hateful bigots" is indeed dehumanizing the enemy. Dehumanization is done so that you can with a more clear conscience rail against them (not just their positions).
You may think that basing their political position on the bible is stupid and wrong, but throwing around "hateful bigotry" as the underlying motivation for the positions they take is indeed the dehumanization I was talking about.
It has been a very effective tool, as always. Anybody that thinks marriage should be restricted to a man and a woman is automatically "filled with hate". I've heard this or a variation of it thousands of times. Any opposition to changing the definition of marriage is decried as motivated by hatred. It is the rallying cry against opponents of gay marriage. It is exactly the kind of labeling used to make those who oppose you into something other than humans with a very different point of view. On every side of every dispute there are people that do this.
You may think that basing their political position on the bible is stupid and wrong, but throwing around "hateful bigotry" as the underlying motivation for the positions they take is indeed the dehumanization I was talking about.
It has been a very effective tool, as always. Anybody that thinks marriage should be restricted to a man and a woman is automatically "filled with hate". I've heard this or a variation of it thousands of times. Any opposition to changing the definition of marriage is decried as motivated by hatred. It is the rallying cry against opponents of gay marriage. It is exactly the kind of labeling used to make those who oppose you into something other than humans with a very different point of view. On every side of every dispute there are people that do this.
A little learning is a dangerous thing.
A Bible belt conservative spent a year pretending to be gay
14/10/2012 12:25:34 PM
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OK, I thought that was cool. Put his money where his mouth is, so to speak. *NM*
14/10/2012 12:37:55 PM
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Plenty of the comments are really disheartening
14/10/2012 07:23:42 PM
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There was one that I thought pretty good:
15/10/2012 10:57:42 PM
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I have to agree with that one. Most people come out in order to be more honest with their family.
16/10/2012 02:39:46 AM
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"The vast majority of conservative Christians are not hateful bigots at all."
15/10/2012 10:55:34 PM
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He does say his mother came around in the end.
15/10/2012 10:57:50 PM
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Maybe most conservative christians...
15/10/2012 11:44:13 PM
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Sorry, that is just an attempted role-reversal; objecting to hatred is not the "real hatred."
16/10/2012 01:26:39 AM
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In addition, the bible doesn't forbid it. The bible is not a monolithic work, but an anthology.
16/10/2012 02:32:59 AM
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What I said is correct.
16/10/2012 05:49:13 PM
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Dude, the "You're intolerant of intolerance!" argument is so played out
16/10/2012 08:34:35 PM
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I think he has a good point. It just shouldn't be generalized so far as he is doing.
16/10/2012 09:23:13 PM
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Wrong. I am talking about labels and what they are used for.
16/10/2012 10:42:11 PM
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And on the other hand, various "logical justifications" tend to boil down to one thing:
16/10/2012 11:01:50 PM
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I actually DO believe that anti-gay-marriage people eat babies ;-) *NM*
16/10/2012 11:32:35 PM
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We use "bigot" like Christians use "sinner."
16/10/2012 09:12:39 PM
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You can't just assume someone has the motivation you want them to have.
16/10/2012 11:08:09 PM
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For me it is as simple as looking into my own heart, several years back.
17/10/2012 04:51:13 AM
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