"So, when it comes to my comfort level as a conservative who happens to be gay, here's what I know: while many conservatives are people of faith and their religion promotes a very different point of view than mine on homosexuality (and a few other things!), I have found conservatives to be more tolerant, more curious and more understanding of those who are different to them than I ever did when ensconced in US liberal leadership."

Now that I think about it, an absolute disdain for religious conservatives seems to, as I perceive it, underpin the beliefs of every left-leaning person I know. I even understand it, since such disdain informed my political views for a very long time. It took me, well, I hate to admit it, but I guess I must say "growing up," to realize that the people who led me to that disdain were either dumb teenagers, or the parents of same. Now that I'm older, in my opinion the adults who go to church, well, the churches I've been in at any rate, are just as frightened of this world as the rest of us are, and only want to find their own way, and, gently, try to help those they see as lost find theirs.

I've always considered the symptoms of genuine intolerance to be belittling those who disagree with you, making jokes at their expense, and, if all else fails, throwing vile insults at or genuinely threatening them or the people they love or care about. With that definition, and especially when I review the comments to this particular post, I find it hard to deny that the real bigots are found among those who do not go to church.

And heck, I'm a Buddhist. We don't even have churches.

Via Instapundit