I've been seeing a lot of discussion about this topic here on Facebook, especially since the ability to choose your political campaigns came about. I would like to give my opinion, which whether anyone on Facebook likes it or not, is indeed, MY opinion, you can take it or leave it.

I would like to state that I am not Christian/Catholic or any practicing branch off of those two. I do indeed practice my religion, and am quite passionate about it. Because I am not one of the two prior mentioned religious denominations, most individuals who are practicing within those sects are going to think that my opinion is invalid, that I would not know what on earth I am talking about. However, I must point out that I was originally raised in a relatively Catholic household, in the South. I know the Bible, I have read it through several times, and agree and disagree with some of the issues portrayed in there. However, I'd like to digress back to the original issue.

My opinion is that Civil Union is not the same as marriage. After all, Civil Union is a term that was basically made-up to describe our Government's attempt to provide equal rights for homosexuals in our Nation. Marriage on the other hand is an Internationally recognized term for two people who have decided to declare their love in Holy Matrimony. Married individuals recieve special rights and tax cuts due to being married in our Nation, however homosexuals do not reserve these rights.

This whole approach by Christians and Catholics to eradicate Gay Marriage makes me wonder if these people truly remember what their religions were founded on. The true meaning of the Bible isn't some great and profound dictation on what the coming of the end (Revelations) is going to be, and although it may be looked upon as the book to live ones life by, it has very simple and moralistic values that make sense.

The most important being how Jesus preached to teach one another to treat one another how one would like to be treated. The whole do unto others - concept, yeah, that's Jesus's bit right there. So it brings me to wonder how taking away something that would mean so much to a group of people such as homosexuals is following what Jesus would want. It would be like, hypothetically, if homosexuals were the Majority, (they make up roughly 10% or more of the world's population, generally one 10 or so of your peers/classmates/co-worker
s/family members are gay/bi-sexual/trans-gendered/questioning), and were attempting to eradicate heterosexual marriage or replace it with Civil Union. I'm sure heterosexuals would be trying to make a stance on that, and recieve equal rights.

Also, with all of the protests being made (and you know who you are) against Gay Marriage, I would really appreciate it if you would get your religious facts in order. You continue to claim that Jesus made the original stance on homosexuals. This is incorrect, and I am looking it up currently to prove it as this. I am just dissapointed in the fact that you would support your arguments against Gay Marriage with incorrect facts. In a time like this, I would think that you would ask yourselves, What Would Jesus Do?

On top of that, there are so many individuals against Gay Marriage who go out and kill, rape, steal from, and harass the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Trans-Gendered, and Questioning) Community, which also continues to make me wonder. Why would you do this, are you proving your point further by physically/emotionally/sexually abusing another human being? Does this make you the bigger person in the long run?

**I would also like to point out the the opinion expressed in the last paragraph was not directed towards all Christians/Catholics/Etc, but was rather a reference to those individuals who commit such acts.**

I would also like to point out that homophobia (the intense fear of homosexuals), is sometimes linked to a person's own homosexuality. There is the unfortunate event that people who were raised in an incredibly homophobic environment then try to block out their own sexual orientation in a hope to make themselves more "normal" to those around them. Because they fear being harassed, as most homosexuals do.

I would like to take a moment to speak to the LGBTQ Community as well, because as a bi-sexual young woman who is proud of who she is, I definitely have a bone to pick with them.

Why is it that you allow yourselves to the joys of parades, special days/weeks/holidays, symbols, events, scholarships, etc? I believe that it is unfair that you're allowed these things when heterosexual men and women are not. While the way that they treat you in undeniably awful, what you are doing can be classified as reverse discrimination. We all know that if there was a scholarship, parade, day, event, anything special for the heterosexual majority, they would be classified as being descriminatory towards the LGBTQ Community. That is not right in my eyes. You don't deserve special priveleges just because you are of a different sexual orientation than a straight man or woman. If you're going to ask for equal rights, you are going to get equal rights. No special occasions, or parades, or symbols (the rainbow, upside down triangle) because law-abiding, average (excludes the KKK, White Supremacy, Neo-Nazi, and other groups) heterosexual men and women do not recieve any of these things. With the desire for equal rights should come the rights of true marriage, not special rights. If you desire special rights, then proclaim that those are what you desire, do not claim that you are striving for equal rights if you want a little something extra. If it truly is that you would like special rights, you are indeed lowering yourself to another person's standards, after all this is America, where we were founded on the basis that everyone is equal. No matter how incorrect that currently is.

I know that this past "note" seems rather lengthy and tedious, however it is something which I am passionate about, and I hope that if you made it this far, you have something to say.

I would also like to point out that I am NOT harassing any individuals you consider themselves Christian/Catholic/Etc. I am simply expressing an opinion backed by several facts which I know to be true. Again, this is MY opinion and therefore it is indeed MINE to have. You may disagree with it, however do not harass me because you disagree. I do not wish to get into a death match of words over something that isn't going to resolve in any one person winning, just a large amount of bickering about biblical stances.