by Jimmy Ettele

Created on: January 13, 2009

It would be difficult to believe a religion like Christianity would relent to the pressures of a more tolerant, intelligent, and logical society in the present day when it came to so called traditions. Steeped heavily in ancient dogmas and traditions, the Christian church has been notoriously slow with their attempts at keeping up with the changing times, cultures, and societies now walking the landscape of their ministries. It took the 20th Century and a Pope to finally exonerate Mary Magdalene of being a prostitute. It took the 21st Century for the church to stop thinking unbaptized babies went to Limbo. Divorce is still sin(unless of course the church deems it okay). Finally recognizing the inherent terror and evil of pedophilia took millions of dollars to be lost in lawsuits to change. Calvinists think they are going to Hell. Born again Christians think everyone is going to Hell. And of course priests are unable to be married(due more to willing away of Church land to wives of married priests in the 3rd century than anything else) and women are excluded from all the fun of the priesthood. As a part of the misogynistic, sexist, intolerant stance of the church it should come as no surprise that gay men would also find themselves on the wrong side of the pulpit when it comes to their chances of ordainment.

We should all be about acceptance of people. The discrimination of one group of people simply due to a lifestyle choice(which affects no one outside of the people engaged in the lifestyle) is a true description of the type of philosophies flying around Christian churches every Sunday with the gospel. As wrong as it is. As ignorant as it is. As blindingly unthinkable, for a religion that preaches god's love freely given, to do what they are doing, it needs to be done.

The last thing the churches need on their record of hate, ignorance, racism, and sexism is hypocrisy. Allowing gay men to be ordained into the priesthood is stunningly hypocritical. While the hate and other less than glowing character traits of Christianity would have anyone already subscribing to the hypocritical conclusion, they excuses are spun, like the born again politicians infecting our government are so adept at, into sounding nothing like sexism or ignorance but a part of God's will. Never do religious leaders, the late Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, or Jim Dobson, ever pass up an opportunity for an interview on Fox News when discussing the tremendous horrors of homosexuality. These men

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