Cannot Condone It

     No one has the ability to convince me that any sort of religion enables people to hate another person because of who they love.  I've studied a few over my academic career, and while academic study separates you from the belief itself, it does give you an idea of what the tenants mean to those who follow said faith.  No religion I have ever studied says... Hate this person because of who they love.
Now, yes, one could manipulate sentences and verses to support their own intolerant agenda, but that does not make it right and it does not mean the religion in its core supports such things. 
     One thing about progress, the central idea of being progressive, is to learn over time and grow, not to step backwards into barbaric behaviors and sentiments.  To me, the anti-gay sentiment that permeates throughout this country is simply a remnant of some archaic and barbaric thinking, some past where it is acceptable to ostracize another human being for being different from YOU.  I have never subscribed to such base behavior.  I do not believe I am better than others who do, I just consider myself lucky for having the right experiences that taught me to accept another person regardless of who they dated (because honestly, I really do not care).  
     First, I had an uncle who was gay.  He was a loving, candid, silly, and human person possessing great virtues and natural flaws just like any other human being.  I grew up slowly understanding that my uncle was different, that he was gay and at first I did not know what it meant, but all I saw was my uncle, so I really could have cared less.  Once I matured enough to understand, his sexuality mattered even less.  He was again, just my uncle and when he died a few years ago, the only thing I remembered about him was how much I loved him, not who he wanted to date.  Second, I was an extremely shy and awkward child.  I know, I know... that is a shock to my friends now.  I did not like talking, I did not like groups of people, and I had social issues at school... so my parents, in an effort to get a child who THEY saw as open and outgoing, put me in theater to help me get to know people more and enjoy myself.  It was an AMAZING thing my parents did and to this day, I cannot thank them enough for the experience.  So, in theater, I met a lot of different people...of various backgrounds and with a plethora of different personalities, some were gay, straight, black, white...we all just got together and had fun.  To sum it all up, what I am trying to say is during my youth I had exposure to other people and learned to accept people because they all accepted me, and I knew them as friends, family... not some "other."  
     While I get pretty involved in politics, social issues are my biggest cause.  I have had the honor to meet people from all over the country and world who illustrate how great humanity can be when love is a guiding force.  I have family who strive no matter how hard it is, to teach others that LOVE is the ONLY way...and intolerance, hate, cruelty.... is the wrong way.    These people are atheists, christians, buddhists, pagans and muslims....from tons of different faiths and creeds.  So when people who walk around with signs that say "God Hates Fags" and when they boycott places because they have fair policies regarding the equal treatment of gay and straight couples... and they do that in the name of a religion... its painful to me, it angers me, but I have to remember that those people just have the wrong idea.... and maybe if they UNDERSTOOD what they were doing, they would stop.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/13/timothy-kurek-straight-christian-pretends-gay_n_1963657.html

I'm not saying every person who does not understand what its like to be gay should pretend to be gay for a year (honestly, they shouldnt have to to accept people for who they are), but if they just lived a day in another person's life... if they just tried to think to themselves... I do not know what its like to be this way, so why am I judging this life?  The world would be a much happier place.