So Many Reasons to Hate

I'm not really a Catholic anymore. But the thing about being Catholic, is that the dogma doesn't ever really leave you, even if you leave the church. If you grow up Catholic, you emerge into adulthood with these strange ideas. You know that sex is only supposed to be for procreation, and only between married men and women, but refraining from the act just because you're not married, or don't happen to be attracted to members of the opposite gender, is not so practical in real life, so you sin. And sin some more. In fact, the forbidden act becomes more attractive to you because it is forbidden. You kind of forget to feel remorse, but during sex, at it's most intense moments, you sometimes loudly invoke the name of the Lord. It's not exactly like praying, but I think you get some points with the Creator for the passion with which you use His name.

Okay, look, if you're trying to get to heaven, please whatever you do, don't take my spiritual advice, go see a priest.

Lately, I have heard some leaders of other religions disparage the religion of my youth. John Hagee, who was today rejected, or is it renounced?, by John McCain called the Catholic Church, "the Great Whore". Reverend Wright, who was similarly rejected, and renounced by Barak Obama, called Roman Catholics "Garlic Noses". I have to say, I kind of find it re-freshing to be called names because of my religion, rather than my sexual orientation, usually I am called an abomination, by preachers like Pat Robertson, or my private life compared to canines, by United States Senators like Rick Santorum.

I'm trying to decide which name I find most offensive. Great Whore, Garlic Nose, Dyke, Abomination Against God, Sodomite...There are so many ways to hate each other, by religion, by nationality, by gender, by race, by sexual orientation, by political party, by class....there are so many bad names that we call each other, and they are all broadcast nightly every hour on cable news, that I am finding it difficult to think of something good we can call each other, and a stream of reasons for us to love each other.

Okay let me think for a moment. Let's all stop and think.

We can call each other brothers, and sisters, friends and neighbors. We can love each other because of our differences, because we share a common planet. We can be allies, comrades, partners, buddies, pals, we can all be members of the same race, the human race. We must make a concerted effort to speak to each other in the language of love. We must demand that our spiritual leaders teach this new language, and reject them, and renounce them, if they continue to teach the language of hate. We need to find new reasons to love each other, because hard times are coming, and we will need each other.

Find some reasons to love.

Technorati Tags: Catholics, Message of Love, Reverand Wright, John Hagee

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