Today I had dinner with a priest. Which gives me credit for about 20 weeks of not going to church. He was the same one that my parents brought to our house when I first came out to them. I know what you’re thinking, having dinner with that priest?! That’s WW3 as we know it!It wasn’t. I would’ve probably been fuming with rage. I didn’t. I would’ve also probably told him that I now have a better understanding of how the world works and have gotten over past events. I couldn’t.
We never actually talked about the whole gay thing. I adopted a very civilized and well spoken persona over the years. Every minute of seeing my family along with my cousins and myself coexisting peacefully gave me more closure. I felt that everything was going to be okay and I think I could finally let go on a lot of the baggage I’ve carried in the past.
We ate at a family favorite spot, Gerry’s grill in Artesia. It was his last weekend in that church, because priests have terms of office, five years per term and another church they go. The diocese does this in order to rotate the good ones to reach other sheep and of course the bad ones so they don’t fester up the same sheep and eventually drag them to hell themselves.
We debated about the removal of religion from schools. His position was obviously that they should keep it, mine was to throw it overboard. He started off by asking if I thought morals and values should be taught by the school system. And obviously, from his good technique in debate, I said yes. My position was that religion is a good context for morals, however it isn’t for everyone and that there are other sources for them for example grandparents that we are scared of, the justice system’s punishments, and the internal good of human beings. He counter-argued that God provides transcendence and is the best context for morals and values. In defense I asked “so which religion is the right one?” to which he replies that Christianity has had the longest run so far and has had the best track record. This is the point where we agree to disagree.
Anyway, too much verbiage. The whole night was just nice to feel the aura lighten up. Last time he was in the presence of our family, there were a lot of screaming, crying, and pointing fingers. Today was light, pleasant, and filled with jokes. Thanks for the closure father, and I pray that you’re well received in your new home in Panorama city as you have been in our lives. People connect in weird ways, he is the symbol of an institution that drove my family apart, but he is also one who helped glue it back together.
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