Backwards to a Foreword

I started these writings with the intent of making mostly comedic style social observations. But opinions are like arseholes- everyone's got one- and as if often the way- the original intent is not what has eventuated, as the darker side of my mind has been very much in control lately.

All my writings are essentially a point of view or recollections of lived experiences. As with witness statements, which are not admissible as evidence in court due to the high rate of inaccuracy- sometimes what I feel, think or remember won't be the same as other people who may have been present for the same events.

They are my thoughts, feelings and memories, and may not necessarily represent those of people represented in them.

Friday, 20 January 2012

Religious intolerance and homophobia

I was quite saddened at work the other day to hear a colleague discussing how she had "addressed" the issue of her 9 yr old son witnessing two men kissing in the street some weeks ago.
She had explained that while "we don't agree with what they do, and their choices, it doesn't mean they're bad people". My first question was regarding the "their choices" part- I asked "did you also explain that a lot of Australians (and indeed other countries) do not believe it is a choice at all, but how they are born, and part of a range of normal human existence?"
Her response "yes, well there is that, but it's not what our church teaches".

Me- "and you realise it's not what all churches believe or teach."
There is such an incredbile shame in any culture, religious or geographical, which encourages prejudice and indoctrinates youth to carry that discrimination in their hearts and minds. I would argue that an equally valid approach for such an institution to take would be teaching from the perspective that "God made us all in his image, a variety to express all the things he couldn't encapsulate in one being, but beautiful and loved equally.". Even the simple "what do you think?" would encourage free thinking individuals to come to their own conclusions, which if your ideology is the "correct" one, they will most probably align with.
What is it that they fear? Is it that they think everyone not marched into an orderly conformist queue, without which all will decide to go out and root someone of their own gender? Believe me, despite being athiest and experimenting some in my university days and early 20s, the lack of a religious based institution or the fear of "God's wrath" did not make me magically choose to be a lesbian- indeed I turned out 95% straight. Why 95%? I subscribe to the Kinseyan school of thought that everyone exists on a plane from 100% hetero to 100% homo- sexual and not bisexual as a 50-50%, but every distribution in between.
The world has enough fear and hatred already to put bounds on what love can comprise, and yes I do mean love, not lust, not an "i luv u" between teenage friends, passion or fleeting enamourment.
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