One of the things I admire more about ***Dave is his ability to successfully integrate the various aspects of his life so seamlessly (at least it appears seamless to be, and if he’s fooling someone who sees those seams from relatively close-up most of the time, then he’s a pretty good act).

Specifically, he’s

A bit liberal & a bit (less) libertarian.
Willing to see both sides of a political situation.
A great father/uncle/son.
Deeply religious and active in his local (and not so local) church.
An avid gamer and reader of sci-fi, comics, et cetera.

Basically, a renaissance man who (most impressively), manages to be all of these things without contradicting himself or alienating one facet of his life from some other, apparently-contradictory one.

(Let me tell you, folks, that’s no mean feat — just being able to mention church around most gamers or mention gaming around most churches without being stoned by either group is a trick I’ve never managed to pull off.)

Why do I mention this? Because, with his usual aplomb, Dave’s addressed the thorny issue of gay relationships, the church, and the current mixed messages being sent by even the relatively open-minded Episcopal organization (which just inducted a gay bishop).

[…] f the Episcopal Church is going to accept gay relationships (which I think it should), then it should, as quickly as possible, move to coming up with a way to formalize and bless those relationships as marriages. Not simply condone them but not let them go any further. Not devise a “Marriage Lite” in the form of civil unions and specialized blessing ceremonies. But open the doors and let ‘em in as first class married couples. It will drive some folks away, to be sure, but taking half-way measures is, I think, driving even more away.

Sometimes I just have to count myself lucky to know some of the folks I know, and Dave’s one of those people, plain and simple.

Sir, you will make me blush, damn your eyes.

The integration of all that stuff in my life isn't nearly as difficult as balancing it all out in conversations with one group or another (the gamers and the churchies being the two most difficult, in, as you note, both directions).

Well, that and working around gaming and church-going schedules on the weekends ...

Heh. Helping work out the weekend gaming/church schedule almost makes me feel virtuous by association. :)