Sandy Supposes....

LESS FEAR

         PROMPT: Last week a Buffalo, N.Y. pastor unintentionally posted a pro-homosexuality sign at his church. It read: Jesus had 2 dads, and he turned out just fine. His intention was to promote a message about fathers and step-fathers. The catholic church opposes gay marriage and has policies against divorce and remarriage of heterosexuals. What's the bigger sin: two people of the same sex loving each other and committing to a life together, or two people of the opposite sex breaking their vows in the eyes of the church?

          First of all, as I understand it, my not being particularly religious or a Catholic, a pastor would be from a Protestant religion. A Catholic minister is known as a priest. This is but one point of contention between these factions. While no religion advocates or approves of divorce, Catholicism seems stricter. Supposedly, a divorced Catholic may not re-marry in this faith, but they do have a little something known as an annulment. This has the same end effect as a divorce, a dissolving of a marriage, but with one big advantage. With a church-sanctioned annulment, the couple are free to re-marry as Catholics. Huh, when are sacred vows not sacred?

         I find many of Catholicism's tenets difficult to accept. Strict adherence to no 'family planning'/ birth control doesn't seem healthy to me. Too much procreation is not always a good thing. Add to this anti-gay teachings, and I'm most definitely not a fan of the Roman Catholic Church.

         Most people live in the real world; a world where it's expensive to provide for children, a world in which marriages may flounder and fail, a world in which people have free will and exercise it, a world in which nothing is guaranteed. No body lives alone in a vacuum. Circumstances may change. People may or may not grow. Attractions, expectations, and experiences shape us all. Not all marriages are life long nor should they be. Why be forced by a religion or public opinion or fear to remain in a toxic relationship? Who benefits from that?

         I fail to see how ending a marriage whether of heterosexuals or homosexuals is a sin. Often it's healthy and ultimately beneficial for dysfunctioning, abusive, unloving, marriages to end in divorce. It's a matter of survival and quality of life. Life is too short to merely limp along in anger, resentment, possible danger, lack of acceptance and support.

         I believe any worthwhile relationship takes two committed partners; male and female, or a combination of either one. Remember the song lyrics? "If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right." A wise Proverb: Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.

         I also cannot comprehend the lack of reasoning that some people have. How was this pastor's original sign misconstrued? My first thought upon seeing it would not have been , " Oh my God! How dare that church promote the terrible sin of homosexuality!! Take it down immediately." Not withstanding free speech , why are seemingly innocent things twisted? Not that long ago, a news report claimed a mother made a big media stink about a birthday cake she purchased from a Costco. She complained and strangely interpreted the dinosaur icing feet on top of the cake as being an anti-Christ symbol of '666'. Really? Her child and his friends were going to jump to that ridiculous conclusion? She was expecting/anticipating evil everywhere. Perhaps she is a believer that Ernie and Bert of Sesame Street are gay simply because they are male friends living together. Even if they were, why is it an abomination? No, I don't believe it's a sin to love anyone. We need more acceptance and tolerance, and a lot less fear.