As I look back on my experience as a 6-year-old Religious Education student, I remember few aspects. Overall, I learned that being Catholic means that you love each other no matter what.

Though I don’t consider myself to be an ultra-religious person, I teach first grade Religious Education because of the lessons I began to learn twelve years ago. I learned the importance of lending a hand to someone in need and offering acceptance to everyone along your path.

Since Christianity’s basis is to show love to one another, I’ve recently become confused about distressing instances in which people use religion to defend anti-LGBT equality arguments.

Even though I believe a majority of Christians have shifted toward more of a socially liberal way of thinking, to some, the Bible still says that homosexuality is a sin.

One of the most unfortunate instances of this vitriolic belief is the way in which Thomas J. Paprocki and other Roman Catholic Bishops in Illinois have denied same-sex couples the chance to adopt a child through Catholic Charities. Although, according to nytimes.com, these charities have been at the center of Illinois’s social service network for over 40 years, these specific actions are abominable, especially because they stem from the heads of a religion that preaches the idea of loving your neighbor. Since when is your neighbor always heterosexual?

Even more terrifying is when people support these absurdities. The last time I checked, though physically and emotionally different, women and men have the same capacity to love. Besides food and water, isn’t that all a child needs?

Although I have no idea whether my Religious Education students will take away the same lessons I did twelve years ago, my goal in trying to spread these ideas of kindness and acceptance is total equality. I’m incredibly proud of the progress our country has made thus  far. With 40 states that still deny same-sex marriage, however, we still have much to accomplish-namely, to never allow religion to outcast members of the LGBT community. Presenting equal opportunity to all is long overdue, but continuing this mission toward justice is essential in keeping our society forward-moving. After all, wasn’t it Jesus who invited the outcasts to His table?