The gay community should be tolerant of other people being intolerant of them, because they should be setting a good example of tolerance?

That doesn't really make sense to me. If this woman had gotten up there and said "The way I was raised is that we should be allowed to spit on black people if they don't move out of the way for us, so that's what I believe is right." Should the black community then say "Oh well, we want tolerance from these people so we should probably just sit back and tolerate their hatred of us."

Whether she delivered her speech with amniosity or not, her beliefs stem from hatred and prejudice, passed onto her by her parents or decided upon for herself... it doesn't matter. Yes she is entitled to her opinion, as I suppose are racist people and sexist people... but should we tolerate it? Not at all.

The gay community expecsd the Christian community to be tolerant of the gay communty's beliefs, AND YET the gay community doesn't PRACTICE what they demand other give them?

Tit for tat. You want them to be tolerant of your beliefs, you be tolerant of theirs.

And someone PLEASE explain to me where being tolerant of someone else's beliefs means agreeing with them? Really, please do it. Because in the definition I know to be the accurate one, it simply means being respectful of and allowing others their own opinions, even if you do not agree with them.

Do I believe marriage is between one MAN and one WOMAN? Yes. Undecidedly YES. Does that make me intolerant? No, not even REMOTELY. Why? Because I understand that while I have that belief, others do not, and I grant that the reason behind MY beliefs is not held by others. THAT, my dears, is what tolerance is. Just because the Christians believe IN THE BIBLE and that the BIBLE is the authoritative word of God which denounces homosexual behavior, does NOT by ANY MEANS mean they are intolerant. They disagree, pure and simple.

As for this thread, it's obvious that the BIGGEST bigots in this place (generally speaking) are the homosexuals because while DEMANDING that the others agree with them to prove tolerance, they themselves are not showing tolerance towards the beliefs of others. Because as I have seen (as would you if you would actually read), it has been the Christians who have offered other methods of homosexual couples attaining the same civil rights as heterosexual couples, while the other side has simply called the Christians bigots and intolerant...as well as uneducated.

I am not intolerant because I disagree with your opinion. I am only intolerant if I don't allow you to disagree with mine.

*applaud* :D

*standing ovation*

That should have said "DECIDEDLY, YES" rather than "UNdecidedly, YES".

some of you people make me want to literally scream.

back and forth, back and forth. you can't throw religion at someone as a truth if they don't believe. and you can't make a religious person give up their beliefs just because you don't like them.

so why try?!

Why should one side have to be right?! WHY SHOULD IT EVEN BE AN ISSUE????

Why does someone else get to make the decision for a couple they DON'T EVEN FUCKING KNOW?! How can two people you don't know, won't ever meet, have no connection to really change your life? If they are comfortable with themselves and who they are, why should we have to VOTE to decide who can and can not get married? Why does it have to come to this?? Why are rights (and don't even go into what a right should/shouldn't be defined as, I'm seriously not in the mood for that) given and then taken away?

Because of apathetic people. People who say "well, I don't really support gay people, but it doesn't really hurt me. but i don't belive in it. LoLz." That is the problem. People who don't really care get brainwashed into thinking that homosexual people are evil because they don't really care either way, but God tells them it's wrong. Well let me tell you what is wrong. Apathy. People who don't really care either way. It ends up hurting people. They don't care enough to learn and things like prop 8 happen. It ends up making a lot of people feel like they aren't as good. It perpetuates the cycle of hatred.

It isn't just about marriage. It is about the son who can't tell his father he is gay because he would be kicked out. It is the daughter who can't tell her mother she is gay because she will just tell her it is a phase and ignore it for years. It is about the children who are scared to go to school because they are fearful they will be attacked for being glbt. Our adults are already spewing hatred into the youth of our country and it sickens me. These are human beings that are made out to be wretched creatures undeserving of love.

I'm not convinced that some people even know what love is. It isn't words. It's a feeling. and well... I can't stop this feeling.

There is a difference between tolerance and acceptance. I agree.
My point is that tolerance will not make changes in society that are so desperately needed.
If women were to tolerate their managers views that they do not deserve equal pay, then sexism will prevail not only in peoples opinions, but in society as well.
If Martin Luther King had not stood up to be counted, and had simply accepted the national view that he was less of a man because of the colour of his skin, then racism would have prevailed in our society.
I understand that this original post was about one girls opinion, but sadly this girls opinion echoes the opinion of many people in roles of power. Whilst I would hope that the title of Miss America does not hold as much power over the politics of a country, I would imagine that it does have some sway over influencing young girls and people who take them seriously.
The GLBT community are not being bigots. They are simply angry because they suffer because of these opinions. It seems to be insinuated that we sit here and have fun with this.

This is not fun for us. It is not fun to be at the receiving end of prejudice on a daily basis. It is not fun to have simple human rights taken away from you because of who you love. It is not fun being a minority fighting for your rights.

Yes there is a different between tolerance and acceptance, but it is a subtle difference. Let me ask the religious people on this forum that if this thread had been entitled "The Hypocrisy of the Bible" (and on a side note, my opinion that I wish to be tolerated is that lazy spelling suggests lazy thinking) would you not have wanted to defend YOUR beliefs in what is right?

*standing ovation*

I fail to see what human rights are being taken away from you by the government. Your human rights are to live and be free. You have this right. If anyone takes this away from you, they're committing a crime.

The Bible instructs husbands to love his wife as Christ loved the church. Love is not an emotion is an act of the will.

Husbands say, I can't love my wife as Christ loved the church. I cannot give up my self centered life. I can't give up my pornography or my X-rated movies or my business career etc etc. etc.

The truth is, you can, but you won't because you're self centered. You won't give up what you want not for your wife, not for God, not for anybody else, because you love you the most....................John Hagee

So the GLBT community thinks that marriage should be a human right. That doesn't mean it's a human right. It's an absurd proposition. Marriage is hardly on the same level as life and freedom.

Matthew Shepard is a tragic case that was dealt with accordingly by the United States government. If you're fighting societal norms, then say that. As far as the government is concerned, there's nothing more they can do apart from removing themselves from religious ceremonies.

Feeling? I would have to disagree there. If it is only a feeling it will pass and often does...It is a commitment for life. When you feel like you are in love and yes even times when you don't feel like it. Love is working through the difficult times with an eye on making your marriage last to honor God and your spouse, your children ect. It is also sharing in the joys of life such as a new baby, promotions or whatever. It is however NOT just a feeling and perhaps that is part of the problem, we make it something it isn't. Lets look at 1 Corinthians as the standard of love. Many unbelievers still use this verse in their weddings and tell me where feelings are mentioned.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. (1 Corinthians 13:1-8 KJV)

Obviously, you missed the intention of my post, as the last sentence was not the main point I was trying to make.

I appreciate that we may have different views of what love is, but why does your definition of love automatically become the only valid description? I am not Christian, so obviously this is not going to have the same meaning to me as it would to you. However, I digress.

Ultimately, the main point of my post was obviously lost.

Right! Why are they trying to defend the institution of marriage when it is so obviously failing ANYWAYS! But that also brings up the question as to why homosexuals would want to be part of that failing institution too.

And also, why is marriage the "norm"? Why do homosexuals want that same norm that is inherently unequal? I feel like they deserve better anyhow seeing as how they're more open minded about what love is and who can love than right winged, bigoted Christians.

If homosexuals are so open minded, then why would they and also their supporters automatically dub ALL Christians as bigots, like you just did?

I was targeting only the christians who are right winged, bigoted christians. If you don't consider yourself one, then don't include yourself in my statement, easy as that. :0)

But again, the christians who do say stuff like, "I'm okay with homosexuals, I just don't agree with what theyre doing" is close minded.

It is not closed-minded. They have no problem with the people, but don't agree with their lifestyle. Absolutely nothing closed-minded about that whatsoever.

It's like having a friend who is an alcoholic. You love your friend, but you don't like their lifestyle. Does that make you closed-minded? Not at all.

I have three very dear friends who are homosexual. I disapprove of their lifestyle, but I love them dearly. Does that make me closed-minded? Not if you know what that term ACTUALLY means.

Holy Good Mother of Heaven, did you just compare homosexuality with alcoholism?

If that's what you took out of it, that's your problem. Think about it a bit, and maybe you'll get what I was REALLY saying.

Would you be happier if I used a different analogy? Fine. Because you didn't seem to get that one, I'll do another one.

It's like having a friend who believes in very large families and no use of birth control. You disagree with their lifestyle, but you love them dearly. Is that closed-minded?

Or how about....

You have a friend who is completely vegan. You disagree with their lifestyle, you think it's unhealthy, but you love them dearly. Does that make you closed-minded?

Get it yet?

Alcoholism isn't a lifestyle, it's a disease. Your analogies fail.

That wasn't my point, duh.

It doesn't matter what your point was. It was a terrible and offensive analogy.

Then I am sorry I offended with that analogy. I can see where it probably was an inappropriate one, and I am truly sorry for the offense. At that moment, it was the only one I could think of. Again, I am sorry.