Mike Huckabee has been out promoting his provocative new book. In explaining his opposition to gay marriage on The View, Huckabee argued that the gay rights movement should not occupy the same moral status as the civil rights movement for blacks because blacks were subject to far more violence. I'll let others discuss the idea that violence should be the main measure of a group's rights claims.
I wanted to dwell on another point he raised. After passionately criticizing violence against blacks, he also noted that Christians were subject to violence as well. That's true but there's a growing mythology in the Christian community that they're persecuted as much as, or more than, other groups.
Not really. According to the FBI, last year there were twice as many hate crimes based on sexual orientation (16.6%) as there were based on Christianity (8.4). There were also more hate crimes against Muslims than Christians and eight times as many hate crimes against Jews as against Christians. And of course this is despite the fact that Christians represent a far larger percentage of the population than gays, Muslims or Jews.
Again, no persecution is justified and I understand that many Christians feel that their faith is mocked by the dominant culture -- and sometimes they're quite right -- but let's keep things in perspective.
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Huckabee keeps trying to explain why it is ok to discriminate against gays, but it is still wrong to do so. He hides his bigotry in a cloak of christianity, but it is easy to see through and a disgrace to true Christianity. Shame on this man!
Huckabee is a hypocrite that blows with the wind. He had "Joe the Plumber" on his show two times talking about the farce "spread the wealth." Huckabee was on Hannity and Colmes siding with Hannity on many issues.
I have been shocked by Huckabee's statements about helping the needy. His attitude was it was their own fault. I agree with making be accountable to do their best, but a former pastor should know many needy people are not at fault for their circumstance. James Dobson made the same statement about Obama's tax plan being welfare for people that did not pay taxes, which was not true.
I have been saddened by the conduct by some of the conservative/religious right or whatever label of individuals that are mean and hateful to others in the name of God/Jesus. It is the kind of conduct that turns people away from Christianity
I see this as an attempt to broker sympathy for his cause and nothing more. Discrimination is never right and cannot be justified. I agree with the comment above mine, this is the sort of behavior that turns people away from Christianity.
Well, unless Obama really screws up, it would probably a good idea for the Republicans to run Huckabee in 2012, lose by another landslide and then use that as an excuse to dump the religious right in the nearest sewer.
Mr. Hucklebee is a liar. He must never have heard of the deaths of Gwen Araujo, Teena Brandon, Matt Shelpherd, Aaron Webster, et al. Maybe he hasn't read this week's news about a man who was killed - not because he was/is gay, but because he was thought to be gay - he had his arm around his brother's shoulders as they were walking down a street in Amerikkka.
Mr. Hucklebee is himself guilty of inflicting spiritual violence on God's gay and lesbian children when he compares loving, committed, consenting adult same-sex relationships to "marrying a child or an animal".
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