Ever since the vote on Question 1, there has been a steady stream of complaints against the Catholic Church, and especially Bishop Richard Malone, about how Catholics oppose gay marriage.

The Catholic Church does not strive to win popularity contests. It has a mission, mandated by Jesus Christ, to lead people to salvation. Bishop Malone was not merely taking a personal stand on the gay marriage issue; he was doing what was required of him by God.

Many people voted no on Question 1 because of self-interest. Many Catholics and other Christians voted yes for the same reason. The Bible, which was assembled by the Catholic Church and is thus a basis for Catholic belief, states in many verses that people will be judged according to their actions. If Catholics commit the serious sin of voting in favor of a measure which approves of serious sin, then I believe they will be held accountable for that action by Jesus Christ when they die. I, and I’m sure Bishop Malone, also, would not want to be in that indefensible position when it comes to determining the eternal destinations of my soul.

I realize, from reading many blogs, that many pro-gay people do not have much concern about where their souls will spend eternity. That does not lessen the importance of the situation to those of us who are concerned.

Before people demonize Catholics for opposing gay marriage, please first walk a mile in our shoes.

Mike Martin, Farmington