dcnovice
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ORIGINAL: PeonForHer
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I think that certain Christian church types are just demonstrating their compassion on this one, DC. After all, as someone has warmly and lovingly pointed out on this thread, being homosexual is a "lifestyle choice" - if you're gay, you could change and become heterosexual overnight *if you wanted to*. On the other hand - if you're fat, that's quite different. You are fat for life and fighting that is like fighting All the Forces of Satan. It can't be done. And this, you see, is why the Church is gentle on the sin of gluttony, whereas it comes down heavily and with nostrils breathing righteous frigging sulphorous fire on homosexuals.
Ironically enough, my gluttony has wounded my life far more than my sexual orientation ever did.
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Lordy, DC, how do you put up with these right wing Christians and their never ending self-serving flatulence and still remain a Christian? You have way more staying power than I.
Strange as it may sound, my intensely Catholic childhood--altar boy, folk group member, lector, rectory receptionist, prep seminarian--helped with that in two ways.
The first was that I was surrounded by people who were comfortable enough in their loyalty/devotion to be incredibly candid about institutional foibles and failings. So I've always had a warts-and-all perspective on religion. And I've also known that, for all our flaws, church folk are capable of great love and good humor.
The second was that, stereotypes aside, Catholic moral teaching prizes reason. Even when I disagree with the conclusions, I respect that lots of careful thought went into them. Catholics are emphatically--and a bit snobbishly, to be honest--not Bible-thumpers.
All that said, I did eventually conclude that Catholicism was not the right home for me as an out gay guy. I was blessedly fortunate to find my way to a quirky Episcopal parish that has been one of the great joys of my life--and a tremendous support during my medical misadventures.
Two favorite quotations also help when I feel frustrated by the public face of Christianity:
"Do you consider yourself a Christian?" [the interviewer] asked.
I sighed and said, "My problem with that is that so many people who publicly identify
themselves as Christians are such jerks about it."
The woman laughed, as did the people in the sound booth behind her. . . .
I said I often wondered if being a Christian was something we could, or should, claim for ourselves;
that if being a Christian meant incarnating the love of Christ in my own life,
then maybe it would be best to let others tell me how well, or how badly, I'm doing.
KATHLEEN NORRIS, THE CLOISTER WALK
* * *
If I, being what I am, can consider that I am in some sense a Christian,
why should the different vices of those people in the next pew
prove that their religion is mere hypocrisy and convention?
C.S. LEWIS, THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS
Heavens, that's a long answer! Hope it helps. 
_____________________________
No matter how cynical you become,
it's never enough to keep up.
JANE WAGNER, THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF
INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE
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RE: Indiania can now discriminant against anyone - 
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Ridiculous... yes...just like your argument. The Gambling business targets all equally. You can use your argument for all business...for instance... The St. Louis Rams target the naive and gullible when they buy tickets to their games.... The same goes for the Chicago Cubs. 
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