I leave this place for a week and this becomes a catfight. *grabs hose and waters entire forum*

So...its kind of tough to respond to eighty pages of posts. Here goes a lot of random thoughts.

I am getting sick from this Christian-bashing and overall lack of respect on this topic. 'You disagree with me...therefore you are a poo-poo head' Real mature guys, real mature.

Okay...so being a Christian brings up a sterotype of some backwoods hick that can't stand change. Or whatever the local variation is (like down here the sterotype includes a certain battle flag, but obviously that doesn't work up North).

I am real sorry that some of you think that way. As with any group, only the bad stuff makes the news, so it's no wonder the bad image Christians have. Bad things have been done in the name of religion (the Spanish Inquision and the September 11th attacks come to mind), all religious and groups have their little dark moments. We are not all white sheep, you know.

Now I am a practicing Catholic, so I would like to make a few corrections to the statements here. We do not pray to saints -- we ask them to pray for us. Its not idol-worshipping. The priest scandels have been a big deal. I am not happy with what is being done -- but neither does my priest. He would rather see a few good priests then several bad apples. He's a great man, and I am proud to have been the head alter server (they haven't been called 'alter boys' in years) and working for him.

Now look, there are all sorts of sins that are legal (or at least 'not legal') in this country. Oh well. The American Constitution was not made to enforce Christian ideas. You can say that is has Jeudo-Christian influences, but that is the extent of it. Much of it is universal ethics. Of course adultary is wrong -- it hurts the other person. That is just one example.

And I will be frank: if the US did adopt a pure Jeudo-Christian law system (how complicated would that be...Orthodox and Catholic or Reformed and Mormon...the mind boggels), I would have been stoned by now. Everyone would have been, lol. Even the resident virgin here has been guilty of many sins that have shammed me. And I'm not talking about the occasional 'shit' that comes out when I stub my toe.

Now, there are lots of Christians and lots of non-Christians that get legally married every year. Now since I am not legally married I do not know the details to what kind of benefits (in terms of taxes, credit, etc etc etc) a legal married couple get, but why should a couple that have been together for ten-years should not get those benefits? Never mind the orientation. Even in a heterosexual relationship, that may the only option for anyone not in any organized religion.

So there is a difference between a legal union and a religious marriage. Should there be? Yes. Some people want to be legal married, but not by any church. There are dozens of reasons why. As long as both people are consenting, there shouldn't be a problem.

Now, if you guys continue to piss and stomp, I will get the hose again *shakes finger*