Organized religion defending prejudice on gay marriage

In New York state’s Marriage Equality Bill, should there be exemptions for religion?

What should happen when equal rights for gay citizens and the right to religious free exercise clash?

Organized religion has for a long time been the traditional harbor in which prejudices abide. On the basis of “our faith” religious institutions have sought to protect themselves from the legitimate concerns of people of color, women, left-handed people and now homosexual people. The fact is that these religious groups actually oppose all gay-friendly initiatives, but having lost that fight now use various smoke screens to keep their prejudices intact. Religious leaders have actually condemned secular movements to end discrimination against women and homosexuals, apparently unaware that secularism has a better anti-prejudice reputation than religion does.

What happened to the Jesus who embraced the leper, allowed the touch of the woman with the chronic menstrual discharge, stood between the woman taken in the act of adultery and her accusers and healed the Samaritan? When will we as a society stop compromising justice to protect the sensitivities of people, who are profoundly ignorant about the meaning and reality of homosexuality?

John Shelby Spong  | Jun 23, 2011 1:58 PM