Is It A New Leaf?

Is it a new leaf or is it the same ol’ bull?

I am not anti-religion, I just don’t believe anyone has a right to tell me who I am or who I can marry. And now two religious leaders have softened their stance against LGBT people, the Pope softened the churches stance on gay priests and Pat Robinson said that being transgender is not a sin.

Time had this to say about the pope’s statement,

Pope Francis Says He Does Not Judge Gay Priests
His comments were short, subtle, but unmistakably direct: “If they accept the Lord and have good will, who am I to judge them? They shouldn’t be marginalized.”
By Elizabeth Dias
July 29, 2013

Today the Pope stated that he does not judge gays—a statement that will send shockwaves through the church. His comments were short, subtle, but unmistakably direct. “If they accept the Lord and have good will, who am I to judge them? They shouldn’t be marginalized,” he told reporters on his return flight from Rio de Janeiro to Rome. “The tendency [to homosexuality] is not the problem … they’re our brothers.”

The Pope also criticized journalists for reporting on allegations of homosexuality within the Vatican, saying those matters concerned questions of sin, not crimes, like the sexual abuse of children. He said when someone sins and confesses, God both forgives and forgets. “We don’t have the right to not forget,” he said.

But when you tell someone not of your faith who they can marry and who they can’t you are marginalizing them. I have no problem with you telling people of your faith who they can marry, but I have a very big problem when your priest lobby against marriage equality.

Pat Robinson said that he doesn’t condemn trans-people, but he “doesn’t understand that,”

Pat Robertson Says Being Transgender Is Not a Sin
The televangelist issued an unexpected response to a viewer's question about recognizing transgender coworkers as the gender with which they identify.
Advocate
BY Sunnivie Brydum
July 29 2013

On Sunday's episode of the Christian Broadcasting Network's question and answer forum, "Bring It Online" with televangelist Pat Robertson, the right-wing pundit had some surprising things to say about transgender people.
[…]
"But I think there are men who are in a woman's body," the 83-year-old former Baptist minister continues. "It's very rare, but it's true. Or women that are in men's bodies. And they want a sex change. And that is a very permanent thing, believe me, when you have certain body parts amputated, and you have shot up with various kinds of hormones, it's a radical procedure. I don't think there's any sin associated with that — I don't condemn somebody for doing that."

He goes on to say to the person who asked the question, “It's not for you to decide, or to judge,"