As many of you may remember (if you watched the news a lot last year), the Westboro Baptist Church which was known for its absolute hatred of gay people was a big news topic in early 2011 for its anti-gay protests at the military funeral of a gay Marine. They also were a newsworthy topic as they appealed all the way to the Supreme Court when the father of this gay Marine sued the group.
And more recently, Catholic groups across the country have been rallying to outlaw abortion, whether it be a well-known demonstration like the March for Life or just a small picket line outside the local abortion clinic.
Well, I spit in the face of these things.
First of all, being gay or lesbian is not a choice (as Dr. Phil McGraw said on Anderson Cooper in October 2010). In the King James Bible, which was one of the earliest English translations of the Bible, it says in Leviticus 20:13: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of [these men] have committed an abomination…” It’s important to understand that when the Bible was written, the word “abomination” was different than it is today. Back then, it just meant homosexuality was an unusual thing to do. And even when the King James version of the Bible was translated, “abomination” still had a slightly different meaning than it does today. Most people don’t realize this, so when the New Living Translation was created, for example, that same quote is worded so that the message is of homosexuality being “a detestable sin.”
The Bible also says not to judge and that only God judges. I have a good friend who I’ve been told is gay and he’s still a good person.
On another level, in terms of abortion, the Catholic Church is going way too far with the abortion issue. If our country decided to outlaw abortion, that would only infringe on women’s rights to choose for themselves. If a woman wants to kill her unborn child and be subject to God’s judgment, then the government shouldn’t be the one to decide that. Don’t get me wrong! I’m pro-choice, but anti-abortion! Everyone should be anti-abortion.
I actually was raised Catholic and one of the reasons my family left the church we attended mass at was because the priests there told us not to vote for Obama because of his views on abortion. I mean, come on! You don’t say that.
That’s also one of the reasons I abandoned the whole “denominations” idea of Christianity. I didn’t leave the Catholic Church, but I only consider myself Christian now — nothing more, nothing less.
Sincerely,
Tyler McDonald, freshman, religious studies major
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