Religion Is Our Friend

A recent discussion with a friend of mine ended in a bitter disagreement. I believe religion can play a positive role in advancing the rights of American citizens in general, in particular gays and lesbians. He, on the other hand, believes that not only is organized religion mainly responsible for the inferiority of the gay community in the world, but that gay people as a rule cannot call themselves religious.

Organized religion (note: for the purpose of this article organized religion and spirituality will be considered one in the same) has obviously played an important role in the history of humanity, both positively and negatively. Commercialized holidays such as Christmas and Halloween are based on ancient pagan traditions that were later spun into the Christian calendar. Countries waged wars against each other over religious differences; some of these still go on today. In Northern Ireland, Protestant-Catholic relations remain edgy. On the positive side, people such as the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, and Pope John Paul II have transcended their religious affiliations to make an impact on diverse communities. In fact, most people don’t know that the Roman Catholic Church is the world's largest charitable organization, providing services to the poor and sick around the globe.

I attended Catholic school since third grade up until high school graduation in June 2007. The church has had a profound effect on my life, especially when it comes to being gay. It was largely responsible for my coming out. But I received negative feedback from my local community and was informally kicked out of the church, after which I became bitter toward organized religion of any kind and identified as an agnostic.

It wasn’t until I met my friend Donna, a devout Catholic who works for the church, that I realized it wasn’t religion that was responsible for my hurt, it was people. Yes, the church, along with other religious organizations, teaches that homosexual actions are sinful; however, church doctrine clearly states that the harsh treatment of any person -- homosexual or not -- is strictly forbidden. And just because the church’s teachings are clear about homosexuality does not mean each member has to adhere to this belief. My parents are devout Catholics, as are many of my relatives. They all have been supportive of me, going so far as to donate time and money toward advancing equality for LGBT people. In fact, their reasons for supporting me and gays in general were direct results of their faith in Jesus Christ, who serves as a model for compassion.