...so I told her she was stupid.

I have this friend. She's really smart, and sometimes she's really dumb. It took me 2 months to convince her that Bush is bad, and her vote does count. I want to reiterate... she's very smart. But sometimes she says things that make me wonder why I ever talk to her. Of course, there are lots of reasons why I talk to her; and this story is not about one of those reasons.

We were chatting on the phone about things we don't understand. Neither of us understand serial killers, for instance. We could read about the motivations of a rapist until we're blue in the face, and still never understand them... and don't even get me started on ped0philes. Here's where I throw in odd spellings, in an attempt to foil sick google searches. Bear with me, ok?

So we were talking about this and that, and she said, "Well, it's like those pri3sts. They (expletive) those kids because they're g@y."
I was aghast. I couldn't believe those words came out of the mouth of someone I willingly talk to.
After a moment of stunned silence, I decided to tackle that statement head on. I said, "Homosexuality has nothing to do with ped0phelia."
And we began to argue. She tried saying the same shit in a different way. I wasn't having any of it. Sorry, bubby... there's no connection. I know of which I speak. There are things in my past that I don't blog about because my family would be mortified. I respect their discomfort, although I think it's kind of funny that half of St. Louis knows; but heaven forbid I should publicize it on a blog that gets a few dozen hits per day.
Anyway, back to the argument. Her stance was that the Church told g@y men that they were wrong, but they could be fixed by becoming a pri3st. Then the Church taught them how to act on their desires with children, because it's easier to keep them quiet.
My stance is that the Church did tell young g@y men that the pri3sthood might be their calling, and that G0d would help them resist 'temptation', but sexuality has nothing to do with insanity. Also; the whole nonsense about kids keeping secrets better than adults is just that. Nonsense.
I know she knows g@y people. She must, because we know the same people! How can she be unaware of how close-mouthed they can be? How protective they are of each other's privacy? How understanding of persecution?
She didn't get it. She also didn't want to hear about the pri3sts who attended to the "spiritual needs" of the single mothers in my neighborhood. She insisted it was all about the g@y. So I yelled at her. I told her she was being stupid, parroting the stupidity of others. I declared that she was smarter than that, and I was offended by her stupidity.
I tried instead to discuss the problem with the culture of the pri3sthood. "Perhaps it is a cultural issue," I suggested?
But no matter what, the argument returned; in all it's radiant ugliness; to the statement she'd first made.
In the end, we agreed to disagree; but (clearly) it still bothers me. I won't throw away our friendship over it, and I'll never be ok with it. I won't just accept her blind bigotry. I can't!
Which leaves me between a rock and a very hard place. I know I'm going to bring it up again. And again, and again, until I get her to see the light. I also know that's not how you behave in a friendship. Therefore, I must not be her friend right now. I'm just an annoying pit bull who has locked her jaws on a comment she can't let go of.
Hmmm. I wonder if she wonders why she ever talks to me?