Do you think God cares if your hair is straight or curly? Do you think God cares if your teeth are shiny white or orange juice stain yellow? Do you think God cares if you like the same sex? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you judge yourself right along with judging others. God does not care if your hair is straight or curly: you were created in His image. God does not care if your teeth are shiny white or orange juice yellow: you were created in His image. God does not care if you like the same sex: you were created in His image. Unlike some, others do believe that God cares about being a homosexual or a heterosexual. Those that do believe that God cares what kind of love one is in taste with are those that follow the path of religion (and yes, even those who do not follow a religion do believe it is wrong), such as Muslims, Buddhist, Jains, Sikhs, Jews, and Hindus.

Muhsin Hendricks is one of the only openly gay imams (the person who leads prayers in a mosque). At one point this man had married and had three children with his wife for fear that his family would not approve of him being homosexual. Throughout their marriage, his Muslim wife knew that Muhsin was not heterosexual, yet they tried the best they both could to pretend like he was, until they finally got a divorce and went their separate ways. After the divorce, Muhsin came out in full force, the only willing participant out of Muhsin’s family that would listen to him, was his mother. His mother loved his son for who he was, and for that, Muhsin was the only person at her bedside as she slowly slipped into God’s hands. The Qur’an, states “...For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds...And we rained down on them a shower (of brimstone),” (7:80-84); this means that homosexuals should be stoned to death since there is no reasons for their ways. To Muslims being homosexual is a sin and it is unforgivable.

Having said that being homosexual is a sin, the Buddhist believe that being a homosexual is karma coming back from a past life for participating in a form of heterosexual misconduct. If a man wishes to become a Monk, he mustn’t have any sexual relations, including those of the same sex, the same goes for women if they wish to become nuns. When the Dalai Lama is asked about Buddhism and homosexuality, he merely replies that it is wrong yet has no valid reason as to why that is. Many believe the reason that Buddhist do not agree with homosexuality is because the Buddha has been recorded opposing any person who openly expresses cross-gender features or strong homosexual desires and actions.

Karma has a way of going around and around, at least the Jains believe so. Jains believe that if one is a homosexual, they will forever live with bad karma. The reason behind their belief that the homosexual will forever live life with bad karma is because their feelings for others of the same sex or sexual acts with those of the same sex would have to be outside of marriage. Marriage, in almost all religions including Jainism, is for only one man and one woman; never two men and two women. How contradicting it is because the Jains believe in separation of church and state. Government would be better off without the input of all religions of whether or not a man and man or a woman and a woman can or cannot get married. Yet they still believe that the homosexual will live with bad karma?

Being a homosexual is not a big deal to Sikhs, as long as they don’t wish to get married. Marriage is only for a man and a woman, how else would the next generation come to be? Sikhs have a controversial view on whether or not being a homosexual is wrong; in the view of marriage, being a homosexual is merely impossible but in the view of homosexuals being damned to Hell, the person does not have a higher rate than that of a heterosexual. When Sikhs are asked about their views on homosexuality, they refer to marriage. If there are two women that love each other as much as a man and a woman love one another, can they not get married right beside them? Although two women cannot bear a child alone, they can raise a child together. However, homosexuality is not part of the Sikhism lifestyle and is therefore deemed, wrong.

One can express feelings for a person of the same sex, but as soon as either party act on the feelings, it is frowned upon, according to Jews. The basis of the prohibition against homosexual acts comes from two biblical verses in Leviticus: “Do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman; it is an abhorrence” (Leviticus 18:22) and “If a man lies with a male as one lies with a woman, the two of them have done an abhorrent thing; they shall be put to death—their blood guilt is upon them” (Leviticus 20:13). The Torah considers a homosexual act between two men to be an abhorrent thing that is punishable by death. The prohibition against lesbianism is not as strict as the prohibition against male homosexuality because the Torah does not come out and prohibit les¬bianism, and because lesbianism does not involve the spilling of seed. Although the Jewish faith teaches nothing about homosexuality, it is still frowned upon in their eyes.

Yet another faith in which being a homosexual is a controversial issue is with the Hindu faith. A form of love that is shared between a man and a woman in no way could be shared between a man and man or a woman and a woman, some Hindus believe. However, if a homosexual can feel love for a person of the same sex, isn’t that love the same love that can be shared between a heterosexual couple? In Hinduism, one of the big parts about being married is being able to bear a child; something in which a homosexual couple would not be able to do with just one another. However, there are other ways that a homosexual could have a child, adoption, for example. Nowhere in the sacred texts does it say that a romantic love can only be between a man and woman, thus a man and a man or a woman and a woman are at their own free will of being romantically involved with one another.

Notice how God hasn’t had much say in which He cares if a person likes the same sex? Yes, the sacred texts of every religion are God’s words, but doesn’t He love all his children? Does He not want all of His children to love one another and accept each other as we are? If a homosexual wants to be a homosexual, they have that right and they should not be afraid to tell others how they feel inside. Instead, all should have welcome arms and give that person the love and support we all want. What if being a heterosexual wasn’t the norm? Would religion be the same? Every person has a right to believe in what they wish, however, the world would be a much more peaceful place if being a homosexual was not frowned upon by Muslims, Buddhist, Jains and Sikhs, and instead of homosexuality being a controversial issue among Jews and Hindus, why don’t all religions come together and recognize their brothers and sisters are not all the same?