What do you guys think about this whole homo marriage debate?

I say let them. C’est quoi le gros big deal? What does it matter to us heteros if gay people can get married or not?

When they buried that poor gay kid who got beaten to death a few years back, some assholes showed up at the funeral brandishing signs with biblical passages on them, yelling at the grieving family that the kid was burning in hell. Yeah, homosexuality is a sin, but so are so many other things. What is it that is so threatening about homosexuality that it draws so much hatred? Why is the common thief not drawing such a hateful crowd at his funeral?

Whatever it is about homosexuality that has that effect, is also what I believe is behind the whole anti-gay-marriage lobby. What I hate the most is that those bigots are using God to justify themselves. Of course, some sins (like murder, rape and robbery) should be illegal, because they directly hurt others. But this? This should be up to the individual, because the consequences are between the individual and his/her God.

In fact, when I think about all the hateful things that are being said and done in the world these days, supposedly in the name of God, it makes want to cry. However, I have to say I don’t think the Catholic Church is helping matters much. They have a duty to say what they think is right (in their opinion), but I believe Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary went too far when he recently said that Jean Chretien could burn in hell for his stance on the issue. I mean, how’s that for providing bigot fodder?

I’m a Catholic by birth, but I don’t believe nor do I follow everything the Catholic Church preaches, because I don’t believe it fully represents God. It is a human, political institution, and therefore flawed, as are all other religions. Still, I choose to belong to a religion because I strongly believe that there is a benevolent God. I belong to this one because I was born into it, not because it’s more “right” than any other, in my opinion. If I’d been born in Tibet, I’d do whatever the Buddhists do to honor God, and I don’t think I’d be more or less likely to go to hell for that.

I wonder if I still qualify as a Catholic?