Speaking of eschatons and apocalypses

I freely admit, I don't get it:

Pastor Rick protests that he's not a homophobe because he's given money to people with AIDS. He has gay friends and has even eaten dinner in "gay homes."

I mean, I do. I remember in the '60's, when some of my best friends were "Negroes."

Well, not my best friends. I was only 14 when the '60's unofficially ended, and didn't attend an integrated (or, as we said then, "desegregated") school until I was 16, so I didn't have a chance to have "Negro" friends. But still, I understand the sentiment. Pastor Warren also says:

"I support full equal rights for everyone in America," adding that he only opposes a "redefinition" of marriage."

Isn't that a matter for Webster's, though? Or the OED? But this one I do understand:

Warren claimed he supported Proposition 8 because of a free-speech issue -- asserting that "any pastor could be considered doing hate speech . . . if he shared his views that homosexuality wasn't the most natural way for relationships."

Well, I don't know that anyone would be condemned or charged with a hate crime for saying it wasn't the "most natural" relationship. But maybe if we could just agree to stop calling it the "most unnatural" relationship.

And that wouldn't require a redefinition at all.