Those who believe in acceptance and respect also accept and respect one's individual right to choose their religious affiliation and do not try to pull or push them.
Oh right, I do understand that. But then they must understand that when there are very vocal proponenets of hate rhetoric claiming to represent Christianity, and no one to refute them, that this is what people are going to think of Christians. You can't have it both ways, either you (Christians) care about how you are perceived, or you do not. If the mean-spirited and the hypocritical are the only advocates of religion people hear, then no one can be surprised that those who are not in that category will see it as a group that promotes hatred, and thereby invalidates anything else they claim to believe.
Catholicism lost a great deal of respect in the world for the abhorent way it has and IS handling the Priest molestation issues- still paying off victims in private, still hiring high-priced lawyers to defend them, and still allowing these people access to children, just "somewhere else". When the Bishops and church hierarchy think that their structure is more important that the lives and
assholes of our children, then they deserve no more than contempt. Until they take responsibility, there can be no forgiveness, and no one gives a FUCK about what "good" they think they've done in other areas. Get your fingers out of kids' panties before you talk to me about God. Defend your "church" instead of the principles of righteousness, and your weak defense will fall on my deaf ears.
Protestants are no better at all. The level of ignorance and hypocrisy among protestants is mind boggling. Since my association with Christianity was as a protestant, I can speak better as to what I saw there. Yes, they do teach that being gay is wrong, and can be cured. They are also told that as long as they don't act on their feelings, they'll be okay. I fucking hate this- do you have any idea how many lives are simply ruined, horrifically, because these men and women are made to feel like animals? They marry people to whom they are not really sexually attracted, thinking they'll "get better" one day, then years down the raod, kids get to watch their parents go through hell because living a lie really sucks.Suicide becomes an option for everyone, parents and children. SHAME ON THE CHURCH!
Very few protestants have any idea at all how the Bible developed over time, actually very few really understand that the different books were even written by different people! Yeah, I know- mind boggling since the books even carry thier scribe's names, but it's true. I was taught that the Bible was the Word of God himself, and it was all true, every word, even the ones that don't agree with each other or make any sense at all. You are forced to either claim to believe it all, or be a bad Christian. When I see people defending it so vehemently, I understand. It's very compelling for people to follow the leaders of what is one of the most imtimate areas of one's life. It still doesn't make any of it "true". Protestants in general are highly ignorant
about their religion. They can quote the Bible, which they feel gives them superiority over Catholics, but they know almost nothing about what the Bible actually is. They read it, but they read NOTHING about it from any other source, other than the occasional Christian writer.
So, what the onlooker sees is this: wars in the name of God, discrimination, fear, self-loathing, years of counselling- all brought about by religion, and by very ignorant people. Not a pretty sight. So yes, there is a great need for the few who are capable of doing better to speak up, or any interest in the authentic message could be very easily lost.