Regeneration

“I fear it… I fear it” 
These were the words spoken by Rebecca Nurse in 1692, Salem Massachusetts as religious leaders aligned together their idea that witchcraft was on the rise in their small town. This original thought arose from Abigail Williams hate towards the elders she disliked. She callously cried witchery on innocent women her only motive: revenge. Many innocent lives were lost before the killing ceased. 


From nineteen fifty to 1953, U.S. Senator McCarthy who was a powerful figure at the time... began to press his accusations that the American government was failing to “deal with communism”, and the following years, just like Abigail had in the salem witch trials  began to direct others to not associate with others who were seen being possibly guilty of practicing anything remotely anti-american.

Many innocent victims were accused, put in jail, fired from their jobs and discommunicated. It was no myopic scheme by any stretch of the imagination. Some actors, doctors, lawyers had their lives destroyed all due to a public morality panic caused by one twisted person. You would think from the previous two examples alone (there are numerous others) we would learn? But we don't.

Two years ago, mainstream Religious leaders all over the United States were continuing a spearhead campaign against one of the most controversial topics involving the church and state. Gay Marriage and Civil Unions. More specifically, the "break down of the family unit through lesser forms of marriage".

Church leaders have since then chosen and are trying to use their religious morality to defer or quell what should be a current form of legal protection, civil unions. 


Flashback.


Thomas Putman was the man who got the witchcraft allegations spiraling, by using his religion to justify the presence of the supernatural- likewise Abigail, the girl who pretended to be possessed then singled out a group of people she didn’t like. The two made a terrifying pair.

Each three of these situations share the same featured similarity. Fear. 


Whenever Abigail felt like she was in danger of being caught in her deception: she would quickly accuse another person of witchcraft to avoid attention. Senator McCarthy in turn, was afraid that communism would overthrow the democracy America had “worked so hard to build.” And now, today, the church heirachy is using the fear of the disintegration of the family unit in order to justify criminalizing homosexaulity.

The Pope alongside bishops and cardinals from all over the globe, have made it very clear that, not only are they opposed to homosexuality within their church- they are actively trying to bar it in our world. In many parts of the United States, obsessed religious people have come up with a law they hope- will make civil unions (even between a man and a women) illegal. To this day from a New Zealand point of view the Catholic Church have tried and failed to lobby against the Homosexual Law reform act 1986, the Civil union act 2005.

What Religious leaders and fanatics don’t realize is that what they are doing is a complete contradiction to everything they are supposedly about, everything they represent. Through powerful manipulation of biblical texts, they are throwing bible grenades at full velocity towards a minority group- effectively attempting to destroy their lives and create a psuedo-hell on earth.

I haven't mentioned marriage yet. That is because the church is perfectly within its rights to create rules for marriage- for them a ceremony only for a man and a woman, there are no exceptions. The current debate in regards to civil unions covers a whole different paradigm. I am talking about the life long partnerships with another person, irrespective of gender - working for the same goals, just trying to get by and share in some of the benefits like their brothers and sisters can.

Sadly, many lawmakers and citizens fail to see the difference as they are being fed misinformation from the opposition. The main arguments against civil unions focus on the old-age “Homosexuality is a sin” argument, which archaic in itself - has absolutely nothing to do with being in a civil union with somebody. The second largest argument comes from the viewpoint that men have to be compatible with women in order to raise a family and therefore, no alternate to Marriage should be allowed. This argument hardly works either, considering the divorce rate is north of fifty percent now, that many people don’t want to get married and have children, and that a growing amount of evidence is cumulating which backs up claims that us homosexuals do not choose our sexuality as a “lifestyle”.

Many everyday Christians and Catholics though - are begged to wonder why such a frivolous topic is being sought with so much hype and emotional resonation. Why are religions focusing on removing rights from a group of people, when there are more urgent things in the world going on right now to worry about? Religious leaders, governments, scientists and citizens irrespective of sexual orientation- should all be working together to bring an end to poverty, to bring an end to war, to create life long solutions for issues such as global warming, which will eventually affect our population as a whole.

God created us to work with one another, to love one another - to respect one another and to work as a team.

Being an ex-Catholic myself, I share in Rebecca Nurse’s mindset. Rebecca Nurse spoke the famous words during the Salem Witch Trials: "The aftermath of the hangings... I fear it, I fear it"


Likewise I fear that once this mess is finally all over, and there is nothing left to debate on either side - that the church will forever be torn apart. It’s happening already. 


The Anglican Church is in the process of disowning denominations, like the Episocal church who allowed a gay man to become a bishop. The Church has dis-assiocaited itself with it's african counter-parts, something that has never been done before. 


African leaders of that church think they are morally compelled to create law that bans more than two gay people from being in the same room together. It's no wonder the american side of the church has torn away. 


I fear that the battle and aftermath of the current war on Gay rights will not only create a travesty for homosexuals - but also for people who are part of the catholic religion, or any religion. The more the pope spews bullshit about second-class homosexuals: the more our younger generation will spit on the very church he is trying to uphold. 


I imagine it will be everybody else vs. Religious people. The Church won’t be a happy place to reside. Did you know that ninety percent of teenagers aged 16 to 24 feel as though the church's moral stance on sexuality is it's most major drawback? 


What I once thought of was a place of resonating peace will no longer be the angel it once appeared. The same thing happened in the town of Salem, before the hanging and burning began.

By the end of the Salem Witch Trials, over thirty innocent victims were hung, burnt or stoned to death. Abigail, the shrill but determined little girl who felt morally obliged to kill so many women, had since run away and was never seen or heard of again. When the town realized that it was all just a farce, people were filled with remorse. The large middle class who were manipulated into callous action suddenly realized what a tragedy they had helped create. The town went silent. Many cows and other animals were roaming around dying with no masters to feed them - and nobody dared touch that land for at least another century.

You would think that the world would learn from its history. But alas it isn’t. Obviously the church's crusade on homosexuals isn't as deadpan as the witch hunts. But I suspect that is only because social norms prohibit the complete nutcases from getting media attention. 


When you think about it, it is still, in essense, a witch hunt. Like the witches burnt at the stake, religious leaders are doing anything to burn what pleasure of life all homosexuals currently have and in the meantime, other issues are left to slowly simmer. Who cares about poverty issues or increasing war and heat in the world? I’m afraid that as an ex-catholic I have to say that I think the church has finally lost the plot. 


How far religious zealots are willing to go and its expense on the ever widening gap between people in the church, only time will tell.