A very close friend of mine is what would be called an "evangelical atheist". While I have typically been content with the live and let live philosophy in my own atheism, he has been trying to convince me of the merits of evangelical atheism, and I think he has some very good points.

Warbler said:

As to what makes it bad, I really am not sure. My religion says its a sin. Maybe it is that it might be unnatural or that maybe sex should be about procreation and that can't happen naturally between gays. Just so you know, saying this stuff leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.

"My religion says its a sin."

Here is one good example of why my friend is beginning to win me over in his evangelical atheist thinking. Statements like this are kind of scary. "It is bad, I don't know what makes it bad, but God says it is bad, so it is bad". This ancient book written by backwards people thousands of years ago claims something is bad, and you end up with modern people who should by now know better believing it is bad... even though they have no clue why it is bad.

You can bet all the hatred and persecution (and plain old disapproval) homosexuals have gone through in recent years, and are still going through now, wouldn't exist, or at least not on the scale it does, if Christianity didn't teach that it was wrong.

I am very happy you said it leaves a bad taste in your mouth saying that stuff, Warb. It shows you are wiser than that, and capable of thinking on your own. Rather than just going along with what ignorant men who died a very long time ago have written in the name of some entity you have never seen, heard, or met.