It's not that a person's belief in god is controversial, it's that their expression of it typically has to be restricted and they call that oppression. For instance, proselytizing in the workplace will get you dragged into HR, but so will sexual harassment. The fact that both are unwanted is the specific reason for the reprimand is lost on the Christian. The outrage is in being treated similarly to the one accused of universally unacceptable behavior, while they consider their own behavior a service.

I've come to believe it's more of a ploy or tactic they've used since childhood to get their own way. I now pounce on the opportunity to laugh at them and their pretend tears.

I agree with the change thing.

White conservative people have been in the driver's seat for so long, that equality feels like oppression.

Look to their ministers who have a very strong need for this belief system to be promoted.

Because, like any five year old or person who is mentally five years old, they are unable to tell the difference between being oppressed and not always getting what one wants.

Most people do not handle change well. Those that resist change are more conservative. Why can't they handle change, even though their own beliefs have changed from when they were children or from their parents view points? Some tragedy in their lives, being afraid of some thing (maybe death), some negative event(s) -- it may be a long term environmental impact (parents). How to change this? There is no way to change conservatives into liberals -- it must come from within. The same applies in reverse.

My mother is the same way, conservative x-ian, complains that her rights are being taken away, people like her are being persecuted for their beliefs, etc. As a teenager I went to church frequently and other religious events. At many of these events the attitudes were the same, the religious were being persecuted. I think it has a lot do with the passages in their bible about early christianity being persecuted by the Romans, especially what happened to their savior. I believe that it creates a martyr syndrome that they fully, completely embrace and utilize to their advantage while acting as if it does not actually exist.

As Louis Black would say, I can't be kind about this. If people believe in stupendously delusional things and they try to convert others to their delusion, they just might meet with some well deserved kick back and not have the capacity to fathom why and be left with feeling oppressed.

Evangelical true believers feel that the absolute certainty of their dogma entitles them to intrude on the lives of others and to impose their dogma on others to further their cause. They feel that any attempts to limit their intrusive and abusive behavior is oppression. In other words, they really don't give a damned about us and our rights, nor do they feel bound by the U.S. Constitution.

I've encountered this for years, and I don't get it. Just because the world questions you, you're persecuted. Really. Just because others want equal rights you're persecuted. Fragile aren't they.

It is stated in their bible and part of their dogma that they will be persecuted, so that is just part of their shtick.

Those who want to oppress others feel oppressed when they can't!

Because even being stupid should be a constitutional right. And it is.

It's a show used by the Ducksuit (see my post) politicians to justify what they do and get support from the ducks. They've been socially engineered into this belief, even though it has no truth in it.