So you’d easily tolerate a comment such as “Obama is like Stalin” and a defense of “oh that wasn’t a direct comparison”? No, that wouldn’t be a comparison at all and it wouldn’t matter if I said, “but they’re both political leaders”. Stalin’s killed more people than Hitler. A lot more. It would be a ridiculous statement said for shock value, and it would undermine any argument I would construct. But it’s no different than comparing Bush to Hitler or a Christian faith to the Klan. Therefore, defending its gross inaccuracy as a theoretical comparison between “teachings” is misguided. Kindergarten teaches children too but it’s certainly not the same thing as what SEAL training teaches special forces recruits.  Obviously, the Westboro Baptist Church perverts traditional theology and preaches outright hate, relishing the belief that most people are going to hell. I wouldn’t consider them in this discussion b/c they are such an extreme, have an extremely small congregation, have no political or societal influence save their shockingly hateful rhetoric. In fact, a comparison between Westboro and the Klan would carry much more weight. And yes, I used the phrases “most faiths” and ‘Western Theologies generally’ because it is easier than listing all of the major Christian faiths as that is obviously what we are discussing; not Eastern theologies or Islam.

Firstly, no one is saying that the tenets of Christian ideology can’t be criticized. But this isn’t criticism. This is a gross disregard for what the faith actually teaches. I’m a Christian. I think homosexuality is a sin. BAM! I’m immediately lambasted as a hateful person. I get dehumanized. Do these people know anything about me? No. Much like this person didn’t know anything about the people of this church and whether they would welcome a homosexual into their congregation.