Quote Originally Posted by ItODDospeed View Post
I see that there's religious-zealots are out here as well.

If gays/lesbians want to be married, who would I, or anyone be to stand in the way of what anyone wants. Some of the greatest founding Patriots of the U.S. stated (and I'm paraphrasing) that Christianity was the worst thing to happen to the U.S. Opposing what another wants for themselves is very anti-American. Freedom of religion is a founding spark to the U.S., and now some use their religion to bind others to their idealism. For shame...

FTR, most who are "offended" by public displays of affection by the same sex usually have the same thoughts inside their head. Usually they figure if they stop seeing the same sex PDA; then maybe it will leave their mind and others as well.
You are referring to Thomas Jefferson's letter to Joseph Priestly in 1801. You need to read it in context. Letters

Whole quote:
"I learnt some time ago that you were in Philadelphia, but that it was only for a fortnight; & supposed you were gone. It was not till yesterday I received information that you were still there, had been very ill, but were on the recovery. I sincerely rejoice that you are so. Yours is one of the few lives precious to mankind, & for the continuance of which every thinking man is solicitous. Bigots may be an exception. What an effort, my dear Sir, of bigotry in Politics & Religion have we gone through! The barbarians really flattered themselves they should be able to bring back the times of Vandalism, when ignorance put everything into the hands of power & priestcraft. All advances in science were proscribed as innovations. They pretended to praise and encourage education, but it was to be the education of our ancestors. We were to look backwards, not forwards, for improvement; the President himself declaring, in one of his answers to addresses, that we were never to expect to go beyond them in real science. This was the real ground of all the attacks on you. Those who live by mystery & charlatanerie, fearing you would render them useless by simplifying the Christian philosophy, -- the most sublime & benevolent, but most perverted system that ever shone on man, to crush your well-earnt & well-deserved fame. But it was the Lilliputians upon Gulliver. Our countrymen have recovered from the alarm into which art & industry had thrown them; science & honesty are replaced on their high ground; and you, my dear Sir, as their great apostle, are on it's pinnacle. It is with heartfelt satisfaction that, in the first moments of my public action, I can hail you with welcome to our land, tender to you the homage of it's respect & esteem, cover you under the protection of those laws which were made for the wise and good like you, and disdain the legitimacy of that libel on legislation, which under the form of a law, was for some time placed among them."