LEFT exists first and foremost to enable lesbian and bisexual women, who know themselves to be spiritual, to grow and flourish as whole human beings. The group has its origins in the Christian tradition and thus is likely that its events and activities will have most appeal to women who have some kind of Christian background. At the same time, LEFT is keen to learn from the journeys of lesbian and bisexual women of other religious traditions and spiritual paths.
LEFT believes that there is nothing incompatible in being gay and being a Christian. The group is aware that traditional theologies have often been limiting and indeed damaging to gay people and thus we are committed to re-thinking theology from our own experience. We join with all others who care, regardless of sexual orientation, in the challenging of homophobia in the churches.
As women we have many different interpretations of what it means to be a Christian or a spiritual person. We welcome diversity and richness of our beliefs and seek to listen and learn from one another. We are all made in the image of God and what God has made is good. _________________ Juko
Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:58 am
Mairi bheag
Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 5094
Location: Scotland
Coming out prayer
Many thanks for this post. I would like to quote the 'coming out prayer' on your site:
O God of truth and justice, the evasions and deceits we practice upon others and ourselves are many.
We long only to speak out and to hear the truth, yet time and again, from fear of loss or hope of gain, from dull habit or from cruel deliberation, we speak half-truths, we twist facts, we are silent when others lie, and we lie to ourselves.
Whether we are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning, family or friends, we sometimes feel forced to pretend to be that which we are not, to present ourselves in ways which are not truthful, and sometimes with outright lies.
But as we stand before You, our words and our thoughts speed to One who knows them before we utter them. We do not have to tell untruths to You as we are often forced to do in the world. We know we cannot lie in your presence.
May our worship help us to practice truth in speech and in thought before You, to ourselves, and before one another; and may we finally complete our liberation so that we no longer feel the need to practice evasions and deceits.
Mb
xx
_________________ all posted material (c) Marie Marshall, unless otherwise stated.
Fri Jan 19, 2007 7:28 am
bratschelinus
Joined: 25 Jan 2007
Posts: 2
Location: Australia
!!!!!!!!!
Hey that's awesome!!!
I'm on the wrong side of the world to join you guys but that is so awesome that you will share fellowship with each other in the name of Christ Jesus, while acknowledging His sovereignty in making us lesbians. My praise to God!
Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:16 am
Sobu-Milkwo
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 61
Location: All over the world
Happy Easter!
Hi Juko & Marie
Thanks for posting about the initiative to integrate sexual orientation other than heterosexual into the Christian tradition. The prayer you posted Marie is simply beautiful! More and more Christian churches are accepting the scientific view that sexual orientation is not a way of life or personal choice but can be attributed to factors well beyond the control of the individual.
I consider myself a heterosexual with an inclination (limited only to fantasies of young curvy femmes ) towards bisexuality. Confusing and difficult place to be in. But I live with it by not following up on the occasional erotic attraction to women, (because I fall in love with men and do not think of a woman when I am in love!) but at the same time being open to exploring the feeling as on this site filled with wonderful women - so compassionate.
Happy Easter to all! _________________ Life is what we make of it. The power to shape our destiny with the choices we make is the greatest power we human beings have been endowed with - from God. May we let go of the past and create our lives anew every single day.
Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:29 am
hybridshadow
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 198
Location: Canada
Thank you for posting this, Juko. I definitely think I am going to take a look at the site.
I myself am Christian, specifically Pentecostal... and basically they're (Pentecostals) absolutely (or at least my home church) against homosexuality. Now, I love every other aspect of the denomination, and I would tell anyone that I am Christian and would publicly profess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour (yes, with a "u", I'm Canadian... )... yet, around my friends/people from church I do not utter a single word of being lesbian. Because, like the 'coming out' prayer suggests, I'm scared of what will be said/done. Anyway... I really think I would find this site interesting, so I'll definitely be checking it out. Thank you again for posting this.
Hyb
Sun Apr 08, 2007 2:57 am
michele
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 49
Location: missouri
MB, thank you for posting that beautiful prayer. For 2 years i thought i was crazy because i was in love with my girlfriend but i also have kept my belief in Christ. What a hypocrite i felt like. I stopped going to church and lost the thing that i cherish most as a Christian, my worship. I have never felt convicted by GOD, but only from others in society.What would they think if they knew i was lesbian? Why should i worry about what they think of me? GOD is the only one i should be concerned about. As long as he loves me (and he Does love us all) then why would i let anyone else's opinion of me stop me from having a relationship with my LORD and SAVIOUR? I'm so glad to see this post on this website. Thank you so much for sharing....... MEESH[/b] _________________ To the world, you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.........
Sun Apr 29, 2007 3:19 pm
Mairi bheag
Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 5094
Location: Scotland
Savor and cherish that relationship.
Mb
xx
_________________ all posted material (c) Marie Marshall, unless otherwise stated.
Sun Apr 29, 2007 5:56 pm
michele
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 49
Location: missouri
Thankyou. I will. I just recently found on the internet that there are actually some churches that are open to gay and lesbian christians. I'm new to the internet so this is very exciting to me. I felt horrible leaving my church, but my sister told everyone there what my lifestyle changed to and i didn't want to go to church to be one of their "projects" to save me from the depths of hell that i was heading towards. I dont know if that makes sense, i just knew that my belief in Christ hadn't changed, but my belief of what love was and is and should be did. It was like as soon as anyone knew that i had a girlfriend they assumed i had turned to atheism. Suddenly all my beliefs were cast out the window in their eyes. I couldn't possibly Love Christ and another woman as well. So i chose the sin that was tempting me. Anyway, this is a very big deal for me to see other woman who share the same thoughts as i do. In the past two years my whole world has been opened up to be more accepting and open minded. Even though i was raised a Christian with basic principles of right and wrong, i never thought anyone could really choose who they loved. I found this to be true when i met my gf. almost 3 yrs ago. I asked for God to convict me if it was wrong and although i have felt that conviction from other people, i have never felt it from God. I think most people think gay and lesbian relationships are built strictly on a sexual level, and that love, respect and commitment have no place in our relationships, but the truth is i have never been in a relationship that felt so even and balanced. I know my gf loves me. Yes we have our problems, but that is true with any relationship. I see and hear of more happy lesbian relationships than "normal" heterosexual relationships. I was in a relationship with the father of my children for almost 10 years and all he did was belittle and beat me emotionally and physically. I think God would rather me live my life happily in love with another woman who loves and respects me than to live my life with a man who beats me. God is love and as long as love is your true motivation i dont see how it is wrong.
MEESH [/b] _________________ To the world, you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.........
Sun Apr 29, 2007 6:36 pm
smart_cookie
Joined: 12 Aug 2006
Posts: 2310
Location: USA
As a strict Lesbyterian, I can assure you that Goddess considers sex with men to be an abomination.
"And yea, they did lie with men/ And lo, they were turned into toads and were consumed by fire/ Let she who has ears hear the truth/ I've got it right here somewhere/ Oh yes, if so ever a woman should lie with a man, behold, it shall be the harbinger of the final days/ The world shall end in flame, death, Volvos and quarter pounders/ (Aphasians 1-6)
Cookie (and Goddess)
PS--please join me in the annex this evening...we will be holding a prayer vigil to try to save heterosexuals from their sordid world of sin and depravity.
Sun May 27, 2007 12:01 pm
Dark prism
Joined: 10 Dec 2006
Posts: 865
Location: California Dreamin, baby.
quote:Originally posted by michele:
God is love and as long as love is your true motivation i dont see how it is wrong.
MEESH [/b]
Amen.
_____________________________
Smart Cookie---Amen also! I will see you this evening in the annex. Is it my turn to bring the donuts and coffee?
Dp
Sun May 27, 2007 5:45 pm
SWAY
Joined: 14 Apr 2005
Posts: 1560
Location: Upstate NY
I too, was Pentacostal....and I cannot seem to meld the two worlds together. It was so ingrained into my being that homosexuality is wrong that I have yet to reconcile the two worlds. Try as I might, I cannot get past it. I have stopped going to church after trying a gay/lesbian/transgender group and have since stopped trying to be who I am not.
I do pray that one day I can reconcile the two, but as of yet I am still struggling with them. I do miss the fellowship and the worship that I had in my church, and the friends, who no longer speak to me because of my choices. _________________ Giving myself to others has made me jaded...
Tue Jun 26, 2007 3:44 pm
Mairi bheag
Joined: 04 Mar 2005
Posts: 5094
Location: Scotland
((((((((((((((((((Agent Swat)))))))))))))))))
Just dropping a hug in for you
Mb
xx
_________________ all posted material (c) Marie Marshall, unless otherwise stated.
Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:53 pm
Landie
Joined: 12 May 2007
Posts: 43
Location: South Africa
Hi
Thanks for this thread.
It remains a sensitive issue for most homosexual people I think, especially if you've been brought up in a strict Christian home and community.
Through all I have been discovering who I am Jesus has been my rock foundation. His love and mercy is without limit. He came here for all of us, not just some. I use to be a "perfect little good girl" then one day I fell in love with a girl. I was shocked and saddened in the begining and asked "but why?" Then oneday as I was debating my situation I recieved an answer. No sin is greater than the next, no man more holy than the next. The first lesson that I've learnt is that God loves you, no matter who or what you are. The second is that we should never judge another. And we should never try and glorify ourselves.
Realising I was gay was kind of a blessing indisguise. It made me realise how dependant I am on God, how in need of His mercy and grace.
God made me, He made all of us. We are all His children. When we lie to ourselves and others about who we really are, we are really lying to God. We are really saying: 'I am unhappy with Your amazing work'.
I love Jesus and I know He has a road to walk with me, where ever it may lead I'll follow Him. Sometimes it's hard and strange and difficult to understand, but can we ever really understand the work of God?
God bless all of you. _________________ We lose ourselves in the love we give and find ourselves in the love we receive. -me
Sun Aug 05, 2007 8:16 pm
Sappho40s
Joined: 12 May 2007
Posts: 37
Location: OZ
Landie it should comfort you to know...
that there are churches accepting of homosexuality. So it is possible to love Jesus and love a woman too. God made homosexuals the way they are, their sexual preference for members of the same sex rather than the opposite sex is just a part of it. So take heart!
Sappho _________________ Ever tried the magic of tantra?
Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:14 am
Phoenix Moderators
Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 1664
Location: Tallahassee Florida
I think everyone has a right to worship and love as they want. I personally cannot reconcile following the bible and believing that homosexuality is ok if you believe the bible. I do believe in prophesy, but the social mores that are pushed as God's word in the bible do not sit with me. There are too many contradictions to what I know to be spiritual truth vs. societally accepted practices ok'd in the bible and said to be God's truth.
I miss the worship as well with my messianic and charismatic friends, but I wont' lie and attend having them in the dark as to who I am. I don't think God/dess is separated into factions, just her children. I could prabably attend a great praise and worship service and really enjoy it, but I could never be a member cause I won't lie and I won't start fights/arguements in their "home" by showing them how ignorant they are on basic bible passages, while at the same time, knowing how the bible plainly does show that according to it, God does see homosexuality as an abomination.... can't use the book to defend one belief and then ignore it when it clearly slams my own path.
I'll seek my oneness with God/dess on my own and with fellow like minded spiritual souls I have been blessed to know.
phoenix _________________ "A little work won't hurt you bad, but just in case I'm wrong, you'll be smiling when they pronounce you dead." Amanda Marshall 'This could take all night
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) towards bisexuality. Confusing and difficult place to be in. But I live with it by not following up on the occasional erotic attraction to women, (because I fall in love with men and do not think of a woman when I am in love!) but at the same time being open to exploring the feeling as on this site filled with wonderful women - so compassionate.
