Prayers and Sacrifices and God's Plans for Everyone

Since the day I let my family know what I was thinking, there have not been many conversations in which they questioned my views on religion and not related them to my views on politics. While I'm young and slightly impressionable, I still know, for the most part, where I stand on most political and religious issues. Ever since Proposition 8 was ruled unconstitutional, I've heard many people assuming what I should or should not believe. My family believes one thing; my friends believe another; I'm stuck trying to figure out exactly what I believe. Well today I was reading a blog by Cardinal Roger Mahony, the Archbishop of Los Angeles, along with Bill's most recent post, and I was reminded of the issue of gay marriage in the United States. I don't exactly know my intentions of this post, perhaps to get your opinions on it, but I figured this would be a good way to get my opinion out there.

First off, I understand what the Church teaches on homosexuality. It is not, as many assume, that Catholics hate gay people. In fact, I chuckled today as I was flipping through the Catechism, because it explicitly states that homosexuals "must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity," yet so few people actually take the time out to forget their judgements and hear what the Church is saying. Homosexuals are people. Of course we are called to love them. But intercourse with someone of the same sex is a sin--it's that simple. It is no worse, however, than having sex before marriage or using contraceptives. Sex is a beautiful gift from God. He's letting us play a part in creating life, for goodness sake; it may very well be the closest thing we have to experiencing His power. Having sex in these ways closes the opportunity to create life. To make a mockery of that gift by having sex casually or for pleasure is awful, shameful even--it takes God's gift and lessens it, turns it into some shallow human act of passion. Now, I am not going to be so stupid or close-minded as to say that homosexuals can control their love for people of the same sex. But I am saying that they can control whether or not they act on those feelings. Nothing makes them less able to control their sexual desires than you or me. God calls homosexuals to chastity, just as He often calls heterosexuals to chastity. It will probably be the hardest thing they ever have to do, but a true sacrifice for God is never easy. I am actually more bothered by those who have sex for pleasure before marriage than by homosexuals. Many homosexuals cannot help their feelings, and would give anything to love people of the opposite sex and create life with the gift God has given--so for heterosexuals to not recognize the gift and use sex as a pleasure-seeking outlet disappoints me. When it comes down to it, God is calling homosexuals to a life of chastity. He loves them so much, as we should as well, and He's challenging them to make this great sacrifice for Him.

I have such a hard time with the gay marriage argument in this country. I have strong feelings with my faith, as I have already stated, and I feel as if having sex without being open to life is like telling God you're too good for his petty little gift. The bottom line, though, is that God loves us so much that He gave us the ability to choose. I choose Him; I choose His love; I choose the path He has layed out for me. Others, though, choose against God. For whatever reason, they look at the Church with tainted eyes and refuse to accept the beauty that lies within. We, as Christians, are called to love and accept them in any way, and to keep them in our prayers. Which leads me to my main point--we live in a place full of so many different religious beliefs. In a country where everyone's opinions are accepted, we are called to love the people as well, despite our differing beliefs. Separation of church and state. It's so incredibly hard to do, but if others aren't accepting God, we can't force them to. I do not believe that God would allow gay people to marry, due to what I have already stated. But if people aren't going to choose God, and they want to have a piece of paper that sees them as married in the eyes of the government, who are we to stop them? I just don't see it as that big of a deal. We should express God's teachings to these people, but in the end, if they don't choose God, we can't force them. I can't exactly say I'm pro-gay marriage, but I'm not against it either. I don't understand how homosexuals could possibly be fulfilled knowing that their sexual actions are sins, just as I don't understand how heterosexuals could get married outside of the Church, knowing that the government sees them as married, rather than God seeing them as married. That wouldn't be good enough for me. But I'm still going to love my homosexual friends, along with my heterosexual friends who make bad choices, and pray for them. Because God is calling them to make a great sacrifice, and I know they can do it with His help.

But hey, I've ranted for long enough. I've got books to read and life lessons to learn. It's been real, LITs.

Taylor

Oh, and also: I don't know who I was trying to convince with this post. Ha, you guys are the only ones that read this anyway. I'm a new kid, though, and I'm just learning these things, so I find them fascinating. Mainly, this is just my outlet for fascinating things regarding God.