Atrios on The Sincerity Privilege:
Whether or not this applies specifically to Amanda I’m not really sure either, but I do agree that questioning the sincerity of peoples’ faith does anger them. On the other hand, appealing to the sincerity of their beliefs is a way of privileging them, to put them in the realm of privileged discourse, as well as removing the person’s responsibility. I don’t really care if the desire to discriminate against gay people, or turn the uterus into state property, is motivated by sincere religious conviction. I don’t think religious conviction, sincere or otherwise, makes your beliefs somehow special. If you think your misogyny or homophobia is sanctioned by God, it doesn’t make you not a misogynist or homophobe.
I’ve had this conversation with anti-choice progressives, who think it’s important for me to understand that their anti-choice views come from a sincere religious belief. The thing is, I just don’t care. The fact that your political beliefs are motivated by your religion doesn’t make them special to me.
Exactly – it’s great you have firm convictions about your religious beliefs, but I don’t share them, and it doesn’t make you any less wrong when you try to impose them on my life.