Being Gay and Religion.......your feedback is needed.

[The Grovers Corners Yenta2]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 12:36pm

Next month my synagogue is having a lecture on being Gay and Jewish. I am very much interested on hearing from other and how they handle their religion in terms of being Gay. Personally, I don't think that these two aspects should even be considered an issue. My take is that we were all created in G-d's image so what is the problem? Please feel free to add your views and opinions and I will bring them up at the lecture. Thanks.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 12:39pm

If I was created in You-Know-Who's image, She must be fabulous.

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 12:42pm

Good for you Namo! And here's a question-how come people don't type out the word god?

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 12:42pm

Every time I am on my knees I thank God I am gay.

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 12:45pm

Every time I am on my knees I thank God I am gay.


LOL!

[Elphaba]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 12:45pm

I scream 'OH GOD" a lot.....does that count?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 12:47pm

In many religions, including the Jewish one, you can't actually represent Her name because She's so fabulous, it's forbidden.

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 12:49pm

Gotcha, Mary!

[cturtle]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 1:16pm

yenta, it took me a long time to reconcile my religious beliefs and my gay feelings. although the feelings had always been there, i thought god would be disappointed if i acted on them. in fact, i convinced myself that if i did not act on the feelings, then i wasn't gay. of course that was ridiculous, and over the years, the feelings just got stronger. i finally came to the conclusion that being gay was certainly not a choice, and that god must have made me this way for a reason. i believe the moost important things my faith teach me (and i am a christian, by the way) is to love god with everything you have, and to love your neighbor as yourself. being gay does not hinder either of these two things. in fact, not accepting your gay feelings, if you are indeed gay, makes it impossible for you to truly love yourself. and how can you love your neighbor as yourself if you do not indeed love yourself ... ALL of your self?

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 1:20pm

I was raised Southern Baptist. You either lie, try for YEARS to not be gay or just don't ask, don't tell. I quit the church when they pissed me off my freshman year of college. When I was in a serious relationship with a woman, I told a few of my old church friends. They, like me, saw through the facade of the church, but they still attended. They thought it was fab. Then one of the "tried for years not to be" guys recently got married and never bopped the little woman after two weeks. So, she got an annulment based of fraud. We are still waiting to see what the aftermath of that will be. In other words, DON'T BE GAY! Or different. Or opinionated.

[zepka102]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 1:21pm

For a serious side, I don't let it bother me. I am a strong Catholic (so strong I teach religion to 3rd graders), so people don't understand how it works out. I'm fine with myself. I don't go out and whore myself or anything. I have strong morals and values and I look for that in others. I find it hard to believe that something could be wrong if it makes me happy. But I'm at peace with it, my family who knows now, and I'm happy with having both aspects in my life.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 1:25pm

Kenny Chesney goes to your church, JG2?

[Elphaba]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 1:25pm

zepka, how do you explain that the faith you believe in, does not believe in you, and in fact does everything it can to keep gays as second class citizens.

I am not saying this to start anything, but really am interested in how you handle that.

[singingwendy]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 1:29pm

Was reading an article in the paper today about Anne Rice's new book, 'Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt" and this quote seemed to fit this discussion


"Here, as the Christian media besiege her with interview requests, Rice is revealing her own message about Jesus.

'He doesn't say anything about abortion,' Rice said. 'He doesn't say anything about gays. I abhor abortion, too. But to make Christianity rise and fall on these issues is a great distortion of Christ's message.' "

[zepka102]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 1:45pm

Thanks for making me think about this Elphaba... I'm not mad or anything, so don't worry


It's a personal thing for me. I'm not the kind of person who shows all the pride and screams "I'M HERE AND I'M QUEER!" Yes, it's a part of me I can't change, and I don't want to anymore because I'm fine with myself, but why would I have been created this way if it is wrong. I don't care what goes on here with people arguing it being wrong. And not to sound all preachy or anything, but I'm fine with my relationship with God. I do what I have to in life. I try not to do anything wrong, just as before when I wasn't out. Who I like hasn't changed me as a person. To be honest, people tell me I'm better off this way because I'm more open and not as quiet. It changed me for the better. I haven't had any negative changes. I'm happier with myself than I've ever been. And while I can't explain the connection between that and religion, it just feels right and I do feel closer to God.

That didn't make any sense I'm sure... just ramblings.

We have a priest who started out as a deacon at my church. After he became a priest, he was still with us. He told us about when he was ordained and asked about various situations. One was about a homosexual couple asking for the church to baptize their baby and how he would deal with it. His answer was a yes, that he would. This loving couple wanted to bring up their child in the Catholic faith. They weren't trying to hide their love from the church and wanted what they felt was best for their child. How could that be wrong?


And hey, it's a broadway message board, so I think it's appropriate to quote Bare:

Two folks want to fall in love
If no one's hurt, what's wrong with that?
God is love all the time
Search your soul and you will find
God don't make no trash

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 1:46pm

Here are my thoughts:

It's important that all gay people separate God from the Church(people). I've found that many of my gay friends have mixed feeling on God and religion. But it's the People who say "You're going to Hell", not God. It's important to remember that they are sinners too, and saying those statements is indeed a sin as they are not loving their fellow man.

I also believe that people are born gay and that no one is pre-damned. So therefore, I believe that God made me and everyone else gay and that we a not damned because of that.

There is that one chapter in the Bible in Leviticus and it's the one that people always go to when they say homosexuality is wrong. Well in that same chapter when they give the list of "Do Not's" Pre-Marital sex is also listed right there with it. We never hear people preach out against that. But being that they are listed right there together they are, in a sense equal. So if People are going to hell for being gay. Then Many Many Many Many Many Many Many Many Many Many Many Many Many other people will be going for having pre-marital sex......like Katie Holmes.

Anyways, I don't really know if homosexuality is considered a sin is God's eyes. But if it, then it is no worse than coveting, and how many people covet everyday? All you have to do is wish you have something someone else has. I do that everyday. Still all sins are forgiven, and all you have to do to reach heaven is to believe that Jesus died for you sins and ask him to be your personal lord and savior, which I have done :)
I'm Christian so that is what I believe, so obvious if your Jewish you may not agree with the last part since in the Jewish Religion, you do not believe that Jesus is the son of God, right. That's actually kind of a question because I've never really asked before. But, at any rate, the bulk of that would still apply to being Jewish.

Anyways, I'm know being serious but I have been wanting to get those feeling off my chest for a while now, and I do feel better.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 1:46pm

No, Rath, but that announcement came jusst after my friend seperated from his "wife," so it was very strange timing. He was my prom date my senior year. I took him because I knew he would be the only guy that would dance and he was adorable. He is the NELLIEST queen you could ever hope to meet. It surprised no one. The church just isn't sure what to do with him now that it can no longer be denied.

[guitargeek0624]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 1:55pm

I'm being raised Jewish, although I personally don't believe in God (my parents would flip if I told them that, though). My mom is already freaking out about a half-Jewish girl with a nose ring who is really nice that my brother is friends with at college (yes, they are just friends). Imagine what would happen if my brother or I told them he/I was gay.

Anyway, my thoughts on the issue:

People who are gay don't consciously choose to be gay. They are attracted to the same sex like straight men and women are attracted to the opposite sex - they can't help it. I really get annoyed when people act like gay people can turn their feelings on or off at the drop of a hat. It's not like that, or at least that's what my bisexual and gay friends tell me.

This is why I can't stand religion in general. You have these insane, brainwashed conservatives telling gay people that they are going to hell, when they themselves probably sin even more. It's all hypocrisy. I have plenty of Christian friends, but it's that one small group that has such an influence on this country that I can't stand.

/rant

[Elphaba]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 1:55pm

I'll PM.....as I don't want any of this to be taken the wrong way

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 2:32pm

The Catholic Church had me repress my homosexuality for years--too many years. I came to terms with myself about 15 years ago when an inner voice told me "It's okay to be gay". Was that the voice of Christ within me? I dunno, but it gave me the courage to "come out".

I am completely open about my sexuality in my parish and no one seems to mind anymore. Oh, when I first came out there were those who wouldn't receive Communion from me when I was distributing it at mass--they'd switch lines and go to the priest. That's not the case these days. As a lector (the one who reads the Scripture passages at mass), many people in the parish want the pastor to insist I serve in that capacity at all the major masses. They feel that I "bring the readings to life"; something which is obviously a result of my theater experience.

As far as our beloved pastor is concerned, he won't let me discuss my sexual orientation in confession. His last comment about that was, "Oh, Joe, you're not going to bring THAT up again, are you? It's had more performances than HELLO, DOLLY! Let's discuss your SINS, not your human nature." (I'm not kidding. He actually said that)

This same pastor, works around my schedule when decorating the church altars for Christmas and Easter. He jokes that I'm the "Queer Eye For The Straight Church" and claims that every church should use their gay congregants to bring out the beauty of the various holidays.

By the way, we have several gay couples in our little parish.

[The Grovers Corners Yenta2]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 2:57pm

DollyPop......that was absolutely beautiful and very touching. It seems to bring out the true essence of what G-d wants us to believe in.............ourselves. You are very blessed to have such a wonderful as well as witty pastor. Queer Eye For The Straight Church.....I love it. Do I know this church? It sure doesn't sound like any place I knew about when I was growing up there. I admit I am ashamed of conservative Judaism's stand on Gays. Yet to deny people a place in their religion seems so ungodly. We were all created by G-d, in G-d's image and with G-d's love, which is just fine for me.

[cturtle]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 3:15pm

"Oh, Joe, you're not going to bring THAT up again, are you? It's had more performances than HELLO, DOLLY! Let's discuss your SINS, not your human nature."

that was absolutely brilliant, DP!

[celticmage2]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 4:02pm

I converted to Wicca 25 years ago after being raised Irish-Catholic for most of my life. I got fed up with all the power-mongering,hypocracy, hate, and greed.
I have found the Pagan community way more tolerent of my orientation. There is no "my way or the highway" attitude.
I think that as soon as people grok the concept that "God"
is a cosmic entity that can become or be seen as anything it/they want to, the quicker we'll see a lot of these gender-based problems go away.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 4:04pm

yes celtic, but most people hear the word Wicca, and run screaming as they have no idea what it means.......they just see witches everywhere, courtesy of the major religions

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/15/06 at 4:12pm

I have such tsuris waiting for Link Larkin Wannabe's response to this topic.