Intolerance

I guess this is the week that just won't get any better. This morning I was greeted at work with discussion of how morally wrong it is for Connecticut to allow civil unions for gay couples. I don't know how many of you out there are familiar with this controversy, but I guess Connecticut is the first state to seek this right without request from its residents, so it's been in the news quite a bit. It's a step in the right direction, I guess. But what about marriage?

Here I sit, listening to the so-called "Christians" in the room vehemently protest this subject. The Catholic states that she will not vote for any representative who votes in favor. The "born-again" Christian agrees. Then they start all over again about how it's wrong and how this country is going down the tubes. If this goes on all day, I may lose my mind... I'm already close to the edge as it is.

I guess I'm just too progressive for the environment in which I work. I don't believe in defining love as only being for those who are of opposite sexes. If you truly love somebody, it doesn't matter. Just like it doesn't matter if you're black, white, green, red, whatever, it shouldn't matter if you're male-female or female-female or male-male. Love is love. What's mine should be yours. Why should I be entitled to benefits because I'm married to my husband but others are denied those same benefits because their relationship is outside the scope of what's accepted? Their love isn't any less than my love for my husband. So why deny them? As I said, civil union is a start...but what about marriage? Why is it okay to distinguish one kind of relationship for one group and another kind for another group? We're taught not to discriminate based on age, race, creed, educational background, mental disability, physical disability, etc. for just about everything in this country, so why is it okay to discriminate in this manner based sexual orientation? Why do they preach tolerance and then act so intolerant? It's just not right...

It's also because of this extreme hypocrisy that I shifted away from my religious upbringing long ago. Yes, not everyone feels this way. But considering I am constantly surrounded by those who not only do, but are very vocal about it, it's easy to see why I would feel that wasn't the right place for me. I don't know what is...but I can't associate myself with any group that would preach love and then fight to define love as only being acceptable if it's between a man and a woman. A group that teaches "judge not, lest ye be judged" yet is full of those who are open and free with their judgments. Whatever happened to "love they neighbor"? I guess it went to the wayside when we became the Puritanical society we are today...

EDITED TO ADD: I want to add that, at least from what I learned in college, marriage was *not* originally a religious sacrament. I believe that didn't happen until quite a few centuries after Christ. This is something I keep in mind all the time... Originally, marriage was essentially a sales contract. Here's my daughter and I'll pay you in cows, chickens, and land to take her...PLEASE! Seriously, though, knowledge of this history of marriage colors my viewpoint here. The other part of it is that we as a society continually use the Christian definition of many things (marriage included, in this case). Yes, this country was founded by Christians, HOWEVER there is supposed to be separation of church and state in government. Governments defining marriage based on the current teachings that it is a holy sacrament in the Christian church sounds like an overstepping of boundaries, to me. We do live in a country that allows freedom of religion to its citizens, after all, so why use the narrow definition from one religion for rules when the rules apply to ALL citizens of this country, whether that is their belief system or not?

I am glad that I have this forum to speak my mind openly. I also appreciate that those who visit have no intention of sparking a debate here. I thank you for your tolerance of my viewpoint here.