I'm Christian. Unless you're gay. (I beg you to read this!)

[WillParkinson]

http://www.danoah.com/2011/11/im-christian-unless-youre-gay.html

Normally I do not send blind links. I prefer to let you know what you're getting into. This time, however, the words speak for themselves. I promise it will be worth your time.

[Luminous Animal]

1. K & R. And you are right. It is worth the time.

[MedleyMisty]

2. Wow. Absolutely beautiful and very thought provoking.

Here's my response.

I've noticed that "they", for me, are fascists. I find it very hard to accept and love a fascist. I look at the world, at the horror and death and destruction that cheering for war and hating on Muslims and just in general not accepting anyone who isn't white and Christian and Republican has done, and I must admit - I hate them. I look at pictures of Iraqis killed by American weapons, and I hate people who cheered for bombing Iraq. I look at pictures of children working in awful conditions in third world countries, and I hate people who support our corporate overlords. I look at the Gulf and I hate people who drive Hummers. I look at the Americans who die every day from the lack of health care and I hate people who don't want national health care. I look at my mother, who has worked hard all her life and is now working in horrible conditions for a pittance and who would starve without Social Security, and I HATE people who love Ayn Rand, who hate poor people, who hate socialism, who want Social Security and Medicare cut, who are anti-Occupy Wall Street.

It is very very hard to look at the planet and the species crumbling around you, to look at billions who are in pain and suffering and dying needlessly, and not feel a great rage and devouring hatred towards those responsible. But I have to try. I have to try to learn how to love the ones who destroy and kill with their hate.

[Fire Walk With Me]

3. He said the L word! He said the L word!

According to Christians, Jesus taught a couple of interesting things. First, “love one another.” Second, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (“Her” being a woman who cheated on her man.)

According to Buddhists, Buddha taught a couple of thought-provoking things. First, “Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.” Second, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

According to Hindus, a couple of fascinating teachings come to mind. First, “Do not get angry or harm any living creature, but be compassionate and gentle; show good will to all.” (Krishna) Second, “Love means giving selflessly, excluding none and including all.” (Rama)

According to Muslims, Muhammad taught a couple interesting things as well. First, “A true Muslim is the one who does not defame or abuse others; but the truly righteous becomes a refuge for humankind, their lives and their properties.” Second, “Do you love your creator? Love your fellow-beings first.”

According to Judaism, their scriptures teach a couple remarkable things. First, “Love your neighbor like yourself.” Second, “Examine the contents, not the bottle.”

[Samantha]

4. I started reading your article and got to page 2 before I came back to respond

I note you have received no responses so far, and I couldn't wait.

I am a Christian, and I have never thought it was my prerogative to look down on anyone unlike me. It is very simple really. The Bible says, "Judge not lest ye be judged." If one adheres to the Bible, he or she cannot ignore this sentence. And so I do not, and I have never understood why others do. I do not wear my religion on my sleeve. I really do not participate much, if at all, in threads on DU about religion. "By their deeds ye shall know them." I try to exhibit good thoughts and deeds to those I encounter because that is what we are all supposed to do if we wish to adhere to the teachings of the Bible.

I think your friend needs to relocate from his environment to one in the East. I live in College Park, Maryland, but my original family relocated here from Tennessee. I am not going to say much about what some of the most active religious people in that State think of homosexuality, but you probably know.

I was raised in a Baptist environment, but ultimately, I left the church because of Westboro Baptist. I could not understand why someone in the heirarchy did not "expunge" this Westboro church from being associated with Baptists. The answer I received from a deacon in the Baptist Church near me was that anyone can set up a church and put the name Baptist in its name. So I asked, so if I started a church which revolved around devil worship and called it, let's say Sam's Baptist Church, there is nothing that can be done about it. He said that was correct.

With that answer and the continuing focus on the atrocities exhibited by Westboro, I decided to leave. I didn't want my name to be even remotely connected with those people. That was three years ago. I hurt over this decision because I miss my church. But I adhere to the principles I learned as a young child and I live by verses I learned which recommend how we should treat all others. I practice those principles everyday of my life.

I have a friend I met in 1992 that after some time I started wondering if he was gay. I never asked. He remains an extremely close friend today -- I always tell him I love him like a brother. And that is so true. We have always been there for each other when necessary. He feels like family to me, and I to him. He is also African-American and I am of Irish descent, fair skin and all. There is also a lot of prejudice still existing in the South against people of color. I tell everyone in my family, an extremely conservative, right-leaning group of people about him, and no one says anything.

I go back to my original statement. I think your friend should relocate from Utah. He will never be accepted there, and he needs to be in an environment where his self-esteem is not compromised every waking moment. He can't change Utah any more than Utah can change him. There are places in this Country where issues such as this are considered private preferences, and none of us should be "passing judgment" on the private preferences of our fellow man and woman.

I am hoping you get more responses to your post. As I said before, I don't really like to discuss religion because it is a private matter to me. I do respect everyone's religion (or non-religion!) because I do not think my role in life is to sit in judgment on others.

But you are obviously a good friend for picking up your pen as a sword to protect your friend, and that is why I thought it important to say to your friend, he's a lucky person to have a friend like you.

Respectfully submitted,


Sam

[dsc]

5. heartbreakingly sad

I hope that poor guy can get out of Utah and to somewhere he can be who he is without the judgment of so called friends.

[wellstone dem]

6. Thank you for posting, it was so worth the read.

Thank you.

[tnlurker]

7. Well worth the time

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. Thank you, my dear Will...

It was certainly worth my time.

I cannot thank you enough!

:hug:

[Sub Atomic]

9. Unrec'd. Because it's an asshole of a thread title.

And you know it.

Shame.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. That is the title of the article, and it is perfectly appropriate.

[WillParkinson]

13. If that's your choice...

I posted the title as the author did. Sorry you didn't like it.

[Arkansas Granny]

10. Normally, I don't click on blind links. I'm glad I did this time.

[kas125]

12. As powerful as his message was, the next one where he posts

some responses he received is even better - http://www.danoah.com/2011/11/powerful-responses-to-im-christian-unless-youre-gay-blog.html