Living with my Faith and my sexuality.

[eitherway<3]

Im not trying to convert anyone, but the link at the bottom is a great pro gay discussion using the bible for and (to begin with) against same sex relationships. Its the best ive ever seen and it was on a chat site! ive read many articles and heard speakers, but non come close to this.

http://logs.omegle.com/f1a8cf0

itll only take you 2 min to read its not long :)

x

[elian]

One of the most interesting movies I have seen regarding religion and homosexuality is "For the Bible Tells Me So" ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajBR0dq0XXk

Dr. Mel White has a very interesting web site as well..

http://www.soulforce.org/resources

[SlimDandy]

Yeah Eitherway <3, there's a bunch of disconcerting crap written in most so-called "holy books"...

These books have all out lived their usefulness, if you'd ask me.

We need more meditation, education, compassion, and transhumanism.

[elian]

There is knowledge in all books, there is power in ideas. The trick is not to follow blindly.

Kalama Sutta

Do not believe in anything (simply)
because you have heard it.

Do not believe in traditions because they
have been handed down for many generations.

Do not believe in anything because it is
spoken and rumoured by many.

Do not believe in anything (simply) because
it is found written in your religious books.

Do not believe in anything merely on the authority
of your teachers and elders.

But after observation and analysis
when you find that anything agrees with reason
and is conductive to the good and benefit of one and all
then accept it and live up to it.

--

There are two things I take away from Christianity:

1) That we cannot do it all alone. I reject the idea that people are weak or unworthy because that leads some human beings into despair and self pity and other human beings on a power trip when they feel they can control the others. I believe that we were endowed with free will and the ability to ask questions for a reason. I believe it is a little more complex than just because "we disobeyed God". However, the truth remains that we cannot operate in a vacuum, In the end we may find that all of our searching with our free will ultimately brings us home anyway - it's just sort of the long way 'round.

2) There is an account of the LIFE of Jesus Christ, that was lived as an example to show others how to live a compassionate life. It is a shame that so many people are focused on his DEATH and MARTYRDOM now when they should be focused on the lessons he taught while we was alive. Somehow certain groups or tribes of people seem to think they are better than everyone else - .hmmm....

[elian]

A friend of mine gave a really neat lecture yesterday about how science and religion can actually reinforce each other rather than cause strife. It was amazing to hear him pull together evolution and spirituality into one, creative, whole idea. The message was affirming - we are a part of the universe - part of creation - and that the things we all make so much fuss over such as gender, skin color, eye color - those are much less than 1% of our total DNA makeup. From a genetic standpoint, we have more in common with bananas than the little bit of actual physical material that determines who we love. Quite literally we really are not seperated from anything around us. Yet we are unique, we possess consciousness, the universe growing and learning about itself..

http://www.bisexual.com/forum/entry.php?2530-Looking-Forward-with-Hope

[liberlib]

That's good but the original linked article leans too heavily on the criticism of the outdated Old Testament laws. More interesting to me, in studying the history of interpretations and sources for many of the anti-gay passages is the twist that has been made. Many of the passages such as Paul's comment were using terms that referred to a particularly ugly practice among the Greek/Romans that amounted to extreme sexual harassment and rape. The infamous story of Lot condemns abusive treatment of visitors and strangers rather than sexual morals. Many of the interpretations of Jesus's teachings that are anti-homosexual (actually anti-sexual--homo has little to do with it) are based on writings by apocryphal writings in the second century which were frequently,themselves, considered to be potentially heretical because of the Gnostic element condemning all flesh.

I personally have found that Jesus's teachings (those that are believed authentic) comes down to supporting considerate acceptance of others, only requiring that they recognize God's importance in your lives.

[chapsmccall]

i have no problems with my sexuality and my faith because its nones biz but mine lol well and Gods ...

[The Young Pretender]

My bisexuality and my nominal status as a Roman Catholic are, IMO, incompatible. I can see no reason why being queer would notionally go against any of Christ's teachings. However, throw in St Paul and 2,000 years of baggage as per establishment Christianity, and it gets hairy.

As for classical understandings of God the Father...he's as distant and potentially explosive as my father, and as capricious and controlling as my grandfather.

I'd much rather have a Goddess up there somewhere. My experiences (going back to my earliest recollections of my mother) with women are far better than those with men.

[TNMike]

This is an interesting documentary on this topic: http://www.fishoutofwaterfilm.com/. At one time it was available on Netflix streaming.

[wvguy4you]

you can convince yourselves about anything you want but the bottom line is you can not be a Christian and be a homosexual lesbian, or bisexual period. the bible plainly reads a man shalt not lay with a man nor a woman lay with a woman. just thinking about sex with the same sex is a sin, and you have commited adultery in your mind and according to the bible that's just as bad as the physical act. so go ahead and read what others say and convince yourself its ok to do it, but I think you already know its not ok with god. I know that if I keep doing what i'm doing i'll do a belly flop in the lake of fire. the thing is, if you are a true Christian then you are not a bisexual or gay person.

[elian]

If you believe that being a Christian means constantly having to live in fear of sin and damnation instead of believing in the loving nature of God and Jesus Christ then I guess by all means, I absolutely renounce my faith according to your definition. I know several people who are "devout" Christians who were lying on their deathbed in extreme pain - hanging on for dear life because they were AFRAID of death. What good is a religion if it cannot even comfort you in death?

God knows who *I* am very well. He knows my strengths and weaknesses. He knows my past. He knows that (for the most part) in my heart what I have felt for men I have been with was truly love, not lust.

It must be hard to imagine that another man would be a faithful husband but it absolutely does happen. I know because it is one of the major goals of my life. It's not easy admitting that I want a husband. In my short life I've wanted to kill myself more than once That is what you want isn't it? For all the sin to wiped away from the world??

, so thanks for your vote of confidence..I'll remember what you think of God and be sure to mention how devoutly you read the Bible to him when he is crying over the suicidal souls of gay people that would gladly give anything to be "accepted" if they could.


It is by the grace of the divine that I am here today, he was the the one that encouraged me to keep going, hang on, just a little longer. All the men in my life were drunk abusive assholes who assured me that I was a little faggot pussy that would never amount to anything. The same men who wanted sexual favors from a 8 year old boy, the same men who beat my mother over the head while I could do nothing but watch. Did I mention the drug use going on around me? All of the Bible verses you can throw at me to make me feel shame and guilt mean nothing compared to walking through hell on Earth. You don't know how many times I have been on the edge, looking down - wanting to leave this place - because of rhetoric spouted by holier than thou people who think they know the will of God. It was God who begged me to stay, who showed me love in the face of all of that when I was afraid to admit what I was feeling to ANYONE. It is God, that despite my gender differences must know my true worth, even when I forget it.

Faith is the only reason I am here, but if you say that having faith is futile then I guess I had better just give it up eh?

More likely - All children are precious, even with their faults.

Walk in my shoes for a week and then tell ME that I'm not a true Christian.. Despite ALL of that I have managed to eek out a space for trying to learn divine compassion, love and forgiveness in my life. I think you have a lot of things to think about and pray over if you don't think that God will accept us the way he made us... We are human beings, not saints, not angels. Making mistakes is how we learn. Why isn't it enough just to know that God loves us and wants us to succeed?

--

Past the religious seeker as he prayed came the crippled and the beggar and the beaten. And seeing them...he cried, "Great God, how is it that a loving creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?"...God said, "I did do something. I made you."

Know that ultimately you are loved, and let your hands upon this Earth be hands of divine love and compassion ..

[elian]

As it turns out, although I felt alone growing up, I never really was alone. One of the other blessings in my life was that I had a handful of people that believed in my potential and encouraged me, even when they could see that I wasn't exactly an orthodox child. Growing up is hell for a lot of people, so is growing into loving, healthy respectful adult relationships. All I can tell you is that it's not a game for me, it never was - for who I am, for all I have, for who I have become - ever since I was a small child all I have ever REALLY wanted in this life is to love and be loved.

What a wonderful trick the universe has played -- I hated men growing up but the circumstances of my life were engineered so that I would want love and acceptance from males more than anything else. It broke my heart, it caused me to doubt myself, it caused me to wonder if I even have a right to exist - but I can see the logic. Because no matter how hard you scream in my face that I am an ugly sinner, no matter how much "proof" you drag out in front of me. I can do nothing else but testify about what my heart sees. That gender never seemed like it should be a barrier to love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sBOxrsCmPo
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sBOxrsCmPo)
Showing compassion toward yourself and others is not weakness - maybe a few hundred thousand more LGBT teens wouldn't have to struggle so hard just to understand that they are still a part of creation. It is sometimes human nature to not feel comfortable about it but it is our diversity that makes us strong.

[TNMike]

the bible plainly reads a man shalt not lay with a man nor a woman lay with a woman. just thinking about sex with the same sex is a sin, and you have commited adultery in your mind and according to the bible that's just as bad as the physical act.

What we think we plainly know and beat each other over the head with is an interpretation of mistranslated and heavily edited 2000 year old text. God made people the way they were made for a reason, and I personally don't think God will be roasting people in pit of fire for being who they were made to be. I try to keep all of that in mind before I start laying down too much heavy judgement.

[void()]

you can convince yourselves about anything you want but the bottom line is you can not be a Christian and be a homosexual lesbian, or bisexual period. the bible plainly reads a man shalt not lay with a man nor a woman lay with a woman. just thinking about sex with the same sex is a sin, and you have commited adultery in your mind and according to the bible that's just as bad as the physical act. so go ahead and read what others say and convince yourself its ok to do it, but I think you already know its not ok with god. I know that if I keep doing what i'm doing i'll do a belly flop in the lake of fire. the thing is, if you are a true Christian then you are not a bisexual or gay person.

Jesus therefore said unto Peter, "Put up the sword into the sheath:
the cup which the Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?"

Jesus reduced everything down to a simple, great commandment:
“love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength …
and love your neighbor as yourself”. (Mark 12:28-34, NIV)

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what
measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Mk. 4.24
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest
not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of
thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and
then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
(Matthew 7 1-5)

It would seem to me one whom professes being Christian, taught by Christ,
they so taught would emmulate Christ. Christ loved all and all is love in
Christ.

I may not today be Christian. That does not imply I never was Christian.
I was Christian long ago. People whom acted as you do here, helped uproot
my faith with such actions and attitudes. Thanks for that.

Apologies, my intention is not in judging you. I merely hope to grant
you a different perspective. If you would really like being scorned more
harshly, I'm sure reading Dante's _Inferno_, especially about the ring
of Hell expressly for liars, would suffice. Maybe you will reconsider
everything, maybe not. Either way I've said what I felt I must.