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LGBT and the Church on Marriage

Ok I'm going to attempt this, every other time I've tried, some major thing has been announced and it changes everything.

This is my quick and dirty version of my thoughts on this:
People who don't agree with marriage usually have a religious belief to stand behind. I totally get this, as a once practising Christian I can see how you could say "the bible says..." or "I feel like God doesn't like..." on any issue as a perfectly reasonable way of pushing an agenda. It was fine! Very justified.

When I was at a Christian Christmas party once, I overheard a group of gentlemen talking about Gay marriage (ok I was part of the group, alright!?). They were discussing voting for John Howard (it was a while ago) over the Labor party solely because of the Liberal Party's stance on Gay Marriage. The exact comment that followed was "I couldn't think of anything more disgusting than two men getting married, the very thought makes me sick to my stomach". The other guys couldn't agree more and they laughed and mocked as best and hard as they could. That would go down as one of the most awkward conversations of my life, because as they were busy enjoying themselves I was feeling somewhat rejected and uncomfortable and to be fair, it was me that was sick to my stomach. This stopped being about God for them, they had let their guard down, it stopped being about Jesus, it was about them. Their ignorant hatred towards people that they didn't understand.

That's when it hit me. Any person with a religious belief about God not liking Gay Marriage actually doesn't like it themselves but isn't confident enough to just say that. Because the reality is that no one actually KNOWS for sure and certain what God does feel about Gay Marriage, because they aren't God. And even if they say they are God, it's still their call on the Gay Marriage. So basically we get into a situation where the conversation is now about Hate VS. Love. And we all know which one wins in the end folks. If history has taught us anything, it's that anyone that supports the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which is based on the premise that all people are born free and EQUAL are looked favourably on by history. This doesn't just mean race but sexuality, sexual orientation, disabilities and so on. We all have equal worth and should all be able to experience all that life has to offer.

Hillary Clinton did an outstanding job speaking on this issue and I recommend you check it out here. If it was a hollywood movie, this would be the Oscar winning performance. Seriously one of the best I've ever seen.

I think the Church have a lot to answer for when it comes to the damage they have caused to the thousands of individuals who have been hurt and inflicted pain on themselves and others because of what is preached from that pulpit as it relates to the LGBT community. Unfortunately, "sorry" won't cut it in this case, just as it didn't in the child molestation cases. The Church has a responsibility for their actions just as you and I do and people who promote messages of hate for LGBT people have no place in this world, especially if they are in a place of leadership.

As my good friend Hillary says, "be on the right side of history".

If you think Steve Jobs didn't change the world, think again...

I must say I was absolutely  blown away when I watched this video, and I hope you are too. Look at what Steve has managed to inspire in a grade 6 boy.

School has certainly changed since when I was a boy and that wasn't all that long ago.

Just do it...

As my good friend says, "If you aren't living on the edge, you're taking up too much room".

Travel the world
Change jobs
Meet new people
Exercise
Learn to cook
Take some photos
Make someone a special gift
Buy a new car
Spend time with your family
Do some extreme sports

Do something different. You will never know where it will take you and really who cares? it's all about the adventure right?

When was the last time you were a human being?

There is a whole bunch of research on the importance of reflection and meditation and positive health impacts both physically and mentally. I think reflection is such an important part of working out who you are, who you want to be and how to get there. We live in a world where there is more and more to distract us, to demand our time and to take us away from what is important to us. We also live in a world where anxiety and depression are on the rise and we are heavily medicated to deal with the meaninglessness of our modern lives.

I find three things really helpful when reflecting. Being near large bodies of water; walking barefoot on the grass (when was the last time you did that?); and making a conscious decision to spend some time alone to be silent  (I like to go swimming, it's the only way to make sure I don't talk). So it does beg the question, when was the last time you were a human being, rather than a human doing? Do you put time aside for yourself to just be? What are the things you think about when you're not doing? What should you be doing differently?

VS.