tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587902609826926070.post4762067351209362804..comments2024-03-05T23:31:44.106-08:00Comments on Gay Family Values: Being Friends with ChristiansGFVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02950236433262366445noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587902609826926070.post-80914895953251807102016-11-17T00:26:48.171-08:002016-11-17T00:26:48.171-08:00grtgrtShwetabloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12945314996642903763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587902609826926070.post-83922807621607303172010-07-25T13:52:48.039-07:002010-07-25T13:52:48.039-07:00As a fellow Brit Craig, it's really different ...As a fellow Brit Craig, it's really different in the UK-we're not as religous as the US so whilst I completely see your article, it doesn't surprise me that some commenters would be shocked by it.<br /><br />I'll never forget when a friend of ours told us she was a christian and went to church-our mouths just hung open!<br /><br />Like 'why?'<br /><br />Also, one must never forget it was the religous fundies who left Europe to set up 'America' as we know it, so it's in the American cultural make up to be Christian.<br /><br />Anyway,I see Christianity, like I see philosophy-it's something to inspire and grow from, not to imitate like it's a 'rule'.<br /><br />I'm an athiest but if there was one religion that I find interesting, it is Buddhism and Islam, especially for the enlightened educational qualities of the religion.<br /><br />RowanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587902609826926070.post-4466700326817952832010-07-15T15:15:57.268-07:002010-07-15T15:15:57.268-07:00I think it should be noted that everyone views rel...I think it should be noted that everyone views religion differently. I myself hate the concept of Religion (especially the Catholic and Southern Baptist take on it) while I find that I am undoubtedly a follower of Jesus. The concept of worshiping being on high while do not murder being just a rule baffled me as well.<br />I don't see this whole conversion thing to matter. God exists to me, it makes sense, that's all. Jesus, from what I have read, speaks not of conversion so much as "live right, live at peace with each other, love everyone" which I think speaks more to the left wing hippies of 1965 than the orthodox Christian crackpots of the same decade.<br /><br />Growing up in a southern baptist and homophobic household, I've learned that I do not subscribe to the twisted faith of my ancestors for it is a mockery of the human condition. The Human Condition being beautiful and chaotic. I've gotten tired of the judgment and fear that religion has placed in people, when I see the scriptures as a symbol that we're diverse and meant to accept our differences.<br />The fear of hell is futile, there no such fate for any good person and for all intents and purposes we're all good people.<br />I embrace my pansexuality, whether my family accepts or shouts at me blasphemy. They want to fear hell fire and raging God they've made up in their minds then they can go to hell.<br /><br />It's no problem to me, really, if my family was raised christian and hate's homos or my best buddy's an atheist or my cousin Ralph is a Muslim who likes to make fireworks. I will still persist against my family's wishes but I'll love them just the same, several of my finest friends are hard-ass atheists and I love the discussions we have against each other as well as just the fun we have beliefs aside and my cousin's odd hobby is actually entertaining, seeing as I too like blow things up<br /><br />I've always accepted the different views of people, my best friend in the world is a right wing conservative homophobe, yet he knows I like guys like I candy and we are friends. No matter the gap, I seem to do fine. It's just a matter of forgetting our differences and facing what counts. The chemistry.<br /><br />In short. I agree the belief in western religion that has come over us is barbaric. But it's all in how you read it. A pastor once told me, anyone can interpret the scriptures to say whatever they want to say. I take it as lesson to love and live life to the fullest. Many take it as a warning to hate and judge. It's true, though, no matter where you got it from or why, all that matters is that you're wise. I'm a pansexual and anyone so ignorant or hateful to say I'm evil or a faggot can go to their own imaginary hell. They're so called 'evil' means nothing to me. It just makes them more the gits they think I am.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09445787245764928210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587902609826926070.post-53141441223822050732010-07-14T20:42:16.962-07:002010-07-14T20:42:16.962-07:00If I had read your post just four years ago, I wou...If I had read your post just four years ago, I would have agreed with every single point you made without complaint. Throughout my childhood I knew many fairly religious Christians and because of my situation I hated them. Being gay in an area with such religious fervor forced me to dwell deep in the furthest corners of darkness, and I never had any illusions as to what was to blame: Christianity. Therefore I was always the one who defended Evolution and the Big Bang Theory from their ignorant zeal. It was my way of striking back, and I relished every second of my vengeance. <br /><br />When I went to college, this outlook changed somewhat. I became friends with a whole group of "God-squadders,” as you have so comically termed them. I actually didn't even know they were a religious group until a week after I met them. They exhibited many of the qualities I had never expected in a Christian: genuine compassion (as opposed to the "forced pity"), intelligence, and even tolerance! The "leader" was an argumentative philosopher whom I eventually argued with for 8 hours about the nature of Christianity. <br /><br />He gave me a different and somewhat unique perspective; one that I have postulated and even researched over in order to better myself and my understanding. Science and Mathematics do not always have the right answer. Sometimes one must use their own past experiences and humanity to solve their problems, even if that solution is contrary to logic. For if one does not rage or hate, cry or laugh, are they truly human?<br /><br />Did he convert me? Hell no! (…or perhaps hell yes?…) However I, like yourself, had another revelation (puns all around!!!): just because a group of people hold a belief doesn’t mean they are all alike. Some Christians are fundamentalist, ignorant, and sadistic; others are not. Since then I have, occasionally, met with other devout Christians and have on the whole found them to be just as varied as anyone else.<br /><br />So the question must be addressed: Is Christianity inherently evil? Is it something deleterious to the human race? I actually refute this in an earlier post I did, a response nearly twice the length of this post alone, so I won’t re-post it here. …needless to say, it’s attached to the “Gays and Religion” blog article under the name “Anonymous.” (Just a bit of SHAMELESS self-promotion…) I will say that the aptly labeled “bronze age” section shows a stark contrast to the New Testament, what could also be called the ‘true’ Christian portion of the Bible, and much of the questionable material contained within it (the Old Testament) can be explained more in the social and historical context of the time. For example: the Old Testament God is one of draconic punishment who levels entire cities and wipes out (nearly) all of humanity, while the New Testament God is a benevolent one who seems to really care for humans. This contrast was so striking that an entire sect of Christian Gnostics divided them and created a complicated hierarchy where the tainted “Demiurge” (Old Testament) dwelled in a strange state of ignorance to the higher spiritual Goddess (that’s right: she was a feminine deity!). The “blood sacrifice” of Jesus can also be explained in a historical and social context through many different avenues: sacrifices, even those of humans, were extremely common (not so common for human sacrifice) in every religion of the time.<br /><br />If I convey anything to anyone who reads this it should be that a person’s spirituality, or search for humanity if you prefer, should not be denounced: it is a personal struggle that all have, no matter what creed they might prescribe to. Rather it is the outward expression that should be scrutinized, and in this I think we agree Mr. Rigby.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587902609826926070.post-34930901010276965552010-07-14T17:04:07.419-07:002010-07-14T17:04:07.419-07:00Not many Christians in my circle of friends. Most ...Not many Christians in my circle of friends. Most of us are in the technology field and I note that lots of us are atheists. <br /><br />I was brought up Catholic but rejected it at a fairly young age. But twelve years of Catholic schools gave me a weapon that has served me all my life. <br /><br />Why? Because even though I'm an atheist I know their damned Bible better than they do. It is a constant source of amusement to me to hear so called Christians putting others like the poor, or immigrants, or even the diseased down when if they had read the book they'd have found that those were precisely the sort their Jesus hung out with.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587902609826926070.post-30051098459884753742010-07-14T16:51:36.578-07:002010-07-14T16:51:36.578-07:00Its been over a year since I went to church, and y...Its been over a year since I went to church, and yet I found some of this information offensive - while also true. <br /><br />Most of the first people I came out to were Christians. They were the people I was closest to in high school, and some of them remain my closest friends. Some of them responded very, very well - telling me to be proud of myself in a way that none of my "non-Christian" friends would. They seemed to get that being gay is a big deal, and it is challenging - maybe because they have been critical of the hatred that they have seen published on such a large scale by evangelical groups. Others, including my parents, just don't seem to understand the social challenges that I have had, and continue to have. <br /><br />The Christians tend to be wise, patient, and spiritual - they are the only people I know who will sit with me and cry, rather just watching me cry.<br /><br />While I agree with Jim that I seem to find myself more aware of my creator in the natural world than in a church, I won't deny the power of a cathedral to stun me. I don't consider myself Christian - I don't even know what that means anymore - but I would say that I am inclined to believe in the ideals of Christ.<br /><br />Whom, I believe, was all about loving everybody, and putting oneself last rather than first. <br /><br />That said, I have also hated Christ, and have been completely uninterested in spending time any Christians. They have caused me a ridiculous amount of pain and heartache - some friends refusing to be my friends because of the way I was born, often telling me that they couldn't be friends with somebody who was choosing to be gay.<br /><br />For the sake of my soul and refusal to continue my downward spiral of self-destruction through malice directed at others, I decided long ago to work daily to forgive them for the pain that they caused me. And, to be honest, I fail frequently.<br /><br />My church recently removed my membership. In the letter of notice I received, it made a comment about my sexual promiscuity as a deviant. I almost wrote back to the pastor, telling him that his fourteen year old son had more sexual experience than I did. I'm a virgin. He isn't. Because I'm honest, and willing to talk about it without condemning him, he told me. <br /><br />He will never tell his father.<br /><br />Ultimately though, Christianity is damaging at times. But don't sell your soul away to something that doesn't have meaning. And don't allow anger to cloud your willingness to befriend people - show people the kindness and love that you would hope they would show you. Or the homeless man living down the street.canadianhumilityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17765821265373068860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587902609826926070.post-1797876856033695802010-07-14T15:29:30.316-07:002010-07-14T15:29:30.316-07:00I grew up Catholic. My parents forced us to go to...I grew up Catholic. My parents forced us to go to Catholic school for the first 8 years of our education. I have always felt "closer to our creator" taking a walk in a woods on a beautiful day than in any church..<br />I've only been back inside one for the occasional wedding or funeral.<br />My Dad is deceased now...he was an AVID Catholic. I wonder how he would feel now to know that the money he gave every Sunday in the basket was now used to discriminate against me his son?? The Catholic church gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to defeat gay marriage in Maine last year. The church also spends millions on victims of pedophile priests. I think it was Gandhi who said.."I like your Christ. I do not like the people who pretend to represent him here on Earth!"Jim Stonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12387924451130690320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587902609826926070.post-51041712889131116772010-07-14T13:38:34.752-07:002010-07-14T13:38:34.752-07:00Crag
I fully admit that I am not you perfect Sunda...Crag<br />I fully admit that I am not you perfect Sunday church attending Christan, although I really do mis it there is still my own personal baggage (not related to the church I attended threw out childhood) which has kept me physically away.<br />But I still consider my self a christian, and like Brian I think that core of the faith is love.<br /><br />To me the message I take away is one of love and one of trying to make the world a better more equal place for all. It is also a way to find some meaning in this crazy life and to find ones place (and connection in) the universe as well as bring some hope into the inevitable prospect of death, while bringing all that much more value to the life that we all have.aNorthWestViewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03598507140332496283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587902609826926070.post-80895183290152639972010-07-14T08:16:00.889-07:002010-07-14T08:16:00.889-07:00Craig, I have had discussions with atheist friends...Craig, I have had discussions with atheist friends and it occurs to me that you share many similar arguments. Mainly these are based on a materialistic (in the physical sense, not monetary) perspective, without considering the metaphysical meaning of religious experiences. Religion is more than commandments and morality. Religion is striving to achieve oneness with the Creator, to be in harmony with the universe, and to find meaning in life and death. These are the highest goals of "Religion," whereas the commandments which emphasize obedience and sins are but a small part, which I call "religion." Organized religions focus on "religion" because few can grasp Religion and rules are easier to propagate than insights. Most Christians and people who seek religious experiences want Religion.<br /><br />I agree with you 100% that if religion is all there is, I'd say no thank you. But Religion is greater than people's rules, and men's hierarchies. It is only available to those who seek something more than the physical. <br /><br />Like appreciating art, not everyone want Religion, so to each his own. What I find hypocritical are atheists who insist that everyone give up religion. If they don't like Christians telling them what to do, why would they think it's alright to tell Christians what to do?<br /><br />It is not just tolerance that we need in the world; we need acceptance, even when we don't understand the difference. That's the real meaning of Viva la Difference. I don't agree with you, but I defend you right to be wrong. :-) Cheers mate.Cowboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16700398252723780578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587902609826926070.post-66448495695465084692010-07-14T00:21:08.504-07:002010-07-14T00:21:08.504-07:00Craig,
Everyone has there own take on what Christ...Craig,<br /><br />Everyone has there own take on what Christianity is about. For me...and I guess I stand alone in this...the core of Christianity was meant to be love. But if a person doesn't see that in Christianity its no great surprise as its been used and abused by people for centuries....However, no matter the what has been done in the past, that should not stop us from bringing the best of ourselves to whatever we believe, instead of the worst.GFVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02950236433262366445noreply@blogger.com