An enlightening conversation

Wow.

I just had the most interesting facebook conversation ever. I'd like to copy and paste it here, but I'm going to let my friend emotionally prepare to march in the Boston gay rights protest tomorrow and not bother him about letting me print our conversation here. But I have copied and pasted it into a document, because I think it was a very, very clear indicator that those who are gay and those who do not agree with gay marriage can still be friends and still talk about it. And not even get mad!

My friend and I were in college together, and I remember him from my very first week there. We've kept in touch more or less over the last 14 years. What I was surprised by was that he actually agrees with me on nearly everything else that I think is important. He's against the pro-choice agenda, for instance. Very much so. But he feels persecuted, and wants to make his voice heard.

I disagree with him pretty strongly, but we have been very friendly and gentle with our language, and it has enabled us to speak coherently and ask thoughtful questions without breaking down and saying, "You're just wrong!", which is so tempting sometimes. I try to keep my reasoning fairly un-biblical, just because these laws we are arguing about are secular laws, not church laws, and so I can't use an overtly religious argument to defend my thinking and be taken seriously by all sides.

I do think gay marriage is going to win out, but I am worried that those who feel "persecuted" will become the "persecutors". I was glad to find that my friend also feared this. It is good to know, and we agree that we need less calling each other the "enemy", and more seeing each other as human beings, worthy of love.

I will try to post later about our conversation. It's not quite over yet, so I will wait a bit and see how it plays out.

Just some food for thought.