(03-06-2026, 07:03 PM)Durian Fiend Wrote: I don't see the difference between your post and ironyak's, Julie, except for the phrase "god's will". Wouldn't that be implied without invoking those words?
"Recent years?" It's not a new trend. Rather, a very old one. The good news, perhaps, is that Americans in general have become less religious in the past few decades.
There is, actually, quite a bit of difference and is generally not implied, however, for some it is a direct reason.
Being a bigot generally involves holding stubborn, unreasonable, and intolerant views towards groups different from oneself and while standard bigotry is often rooted in personal emotion, ego, or prejudice, there are also some who think using "God" or religion as the justification, which has also been often termed "scriptural bigotry" attempts to sanctify these prejudices, framing intolerance as a divine mandate.
Which was my additional point to Ironyak's point all along.
Also, to be clear, the usage of the term "recent years" was Ironyak's comment, and in as much as I agree with it, it was not from me.