Just as the church members who linked arms to keep African-Americans out of their church during de-segregation, the church has linked arms to make the homosexual feel unwelcome now. The religious used the Bible to justify segregation and slavery (am I the only one who remembers how African-Americans were punished by God into a life of slavery for seeing Noah's nakedness?). They do the same now in their justification of persecution of homosexuals. I thought the whole purpose of history was to learn from our mistakes? However, the religious leaders have chosen to link themselves more strongly to tradition than to progress or justice.

"Truly I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me." - Matthew 25:40

     In a society, we are free to do as we please only to the point where our freedom imposes on the freedom of another. The religious might turn this argument against the homosexual and say that his freedom to be a homosexual is imposing upon their freedom of religion. That might be a valid argument if a person were exercising some kind of right or freedom in being a homosexual. But how many times does it have to be said: people do not choose to be homosexual any more than people choose to be heterosexual. It is the conservatives who are trying to use their freedom of religion to persecute a people. There is no reverse to this argument. And no matter how many times the religious try to group homosexuals with murderers, thieves, and other criminals who have a choice in what they are doing, they cannot make being homosexual a choice.

     Of course, the whole issue of the morality of orientation is totally irrelevant in the issue of workplace discrimination. Sex is not, or should not be, an issue in the workplace, or maybe we should start asking people how often they have sex on their job applications. Since when has one's orientation had anything to do whatsoever with one's ability to perform a job? Do you have to be a heterosexual to operation machinery? Do you have to be a heterosexual to assemble parts of an appliance on an assembly line? Do you have to be a heterosexual to be able to patrol the streets to keep criminals in check?

     Or, what about the infamous question: do you have to be a heterosexual to educate children? Let's conveniently forget that we have been doing this ever since we began educating our children. Conservatives speak as though orientation is some kind of disease that children can catch. By the time children enter school their orientation has already been set, nothing the educator can do will alter a child's orientation at this point. Besides, if anything sexual is going on between a teacher and a child, that teacher should be severely punished, whether the teacher is gay or straight.

     And heaven forbid that children have positive gay role-models, because if they happen to turn out to be gay, then they wouldn't hate themselves. And how are the religious supposed to keep up their persecution of homosexuals if children grow up in the presence of positive gay role-models? They will lose generations of homophobes...what a tragedy.

     The religious people try to force us into celibacy by quoting antiquated writings, conveniently ignoring the facts that dietary laws, etc were equally condemned, consciously not distinguishing between what is condemned as social taboos of the time and what is condemned truly as "sins," and conveniently ignoring that Jesus said that divorce and remarriage was adultery (Matthew 5:31-32). Fascinating how the religious people try to place burdens on the backs of gays that they are not willing to bear themselves. Fascinating how the religious people selectively choose their scriptures. How about a couple more...

     "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?...You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to take the speck out of your brother's eye." - Matthew 7:3-5.

     "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear...If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also." - I John 4:18-21.

     I'm sure the religious will turn around and say that they are beating up the gay people out of love. I'm sure you've heard their analogies, if people are playing in the street, love would motivate you to go get them out of the street. If people are behaving in a self-destructive manner, love would try to stop them. Perhaps. Good analogy, wrong situation. Pretending to be something you are not is self-destructive behavior. Being honest with yourself, noting your limitations but still trying to be a contributing member to your society is not self-destructive behavior.

     Love would set free all of the captive homosexuals who are in invisible prisons constructed by the religious. They have trusted you religious leaders with their lives and they believe that everything you say comes from God. Stop abusing your power to try to support the flawed family structure which evolved out of the Industrial Revolution. Speak the truth. Tell these people that they are what they are by the grace of God (I Corinthians 15:10). Tell them that nothing they do can make God love them any more or less than He does now. God is not religious...His love is unconditional.