Make no mistake about it. The ongoing campaign of hate perpetrated by the Westboro Baptist Church is continuing to give Christianity a black eye. Most Christians are appalled by the WBC. But when push comes to shove, evangelical Christians still think homosexuality is a sin, even among monogamous, morally upright gay couples.
Every once in awhile I get a blog post in my mailbox by a Christian pastor named J. Lee Grady. His most recent post had the promising title, "Fred Phelps Didn't Speak for Me". Pastor Grady rightly pointed out that Jesus loved everyone, even sinners and "clueless pagans." Therefore, Christians are called to love homosexuals -- but not to condone their "sin."
If you are gay and a Christian, the book from which you take your moral compass deems the way you were born and oriented to be sinful. You have two choices: either adopt a straight lifestyle if you want a partner, or live celibate your whole life long.
Well, you actually have a third choice. You can find a deity that will love you just the way you are, so long as you harm none.
Interestingly, the Bible never says God is the only deity. In fact, God actually has cause to be jealous, because there are other deities. It's widely known among not-so-clueless Pagans that homosexuality is established at birth and is not in the least sinful.
The WBC says God hates fags. From where I stand, I would have to agree. Any deity that demanded some of His followers to live either false lives fraught with emotional pitfalls, or lonely lives of celibacy, must at least be playing favorites.
Feeling short-changed by your deity, gay Christian? Maybe you're just worshiping the wrong deity. Book with a different carrier. The love of justice is central to Druidism, and it's just unjust. Just unjust for a deity to discriminate based on sexual orientation.
One of the main reasons I left the Christian church is the hidebound, entrenched bigotry against homosexuals, in an era when science has advanced understanding of human behavior so much. I set out to find deities Who could embrace these advances and give every human being an equal chance to find a loving and devoted partner. Enter stage right, bored gods! They aren't burdened by a book that is frozen in time.
I saw ten vultures while walking home from work. Could any day be better?
6 comments:
You're right, of course, about the Bible and its position on gods. Some of the translations paper over things, but Genesis is really chock full of would-be references to the older Canaanite pantheon.
I know a lot of gay Christians, and I believe that eventually the spirit of the law will win out over the (translated) letter of the law when it comes to Christianity.
Leviticus, where the primary prohibition against homosexuality is, deals mostly in keeping clean in various ways, and I can see how homosexuality fits into that, I suppose. Paul's references use weird Greek words that appear to probably be about young male prostitutes. It seems anything like gay marriage was not on the radar when the prohibitions were written.
It's always seemed to me that most of those insisting that their religion forces them to treat people like me like crap are just looking to blame God for their politically-motivated hate.
No pantheon under the Sun would accept the use of young male prostitutes as a practice that harms none. "Harm none" is the stricture of many Pagan practices, and it is just as difficult as the Golden Rule, if not more so.
Saying homosexuality is a sin is something that has always bothered me. I can't follow their "logic." We know that it is not a choice. Science proves that it is not a choice. So, by being born that way that means that God created them that way. So...they are hating a creation/a child of God.
Having been pagan for over a decade, maybe I'm just spoiled. If you harm none, I love you. And the bored Gods love you too lol
Another great post, Anne!
My Goddess says she loves everyone, except the ones that don't like cats.and she loves you...just not as much .
One does not have to be a dyed in the wool religeous crank to be aware of love and compassion for your fellow person. Biblical stories are in the main fictional few if any were written before the 6th century ad. before that scribes used goat skins as vellum was unheard of.
Alice in Wonderland would be more to the truth.
Being a UU myself, I don't speak for Christians, but I do want to mention that not all Christians are anti-LGBT: there are liberal Christians, and Jesus himself would not have condoned the right-wing Christians and their extremely judgmental stand on these things. He said to love everyone.
--Kim
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