Today my mother and I went to church because the other night she came into my room crying, asking to sleep on the floor to protect me from the devil. Sure.
We walk in during the "worship time" and sit down. I'm already smirking at the people so enthralled in all of this. A man comes up several songs into the "worship time" to make us all aware of "upcoming events and church news". A slide comes up on the screen regarding the recent bill proposed by the state of California which would require all public schools to include, in their history programs, the historical contributions made by homosexuals. The man speaking then says, "Sign the petition against this bill so all of our children in public schools, from kindergarten through the 12th grade, won't be required to learn about the historical, or should I say hysterical (the church laughs and applauds), contributions made by homosexuals in our society. "
Okay. Let me make something clear: I am, in no way, opposed to having religious beliefs or anything like that. I'm not going to run around telling you you're wrong and throwing scientific evidence in your face unless the need were to arise. I'm all for freedom of speech and having your own viewpoints on the world and how it should be run, HOWEVER: How dare you make a statement like that and then go on for the next hour telling people to love one another no matter how hard it is, whether they're a "believer" or not, or what-have-you. How dare you.
It's okay for the children and our future children to learn about all the different religions and different views on the world (BUT NOT EVOLUTION, OF COURSE NOT), but when it comes to homosexuality and the ways they've contributed to society, it's unacceptable? I mean, I'm not saying we should take out all religious and creationism vs evolution theories, not at all. I do think, however, children should be exposed to all forms of religion, political parties, lifestyles, and creation theories and be able to make their own choices. We need to expand and open our children's minds to new ideas; let them see what's really going on and base their ways of life around the theories/ viewpoints they see fit.
There is no good in hiding homosexuality from them. It does more harm than good. The same goes for evolution, abortions, and the like. Just because you weren't brought up around these things and are completely repulsed by the idea of them even existing doesn't mean your child, who is going to grow up in a world where these are the most important, controversial topics of our time (among everyone), shouldn't be exposed to them or not be allowed to devise their own hypothesis on the matter.
Let's take into consideration one thing a lot of people (read: parents) say in defense against their children... thinking for themselves: I want my child to have the best life possible and, for that to happen, he needs to believe what I do because I am right; I have always been right and always will be right. Therefore, if my child is exposed to conflicting ideas, he will become a satanist and go against everything I believe in and will die.
There's also the famed: You're just a child, and I'm not secure enough in the way that I raised you to trust you enough to make the best, most logical decision for yourself.
Or something similar. Here's where your logic is flawed, parents: you forget the things you wanted to say against your parents. And here's something even more riveting: due to the fact that we don't all obey every word our parents say, or do exactly as they do, society has (gasp) flourished.
Do you see anyone running around with a torch burning people claiming they're witches? No. Do you know why?
Because one day, Johnny asked mommy why she was screaming to set another woman on fire, and she responded "Because we think she's a witch." Johnny responded, "Think? Shouldn't we find out for sure?" "Nah," responded mommy. Johnny thought she was wrong and did something about it. Soon, other people began to listen to what Johnny was saying and realized, 'hey, maybe we should find out more about these people before setting them on fire.'
Guess what happened.
None of them were witches and thousands of innocent lives were saved.
Same goes for slavery, my god especially slavery. We all know the story, but my point is: having differing opinions is not wrong.
Yes, yes, I understand you want what's best for your child(ren) and, if you're firmly ground in your beliefs, by all means, teach them about them! But don't shield them from learning about other things because you want to control them in just one more way.
Often, we forget the fact that no one really knows what's going on. We make our best guesses based on the evidence we're given and hope we're right in the end.
Religion is nothing more than a "more complex" version of "pick one and hope you're right". I once heard a quote from a man I know to be an extremely devoted Christian. When asked his stand on religion, he calmly responded "Whoever you think god is, you better hope you're right". I thought it was absolutely brilliant. Not over-done, not too complex, can't be taken out of context. Simple. To the point. Brilliant. He didn't force his beliefs on the man, nor did he remotely mention them.
Getting back to the original point of this post; I understand why some people would be wary of this law being passed. I'm not implying (or trying to, at least) that they don't have any reason to be slightly concerned by its passing. I am, however, emphasizing the fact that it's not a bad thing, introducing new ideas to children. I can only imagine the reaction some parents (or grandparents) had when they decided to put black history into history curriculum.
It's not like it's something they won't be seeing even more frequently when their kids are in school. How awful would it be for your grandchild to go home to his parents (your child) and say, "I was at Billy's house, and his dads made me the best grilled cheese!" and your child responded, "Dads? Ewwwwwww"
Immature. Rude. Disrespectful. Immature.
It's something that's becoming more and more prominent in our world because people are being urged to be who they really are and, to be blunt, fuck what everyone else thinks. If (god forbid.) your child were to be gay, would you disown him? I sure hope not. But, more importantly, would your child THINK you would disown him? If I had a child, I would encourage him to always be true to himself, because if you're lying to yourself, you're lying to everyone else. And isn't that one of the ten commandments? DON'T LIE OR ELSE YOU'LL GO TO HELL.
Okay, that was inappropriate.
But, in all seriousness, it is absurd, inconsiderate, and flat-out silly to want to shield your child from learning about the history and contributions made by homosexuals. It's creating a sense of ignorance that I, and I'm sure several other hundred-thousand people, wouldn't like to see in the next generation. No matter how many times you've heard it, ignorance is not bliss.
Learning about homosexuals will not make your child gay.
People are not "turned". It is what it is.
If the people leading are ignorant, the ones being fed will be the same.
