Flexing Their Muscles

As some things change at a rapid rate, others definitely don’t.

Once again religious groups are flexing their muscles when it comes to politics. This is especially true here on Guam, where a large section of the population is Catholic. Through the centuries, the Catholic Church has wielded a lot of political clout, and here in the Year of Our Lord 2010, it’s still doing so.

The Archdiocese of Agana has told members of the Catholic community here not to support any candidates who are in support of same sex unions, calling the unions “an intrinsically evil act”. In the past, the archdiocese has also called homosexuality a “culture of self-absorption and death”. It also issued a statement in the past saying that homosexual behavior empowers violent Islamic fundamentalist groups, who “clearly understand” the damage these acts inflict on culture, therefore undermining American war efforts in the Middle East.

So basically they’re saying that gay people are helping out Islamic terrorists. This to me is more than a bit of a stretch. In fact, it’s pretty much fear mongering, especially among those gullible few people who actually believe horseshit like that.

Now, I know that the topic of same-sex unions and same-sex marriages is a touchy subject for a lot of people. There isn’t a whole lot of middle ground on the issue, and every time one of the talking heads on TV brings it a bunch of people to discuss it, it usually gets heated quickly. The issue is spending a lot of time in courts of law lately, and there hasn’t been an election in recent memory where the issue wasn’t raised.

I my own self believe that those who are gay should have the right to get married if they want to, or at the very least, legal unions. I don’t see where two gay people getting married will have any impact on my life, my marriage, or anything else that directly affects me. I do have a few gay and lesbian friends, and why shouldn’t they have the same rights (and especially the benefits) that I as a heterosexual have? The right to have that bond, that commitment between two people that love each other?

In a recent article in the Pacific Daily News, a member of the Guam Legislature pointed out that the Catholic Church could make better use of its time and clout by cleaning its own house, referring to homosexuality and pedophilia within the Catholic Church. I agree with this, because, ironically, it is one of those things that Christ actually taught when he was here on earth (about fixing yourself before you try to fix others).

Now before we go any further, let me state something right up front. I am in no way anti-Catholic. My wife is Catholic, and I attend Mass with her on a regular basis, even though I’m not Catholic. There are some pretty cool things within the Catholic Church if you are willing to look past the dogma and the bullshit that pretty much every religious group is trying to sell or shove up our collective asses.

With that said, I think it’s wrong that the Catholic Church is trying to flex its muscles as it applies to who we should vote for. Politics, like religion, are a very individual thing. People should examine the candidates and decide who they think best represents their interests. The recent posturing by the Catholic Church will directly influence those who believe that the Church is infallible, never makes mistakes, and that the Pope is God’s right-hand man. Their statements will undoubtedly affect those who are unwilling to use their own brains and decide for themselves who to vote for.

Like I said, the more things change, the more they stay the same. It's gone on for centuries and it will continue to go on.