Opponent of SSM: "Allowing the gay couple next door to get married violates my religious freedom."
Observant Jew: "Allowing my neighbor to eat shrimp with cheese violates my religious freedom."
Observant Catholic: "Don't allow my neighbor to eat steak on Friday. It's against my religion."
All three arguments are equally idiotic.
Even the most radical ultra-Orthodox Jew wouldn't be interested in forcing a Gentile neighbor to follow Jewish dietary law. The whole premise of those laws is that they're part of a covenant God made with the Israelites, and your radical Haredim are happy thinking that the goyim are outside of that covenant.
They'd happily try to force a secular Jew to get back on the kosher bandwagon, though!
People keep analgizing Christianity's and Islam's universalism to religions that are strictly opposed to it. This idea that Orthodox Jews' reaction to Gentiles trying to keep Kosher would be anything other than territorial hostility ("My covenant! Go get your own!") Is mind-boggling.
Fair enough, but I stand my point that imposing your opposition to homosexuality on your fellow citizens is as absurd as Catholics imposing their beliefs regarding meat on Fridays on others. Neither has a place in a free, secular society.
The mistake liberals are making in this thread is assuming everyone opposed to same-sex marriage is a bible thumping Christian.
I can tell you first hand that the people who I know who don't support same sex marriage are people who are not overly-religious. Not anti-religious, but the types who only go to church for weddings and funerals. In fact, not all of them would be properly described as conservatives. Some are union blue collar men types who hate George W. Bush but roll their eyes at things like same-sex marriage.
Don't assume they're all Mike Huckabee.
It's true that you can be secular and homophobic, yes, but what secular, rational argument is there that gay people are bad? It's interesting that women, as a group, tend to be more religious yet less homophobic than men. I suppose it's mostly macho straight men demonizing those who don't conform to "normal" gender roles.
