Does anybody read these?

Wow...

Very rarely am I ashamed to be Catholic. But right now, I am very upset. I just read something that is not right, and I'm about to go off. You've been warned.

Catholic Charities in Boston has decided to end all adoption services because the Commonwealth of Massachusetts says they cannot discriminate against deserving same-sex couples.

This is wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

First of all, that is cutting off your nose to spite your face. I know lots of folks who have gotten their babies from Catholic Charities. I know folks who have also asked Catholic Charities to find a home for their babies rather than choose abortion. In the 20+ years that Catholic Charities has worked with the state, they've placed 720 children in deserving homes. Thirteen of those children were placed with same-sex couples. That's 1.8% if you were wondering.

So, let's not even look at the gay issue yet. I'll get there. Let's just say that it's the right and just thing to do, to take this adoption option away from not only deserving couples but from scared, unwed teenagers because 1.8% of the people who have adopted babies were gay. I know they say they are doing what they believe is right. The Vatican said in 2003 that it was a grave sin for gay couples to adopt. Let's assume for a minute that wasn't complete and total hooey. They want to be good Catholics and go with Rome on this one. And I'm sure Catholic Charities was being compensated for their services to the great Commonwealth. So they acted on principle.

Too bad their principles suck.

I think the church's recent return to hating and condemning gays has less to do with being gay and more about being embarrassed about molester priests. Too bad you don't have to be a priest nor gay to molest children. You just have to be a sick, twisted pervert. Let's stop clouding the issue.

And, of course, I think my biggest problem with this whole "being gay is a grave sin" or "you can be gay just don't expect us to acknowlege that you're even a human being with rights" attitude is that being gay is not anything most gay people can control. That's why it's called sexual orientation. It's genetic. No one wakes up one morning and says "Wow, my life doesn't suck and I'm not discriminated against enough. I think I'll go be gay." For most people I know who are gay, it's been a real struggle for them to come to terms with their identity. It took a while and a lot of denial to get to the point where they could accept whom they loved. And, of course, that struggle doesn't come anywhere close to ending when you realize you are gay. In fact, it's a rough road forever, because people are bigots and want to treat others like second-class citizens because of whom they love. And our country feeds it because asshole politicians make it an issue.

So, I have serious issues with the Chruch condemning gays and not giving them rights. Do you know what grave sins are? Denouncing God. Cheating on your spouse. Chopping your mom into bits and burying her in your back yard. Not adopting a 12-year-old girl addicted to crack that no one else has the balls to raise.

I believe God "makes" people gay. Not Satan. God. God creates us all. He gives us our genetic make-up. He puts our parents together to make us the people we are. And for churches to condemn folks because they're gay is not right. It'd be like if I go to church on Sunday and my priest tells me I am no longer welcome because my eyes are blue. I can't go out and get brown eyes. God gave me my blue eyes. I am a Child of God. We all are. Can't we start treating one another that way?

Normally at Eastertime I write a check to Catholic Charities. It's safe to say that won't be happening this year. And I know the issue isn't just Catholic Charities. I really need to pray about this. I need to talk to my priest about it. And for me right now, I need to focus on MY relationship with God and the importance of religious tradition and forget about the politics of it all...

posted by Laura at 1:50 PM