There is a reason why our great country has a separation of church and state.  Yet, politicians know that the way to win votes is by propogating gay hysteria.  Hand in hand with religious leaders, politicians mislead voters to believe they will go to hell if they don't vote for anti-gay politicians promoting anti-gay measures.  It is as shameful and "Anti-American" as Catholic priests withholding Communion from parishoners who voted for our new President. 

There are four types of Christians.  The first type has actually read the Bible all the way through, at least once if not once a year.  The second type is seemingly obsessed with the five Biblical passages that seem to condemn homosexuality, but this type of Christian hasn't bothered to read the rest of the Bible.  The third type of Christian, who doesn't bother to read the Bible at all, merely relies on what religious leaders, politicians, and radio entertainers suggest the Bible contains.  And the fourth type of Christian doesn't care.  

It's analogous to being so ill that you are about to die.  Do you pray to God to heal you?  Or, do you just recite the Lord's prayer over and over? Worse, do you just hope that the prayers of your priest or pastor will suffice, or do you forget to pray at all?

I encourage all gays, lesbians, transgender individuals, and those who identify as bisexual to pick up the Bible and read it.  All of it.  Don't be afraid of what you'll read because you'll learn that the Bible is your greatest friend.  Politicians and the religious leaders they subsidize have Spun the Bible in a vile, hateful manner to manipulate you and get your vote.  That is clearly not God's will.  My deeply religious relatives, truly conservative Christians, read the Bible once a year; yet they DO NOT obsess over homosexual issues.  They know that the Bible is far too filled with more relevant messages from God.  

Some statisticians say that the King James Version of the Bible contains 66 books, 1189 chapters, and 31,102 verses.  Since only five verses in the entire Bible address homosexuality, that means that .999839 of the Bible has NOTHING to do with homosexuality.  Now, break it down even further.  Is the Sodom and Gomorrah story really about homosexuality, or is it about a bunch of gang-banging rapists wanting to violate Lot's visitor Angels?  If Leviticus 18:22 actually condemns gays, it also destines to hell people who eat shrimp and wear a polyester/cotton blend.   And, if you really think about it, Leviticus condemns all of us to hell who ingest any biogenetically-altered food (three cheers for Organic farmers!!)!    

God gave us the ability to read, so why not read his ENTIRE BIBLE instead of obsessing over .000161 of it?  God gave us a set of Ten Commandments which is silent on the issue of homosexuality.  God's son, Jesus Christ, was also silent on the topic of homosexuality.  Yet, the Ten Commandments prohibits adultery.  And, according to Christ , divorce, a practice in which more than half of married American couples has engaged, is a form of adultery (see Matthew 19:9 and Mark 10:11-19).

Proposition 8 has spun America into a gay/anti-gay marriage frenzy.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, near the aging Billy Graham, one radio talk show entertainer suggests we call "gay marriage" something else just to put to rest everyone's semantical stomach aches.  "Hommage."    I humbly agree.    LAMA!   Let's enumerate every single benefit of a married relationship and give "hommaged" couples the exact same benefits.  Then, the semantical dilemma is solved.  After all, gay people would never want to be called straight.  So, as we call ourselves "gay" instead of "straight," why not call our unions "hommage" instead of "marriage?"  As long as all the rights, benefits, and privileges of marriage are bestowed on hommaged gay couples, then who cares that "hommage" is for gays and "marriage" is for straights? 

Straight people have failed miserably at marriage and have made a mockery of it through the practice of divorce.  For that reason, a gay hommage should have at least 10 or 15 MORE benefits than a straight marriage.  Maybe that will entice more gays to get hommaged so we can lead by example to teach straight married people how to maintain their unions.

In the meantime, pick up your Bible and read ALL OF IT!!!  The Ten Commandments are the LGBT Community's best friend.  If someone wants to erect The Ten Commandments on the courthouse grounds, REJOICE!!  Point out to everyone that the straight people and not us gays are the ones violating it.  And, read about God's amazing love for us.  We are God's children and the benefit of God's wonderful works.

                          ---    Ruth O'Dell