Reverend Sharpton has been named of the "Men We Love" by Genre Magazine.

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Did Rev. Al Sharpton out CNN's Anderson Cooper,
or just tell him he was going to Hell?

"None of us leaves our personal convictions or religious feelings at the door," Sharpton told Cooper during a panel discussion, "but we also respect the fact that everyone doesn't have to have those same convictions in the public marketplace."

"I may have some very conservative personal feelings, but I feel you have the right to live your life differently.

"I might think what you do, Anderson, is going to put you in Hell, but I'm going to defend your right to get there."

"I'm going to try to keep you from going there," added Family Research Council's Tony Perkins.

Sharpton went on to say that he'd prefer to convert Cooper rather than "legislate Heaven" and force him there.

"I appreciate both of your concerns about my afterlife," Cooper joked. "I'm personally not all that concerned, but that's a...whole other discussion."

A clip of the exchange is available to view below, as broadcast on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 on June 24, 2008. Also see the bonus clip, as posted to YouTube, originally broadcast in July of 2007.

TRANSCRIPT:

COOPER: Reverend Sharpton, do you agree with that, that that's what Dr. Dobson may be afraid of, this broadening of...

SHARPTON: I think that there seems to be a fear of dialogue.

And I think, rather than talking at each other, if they talked to each other, I think the question is -- I agree with Tony about public policy. But, when we talk about public policy, I think Senator Obama is right. None of us leave our personal convictions or religious feelings at the door. But we also respect the fact that everyone doesn't have to have those same convictions in the public marketplace.

So, I may have some very conservative personal feelings, but I feel you have the right to live your life differently. I might think what you do, Anderson, is going to put you in hell, but I'm going to defend your right to get there. So, I think that that's where I differ with some of my other brothers.

(LAUGHTER)

PERKINS: I'm going to try and keep you from going there.

SHARPTON: Well, I am too, but I'm not...

(LAUGHTER) SHARPTON: But there's a difference in forcing him to heaven, Tony, and in legislating him in heaven, and converting him. I would rather convert him. Let me convert him, Tony.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: I appreciate both of your concerns about my -- my afterlife.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: I'm personally not all that concerned, but that's another -- a whole other discussion.

Tony, it's interesting, though. In reading Obama's speech, I would have thought it was a speech that a lot of evangelicals would have kind of embraced, because he really is saying, look, there is a role -- you know, secularists are wrong. There is a role for faith in the public square.

PERKINS: Look...

COOPER: And -- and it's a question of -- of how you communicate that faith, and you should use science and reason if you're a politician in order -- you can't just use your religious beliefs.

What is -- what is -- I kind of don't get the criticism.

(CROSSTALK)