Here I am sitting on my couch after calling one of the only people I trust to call when I need spiritual guidance, my Dad. My nose is all red and my eyes are still watery from the tears I shed during our conversation. I am upset about the Marriage Amendment. Not because I don't support gay couples, but because it hurts me to think that so many people are against them. It literally hurts me so much I am starting to cry again just writing this. I just cannot as a human being who genuinely loves all people, justify discriminating against someone just because they are different than me. Just because they are Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist, or Jewish, Gay, Straight, whatever. It may sometimes be exotic or strange to me, but never a reason to hate. Never a reason to discriminate. NEVER. My religion is and will never be a catalyst for such hatred or bigotry. My God is a God of Love and acceptance.
During our conversation, I said, "Dad the Bible said, For God so loved the world he gave his only son... The very son who loved and accepted those who society did not. He loved them as much as he did his devout disciples."
My Dad said, "Well he loved them and they repented."
To which I replied, "How does one repent for something they had no choice in the matter of? How is it wrong if being gay is how God made these souls? How can we discriminate against God's own work?
My Dad did not have an answer for me today. But he listened to my tears and my sadness over the whole situation, as a good Father should. He tried to comfort me, and did the best he could.
Our conversation moved to my frustrations with my Philosophy of Religions class and how absolutely maddening it is to me that there are so many different theories and opinions which make up all the different religions. That there are so many wars and fights because of religion.
At one point there had to have only been one religion. Then because people wonder [because we cannot absolutely know and it is human nature to question and wonder] about God and why things are the way they are, different opinions formed. Which transferred into different religions. Just within Christianity my Dad mentioned there are over 3,000 different Christian "churches" (Catholic, Lutheran, etc.). Who am I to say any one religion is better than another? I was born in Korea and could have been raised Buddhist had I not been adopted by Catholics. My son will be what we choose to raise him as. (Or until he decides what he is when he is older if he happens to not agree with Christianity.) I cannot say, all of these religions that people chose because of parental/societal influence will go to hell just because. I cannot doom small children to eternity in flames and brimstone because they happened to be born into a different belief. If they are good and decent humans, why can't we just all agree to disagree and leave each other alone? Why does it have to incite so much fury and hatred?
All of the discord in the world, the pressure of 'did I make the right choice in the specific religion I am raising my children', the hate and discrimination I see and that my son is exposed to got to me especially bad today. I just so desperately want for all God's children to love and accept one another for other creatures and creations of God. Made in his image. All of us are. Gay or not. Christian or not. We are all His children, and should all treat one another as such.
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