Define Conservatives vs. Liberals

My father had a letter to the editor published in Saturday's St Paul Pioneer Press:

Gay marriage foes lose ground

Laura Billings addressed the remarkable turn of events that occurred this month in Great Britain ("Across the pond, oddly, gay unions are the law," Dec. 22). Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England now permit civil partnerships granting some of the same financial benefits to same-sex couples as married heterosexual couples. The four follow five countries where same-sex marriages were already the law of the land, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Canada and, recently, South Africa.

She failed, however, to draw the self-evident conclusion that those who are promoting an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution defining marriage as only a union of one man and one woman are on the wrong side of history.

ED KOHLER

St. Paul

"The wrong side of history," is a good way to explain it. John Aravosis of Americablog.com came up with a similar explanation for why religious bigots are really shooting themselves in the foot when they discriminate in the name of their religion: I've said for a while now that the reason we win these battles is because each of these battles start as "culture wars" and end as "civil rights."

I find it both interesting and sad to watch people discriminate against other people based on outdated religious doctrine. It's both sad and interesting to me because I can't figure out how a religious person can find such material to grasp out of all God's teachings. Maybe a gay basher can help explain it? Step right up.