History has been made in America this past week. The Supreme Court has made it legal for gay couples to marry throughout the United States. To me, this is a great feat for the U.S. It has been something a long time coming considering just north of us in Canada marriage equality has been in place for 10 years.
To say the least, I was very happy to hear the news. However, what I was not happy to see was the next day when I saw articles and tweets about how Catholics and Christians are outraged by this new mandate.
I was raised Christian but I was also raised very liberal. I went to Sunday school as a child, but after awhile my family and I stopped going to church on Sundays. We believed that God is everywhere, not just in the church. As a teenager I participated in a non-denominational youth group and to this day I say my prayers at night.
So when marriage equality became legal, I was thrilled. I was taught that God created every single person in his image and He doesn't make mistakes. So, I believe anyone born straight or gay is meant to be that way. I was also taught that God is love. So if someone wants to exemplify God, they would do so by loving themselves and the people around them.
After seeing so much hate come from the religion I love, I am ashamed of the people producing it. God is love. And by projecting hate, you are no longer doing God's work. These people have created such a terrible name for the church by not practicing tolerance, this then falls onto Christians like myself who are very accepting of other people and their beliefs.
I have friends who are gay, I have friends who go to church, and I have friends that are both. I love all of them. And I can only wish that this love will spread to those that spew hate or their ideals onto the LGBTQ community.
I cannot tell people what to do, just like they cannot tell me what to believe. However, I only ask for people to be forgiving, understanding, and peaceful with one another and to no longer spread the hate in this world when there is already to much of it. And on that note, God bless.
