Ok, so I'm getting a little serious but I promise it won't last...

First off, I have no intention of this blog becoming some serious site where I bitch about politics and the like. But, I received an email that has gotten me so riled up that I feel like I have to share it with you guys. It's not so much the content of the email, although it's quite bothersome. It's that it was sent to a large group of people including myself and Nate, my roommate and one of my best friends. Nate is gay. He is out to everyone in his life, including his parents. And today we all received the following email from his father.

ACTION ALERT

Prime Minister Harper has promised a free vote on same-sex "marriage". Experts say this will happen in late Sept/early October. At this point, the vote does not yet involve restoring the heterosexual definition of marriage. Rather, it is only a first step toward that goal. The first vote will simply ask the question of whether or not Parliament should conduct a full, honest examination of homosexual marriage and its long-term implications on Canadian society. The second vote (aimed at restoring one man+one woman marriage) will not even occur unless we win the first one.

But we fear the vote will be too close for comfort. In fact, there are more votes confirmed for the pro-homosexual side. In order for the pro-family side to win, we must influence at least 15 of the 19 "undecided" Members of Parliament. These (19) MP's have stated that they're undecided or not willing to say how they'll vote.

Defend Traditional Marriage & Family has fought to protect future generations of innocent children from the increased family breakdown that will certainly occur as the institution of marriage becomes devalued in society. No longer will the central purpose of marriage be understood as the procreation and education of children. Instead, the law will teach that adult happiness is the only purpose of marriage.

Furthermore, activist judges will use same-sex marriage as a "moral justification" for trampling religious freedom. Eventually this will take the form of depriving churches of charitable tax status for refusing to perform gay "marriages". Next, we will see hate crime charges against those who preach or teach against homosexual conduct.

We are determined to restore the proper definition of marriage. By signing the petition below, your message will be sent to all (19) of the undecided MP's.

www.defendmarriagekw.org/petition.html

Please act now. Also - please forward this to many others so we can have a major impact.

I was so angry when I received this email that I immediately called Nate to prepare him for what his father was supporting and promoting and asked his permission to email him back. He thanked me and told me he would love it if I responded. And I did with the below;


Hello Mr. ********,

I would really appreciate it if you didn't send me things like this. I strongly support the rights of Gays to marry as I believe that they deserve to live their lives with the same rights that you and I do and take for granted. I do not believe that the definition of marriage should be restored. I am quite proud of our Country for their forward thinking, tolerance and acceptance of its citizens.

I understand that this change will have long-term implications on Canadian Society but I believe that for all citizens to feel accepted and a part of their community is more important.

As far as the comments in this item you've sent out go; to say that we need to protect future generations of innocent children from an increased family breakdown? I believe we need to educate our children about the things that make them as well as others unique and to feel that no matter who they turn out to be, we as their country, their parents will support and nurture them no matter what. I'm not interested in producing a generation of discriminatory, prejudiced children.

Marriage is not a matter of uniting a man and a women and turning the woman into a baby maker. It's not simply about procreation and the education of children. I believe it's about 2 people, no matter the sex who love each other and make a commitment to each other to be together for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. And if any couple should decide to have children, by whatever means necessary and they raise those children and educate those children, who are we to stand in their way and say that they don't meet 'our standards'? As you know, raising children is one of life's hardest tasks and it's not something you enter into without thinking it through. You have a huge effect on who they become and if any couple decides to take on that task, they should be commended, not meant to feel that their way of doing it is 'devaluing society' as your article says.

Finally, I do believe that your church, any church has the right to its own opinions. However, I believe that your god, any god is about acceptance. I think that it is HATE that a church is displaying if it closes its doors on someone simply based on his or her sexual preference. I believe that god created us all in his eye. And I do NOT believe he makes mistakes. Who are you or I for that matter to judge his creations?

I was very surprised to receive this email from you Mr. ******* as the father of a gay son. But, I understand that we all have our beliefs. I hope you'll take my reply not as an attack but as an expression of my beliefs as you have shared yours. I completely respect you and your rights to your own opinions; however I do not share them.

I will NOT sign your petition.

I do look forward to seeing you again soon and I was sorry to hear about the loss of your mother in law.

Please leave your comments. Did I do the right thing to express my opinions or did I act too fast? Part of me feels as if I should have just deleted it and ignored it. The other felt this maternal instinct kick that had to defend my friend. Maybe it wasn't my responsibility or place to get in the middle of things but I guess that's just me.... JASG