LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY catvincent)

An addition to Slacktivist's consideration of why Christianity is often taken to primarily equal homophobia:

"I've been asked to revisit the backlash theory, giving more weight to the perceived seriousness of the threat. In doing so, it has been suggested, I should also revisit the demagogue theory, giving more consideration to the possibility that there really are barbarians at the gate -- big, gay, fabulous barbarians, apparently.

Those who have asked me to reconsider this -- in a series of e-mails that included some which were quite civil -- seem to think I've been going about this question all wrong. They don't deny the accuracy of the recent findings from the Barna Group --

-- but they see this alteration in the very identity of American Christianity as the legitimate and necessary response to a very real life-or-death struggle over the meaning of Christianity and America...

...If homosexuals are accorded legal equality and cultural acceptance, or even tolerance, then, according to this view, every distinction between vice and virtue, between right and wrong, will melt away, the Bible, religion, morality and the rule of law will lose all meaning and society will crash to the ground like a kite without a string.

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together -- mass hysteria.

They really believe this."

Again for emphasis - I am very aware that not all Christians are homophobic or see the rejection of gay rights as a primary issue. Slacktivist himself is a good example of the non-homophobic Christian tendency. But it's clear that this homophobia is a core belief of the Dominionists - and they have become so successful at establishing their version of theology as the baseline that the Barna Group results were so skewed.