Louis J. Marinelli spent five years actively working against gay rights and gay marriage, spending his time promoting hate and division.
A conservative Republican, this young man joined the National Organization For Marriage, and spent time holding rallies and organizing support against civil marriage for gays and lesbians.
And then he actually met gay and lesbians who just wanted the same right as straight people, and realized that he had behaved in a reprehensible way that greatly embarrassed him, as he now felt guilt at his promotion of prejudice and narrow mindedness. He possessed the courage to speak out publicly and create a Facebook page to that effect, and the response has been very positive!
Louis should be saluted, and we can only wish that all religious groups–whether evangelical Christians, Protestant main line groups, Catholics, Mormons, Jews, Muslims–would see it in their hearts to preach the concept of love in religion, rather than the concept of hate, war, prejudice, that all of them in varying amounts have been guilty of in the past or the present!
A big step forward would be for all religions and all decent human beings to condemn the Westboro Baptist Church of the Reverend Fred Phelps of Topeka, Kansas, and the small Gainesville, Florida church called Dove Church headed by the Pator Terry Jones, both involved in promotion of hate of gays as well as Muslims!
It is time for all who call themselves “religious” to promote the teachings of their faith with an open mind and generous heart!