What homophobia does

[Apollo Celestio]

Which is one reason why I find the church to be problematic at best. Too often churches tend to believe they are an elite group of people, that they are so right, and everyone else needs their guidance, and only by embracing their beliefs will one be saved. So many people believe things so differently and are so convinced they are right....

Christians tend to forget they still sin, which is a problem I have with anti-homosexual churches. If they believe its a sin, I wont argue, I am aware two people can see the same thing and see it totally different, however their sins are no lesser or greater. I seriously doubt God looks at an anti-homosexual church and proudly says these are my people, they make the sins I like.

I haven't seen this, but I've only really been to 1 church.. We don't define truth, for it does not come from us. Believing the scripture in it's condemnation of homosexual sex does not make it...anti-homosexual hate spreading filth..

-Fundie who isn't tied to political labels.

 

[LawsonAlan]

When I'm deciding about whether or not I think that scripture is being interpreted correctly, I apply a little test. Does it hurt anyone?

When I look at the scriptures in Corinthians, I try to imagine the people that would be affected. Does homosexuality hurt anyone? Does the idea that homosexuality is wrong hurt anyone?

I won't attempt to answer these questions for anyone else, because that's not my place. I merely pose these questions.

After answering these questions for myself, I then look at God's word as a whole, with the idea that God does not anyone to hurt anyone else. This seems to me to be a more underlying theme of the bible than any one specific ideal.

After I look at it that way, I have my answer. You may find different answers for yourselves in this manner. Again, this is only my approach to sifting through scripture, and it may not work well for anyone but me.

 

[Criada]

Seriously — what homophobia does, when someone who is gay is around it (a lot)?

Homophobia makes me extremely leery of fundamentalists and conservative Christians who may actually be extremely nice (and very accepting) people — and I've met some like that; but after a few decades of being on the receiving end of "loving the sinner and hating the sin" which was anything but loving (with a great emphasis on hating) I'm not inclined to give the benefit of the doubt until that person can prove they're trustworthy.

I wish it weren't that way. I wish I could give them the benefit of the doubt, which I would do to most non-fundamentalists or non-conservative Christians — but that's long gone.

UL, I can understand entirely why you feel this way. And as a conservative Christian, I can only apologise that we have made you feel this way.
It is sad that we can put our own ideas of what is right and wrong above loving and valuing people as God does.

 

[united4Peace]

Mathew Shepherd was killed because he sexaully assaulted one of those straight men while negotiating sex for drugs (prostitution). Let's get our facts straight.

It is the gay lifestyle, not homophobia responsible for these things. Sin has a cost to it.

Peace.

ummm those guys were quite big if memory serves me and Matthew Shepphard small statue...

Hmmm next time a woman hits on my husband(make sexual advances) I suppose he has the right to beat her up

 

[united4Peace]

It's funny, because his name is Ba Friend, which I just noticed. Bar Friend is pretty funny though. I admit I used to read it mentally as Bar Fiend.

omgoodness

I thought it was barfriend also...ooops

 

[Catherineanne]

When I'm deciding about whether or not I think that scripture is being interpreted correctly, I apply a little test. Does it hurt anyone?

When I look at the scriptures in Corinthians, I try to imagine the people that would be affected. Does homosexuality hurt anyone? Does the idea that homosexuality is wrong hurt anyone?

I won't attempt to answer these questions for anyone else, because that's not my place. I merely pose these questions.

After answering these questions for myself, I then look at God's word as a whole, with the idea that God does not anyone to hurt anyone else. This seems to me to be a more underlying theme of the bible than any one specific ideal.

After I look at it that way, I have my answer. You may find different answers for yourselves in this manner. Again, this is only my approach to sifting through scripture, and it may not work well for anyone but me.

The Hipppocratic approach to faith.

First, do no harm.

 

[catlover]

Let me tell y'all what it's like
Being male, middle class and white.
It's a *****, if you don't believe.
Listen up to my new CD.

--Ben Folds, Rockin' the Suburbs

I do hope your are joking,

 

[Xen_Antares]

I haven't seen this, but I've only really been to 1 church.. We don't define truth, for it does not come from us. Believing the scripture in it's condemnation of homosexual sex does not make it...anti-homosexual hate spreading filth..

-Fundie who isn't tied to political labels.

The point of the matter is rather than showing love and compassion those that I have mentioned are quick to pass judgement and condemnation. Rather than trying to live a life as Christ would, they place themselves above their saviour in the name of their saviour. Jesus was will to die for all, many so called Christians are unwilling to be seen in the company of some because of their lifestyle...What makes them better than Christ?

 

[D.W.Washburn]

I do hope your are joking,

I'm not but Ben Folds certainly was. The song is a perfect parody of the attitude of whiney oppressed-ness sometimes encountered by priveleged suburban youth. Unfortunately, Ben Folds' language prohibits posting much of the lyric in this forum.

 

[catlover]

I'm not but Ben Folds certainly was. The song is a perfect parody of the attitude of oppression adopted by priveleged suburban youth.

oh~never heard of Ben Folds...

 

[D.W.Washburn]

Another short sample of the lyric:

I got **** running through my brain
So intense that I can't explain
All alone in my white boy pain
Shake your booty while the band complains....

A very funny song and it seemed appropriate when I posted it.

 

[Tenebrae]

I saw this list posted a while back on a friend's blog. It literally made me cry.



I Am...

I am the boy who never finished high school, because I got called a [wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth] everyday.

I am the girl kicked out of her home because I confided in my mother that I am a lesbian.

I am the prostitute working the streets because nobody will hire a transsexual woman.

I am the sister who holds her gay brother tight through the painful, tear-filled nights.

We are the parents who buried our daughter long before her time.

I am the man who died alone in the hospital because they would not let my partner of twenty-seven years into the room.

I am the foster child who wakes up with nightmares of being taken away from the two fathers who are the only loving family I have ever had. I wish they could adopt me.

I am not one of the lucky ones. I killed myself just weeks before graduating high school. It was simply too much to bear.

We are the couple who had the realtor hang up on us when she found out we wanted to rent a one-bedroom for two men.

I am the person who never knows which bathroom I should use if I want to avoid getting the management called on me.

I am the mother who is not allowed to even visit the children I bore, nursed, and raised. The court says I am an unfit mother because I now live with another woman.

I am the domestic-violence survivor who found the support system grow suddenly cold and distant when they found out my abusive partner is also a woman.

I am the domestic-violence survivor who has no support system to turn to because I am male.

I am the father who has never hugged his son because I grew up afraid to show affection to other men.

I am the home-economics teacher who always wanted to teach gym until someone told me that only lesbians do that.

I am the woman who died when the EMTs stopped treating me as soon as they realized I was transsexual. (yes, this actually happened)

I am the person who feels guilty because I think I could be a much better person if I didnt have to always deal with society hating me.

I am the boy tied to a fence, beaten to a bloody pulp and left to die because two straight men wanted to "teach me a lesson."

I am the woman who was raped to "make me straight again."

I am the man who stopped attending church, not because I don't believe, but because they closed their doors to my kind.

I am the person who has to hide what this world needs most, love.