[quote=@IceHeart]

Now I agree in that we should all work to make the world a better place when we can, but you must also ask the question of when your 'better' is actually making it worse for others.  Respect goes both ways and [i]forced[/i] tolerance quickly morphs into oppression at its finest.  Is making people, like religious folks who have strong beliefs that homosexual acts are bad, or simply people who believe in the traditional nuclear family of a mother and father as the best model of society, accept non-traditional relationships or [i]genders[/i] as normal really a good thing?

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Although I see what you are driving at here I have to come down on the side of individual rights. A christian might personally believe that homosexuality is bad but the homosexual has the right to conduct their life as he or she see fit. If the boot was on the other foot and the homosexual thought Christianity should be outlawed, the Christian should likewise recieve the same protection. We don't have to like each other, but we should respect each others rights.

[quote=@IceHeart]

Is it ever right to force someone to do something they believe they should never do, like celebrate a homosexual wedding when they believe it is between a man and a woman only?  Is that person who decided not to celebrate something they don't believe in a bad person, even though they would never think of harming a homosexual in the first place?  Most of you would probably say no.

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This is a complicated question. My gut says no people ought not be compelled in such a fashion. Why would you want a celebrant who thought what you were doing was wrong? Of course if they charge for the service, would we find it acceptable if they refused to marry Asians, or redheads or any other group?

[quote=@IceHeart]
Let's say we have an evolutionary scientist who claims homosexual behavior will eventually die out so there is no reason to encourage the behavior in society?  The scientist has a right to their opinion and should not be forced to write a retraction of any of their writings on the subject.
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All human behavior will eventually die out. Plenty of activities are of debatable evolutionary value. Evolution is how we got here, it shouldn't be a guide for our behavior, we ought to try to rise above our origins. 

[quote=@IceHeart]
The workplace one was a bit out of my depth so I'll skirt that one, but the law about adoption agencies hits very close to home.  This is the common hot button topic, for does the government have the right to tell a religiously run organization what to do because they give funds to it?  
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The government already writes all sorts of rules for businesses. For example you aren't allowed to discriminate on the basis of race. It doesn't seem to be a huge jump from there, to don't discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

In the case of not for profit religious organizations its a little murkier. Any time I see discrimination on the basis of sex I ask myself, would we be ok with this in the case of race?


[quote=@IceHeart]
Blast it everyone is too fast at posting, keep writing and more stuff pops up XD.
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No kidding!