…and of the Holy Spirit.

This is the new, politically correct way to say the prayer of the Sign of the Cross.

The Holy Spirit is the only one to retain the original reference. I was about to write “his” name, but then I thought I might be offending someone. Who knows, perhaps the Holy Spirit is not a “he”.

I just hope I’m not giving any ideas to the extremists to start a battle with the Church to change this prayer. You never know with these people.

I’m only saying this to explain how ridiculous we have become.

We have crossed the line into absurdity.

Yes, gay couples should have civil unions, giving them the right to enter into legal partnerships that grant them the same privileges enjoyed by heterosexuals, be it the purchasing of property and representation in hospitals.

But that is as far as it should have gone, as the term marriage is not appropriate for unions involving same-sex couples. Neither should they have been given the chance to adopt children, or make use of technology to have their own.

Helping heterosexuals conceive because in spite of their natural efforts they are unable to do so is one (acceptable) thing, but giving this opportunity to gays is just not on.

We have gone from the (unacceptable) radical way of thinking gays were children of a lesser god to putting them on higher ground.

Some time ago we had gone to the extreme of enacting a law establishing that criminal offences committed against gays carry a heavier penalty than similar offences against heterosexuals. The law created a distinction between heterosexuals and gays, and laid down that if I punch a gay person I would get a harsher punishment than if he or she had to hit me.

The law is therefore not equal at all – heterosexuals are at a disadvantage in this regard. The discrimination gay people fought to eliminate – rightly so – was passed on to heterosexuals. If it’s the gay person who punches the heterosexual then the law treats it as a man vs man; if it’s the heterosexual who punches the gay person then the law will treat it is man vs gay, and hand out a more severe sentence.

Now we are going a step further by removing the use of terms such as “mother” and “father”, “husband” and “wife” so as not to be offensive. Since when is it offensive to be a mother or a father by natural means? Since when is it offensive to be a husband or a wife? Since when is it offensive to be in a heterosexual relationship?

Really, I am finding the society we are living in very uncomfortable. With the legalisation of marijuana and the regularisation of prostitution I wonder where we will end up.