What is a bigot?

This past week I have had the pleasure of being called a bigot, not once, but many times in response to a comment I posted on another blog.

The blogger had done a post on marriage and it's societal place, it was an interesting article. With the post was a link to a interview with a Stephanie Coontz. One of the items brought up in this interview was this:"So when we think of cohabitation, gay marriage, or stepfamilies as deviating from the "norm," we are wrong, because there has never really been a "norm."

I made the mistake of questioning this logic by stating that I firmly believe that marriage is, has been and should always be, between a man and a woman. That is the norm. Always has been.

Let me be clear on one thing: This belief of mine does not come from any "crazed right wing Christian religious bent". I am not crazed, nor am I religious. I think it's important that this is noted. I attended bible school as a child and questioned religion then. My parents never forced religion on me and left it up to me to make my own decisions regarding religion. I liked going with friends families to their respective churches and temples, and coming from the San Francisco Bay area, was subject to a wide variety of religions. I always kept an open mind and found bits of all the different religions fascinating. And certainly never question anyone else's beliefs in their religions.

Now, after my wandering, back to the subject at hand. I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. Period.

I made this very clear in my comments. But what I also made clear was that I have no problem with people "being gay". I have gay friends (but apparently saying that out loud makes me a racist bigot from the 50's), whom I am very close to and care about deeply.

My argument was this: Where do you draw the line? It was a simple argument. I stated several times that my concern is not that gay couples shouldn't marry in the sense that I think they are an abomination or that they are practicing perverse sexual deviations. I stated that if people are able to find happiness in these times then bully for them, those were my exact words. But was accused over and over again of comparing being gay to being perverse and dirty.

My statement was that if we allow gay marriages, where do we draw the line? So I said, " Suppose Billy Bob decides he's in love with Petey the 14 year old? Do you allow that?" This was met with mud flinging accusations of comparing being gay to being a child molester. Which my statement does not make.

So I gave another statement," Sally Sue and Billy Bob are father and daughter, they have fallen in love, they are both consenting adults. Do you allow this marriage?" Again this was met with insults and name calling, not answers. All the commentary on my comments and the subsequent posting dedicated to my comments missed my point and accused me of things I never said or did. Funny. But, sticks and stones... blah blah blah.

I made several statements that I was not comparing being gay to being incestuous or perverse. I was merely stating that we need to draw a line somewhere, and that if you argue that gay people are Americans so therefore they have a "right" to marriage, then can't you argue that the Billy Bob's and Sally Sues out there are people too, and therefore should be allowed those same rights?****** This is what my argument boils down to.

So again. I think that there needs to be a line drawn, and that line ends after a man and a woman marries. That's it. Sorry for those who have a differing of opinion on this matter. But other than being called a bigot repeatedly, I have yet to hear one logical response to the question.

Where do you draw the line?

As the blogger who wrote the original post states, opinions are like assh*les, everyone has one. I agree, but is my opinion not at least based in fact?

Isn't it fact that since the union of marriage was conceived to unite landowners and create children to bind families, that is has been between a man and a woman. No debating the fact that being gay has been around since marriage was conceived, if they were meant to marry, then why was it not allowed then? Because Marriage, the institution is between a man and a woman. Simple.

It's frightening to know that in these times, stating a fact based opinion to those on the left is always met with crazed hatred and blind irrationality. Typical. And while I am aware that this is a plague that is ours to bear, I see it only getting worse.

So what is a bigot?Bigots are those on the left who when faced with truth, hide behind hate filled prattle with no substance. Bigots won't listen to dissenting opinions unless that opinion is the same as theirs. Bigots twist your words until they can shape them into untruths that fill their nefarious need to spew hate towards the right. Why I believe that the left and whatever they call themselves this week (progressive/liberals/democrats), are indeed SOME of the worst bigots in the world.

Bigot means "persecutor(s)", and I think that it fits their reaction to my statements much better than me.