Religion Is Our Enemy

by
Archbishop Bruce J. Simpson, OSJB
OSJTB.org
September 5, 2005

Having opened with that heading, I hasten to add that not all religions are our enemy, and God is definitely not our enemy. It is religions like Roman Catholicism, Islam, Protestant fundamentalist groups that are our enemy. There can be no other sane conclusion after reviewing the acts of churches over the last year towards the glbt community including the recent execution of two gay teens in Iran by the Mullahs.

Now, we have new outrages being thrown at us by the Roman Catholic Church. First, we have the senior Cardinal of Scotland, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, stating in utter ignorance and hatred that Gays can not be allowed to adopt children because those children are likely to grow up to be homosexual!!

As if that wasn't enough, this 'learned' prince of the church goes on to quote a quack doctor who has stated that kids of gay parents suffer a significant increase in low self-esteem, stress, confusion over sexual identity, increased mental illness, drug use, promiscuity, and sexually transmitted infections. The amount of pure unadulterated ignorance here is astounding. It is truly a tragedy that Pope John Paul the First did not survive his assassins in the Vatican for he felt that gay couples should empty the orphanages and that they would make excellent parents.

Then O'Brien takes a slap at every single heterosexual parent in the world when he states: "We ignore a wealth of global evidence and place innumerable children in peril if we forget certain immutable truths; children need a male and a female role model in a permanent relationship." This statement sounds more like stupidity then ignorance. O'Brien who is suppose to know nothing about sex has also proffered his opinion that sex relationships are "unstable." Like he knows? Not one word that came out of O'Brien's mouth has any basis whatsoever in actual fact, medical science, or sociology. He has zero credibility on this subject and probably many others as well.

Now the Roman Catholic Church, and some Protestant churches in Massachusetts are trying to stir up the pot of hatred and discrimination by launching a petition drive to collect 66,000 signatures for a ballot question to ban same-sex marriage. The group heading up this drive is counting on a great amount of support in the Black and Hispanic community and is using the parish network, catholic schools, and social organizations as the centerpiece for their drive. This fact is made plain by the active participation of all four Roman Catholic Bishops in Massachusetts's giving orders to all parishes to participate in the drive.

What do they want to accomplish with this massive effort? ''We want to protect marriage, and that is our focus," Martins, public policy coordinator for the diocese of Fall River for Catholic Citizenship said, adding that parishioners ''realize that something that's very, very important to us is being jeopardized."

I am still waiting to be told how allowing loving gay couples to marry in any way "jeopardizes" marriage. Why isn't this massive effort being launched to prevent divorce in the catholic and protestant community? Why aren't they concerned with families that have abusive spouses that terrorize their children? This 'something' that is "very, very important" to them is on life support and they don't seem to even be aware of it.

Why? Cause its all crap, that's why. It is pure prejudice compounded with an unhealthy hatred and preoccupation with the gay community that is poisoning their very souls and they don't even realize it. Instead of looking towards the greatest commandment of Jesus to love one another as we love God, and feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, they would rather use all of this energy, money, time, and coordination to strike at something God Himself made in His image.

This is the central core point that these people just don't get - being gay is not a choice, it is not a lifestyle, and it is not a sickness either physical or mental. We of the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgendered community are a natural part of the overall plan for life. We are part of the grand design, the will of the creator, and we reflect in the gay face of God just as the female, male, black, white and all other colors in between reflect in His face. You don't like us? Take it up with God, and remember you discriminate and hate that which He has made - do so at your own peril.

All of us in the gay community must take extra care with our gay youth. They must understand these things - they must understand that there is nothing wrong with them and that they are special in their own unique way just as straight people are special in their way. We must look out for the generation coming up so that they don't suffer the pain of believing the Nazi-like propaganda that is force-fed to them by some churches, organizations, governments and just plain right-wing idiots. They should rejoice in their sexual identity and remember that all this will change. The natural course of death will take those who are the oppressors in the churches and in the governments. With their passing, a new enlightened group of people will take their places and it is then that true equality for all members of the gay community will take place. It is happening now slowly, and it will be universal in their lifetimes. Of this I am sure.


Email: Archbishop Bruce J. Simpson, OSJB
Website: The Benedictine Order of St. John the Beloved

Note from Mary: Archbishop Bruce of the Old Catholic Church is a long-time supporter and part of our ChristianGays.com family. He is the author of several articles which appear on this website. Please view his published biography
"The Gay Face of God" which can be purchased directly from Bruce.

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