Joined: 14 Nov 2004
Posts: 13
Location: BONNIE SCOTLAND
RELIGION AND BEING GAY
Hi guys can someone help me please?
I am Catholic and wondered how all you nice folks cope with what the bible says re gays .
How can we be wrong by living christian lives,loving our neighbours and each other and basically our only crime is having a loving relationship with a consenting adult???????
I am demented worrying over this.I believe in God and do not believe for a minute he casts me from the church.
Discuss please? Any practicing catholics here who attnd church despite what the bible tells us????? _________________ BETTER OUT THAN IN!
Sun Dec 17, 2006 1:26 am
Dark prism
Joined: 10 Dec 2006
Posts: 865
Location: California Dreamin, baby.
I am not Catholic, and I haven't gone to church in about 20 years. I have almost no respect for organized religion. I have no problem with others that do though, and am happy for them if it helps them. It even interests me from historical standpoint.
That being said, I will also say that I have a strong belief in God and try to be the best person I can be. I know God made me, and he/she didn't screw up, and neither did I. The feelings I have for women are pure. The love I feel for a women is so strong, that I can only assume it has a divine source. The unbelievably strong feelings I have had for the women I have loved include overpowering urges to protect them from harm, wanting to do anything to make them happy, and hoping for the best life possible for them, (even if that isn't with me). How can that be wrong?
I can't believe that the physical displays of love are wrong either (with consenting adults). We were given all the equipment in these bodies to enjoy them and I believe physical affection is the extra added perk God gave us to enhance the love we already have for each other.
These are all my opinions. I will not state them as fact. I will not push my beliefs on others. You asked.
Good luck on your journey.
Dp
Sun Dec 17, 2006 8:02 am
Cunni_L
Joined: 01 Sep 2006
Posts: 989
Hi,
I was Catholic for about 10 years, and that of course is a long story in itself why a lesbian would convert to catholicism, suffice it to say i got really burned by a born again gay group and one woman in particular in that group and almost decided to swear off god and did decide to give up on finding a woman to love so I figured if I wasn't actively living a gay lifestyle there was no conflict and I had always been drawn to the ritual and the ancient mystical and the traditions. It took me ten years to really make up my mind to refuse to be doomed to be unlucky in love and of course when i decided that I could no longer stay catholic (besides i always felt not really a part, because I'm a bleeding heart liberal so i had two secrets that would cause them to not accept me if they knew). So in April of this year I looked into the Episcopal Church, and fell in love with it, yes there is some turmoil in the church at present mainly the conservative factions are unhappy because three years ago the general convention elected the first Gay partnered man as bishop of (I believe) Massachusettes and then this year the elected a more or less liberal WOMAN as the presiding Bishop of the whole Episcopal Church, and in so doing pretty much solidified the earlier gay election much to the dismay of conservative factions. If your feeling unaccepted in the catholic church, may i suggest you check into the episcopal church but not all congregations are liberal so shop around.
Peace,
AMY
PS the episcopal or anglican is going to be the closest gay friendly church to the catholic traditions you are used to. _________________ A true friend stabs you in the front.
Oscar Wilde
Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:14 pm
Cunni_L
Joined: 01 Sep 2006
Posts: 989
OOOOPs I just saw as i was getting out of the thread that you are in scotland, sorry, no epeiscopal over there just the anglican of which the episcopal church is affliated with we consider our selves a part of the Anglican communion, and so I don't know how gay friendly the anglican church is over there (although the first bishop to be consecrated after America won it's freedom way back when came to scotland to be ordained because he couldn't swear alliegence to the brittish crown. Anyway I'm not real clear on how gay friendly the anglican church over there is, but hey if your ever in america episcopal is the way to go!! _________________ A true friend stabs you in the front.
Oscar Wilde
Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:24 pm
LCB
Joined: 09 Sep 2005
Posts: 101
Location: England
This is the same kind of conflict I experience.
I am part of no organized religion and I tend to distance myself from it because of awkwardness. I do not like the connotations of the word "religious" so I call myself "spiritual" instead, as I believe that there isonly one God who has different names in different cultures.
Despite believing in God, life after death and fate and sharing the spiritual ideas of my dad and stepfamily, I think my sexual orientation as an asexual lesbian and my spiritual beliefs are totally seperate. I ave no problem with my sexuality nor with others having ifferent sexualities. Though i believe my best friend and myself are soulmates and God meant us to be together, I accept that she is straight and sexual and loves her boyfriend whom I know will look after her.
I understand that the society in which my stepfamily are brought up will not allow them to understand about my sexuality and that if i were male they would understand and accept that i am in love with my best friend. As a solution to the problem I remain single and say I'm not interested in boyfriends, which is true and pass the woman I'm in love with off as my best friend. I cannot tolerate the idea of concealing being in a relationship or lying about it so remaining single and pledging my undying love to my best friend seemed like the best solution and still is, esecially as no woman has everasked me out or anything yet. Even if a woman did I ouldn't because she'sd only be second best to my best friend and even if i found a woman I could love I couldn't because my loyalty to the family i love comes first.
I think God made me asexual and gay and my soulmate straight and sexual so I should not be in an awkward situation. Anyhow you cannot fight against your fate.
Sun Feb 11, 2007 4:02 pm
littlesweetheart
Joined: 25 Oct 2004
Posts: 19
the girl i first fell in love with told me that st. therese of liseaux said 'i believe in hell...an empty one'. she said that God, above everything is loving and cherishing and nothing to be fearful of. because of that, i feel alright about being gay and also a practising catholic.
Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:19 pm
~Wil~
Joined: 02 Nov 2006
Posts: 203
Wow ... some interesting responses thus far.
I myself am catholic, though I haven't been to mass in a few years; not because I have anything against the church, but because I'm too lazy to drive 30 minutes to get to one.
Anyway, I believe that God is Love and wants only the best for us. Furthermore, like the others, I think that he created us as we are meant to be. So, to explain the bible, all I can figure is that those who wrote it were mortal like us. True, they were divinely inspired to write it, but nevertheless, they have the same faults as us. Therefore, it is my belief that these men were influenced not only by God and Jesus, but by their time; A time when women were treated like possessions rather than people. That is why I tend to take some of what the bible says with a grain of salt. Influenced by their time, I don't believe that the bits about gay love being wrong could ever be correct and therefore I discount them altogether. However, that said, let me also say that I do believe in the major tenets of the bible and do my best to live by them.
Anyhow, like was said above, these are just my feelings. I hope they help you to decide what you believe.
~Wil~ _________________ Lost in the shuffle
Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:58 pm
chordphrute
Joined: 04 Jul 2005
Posts: 1412
Location: Nouvelle Orléans, Louisiane
I've been staring at this post for ten minutes biting my tongue because I always get yelled at when I respond to these kinds of questions.
Joolsy
: I have a couple questions. 1. Which version of the Bible do you follow and why? (It's extremely relevant to the answer anybody could give you) 2. What do you consider as "living a Christian life"? That question needs to be answered before you can do any other internal gay religious soul-searching because ultimately, no matter what anyone standing on a podium or on a piece of paper says to you - you're the one who needs to make your own ethical decisions. 3. I don't understand how believing in God has anything to do
directly
with homosexuality.. and this is, I'm sure... what will get me in trouble later on in this thread.
My last question of course would be... why do you want to follow a religion (Catholicism) that so blatantly speaks out against you (i.e. your sexuality)? Peak my curiosity. _________________ "You can't kiss and keep your eyes open, they'll cross forever" - Rubyfruit Jungle
Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:19 pm
lionsfyre1
Joined: 22 Apr 2006
Posts: 19
Location: house springs, Mo.
just my thoughts
having my father as a preacher growing up. I just knew I was going to hell.
But now that Im alot older, and having lived in this world and seen both the good as well as the bad it has to offer. I think if my loving another woman was so wrong and going to send me to hell, wouldn't it be in the top 10 commandments? why would God send me to hell for loving? People , are the ones putting this stuff in our heads. I to have lost all respect for org relidgons. I to get in trouble for talking about this stuff so I need to end here before honey see's me.
I will possibly respond again later with more but for now I will say this.
What I think and what I believe is irrelevant. It does not matter what God you or I believe in or how we worship. What matters is what you think and what you believe. No God invented religion…they were all invented by men seeking control. I do believe in a higher being and I hold to my beliefs. I was raised Catholic and switched to Protestant beliefs and then said to hell with organized religion because I will not bow down to any dogma spouted out by people who only want to control your life…(better stop before I climb onto that soapbox)…anyway as I said before…what really matters is what you think and what you believe.
Chord asked some good questions and it would be helpful if they were answered and I will add a few of my own.
Are you comfortable in your beliefs?
Do you feel that God or Jesus, who according to the bible are loving and merciful, would abandon you because you are gay?
Do you want or need the dogma of an organized religion?
Do you place more emphasis and faith in the words spoken by a Bishop or Pope than those it is written that God and Jesus said?
Perhaps a little reading will provide some guidance
John 3:16, 3:18 and 3:36
If you truly believe and if those words are truth then you have nothing to worry about. If they are not truth then whoever wrote the bible is a liar.
As with any religion people can skew it to say whatever they want…they can pick and choose a little piece here and a little piece there. People can make any religious text say whatever they want it to say but when you take it all as a whole…no matter what the religion or belief is it can be a beautiful thing.
Follow your heart and soul and stop worrying about it.
Eiregirl _________________ All poems and stories posted by Eiregirl are
Copyright 2005 - 2008 Aoibhegréine
These literary works are my property under copyright. If you wish to use my work for any purpose please ASK FIRST.
Sat Mar 17, 2007 4:46 am
Sobu-Milkwo
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 61
Location: All over the world
I'm sure God loves the lesbians He created!
Pick a church that accepts you as you are. Don't ever stop believing that God loves you as you are, no matter how many human beings may reject you.
Sobu _________________ 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.
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