I feel like I need to address this openly because I feel that this issue or Prop 8 in California had been taken to a level that has brought out the worst in everyone. First of all I am a Christian. I find my identity in Christ and he has given me the grace that I don't deserve as a jacked up human being. I grew up in a conservative box and surrounded myself with those that thought like myself in college. I had friends that "struggled" with homosexuality. I was so fascinated by this topic that I would study books like Desires in Conflict by Joe Dallas and I even went as far as writing an exegetical paper on Homosexuality as a sin. I had myself in a box along with several other friends of mine that all went to the same church and never thought to question the Bible or the pastor.
A pastor said a few things during my college years that always stuck with me. 1). The reason why most non-believers are turned off to the idea of Jesus is because Christians are assholes, 2) if you don't question what I say or what scripture says then you are DUMB, 3) We have three-pound finite minds.
The more I studied and the more conversations I had I learned that God is LOVE and that most Christians have yet to comprehend God's message of LOVE. I feel that if one doesn't question their own faith or sexuality then they really don't know who they are.
The issue is gay marriage and I can see both sides of the argument because I have been on both side of the argument. I supported (in spirit because I am an Oregon resident) NO on Prop 8 because as an American I believe in the freedom and liberty and justice for all that our founding fathers intended for us to have as citizens of this great country. Blood was shed and continues to be shed for this freedom.
I think there are still too many homophobic Californians who didn't bother to research and study Prop 8. Some of those people who voted YES were probably Christians who felt "convicted" by a letter that the Apostle Paul had written to a specific church or community back in the day. Christians probably felt that they were doing the right thing by voting YES after having memorized 1 Corinthians, Romans and Leviticus. I get it. I've been there.
One another note, for those who call themselves Christians as use hateful words like "fag" please don't associate yourself with Jesus or even call yourself a Christian. AND to be a bit frank for the sake of making a point, for those who associate homosexuality with glory holes, Queer as Folk, Go-Go Bois and getting crunk with Britney in WeHo, please go make a gay friend so that you can lay the stereotypes to rest once and for all. Some of the most healthy relationships I know of are gay and lesbian couples. Who knows if gays have the right to marry maybe our horrendous divorce rate would improve.
Jesus was a very liberal progressive person in his time and went to the cross because of it. The Pharisees were the Conservative Evangelicals of that time and they didn't get it. People still don't get it because people fear change and what they don't understand.
What if we are blessed to have a gay or lesbian child? What if our First Family consist of two men and their son and daughter? There are so many questions and so many possibilities that seem so unattainable. I think about all of this in my introspective 3lb brain and can't help but to think of the scene outside of Grant Park in Chicago on 11.4.08 and hold on to hope.
We used to treat women and African Americans as second class citizens. I guess we have yet to break that barrier for homosexuals. It's sad. This could get ugly but I know that Dems, Reps, gays, straights, blacks and whites will push the issue of marriage equality and prevail.
A pastor said a few things during my college years that always stuck with me. 1). The reason why most non-believers are turned off to the idea of Jesus is because Christians are assholes, 2) if you don't question what I say or what scripture says then you are DUMB, 3) We have three-pound finite minds.
The more I studied and the more conversations I had I learned that God is LOVE and that most Christians have yet to comprehend God's message of LOVE. I feel that if one doesn't question their own faith or sexuality then they really don't know who they are.
The issue is gay marriage and I can see both sides of the argument because I have been on both side of the argument. I supported (in spirit because I am an Oregon resident) NO on Prop 8 because as an American I believe in the freedom and liberty and justice for all that our founding fathers intended for us to have as citizens of this great country. Blood was shed and continues to be shed for this freedom.
I think there are still too many homophobic Californians who didn't bother to research and study Prop 8. Some of those people who voted YES were probably Christians who felt "convicted" by a letter that the Apostle Paul had written to a specific church or community back in the day. Christians probably felt that they were doing the right thing by voting YES after having memorized 1 Corinthians, Romans and Leviticus. I get it. I've been there.
One another note, for those who call themselves Christians as use hateful words like "fag" please don't associate yourself with Jesus or even call yourself a Christian. AND to be a bit frank for the sake of making a point, for those who associate homosexuality with glory holes, Queer as Folk, Go-Go Bois and getting crunk with Britney in WeHo, please go make a gay friend so that you can lay the stereotypes to rest once and for all. Some of the most healthy relationships I know of are gay and lesbian couples. Who knows if gays have the right to marry maybe our horrendous divorce rate would improve.
Jesus was a very liberal progressive person in his time and went to the cross because of it. The Pharisees were the Conservative Evangelicals of that time and they didn't get it. People still don't get it because people fear change and what they don't understand.
What if we are blessed to have a gay or lesbian child? What if our First Family consist of two men and their son and daughter? There are so many questions and so many possibilities that seem so unattainable. I think about all of this in my introspective 3lb brain and can't help but to think of the scene outside of Grant Park in Chicago on 11.4.08 and hold on to hope.
We used to treat women and African Americans as second class citizens. I guess we have yet to break that barrier for homosexuals. It's sad. This could get ugly but I know that Dems, Reps, gays, straights, blacks and whites will push the issue of marriage equality and prevail.
No comments:
Post a Comment