Agape = Persecution??

Agape Press has this press release out in the internet ether...
(special thanks to Sadly, No! for pointing this out.)

"Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill that gives homosexuals new and far-reaching powers.

The bill, SB 1441, adds sexual orientation to already existing provisions in the state's law that prohibit discrimination on the basis of, among other things, race, national origin, ethnic group identification, religion, age, sex, color, or disability. The measure was promoted by a lesbian member of the California legislature and is now the law in that state, a fact that has filled many family advocates with outrage."

First I would like to say that I applaud this development in California politics. It is the right thing to do. However, there is a problem, and I think agape press nails it here:

"This legislation, a CRI press release points out, could potentially prevent parochial schools such as private, Christian, Catholic, Mormon, or other faith-based educational institutions from receiving student financial assistance if they also maintain a code of conduct that prohibits homosexual behavior as immoral based on their religious beliefs."

Of course they are correct, it does discriminate against Christian religions. They are correct to view this as "persecution" or an "attack in the War On Christianity." But what does that really mean?

They are being limited in their religious activities. This is evident in that they will no longer be able to persecute gays via their schools or religious establishments. But what I want to know is why they find it acceptable to demonize a given sub-section of the law-abiding American population based solely on their religious views. I mean, in the lead up to the Civil War, many Christian Southerners claimed it was their religious right to abuse and dehumanize blacks. What is the difference? They were wrong then, and they are wrong now.

So, yes, it is true that Christians are being singled out for "persecution" via this new law. But the truth is, the one they refuse to admit, is that this has occurred based solely on their own hateful and persecuting ways. To claim otherwise is to roll back the advances made as a result of the emancipation proclamation.

When religion is in the business of demonizing and persecuting law-abiding Americans, they deserve to have laws put in place to bring them in compliance with a civilized American society.

So what have we learned? That there is actually persecution going on in this country, but it is propagated by Christians against law-abiding Americans, and they are now suffering as a result of that persecution.


Update: As has been pointed out by Ed Brayton and others, this agapre press release is reduce to the absurd, because of what the discrimination law already protects: Religion. Now if religion was already given "new and far-reaching powers" via the same bill that now grants them to gays and lesbians. What is their real complaint?? It seems it is reduced to whining about some other group getting the same far-reaching powers Christians already had! Talk about Christian persecution.. "They get the same rights we already enjoyed... That means we're persecuted."

Pathetic.