My Favorite Quote.

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”
-- Marcus Aurelius

This is perhaps my favorite quote. It's not one that I often post or use but it is the one that speaks to me the most. I live in what the United States calls 'the Bible Belt' and since I am a homosexual, I get battered with bullying Biblical quotes day and night by intolerant Christians (and various other religions and their scriptures). While I struggled with my sexuality in junior high and high school, being accepted was a major priority for me, and it was hard for me to accept myself when everyone around you tells you that 'God hates fags' - I'm a pretty logical person, in real life, and so I couldn't grasp why God would hate someone for loving someone even if that someone led a virtuous life. This quote spoke to me because it made me realize that this life is too short to spend it unhappy and trying to be virtuous. As long as I was a virtuous person, I deserved to be happy as well, and if God wants to punish me for loving someone of the same gender, then He is unjust and not worth worshipping at all. Many will disagree, but this quote helped me feel okay with who I am so I'm not a stranger in my own skin.