Our founding fathers had something legitimate to say about keeping church and state separate, and for good reason. We change our legislature as often as we change underwear; I'm sure such an august and impartial body such as the church would look completely different if it were voted in and out of office every 4 years.
Both are incredible organizations of power. Despite the shortcomings of both, they have a remarkable ability to affect change for good.
Both should get together behind the cause of Gays.
The logic is straightforward. If Gays represent 18% of the population, it's not that 1 in 6 of the ordained should be Gay - a representation that may be true but not readily apparent, it's that 18% of the money that they get to do that thing they do is Gay money.
I'm sure they'd squeal like stuck pigs if that 18% were to go elsewhere. I'm damned sure that they'd revise their stance PDQ on homosexual unions if that percentage were higher.
Per my last post, I think that so-called straights who are sympathetic to the Gay cause should throw their weight behind Gays. If the silent 18% revenue stream to churches and voting bloc for political office were a larger and more vocal chunk of society, then both the church and state would do something pronto that protects their interests, and ironically it would represent the interests of a huge but currently muted part of society.
We use the same tired and wholly false arguments about Gays that we used to about blacks. I for one am pleased with the criticism that Mr. Obama faces in his running of our country. Our leaders have always faced it, but at no point in his stewardship has there been a legitimate challenge to his ability based on the color of his skin.
The challenge to Gay aspiration to higher office has been given the lie by the likes of Alexander the Great, Richard the Lionheart, Michelangelo and Da Vinci (to name but a few). Gay representation in society in general is still subject to those illegitimate falsehoods though.
I'm sure that there are a number among us that for whatever reason have a hatred of Gays. It is a hatred borne of ignorance. The more that the position of Gays is submerged in society, the more it buoys up intolerance. A homophobic mass is a self perpetuating system if those within it do not see homosexuals (I don't see 'em, therefore everyone is like me) and the reason they don't see 'em is because they are homophobes.
If society as a whole has not only more Gay representation at all levels, but also more visible support from the heterosexual population, maybe this homophobic mass will realize that there's more homosexuals out there than their myopic vision allows, and that there's a whole lot more heterosexuals who are not scared to death, but are actually supportive of them. Maybe these homophobes would more readily identify with that much larger and more visible part of society.
Who knows.
Certainly, church and state support of a huge, influential and more importantly VOCAL group of a Gay and Gay friendly population would help.
I'm sure that there will persist in our society that poisonous scum that think it's OK to drag a black man behind a car until he dies, or pistol whip a kid tied to a fence until he bleeds to death through his brains.
I wonder how tolerant individuals would be if it was their kid, their friend, or even just that anonymous someone that they see every day in church that they never knew was Gay nor cared he was black until they were beaten to death for it.
