Quote:
Originally posted by sgtclub
Are you that bored where you really want to play semantic games? Yes, that is the technical definition, but I submit that the word has also come to mean intolerance of other people without logical reason.
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This isn't a semantic game. It is important to understand how society's definition of prejudice/bigotry changes with the times and how there are no absolutes.
I think all religions lack logical reason. So do other atheists. If we say that, people jump down our throats that we are bigots. Yet at one time, many thought the scientologists were a cult and openly said so. Now, as more and more people join the scientologists, they are considered a religion and if you think that is freakish to follow a shitty science fiction author's teachings as a religion, you are bigot.
At one time, practicing homosexuality was considered evil because the bible says it is a sin to have homosexual sex. Now if you think that, you are a bigot.
At one time and still to this day in some societies, practicing polygamy was/is considered something god wanted/wants you to do. It makes perfect logical sense to these people that a man should be able to have as many wives as he can afford to support.
While I agree that homosexuality, like heterosexuality, is an immutable characteristic, religion is not. You choose your religion. However, anyone can make up any belief they want, even a failed science fiction writer or delusional freaks like Jesus and Mohammad and Moses (or maybe they weren't delusional, just their followers were), and if they get enough people to believe in their teachings, it is a religion and you cannot criticize it. But you can speak out against polygamy. What is the difference? Only the number of people who believe the ideas.
Logic has nothing to do with what is considered bigotry. What is considered bigotry changes with the times and is arbitrarily based on the number of people who believe the ideas.
Ty thinks it is OK to be prejudice against fundamentalist mormons who believe they must adhere to polygamy in this life to achieve godhood. He is a bigot because of his intolerance for their religious beliefs.
However, anyone who doesn't share his ideas on gay marriage is a bigot in his opinion.
This isn't a semantic game. It is the reality that what is prejudice/discrimination/bigotry depends on how popular an idea is. And that is about as anti-American as it gets.
