Religion and Homosexuality

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Permalink Reply by Levi on July 3, 2008 at 4:16pm

I myself used to identify as christian...

I understand your perspective. But its important to distinguish two things- Religion and spirituality.

Religion is the organized groups, the politics, the church, the family that attends etc... the meeting of people to serve/worship God/other.

Spirituality is all about the connection with God/Other, and has little to do with earthly matter/politics. Its about getting in touch with the creator. Sometimes people say that experiences (eg- going to the beach in the morning) can be spiritual.

So obviously people who have grown up Christian feel conflict- they want to keep up a "spiritual" relationship with their creator, but dislike the earthly politics associated with organized religion.

Furthermore they find it hard because the Bible etc seems to damn them. I'm not here to argue with homosexuality is acceptable by God, but have a few personal beliefs now I wish to share.
1- The Bible was written at a different time, and is taken too literally by people today
2- The Bible condemns homosexual RAPE, (sodomites) but makes no direct reference to gay 'love', thus a fair judgement cannot be made.
In the same chapter virgin daughters are given away for soldiers to rape... and this is considered acceptable! These were very different times!
3- "God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, so that WHOEVER believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life"
4- Jesus never mentioned gay people in his teachings. But he did forgive prostitutes.

I still have to get my head around some things before I return to a relationship with God, and consider it to be "On the Shelf".

But I hope this helps you understand... GLBT people continue to go to church etc not because they find acceptance (sometimes they might) but because they believe in some way it helps their faith or relationship with God/Other. Its of course, not easy for these people...

I do Not believe that religion "Supports, Understands and Accepts GLBT people"
But I do believe God "Supports, Understands and Accepts GLBT people"

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Permalink Reply by Steve on July 4, 2008 at 7:24pm

I agree with Levi. Before I came out I was a devout Mormon. But I have since recognised the difference between the organisation, religion, and what I believe, spirituality. I know that God loves me for who I am.

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Permalink Reply by Chad on July 6, 2008 at 5:11pm

First of all, most religions are vague and complicated. So, people have a lot of room to fudge things. If you take Bible seriously, then all the shrimp-eaters and condom users are damned as much as us. We are not along in this. Do you see people leave Catholic church because they condemn condoms? Most Catholic women I know support access to abortion, which is just about the only thing that the church considers as worse than being gay.

Second, the average people simply NEED religion. They cannot stand the idea of disappearing forever after death. They will do whatever mental tricks necessary to hang on to afterlife. Most people do not have the courage needed for atheism.

Third, most of us are spoon-fed that crap when we were little, by all the people important to us. Most people are just not independent enough to break from that - I am one of them, I know. So, we try to hatch some sort of compromise instead. I do see more churchs becoming more open to gays, so the compromise is getting easier.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Fuller on September 23, 2008 at 11:29pm

"Most people do not have the the courage needed for atheism."

I just find this kind of amusing. What courage is needed to become an Atheist? Believing in nothing is the easiest thing anyone can do. We die, we become either dust or bones, nothing happens after death. There are no unknowns to take into account, just easy to understand science. You call that courageous?

As for the subject of this discussion, my religion actually is very supportive of gay people. There are whole traditions based around gay spirituality. It's not a major religion, but it's quite common in some countries. I'm Wiccan, and a Witch (2 different things, despite the beliefs of some.) I have no problem identifying with this religion because it's pretty much the most open-minded and accepting of all religions. Even though people are often judgmental and negative towards Wiccans, I continue being one, because mine and the religion's beliefs parallel, and because I don't really care what other people think.

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Permalink Reply by Marius on July 7, 2008 at 2:50pm

Hey Charlie.

I don't think any GBLT person identifies with a religion, because all religion is, is a set of rules passed down through generations, that has an invisible leader at the head. I believe in the GOD of the Christians, but not in their religion and alot of what the Bible says. Most of which you have to take into modern context. GOD loves me, supports me, carries me and cares about me. The same for everyone who lets HIM.

I rarely go to church, but I do watch Joyce on TBN. Through all that she has said, I've never heard her even mention GBLT people being evil, immoral or anything whatsoever. So, as far as GOD's voice is concerned, she's it.

Not to try and convert anyone or anything like that. I'm just explaining why I can't function without GOD.

Everyone needs to believe something, that's why you are probably struggling with understanding it. GOD is very real, and takes care of who loves HIM. You, I and every GBLT person know it's the way we are, so GOD doesn't blame us, but he expects us to handle it with grace, because we can. We got this, because we can handle it. Being GBLT ain't for sissies.

I hope that afforded you the answer you were looking for☺.

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Permalink Reply by Christopher Emmons Steinberg on July 9, 2008 at 12:04am

I'm a former cathlic and let me tell you one of the reasons why I left was because of my being gay. Well, I'm happy with myself now and I've found a new religion for myself, Asatru. Asatru has no care for ones sexual identity, just so long as you are honest with your self and others, also I can be married and still be religios.

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Permalink Reply by tommyig on July 10, 2008 at 12:41pm

well you add that you. "have yet to see any major religion that really supports, understands, and ACCEPTS glbt people for who they are"... well back in the days there was a few groups that were up against the same delema and they formed new sects of Christianity and or support groups to stand up to the oppression of the "major" churches. and to say god loves me not as a sinner but as a child of his, oh and adultery is mentioned more in the bible then homosexuality and jesus never condemed the glbt community... it was a deciple and you know =how the catholic organizers set up things so they could get more power and money... i i follow Christs teaching and that is to love and forgive and pry for my neighbors.

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Permalink Reply by tommyig on July 10, 2008 at 12:49pm

and kudos to levi what a great thought on the subject. jesus did forgive prostitutes and the pope reassigns pedifiles to spred their torment on more children, so i just talk to god and let him take care of the way word children who judge people and say they have the authority

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Permalink Reply by Troy on July 21, 2008 at 11:14am

I consider myself to be pagan, a religion which doesn't give a crap whether you are gay or straight, man or woman, as long as you love and worship your chosen diety.

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Permalink Reply by Alex Irwin on July 21, 2008 at 12:51pm

I understand what you're saying, and I agree with pretty much what everyone has said. I'm a christian, and was just born again, since I grew up agnostic. My thing with religion is, I have my own personal relationship with God, and nobody can take that away from me. I believe in God and I believe in Jesus, and that he died for our sins. I don't agree with people using the bible to condemn others, but that's their objective, and they'll be judged by what they've done. I know my "sin" of being gay is not as bad as raping or killing someone for sure, and if I go to hell for the sole fact of that, then that would be silly, and thats why it doens't make sense when they say I'm going to burn in hell for being gay. Everyone has their own personal relationship with God, and God will lead you on the right path. If he wants you to be straight, then you would be, and vice versa for being gay or bisexual.

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Permalink Reply by Jag on November 29, 2008 at 3:14pm

Hey Alex, I don`t think being gay is a sin. Why would God make you gay if it was wrong? I also don`t believe it was a choice being gay, I don`t ever remembering making that choice. If being gay is a sin, then God is very much a hipracrit (not spelled rite) and would be no point in believing in him. But I don`t understand tho where it says "its wrong for man to lay with man". I wish someone could explain that one. So the way I see it, its not a sin to be gay cuz we didn`t make that choice, at least I didn`t make that choice and if we`re all going to Hell cuz of it, is there really a God?

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Permalink Reply by max hansen on July 22, 2008 at 9:47am

i will have to agree with you on this on e
hey my name is max
anyway i dont get it ethier i mean i "was" a christian well when i found out that i was gay i was like fuck that not any morenow one of my ex boyfriends still goes to church and thinks that god still loves him now for me that is really weird.
what i think is that the reson that they do it is to belong to something where they feel loved but the twist of that is is that the only one that loves them is themselves

they do it to belong i think

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