I don't know that it helps to pin labels on any individuals or groups. I think we need to deal with hatred without generating further hatred. National Public Radio interviewed an openly gay Imam today about the killings, and I think that was a good thing.

Our Irish-born priest spoke of the killings at Mass this morning, and he spoke in a very compassionate manner. We had a young Filipino priest until recently, and he said it was a "dark day for America" when the Supreme Court approved gay marriage - and he unfriended me on Facebook when I disagreed. We have a new priest from Rwanda coming in to replace the Irish guy. I've known him for quite a while, and he's a good guy - but he was visibly shaken when he heard me speak favorably of gay marriage. Guess I'm going to have to work on him. I wish we had some gay couples in the parish to give these foreign-born priests an education (I guess I don't consider the Irish guys foreign-born).

I'm not sure we will make progress if we treat homophobia as "bad." I think it's far more constructive to see it as "fear," and deal with it in ways that will heal that fear.

-Joe-