I WOULD JOIN THE ARMY: If I Actually Believed There Were Legitimate Reasons For Fighting (James)

As long as the United States is caught up in unjust warfare around the world, I won't even consider enlisting. However, I will try my best to still support the soldiers, because it's not their fault; they're just doing their job, which is to follow orders.

If the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was repealed AND if I was 100% sure that we were fighting the correct enemy, then of course, I would want to protect and defend my country. My grandfather, father and some of his brothers, were members of the U.S. Army, but members of my father's generation have drawn parallels between the current situation and the ridiculous Vietnam War, and they've convinced me to avoid the military even more.

I think it's extremely heroic and admirable to see soldiers serving their time and then, coming out of the closet not much later. The fact that they not only fought in the military but that they SURVIVED, shows that gays & lesbians are just as capable on the battlefield, and if GLBT individuals are willing to enlist, then why make them hide their sexual identities?

I could never be an official in a religion which viewed homosexuality as a sin. However, I could understand how some GLBT people would want to show their devotion to God. I admire them for having their own interpretation of God's message, instead of bowing down to a holy institution (eg. the Vatican).

Back in high school, a few of my Catholic friends back home were very friendly with openly-gay students, and they would always say, "Hate the sin, not the sinner," as if they were being profound. It doesn't come out and say it, but it implies that you should hate an essential part of someone: his/her sexuality. It's like saying, "I don't hate YOU personally... I just hate that you date members of your own sex." It's very confusing and hypocritical if you ask me.

Even though I'm not a fan of any organized religion, I would love to embrace my spirituality, express my devotion to a higher power, and train for a position in a Pagan (nature-based worship/ritual) sect.

INDEPENDENT INTERPRETATION: I Favor Solitary Practice Over Organized Religion (James)

From birth to age 5, I was raised as a Methodist and attended Sunday School and church every week. When my family stopped going to church, I remember missing all the hugging we used to do with our Sunday School classmates before every lesson.

During my darkest hour, the third grade (1995), a.k.a the year when the Maryland district lines were re-drawn and my closest friends were transferred to separate elementary schools, I felt like that there was something missing in my life. I wanted to believe in some kind of higher power; I wanted to feel like I wasn’t alone in the world.

Having been a longtime computer nerd, in my spare time, I would just type names into the interactive Merriam-Webster Dictionary. I was fascinated by the literary origins of my friends’ names. It was enlightening to see how, for the most part, we’ve earned names from mythical beings. I embraced those stories and called upon those figures (mainly Greek and Roman gods) for guidance.

Eventually this fascination with mythology and magic led me to start purchasing books on Wicca. For the longest time, I believed that I could control the weather with the power of my mind; I always thought that would be a cool ability to have. I also got really good at reading tarot cards. My faith made me a happier person, but when I had a bad experience during a solitary ritual (involving 6 golden spiders crawling over my body), I completely abandoned it.

During my junior year, some friends of mine started the GAIA Pagan Society, and just being around such enthusiastic, positive people re-affirmed my faith and made me want to practice again. Since the pagan religion values sexuality of all kinds and it is thought that states of sexual ecstasy bring followers closer to the Goddess and the God, homosexuality is perfectly acceptable.

Religion isn’t a huge part of my life, but I do think that everyone should believe in something, meaning some higher power. I’m not a huge fan of organized religion; I prefer solitary practice, and it’s comforting to know that I have a one-on-one connection with a divine being. I wouldn’t mind if my partner weren’t religious at all, and I wouldn’t try to force my beliefs onto him. However, if he were a ”crazy Christian” who spouted off slogans like “Hate the sin, Not the sinner,” then that would probably cause major problems in our relationship.