Henry Rollins on Gay Marriage

Why are some Americans so strongly opposed to gay marriage? Henry Rollins is convinced that not so many people are actually opposed. Instead he sees it as a fundraising tool for small fringe groups.

Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian,publisher, actor, and radio DJ.After performing for the short-lived Washington D.C.-based band State of Alert in 1980, Rollins fronted the California hardcore punk band Black Flag from August 1981 until mid-1986. Following the band's breakup, Rollins soon established the record label and publishing company 2.13.61 to release his spoken word albums, as well as forming the Rollins Band, which toured with a number of lineups from 1987 until 2003, and during 2006. Since Black Flag, Rollins has embarked on projects covering a variety of media. He has hosted numerous radio shows, such as Harmony in My Head on Indie 103, and television shows such as The Henry Rollins Show, MTV's 120 Minutes, and Jackass. He had a recurring dramatic role in the second season of Sons of Anarchy and has also had roles in several films. Rollins has also campaigned for various political causes in the United States, including promoting LGBT rights, World Hunger Relief, and an end to war in particular, and tours overseas with the United Service Organizations to entertain American troops.

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Jonathan Fowler and Elizabeth Rodd

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[Kalen Leib]

Christians? Tolerant of all cultures and philosophy? HA! I don't know what you're smoking, but I want some.

[Official4Rise]

Westboro Baptist Church. Your argument is invalid.

[BailiffQuimby]

...So if you've no justifiable reason to steal, you won't steal. If you and your family are starving, this might count as a justifiable reason to you. But with no justification either way, you'll generally not steal. Likewise, even if the idea of gay sex grosses you out, you generally won't stand up against their rights, as the 'ick factor' by itself is a lame reason. But if you convince yourself than an all-powerful god is anti-homosexuality, NOW you can justify depriving them of equal rights.

[BailiffQuimby]

To further explain my question, I'll explain my own take on the situation. I suspect that everyone is innately programmed with a 2-to-5 million-year evolutionary imperative to be nice, as that is how communal species survive. But we're also inherently selfish from the preceding several billion years of evolution. All things equal, if there are no pressing justifications to be selfish, being nice generally wins out. After all, nobody wants to think of themselves as being the bad guy...

[BailiffQuimby]

"My grandmother is a perfectly nice old woman who is extremely catholic. She views it as her duty to be kind to people."

Of course. But I always wonder, do you suppose your grandmother would *not* be kind to people if she did not believe in god? Or perhaps is she just a nice person inherently and she attributes this to her god beliefs? Open question - I'm not presuming a specific answer.

[Sean Clintonov]

Oh, I agree. I'm an atheist myself, and lack of belief can't be used to justify actions. That said, while I agree that religion can and is used to justify intolerance and violence (crusades, islamic extremists, westboro baptist, etc etc), there are some for whom religion is a justification to do nice things. My grandmother is a perfectly nice old woman who is extremely catholic. She views it as her duty to be kind to people. I agree with your point in general, but there are counterexamples.

[TheAfroDyyd]

Yes because all Islamic people can't wait to strap a bomb to their waist and come knock on a Christians door. Also let's just forget about the crusades and things before and after the Christians have done.

[Tyler Caudell]

You shouldn't be ashamed. You're correct.

[Tyler Caudell]

It goes back to my first claim how if god was real, he would be the one to blame for the invention and use of the H-bomb.

[BailiffQuimby]

I don't know anyone I would call a 'Radical Christian' who is tolerant of all cultures and philosophy. Many Christians are tolerant, just as most Muslims are. But in both religions, the ones who would be considered 'radical' most definitely are not. Part of being 'radical,' to me, means that you close-mindedly presume that your way is right and all other ways are wrong, both in terms of accuracy and morality.

[BailiffQuimby]

It does, as the line of dominoes inevitably pushing the button represents a predestined path, a contradiction to the concept of free will. God's omniscience means that he knows the inevitable outcome of any course of events. Therefore, when he initiates any course of events, he is directly and personally responsible for the inevitable outcome, as he knew that outcome ahead of time and still chose that course of events. ...Unless God doesn't have free will either...

[BailiffQuimby]

I completely agree with you that both nice folk and a55holes exist on both the religious and non-religious sides, and it is totally wrong, both factually and ethically, to presume someone is intolerant just because they are religious.

That having been said, I would point out that religion can be, and often is, used to justify intolerance and bigotry. Being non-religious cannot, by itself, be used to justify such behavior.