“Not being done out of hate” is not an excuse to take rights away from someone. The inquisition was not carried out because of hate; it was carried out to save peoples’ souls. Translated from the original Latin, “… for punishment does n…ot take place primarily and per se for the correction and good of the person punished, but for the public good in order that others may become terrified and weaned away from the evils they would commit.” That it was not done in hate in no way detracts from the millions of people who died for it.

Witch hunts were not carried out for hate. They were carried out for fear that somehow the actions of people who thought/believed/acted differently than oneself would somehow bring doom to those around them. Just like gay marriage is a threat to heterosexual marriage.

When you get to Heaven and God asks you why you worked to take away rights from your brothers and sisters; why you worked so hard to treat them as less than you and to teach your children that those people do not deserve the same rights as you, remember to tell him that it wasn’t done out of hate. I’m sure he’ll understand.