My Political Ideology

       I have learned more about myself and my political views/ideology in these past few years then I had in the previous 13-14. Coming from a highly religious Christian family, it is easy to admit that the majority of my morals/beliefs derive from Christianity. Along with my religion, relatively strict parents have also had a large impact on the way that I think. As I touched on, for the first 13-14 years of my life, my beliefs and way of thinking stayed quite close to that of my parents. I would say that it was not until I neared the age of 15 that my beliefs began to differ.
       It was early to mid 2015 and the potential legalization of gay marriage in all fifty states of the US was gaining more attention and media coverage. On a late night, I heard my parents speaking rather loudly and condemning the very idea of gay marriage. They talked about how the bible looks down upon intimacy amongst the same sex. I was rather set back by their hurtful words. Though I am not gay myself, I have several gay friends who I am quite close to. Having gay friends and this whole experience definitely contributed to me answering that Americans should accept homosexuals. This was just one of the several answers I had which led me to be classified as a solid liberal. 
        As I already said, the majority of my beliefs and views come from my family background. For instance, growing up I learned to love and have sympathy for the less fortunate. This is the reason that I answered that the government should give aid to the homeless. But still, I have beliefs that differ from what I was taught due to experiences I've had (such as my support for homosexuality). My family and religious background along with my own experiences have all worked towards me being a solid liberal.