Gay marriage demonizing Christians?

In Pop Culture today, all we hear about is one point of view on social politics: be open to every form of lifestyle, choice, and person regardless of what you believe.  For example, The Real World has been a show on MTV since 1992.  Sadly, I have to admit that this show, since the 2nd season, has been a guilty pleasure of mine, and they are now on their 22nd season.  It is like driving by a car accident…I can’t help but stare out of sheer curiosity.  The Real World always has the same type of stereotypical characters, with a few differences between seasons.  There is, for instance, always the gay man or woman, and always the one person in the house that is “close-minded” to someone living a homosexual lifestyle.  They have many quarrels during the show, and in the end, the person who was “gay bashing” has become enlightened and realized they were wrong and they need to accept other lifestyles.  Without my generation actually being aware of this influence, Hollywood and pop-culture has actually been promoting its social politics into everything we watch, read, and listen to.  The majority of this isn’t even obvious.  It isn’t a news anchor saying these things, but for instance a blockbuster movie, “I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry,” that shows some extremely hateful Christians with signs outside a courthouse that says, “God hates fags.”  Christians are portrayed as these hateful people who want to stone everyone and judge.  I admit, there are a few out there, but true Christianity is surrounded by LOVE, not hate.  Yet Christians are villified in the media and pop culture.  

The big news today is how there are protests against the Constitutional ban in California of gay marriage.  Let me get this straight: the voters of California voted overwhelmingly for Proposition 8, to ban gay marriage.  Supporters of this measure, mostly Christians (although lets be honest, there is NO WAY 52% of people in California are Christians) say this measure is a great step in protecting the sanctity of marriage.  Those who oppose this measure say Christians are imposing their beliefs on everyone else…yet aren’t they the ones now protesting all over the country to overturn this measure that passed by the majority of Californians, thus imposing their beliefs on everyone else?  Isn’t that a contradition?  Yet all we hear, as young Americans submerged in pop culture, is how this measure that was passed is ridiculous and we should go against the voters of California.  The View (oh how I love bashing that show) went on and on this morning about how we all should be open-minded and accept gay couples, etc, and of course, the audience loves this and gives an enthusiastic applause.  Sherri Shepherd talked about a gay man who adopted a kid and now does everything with him and is a great dad.  Now I actually agree with her, but the question remains: shouldn’t the people of each state decide this?  

I’m hearing from many that this isn’t a social issue but a civil rights issue, therefore should be decided by the courts (state and federal).  To that I ask this: what rights do you not have, other than not being able to get married (and by married I mean just the certificate)?  I find that the majority of homosexuals are the most successful demographic anywhere.  They are well educated, smart, articulate, and they have every freedom when it comes to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  They aren’t denied being with their lovers, aren’t denied kids, and aren’t denied things in life that can make us happy.  

Now my stance on gay marriage is a mix of the two extremes.  I think gays should have every legal right, whether that includes visiting a loved one in the hospital, adopting unwanted kids, to just having the right to live a fulfilling life.  I would like to know how that stance is still going against their civil rights?  For me it is just the term “marriage” that needs to be kept to man and woman.  

I also understand the argument for the separation of church and state.  In some instances, I know where people who say this come from.  I wouldn’t want someone saying a prayer over the loudspeaker at school in Arabic to Allah, just as I wouldn’t like the same prayer to Jesus.  But we have to understand where we came from.  Our founding fathers were definitely believers in God and founded this country on those principles.  Murder is a sin in the Bible, therefore, by saying that, am I not separating church and state?  No, because there needs to be some moral order, and there are moral absolutes.  If we didn’t, we would have orgies everywhere, men with 16 wives, prostitution rings, etc, because, after all, that is just their sexual preference right? 

I’m sure by even posting this I will be accused as anti-gay because I’m not protesting this Proposition, and because I said I don’t want gays to get the marriage certificate.  But shouldn’t people respect my beliefs, just as I respect theirs?  In a world saturated in ACLU activism, Christians are scorned for wearing a Christian cross neckless, yet a Muslim woman is protected for wearing their headscarf because, that is their religion.  

The fact is Christians in today’s society are viewed as bigots and Bible thumping whack-jobs who judge and hate everyone.  The double standard kills me.