Washington Post ombudsman Patrick Pexton struggles with the issue: Is the Post ‘Pro-Gay’?

Apparently, the Post has been getting emails from conservatives complaining that their anti-gay viewpoints are being marginalized. They’re not happy about it. Hating gay people is a core conservative value, and why doesn’t the Post understand that?

Pexton concludes that they have a point, and the Post needs to try harder to understand.

Still, just as I have written that The Post should do a better job of covering and understanding the anti-abortion movement, The Post should do a better job of understanding and conveying to readers, with detachment and objectivity, the beliefs and the fears of social conservatives.

I’m actually in favor of this, because if more people see what the gay-hating reactionary “social conservatives” really believe and fear, it will only serve to hasten their rejection by the rest of society.

For example, here’s Matt Barber, the quintessential social conservative, in the far right conspiracy journal World Net Daily with An Open Letter to ‘Gay’ Teens, helpfully explaining that they’re not gay, they’re sinners. And they’re doomed to burn in hell forever unless they repent.

I’ve had many people ask me what I’d say to my children if one of them came to me and declared: “Dad, I’m gay.”

Here’s what I’d say. I’d tell them exactly what I’m about to tell you.

I love you. I neither judge you nor condemn you. I accept you and I would die for you.

But you are not “gay.”

Yes, you may be physically attracted to people of the same sex, but how you act on those attractions is entirely your choice. Who you are - your identity - is not defined by your sexual feelings, temptations or behaviors. The difference between who you are and what you feel or do is as the difference between night and day.

But you are flawed - you are a sinner. …

Homosexual behavior is always wrong - demonstrably and absolutely wrong.

Period. …

In fact, homosexual sin is expressly identified in both the Old and New Testaments as being among the list of sins that, if committed without repentance, will prevent you from “inheriting the kingdom of God.”

That is to say, yes; unrepentant homosexual behavior is disobedience to God. If we rebel against God and refuse to repent and ask His forgiveness, then we have chosen our own fate - we have chosen to disqualify ourselves from heaven.

We have chosen hell.

That’s what Matt Barber would say to his own son.

Yes, by all means, let’s really try hard to “understand” what’s going on in this religious fanatic’s head.