As a Christian, I know there's no justification for racism. Personally, I don't care too much about it and it doesn't bother me. If you asked me a few years ago, I would have said yes, but as I'm older now, I'm understanding more about how the world works outside of a textbook and news article clearly written with an agenda. And some of you need to realize this:

When you're raised in a family that's raised you to believe certain other groups are innately inferior or dangerous, most likely you're going to carry those traits in your mind. Or if you develop a prejudice based on unfortunate experiences you've had with people of a certain group, it's not easy to suddenly change your mind how you feel about them overnight either. The educational system has done a great job in improving race relations in a sense, but it just appalls me at how so many White people are completely oblivious that we're not in a post-racial society, simply because people don't go around shouting "N*gger", minorities sitting in the back of the bus, and so on. There's so much invisible institutionalized discrimination affecting minorities today, yet even the most non-racist Whites complain why things like Affirmative Action are still active and don't even realize they're benefitting from racism by default, even though they're not racist themselves.

At the end of the day, regardless of what people may claim with the usual PC rhetoric ("we all bleed red", "we're all one race, the human race"), there are very few people who wholeheartedly see the world through those colorblind lenses, especially when it hits home. Some white men may agree that interracial marriage is a good thing.......for other people, but are every one of those white men going to be OK with it when his daughter brings Tyreke home for dinner?

So yes, racism is wrong, but it's discrimination I have an issue with. You don't have to like a certain group of people; but to mistreat them because of their race? That's where I find the biggest problem to be.

I agree.

Homophobia and racism causes specific harm to an individual when it is acted, so THAT is NOT justifiable

However, being biased towards something is justifiable. It's human nature to prefer something over another

Yes. If a kid is born into the west boro baptist church, they doomed to hate.

I think if you are born into that as a child and basically brainwashed your entire life to think a certain way and to hate a certain group of people, it is justifiable because they can't think any other way. That's why racist/extremist societies always target children very quickly as a way of trying to ensure their legacy in the future. If they can brainwash children, they can ensure a new "race" of backward thinkers who think the same way as themselves. This can be seen throughout history of course with the "Hitler youth" and even today, sadly, with the brainwashing of young children in Africa to be killing machines.

Well, I'm only speaking from the standpoint of an American. I know homosexuals in other countries are killed for being attracted to the same sex, in which makes it justified for one to not accept the lifestyle. However in America, everyone has a chance to see the world for themselves.

A reason it's not an excuse nor does it make it excusable. You can be raised with ignorant views and that will be your reason for it, not a plausible excuse.

Agreed.

And homophobia and racism definitely fall under hatred. It's one thing to not like a gay or black person due to a personal conflict or something, but to hate them just because they aren't a straight, white person is hateful. I don't care what you were taught as a child, that **** isn't right or justifiable.

No form of hate is justifiable. So long as that person, group or community is not harming anyone or anything, then no one has the right to "hate" them. Race and sexuality are harmless and are just qualities that make up the human race, so I don't get why some people have such a problem.

Never!

In no ****ing way whatsoever.

!!!!