Could you please help clear some things up?

I will preface my response by saying that I am not christian, but an atheist. I am on these forums to offer people an alternative viewpoint to consider, so that we all might be more enlightened as a result. If you believe I am going to hell, that is fine, though I hope you will take some time to consider the opinions of one humble nonbeliever.

1. You raise an interesting question here. You are correct in saying that banning or regulating something has absolutely no effect on what people believe, because people's beliefs are something that cannot be regulated, which is one of the human mind's most beautiful qualities. While everyone certainly has a right to believe whatever they wish about the world, those beliefs, if acted upon, cannot directly harm the well-being and freewill of others. This is why murder is illegal, because although there might be a few rare people who somehow believe killing is okay, society has a moral obligation to stop people acting on those beliefs, because they intrude on the rights of others to live as they themselves choose. As such, I believe that the right-wing goal of keeping gay marriage banned is entirely ridiculous. While your own views about marriage are your own right to hold, that DOES NOT give you the right to infringe upon the beliefs of others, namely homosexuals who have every right to marry in their own way. So we, as a human race, only have moral right to ban things that cause direct harm or suffering to other human beings. Gay weddings do not harm anyone, therefore, they have no reason to be banned. Disagree with them if you choose, but that does not give you the right to regulate how people live their lives.

2. Another great point. Jesus, in many points throughout the bible, taught people to be loving and accepting of everyone. He taught not to reject anybody. (Yes, it might sound weird to see an atheist talk about Jesus, but I agree with much that he said, minus all of the divine stuff) It's very easy to love someone who shares your beliefs and worldviews, but far more difficult to respect those who disagree with you completely. I suppose you christians might regard this as some sort of test, and that is your right. Perhaps the God you believe in is challenging you to respect and get along with people who hold radically different beliefs. It is important to recognize that as people, we're all in the same boat together. We all share a short time on this earth, and some of us come to different conclusions than others, and that's okay. What is important is to not let your beliefs make you arrogant, because in this very limited life, there's a good chance that most, if not all of us, are utterly and completely wrong about what we believe. So, all we can do is make up our minds about what we think, and let others do the same.

3. Your family members are definitiely not the only ones with such a view. In my very limited experience on this earth, I have met many christians, many of whom are closeminded and arrogant. Conversely, I have also met christians who are very loving and tolerant individuals. One of my best friends is Satanic, another is Christian, another is a Muslim, and another is Agnostic. All of them have the capacity for love, and all of them have the capacity for hate. All of them are human beings who arrived at different conclusions, and that's all. While Christians sometimes have gained a stereotype of being exclusive and cruel, that's mainly because those are the Christians you see in the news, like the ones who commit hate crimes against gays or the ones who bomb abortion clinics. The tolerant, kind, loving ones don't seem to get any attention. While it is true that religion can help make someone a better person, it can also turn people into assholes, and I've seen extreme cases in both directions. If being a Christian is your method of finding meaning in life, and your way of becoming the best person that you can be, then that is your choice. However, if being a Christian turns you into a cruel person who believes that their beliefs are the ONLY ones that are POSSIBLY correct and think we should modify the government to make it so, then such a person is a burden on everybody and damages the reputation of all Christians.

4. This is one of the countless examples of the bible being used to oppress some sort of group. Some people cite Genesis, claiming that females somehow must be inherently "weaker" if Eve was the one who was tempted by the snake. This and many other "justifications" were used to downplay the status of women throughout history. Obviously, nowadays we've come a long way from that (though women are still statistically paid less than men. What a shame.) and now we ask questions about the "role" of women. Obvious biological differences aside, I believe that certain women are suitable for whichever role that their talents complement. I know some women that could easily beat me in chess, and I know others that can easily beat me up. I believe every woman has the right to define for herself whichever "role" she would like to assume. I have just as much respect for women who choose to be stay at home moms as I have for those who choose to continue working and still find time to raise children. I also respect those women who choose not to have any children at all. Thusly, one cannot impose a "role" across an entire gender, rather, roles should be individualized based on whatever a particular woman chooses.

5. Banning books (or burning them) is something I have strong disagreements with. If anyone has recently looked at the Vatican's Index of Forbidden Books recently, it is no small list. Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code was recently added. Banning books is nothing short of admitting ignorance, which is never a good thing. When a religious organization bans a book, it is effectively saying: "there is information in the world that we don't want you to know about, and we don't trust you to make up your mind." Such arrogance is unforgivable. Everyone has the right to absorb whatever information they please; to ban one from doing so is a senseless waste of the human mind. And a mind, as you probably well know, is a terrible thing to waste.

So, I hope I have made my position quite clear, and I thank you for taking the time to read my response. Don't ever stop asking questions...it will make you a brighter and more enlightened individual.

Peace!

-Leviathan.

"What can be asserted with no evidence, can be refuted with no evidence."

-Christopher Hitchens

Your questions are very good questions.  The answers to all of them truly are found in the Word of God.  We live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Luke 4) and our lives are cleaned up by taking heed to the word of God (Psalm 119).  Every opinion, philosophy, book, political view, family value, attitude, behavior, etc must be compared to scripture.  If it does not agree with scripture then you must choose which one you will live by or you will be confused, tossed to & fro by every doctrine (Ephesians 4). 

When you read the Bible ask the Lord to help you to believe the truth of his word and to desire to obey his word no matter how many conflicting viewpoints you may hear or read about.  He will help you to grow strong in faith in his word because he loves you very much.  God will give you his power to live according to his word so that you will be able to dwell with him in Heaven eternally.

A lot of Christians are judgemental or critical.  Don't let that be your measuremnent. Only look to Jesus as your example and follow him, then pray for the rest of us.

God's great peace abound to you,

abluv