Christianity != love

I am dating a woman who had a very religious upbringing. Growing up, her father taught her about religion and brought her up in this religious framework. She is quite a bit younger than I am, and lately has been questioning her religious upbringing. I understand what she is going through, as I once took the same journey.

As an example, she had some family coming to town, and they wanted to go to Disney. The problem is that they were here for the first weekend in June, and this is the weekend for gay days. I pointed that out to her when she called me while on her way to the theme park, and my girlfriend found this to be funny, but decided not to tell her family about the event, because they are so incredibly homophobic.

That, as it turns out, was not a good idea: On the way out of the park, her uncle noticed that there were a pair of men holding hands as they walked through the park. Nothing sexual, nothing in your face, just a couple that were holding hands and peacefully enjoying the park. The uncle immediately began shouting at the couple, called them "fucking faggots" and began yelling about how they should go home, how they were going to hell, and how they were sinners and an abomination to God. All I can say is that I am glad I was not there.

Just this morning, her parents asked her to attend church. I am not invited, because her parents believe that I am a sinner and am not fit to date their daughter, even though they have never met me. You see, I am a godless heathen, and I am the one that is turning her away from the church, according to them. At church this morning, the theme of the service was homosexuals, how they are all stupid morons, and are all going to burn in hell. Then he preached about how our society was being destroyed by the "gay lifestyle" and how the members of the church have a responsibility to ostracize those who choose to live like that.

My girlfriend just called me and was complaining about this. She works in the emergency room of a hospital. Several of the nurses there, and one of the doctors are gay. Hardly the kind of people that you would think are stupid morons. The church, and the intolerant, hateful venom that they are spouting is driving her away. This is one of the reasons why so many people are turned off of the republican party, because they have so closely associated themselves with religious groups.

I would rather have a gay neighbor than a Bible thumping, hate filled asshole any day, and I certainly don't want to elect a politician that thinks that it is just fine and dandy to legislate where I put my penis.