Coming Out of Christianity
Nov. 20th, 2002 07:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
inteligrrlThe other day I was talking to the most liberal of my sisters, and she said that in her opinion all homosexual behavior was a sin. Being raised with a deep respect for God, the bible, and the church, this is understandably an issue that distresses me when I allow myself to dwell on it.
I was wondering how those of you who are coming out of a conservative christian (or in my case, extremely conservative) background are dealing with the conflicts between your lifestyle, and what you've been taught?
My family has always been extremely anti-gay. They don't feel that gay men and women should be allowed to teach, and that it should be a company's right to refuse to hire someone on the basis of sexual orientation. When I was younger my father would often reminded us that biblically homosexuals should be removed from any position in which they can 'pervert' society; i.e. committed / eradicated. My mother (a nurse) feels that people who lead a homosexual lifestyle are predisposed for many mental illnesses because they are living in 'violation of God's will'. Over the years my father has at least softened his views, mostly due to my urgings, enough to feel that most homosexuals are 'misguided'. That's just my family.
The churches we've always attended have all had strong stances against homosexuality. Varying between expelling the member from the fellowship of believers until they have come under conviction and repented, to preaching brimstone of hell against fornicators and homosexuals.
My trouble is, there are people I know very well, and respect for their wisdom, who are quite committed to these ideas. I worry that someday I may find something that causes me to conclude they were right all along. I don't think I could bear to deal with guilt over choosing to 'live in sin'.
My question is, how do you correlate your beliefs and your sexuality? Have you reached a point where you can feel sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that you aren't knowingly disobeying God's commands in this area? What helped you?
I was wondering how those of you who are coming out of a conservative christian (or in my case, extremely conservative) background are dealing with the conflicts between your lifestyle, and what you've been taught?
My family has always been extremely anti-gay. They don't feel that gay men and women should be allowed to teach, and that it should be a company's right to refuse to hire someone on the basis of sexual orientation. When I was younger my father would often reminded us that biblically homosexuals should be removed from any position in which they can 'pervert' society; i.e. committed / eradicated. My mother (a nurse) feels that people who lead a homosexual lifestyle are predisposed for many mental illnesses because they are living in 'violation of God's will'. Over the years my father has at least softened his views, mostly due to my urgings, enough to feel that most homosexuals are 'misguided'. That's just my family.
The churches we've always attended have all had strong stances against homosexuality. Varying between expelling the member from the fellowship of believers until they have come under conviction and repented, to preaching brimstone of hell against fornicators and homosexuals.
My trouble is, there are people I know very well, and respect for their wisdom, who are quite committed to these ideas. I worry that someday I may find something that causes me to conclude they were right all along. I don't think I could bear to deal with guilt over choosing to 'live in sin'.
My question is, how do you correlate your beliefs and your sexuality? Have you reached a point where you can feel sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that you aren't knowingly disobeying God's commands in this area? What helped you?
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YAY!! Diana gets to talk... (really I won't shut up if I don't have to)
Date: 2002-11-25 04:43 am (UTC)I should point out right now that I'm a Pagan Zen Buddhist. (There's a mouthful for you.) Which means for me, I believe in nature (like the Druids) and in the Buddhist philosophy. I do believe in a Supreme Being, or God.
I am bisexual and my current partner is a woman. Do I worry that I am 'living in sin' because she's a female and I am a female? No. If I am correct, the Devil has not yet learned how to create life, therefore God is the only one responsible for me. Thus, I must be created exactly as I was meant to be created.
On another level, I've been taught that to love is the greatest gift of all. Should you tell someone that they are not worthy or deserving of your love because they share the same sex? Or they believe something other than what you believe? If you do, is that really love, or is it just something else?
You have to separate love and sex almost. Is it more important to love someone, or is it more important to be with someone because of their gender? I know my answer, and I hope your answer is that it's more important to love someone.
So if we understand that it's more important to love someone, regardless of gender, where are you 'sinning'? You love someone, that's not a sin; if it is, well, then the world is going to hell in a handbasket. *s*
I hope this helps and made some sense. =)