Balance

Balance is good.

Right?

Because today in the NY Times the following two stories were almost side by side:

South Africa Legalizes Same Sex Marriage

and

Catholic Bishops Say Gays Are "Disordered"

Ok, so I paraphrased the headlines. But the bishops report literally does say that "persons with homosexual tendencies [please note - we're not gay, or lesbian or bi - we're person's with homo tendencies - you know, like I tend to like french fries, i also tend to like pussy - same thing- just a small matter of taste - ok - now here's the kicker] are inherently disordered". Yep, disordered. Of course, the APA (the shrink society) removed homosexuality from the list of disorders in 1973. But, apparently the priests have yet to catch on.

Sigh.

It stuns me to see a church body, supposedly based in Christian love, do such a good job of alienating itself from the people they are supposed to serve.

Oh, and then the document goes on to remind folks that they should not use contraception.

I have a major disconnect when I hear a religious person calling healthy people disordered and encouraging people to relinquish control over reproduction to fate. In the faith in which I was raised (Lutheran), we were taught that God made us and we should be proud of who we are. And that God gave us brains to develop technology, and that resulting technology should be used in such a way as to provide good stewardship of the planet, our communities and families.

But, then again, that's just me.

As to South Africa? Can the US catch up please? For heaven's sake, we're running behind Norway, Spain, Canada and now South Africa?

After our wedding a few months ago, I am even bigger proponent of gay marriage. It was good and healthy for us to stand in front of our families and friends and promise to stick with each other until one of us is dead. It makes a difference in every nook and crannie of me to know that we are married (not recognized by the state, but that's another story). That we have been blessed by our community, that we have laid it all out there, and that our families stood by us. I've been surprised by how very different it feels. It's good. Really good.

The other day we had a fight that made me want to sleep on the couch. After yelling for a bit, stomping around, and cleaning with a fervour known only to the really pissed off, I looked at her, remembered her face on our wedding day, remembered my vows, shut up, got in our bed and told her that I loved her. Because I do. Madly. And that's where I belong. With my wife. We still had to deal with our shit, but somehow the shit is was a little less earth shattering.

How can that be bad? Or disordered?

Especially when it makes me happy down to the bones of my soul.