You do know that they would probably have walked out even if he hadn't 'cussed'? If he'd stated his point they would still have left. They left the moment he said he believed what the bible said on homosexuality was bull.
That's speculation. I don't disagree that in such a scenario that's the most probable outcome, but it is what it is, a speculation built counterfactual defense.
Basically, he's saying that the Bible is truly incompatible with treating gays or anyone else with human dignity. He's more fundamentalist in his interpretation here than any fundamentalist. He doesn't understand the role of Scripture in religious and moral life over the past three millenia. And, like some posters here, it doesn't look like he wants to. He feels like he's been hurt by the Bible, and so he's reacting to that.
Are we sure his interpretation is any more "fundamentalist" than a fundamentalist's interpretation of the Bible?
I personally think this is the elephant in the room for modern Christianity. As I see it, most Christians [by that I mean, the folks under the normal statistical curve, if we can fit one] are likely in a few camps here. [As an aside, I'm going to use the word "tolerant" without necessarily saying thats something to be valued.] (a) You're a tolerant Christian who doesn't think the literal message of the Bible is that intolerant, (b) you're a tolerant Christian who looks at the Bible and says...hmm...I've got to do some major reconciling between what I think God really is and well, what this 2000 year old text with a bunch of...inconsistencies with what I think God really is [so that you're put in a situation whereby your personal God is similar to, but may not be the same as the entity existing throughout the whole Bible], (c) You want to be a tolerant Christian, but are constrained by the Good Book's words, or (d) Tolerance at points is nice on some issues, but there is no room for tolerance here. I don't want to be too pejorative, so I'll put it this way. Some folks in this group...generally nice people, mean well...hate the sin, love the sinner (and this love can be expressed in strange ways, from a more secular viewpoint)...but that's the furthest they can go...the laws are absolute throughout time...any further accommodation almost makes one an accomplice.
Anyway, a roundabout saying that Christians, myself included, have this problem as to what the Bible actually says on the issue (as opposed to whats convenient to read from it) and how to reconcile it, if they think reconciling is necessary at all.
