LOVE VS. RELIGION

"Love is a many-splendored thing, Love lifts us up where we belong, All you need is Love"
-Ewan McGregor, Moulin Rouge

Isn't Moulin Rouge a great movie? This quote has been stuck in my head all day along with "The greatest thing you'll ever know is to love and be loved in return."
No, they're not just stuck in my head because they're beautiful quotes from a beautiful man from a beautiful movie- Today, they actually MEAN something to me.

Today, before first period, some friends and I were talking about a test we all had to take 3rd period about a story that was loosely based around religion. Somehow, we ended up on the topic of dating someone outside of one's religion and all of my friends and I agree that it doesn't matter as long as you love the person- all of us except one anyway.

Apparantly, she would never date or marry somebody from another religion. The rest of us burst into fits of outrage. That's like saying you would never marry somebody from a different race or just anybody who's different than you in general. She then went on about what if say a Jewish man married a Catholic woman. What about Christmas and Hanukkah? Wouldn't they and their children be confused about which to celebrate? Um...hello? Have you ever seen the OC? Chrismukkah anyone?? Holiday's are not a crisis! I'm sure the couple could come up with a compromise. When you love someone and want to be with them, the last thing on your mind should be what to do over different holidays you may celebrate!

It was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. After a few minutes, the shock died down. I recalled a conversation I had had with her over the summer about her "boyfriend"- a guy who lives on the other side of the country. I will be x, she will be y:

y: My mom asked me the other day if Michael* is Catholic
x: ...yea
y: Well, I don't know if he is or not so my mom told me that I better find out.
x: Why...does it matter?
y: Well I can't date somebody from a different religion, it wouldn't be right!
x: why not!?
y: it just wouldn't
x: so you're telling me that you would dump him right now if he was like Protestant or something? Even though you "love" him? [I didn't say the "love" so sarcastically, it's just written that way]
y: well, yeah.
x: that's stupid.

Love is Love. My dad is athiest and my mom is Catholic- like Catholic as in she went to Catholic school and her mom goes to church every single day- not every sunday- every DAY. Now, my mom isn't as crazy as my grandmother is, but she's still pretty Catholic. My dad being athiest and having no faith whatsoever in god doesn't bother her at all. She loves him so it doesn't matter. Sure, they have their arguments about it and it was slightly confusing for me growing up- but it helped me decide for myself what I believed in. I wasn't brainwashed into being Catholic, nor was I brainwashed into being athiest. I'm agnostic now, and I'm happy. Love is just about Love. You should be able to love anybody of any gender, any race, religion, or creed. It's one thing if you HOPE to marry somebody who shares your beliefs, but if you intentionally avoid people who are different than you, it's wrong. If you happen to fall in love with somebody of a different race or religion, how can you just turn them away? It doesn't matter. Love is Love and Love is all you need.



*Name has been changed