Blog Spotlight: The New Civil Right Movement

The New Civil Rights Movement is a blog dedicated to keeping you informed of all the issues in the gay rights arena, especially gay marriage. "Because weddings are bliss, ignorance is not".

Open Forum: Gay Civil Rights and The Bible

The Bible has long been used as a weapon against civil rights battles for African Americans and women, and on the contrary has also been used as a tool to empower and institute government reforms for minority groups.

The Bible has long been used to justify slavery and to subjugate women. Multiple verses can be pointed to in making any case that fits the philosophical view of the majority opinion.

Many religions and denominations are coming to see homosexuality as based in science and psychology and are rendering different interpretations of what it means to be gay. We are in the epicenter of a civil rights battle between secularists, those who believe church/state must be separate, and those who take the Bible at its literal word.

Verses in the Bible were ill interpreted to condone slavery of African-Americans, and the repression of women. As a society we are beginning to see that these groups are not to be treated as second class citizens and that they are fully capable of leading healthy, independent and productive lives.

Is it possible that the shift in religious views on homosexuality will change beyond the realms of progressive/liberal denominations? Will people come to see the authors of the Bible as having not referenced homosexuality, or how the verses have been misinterpreted, or will there always be some element of society that continue to point to religion as a basis for denying gay civil rights?