Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? - Empty Closets - A safe online community for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered people coming out

JudasKissedHIM · 3rd Jun 2011, 08:19 AM

When I was younger I used to believe that being gay is a sin, but as I got older I came to realise it really isn't a choice (god I really tried to make myself straight when I was younger) and I came to the conclusion since I know for a fact it’s not a sin, the Bible & God might not be as factual as I believed it to be. Has this happened to anyone else??

Raeil · 3rd Jun 2011, 08:29 AM

I didn't lose my Chritian faith, but I did have to step back from the Bible as being 100% true and infallible as written, since if I had taken the whole thing as true I'd be sinning by just being gay and I'd also have to believe a whole mess of things which are also untrue (7-day creation, young earth, etc.) I had already stopped believing the other things were true, so it wasn't horribly difficult to dig into the context provided behind the Scriptures and realize that the literalist interpretation of homosexuality was simply not right.

Of course, this research doesn't help me that much anymore, as I abandoned the faith for other reasons three months later... ah well, now I have a great argument for all my Christian friend (and believe me, I have a ton of them...)

Holmes · 3rd Jun 2011, 10:23 AM

It preceded it in my case. I properly felt I was an atheist at 20, that I was gay at 22, though I'd gone through different thoughts on both for years before then.

If you ask me honestly, I see no good reason for accepting taking there to be any factual basis in the creeds of any of the world religions, and I think life, the universe and everything, including the richness of humanity, wondrous enough without recourse to a creator. But I understand that religion means a lot to seem people, so I don't rail against it.

Shevanel · 3rd Jun 2011, 11:05 AM

Not at all.

Just Passing · 3rd Jun 2011, 11:10 AM

I didn't have any connections to religion in the first place, but I guess I had faith in life, but I didn't loose any faith at all. Just confusion, but nothing horrible personally.

malachite · 3rd Jun 2011, 11:25 AM

I was very religious to being with and as I got older saw all the hypocrisy behind it, I kind lost faith in having faith. Being gay had nothing to do with it.

steel03 · 3rd Jun 2011, 11:42 AM

Nope, I love hot dish and lefse too much to stop being Lutheran. But seriously, no. My denomination had taken a lot of steps to include homosexuals as fully as everyone else.

aidan · 3rd Jun 2011, 11:46 AM

it was so long ago now and i can barely remember, but i think that my sexuality was one of the factors in becoming sceptical of religion which lead to my eventual deconversion

Austin · 3rd Jun 2011, 11:51 AM

I think I just used logic as I got older to realize (at least, all of the world's current religions) are made up. I can't rely on blind faith I need some proof. "God either doesn't exist, or he just doesn't give a fuck." :P But, idk, I bet being gay helped me realize somewhat and not allow myself to be brainwashed. But, there are plenty of self hating gay Christians. If being gay was the only factor in gays becoming atheist there wouldn't be any. So I think we can all give ourselves some credit for being logical and not just say it's because we were gay.

Speaking of which I need to get myself excommunicated from the catholic church.

jony8472 · 3rd Jun 2011, 12:03 PM

I've found that my faith has been strengthening as I'm getting older. I've always known I was unstraight but when I was young I was very skeptical about christianity (I used to be the annoying kid who spouted science facts to the RE teacher). I've always followed the Bible as more of a general guide on how to live as a good person, and follow the messages layed out therein.

On a side note, I hate it when I'm with a bunch of GLBT and they pay the hell out of religion (I realise the pun... I just don't know if it's intended or not). I just want to scream at them - 'How would you feel if your religious friends were treating your sexuality the same way?'

fiddledeedee · 3rd Jun 2011, 12:13 PM

I have not lost my faith, and I hope I don't, and I think my parent's break-up has helped me know that God does love me and my church is very supportive. I already took the Bible "with a pinch of salt" and I have been bullied before so if I am when I come out, I hope to be able to deal with it.

Rikudo · 3rd Jun 2011, 12:15 PM

I was never religious to begin with so you can't lose what you never had.

malachite · 3rd Jun 2011, 02:26 PM

Whatever happened to: if your a decent person with a good heart you go to Heaven?

x2x2x2x2y2 · 3rd Jun 2011, 03:34 PM

I was never strong in my religion, so I didn't really lose anything when I figured all of it out. Now, I don't think I believe in religion or any of that, but I'm still not sure.

Either way, I know there are LGBT's that are out and proud that still have faith in religion.

3rd Jun 2011, 08:12 PM

Nope, I found it.

IsItSo · 3rd Jun 2011, 10:13 PM

No. It might be worth noting, however, that I've been pretty mellow about religion my whole life. As a young child, my parents taught me to believe that the Bible was not meant to be taken literally.

Porphyrogenitus · 3rd Jun 2011, 10:17 PM

Nope. I just became somewhat heretical, I guess - ie. I ceased to accept what the Church was saying about homosexuality.

Markio · 3rd Jun 2011, 10:23 PM

I was brought up Catholic--went to Catholic school up until college. I was confirmed and everything. Since coming to college and coming out, I still be believe in God, and Jesus' teachings kind of.

Mainly I've lost faith in other Christians. When I find out people are Christian, I have trouble trusting that they will like me and my sexual orientation. Or rather, I think they will like me as a person but then vote against gay rights politically, sending two conflicting messages to me about what they believe.

It's not really fair to the gay-affirming Christians out there that I do this. I don't want to project my anger at a group based on assumptions, or else I'm just like the ignorant people who condemn homosexuality. Ideally I'd like to stop rejecting people before they reject me. So far I have one straight male Christian friend. It's a start. :/

AtmaWeapon · 3rd Jun 2011, 10:24 PM

Not when first coming out. I agree with those who say it has nothing to do with sin. However, the general attitude of the church and Christians has disgusted me so much that I have come to the point where I find religion to be mostly useless and destructive and stupid and really want nothing to do with it.

So witnessing the depths of ignorance on account of how the Bible is interpreted and how much destruction and homophobia is bred by the church and is fanned by Christians who don't care about how they are hurting real people to follow their Bible is enough to make me want nothing to do with such unethical and stupid mindsets.

So I have lost my faith but it's not about when I accepted myself. It was more about accepting the facts that Christians don't want to repent or start caring and tend to be too stuck in their own world view to really give two shits about doing good and finding the truth.

In some years, most Christians will open their brains and will have caught up with those like Rembert Truluck who was a brilliant man who understood the Bible and Jesus better than anyone I have ever heard of, but it still sickens me beyond belief how irresponsible most Christians are and what evil they will commit because they think it means being faithful to the Bible.

MsShelf · 3rd Jun 2011, 10:42 PM

I "lost" my faith at about the same time as I came out to myself, but I don't think that either one caused the other. It was more like I finally allowed myself to question things I had tried to push out of my mind for a long time. For a long time I was in denial about my religious beliefs and my orientation. I didn't want to think about them, because if I did, they might become more real. Eventually, I allowed myself to question everything I'd been told growing up, and to come to my own conclusions.

3rd Jun 2011, 08:19 AM	#1
JudasKissedHIM Well Known Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Basically everyone except mamma... Location: Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa Age: 22 Posts: 117 Join Date: Apr 2010	Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? When I was younger I used to believe that being gay is a sin, but as I got older I came to realise it really isn't a choice (god I really tried to make myself straight when I was younger) and I came to the conclusion since I know for a fact it’s not a sin, the Bible & God might not be as factual as I believed it to be. Has this happened to anyone else?? __________________ I don't speak German, but I can if you like

3rd Jun 2011, 08:29 AM	#2
Raeil EC Addict Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: Missouri Age: 20 Posts: 421 Join Date: May 2011	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? I didn't lose my Chritian faith, but I did have to step back from the Bible as being 100% true and infallible as written, since if I had taken the whole thing as true I'd be sinning by just being gay and I'd also have to believe a whole mess of things which are also untrue (7-day creation, young earth, etc.) I had already stopped believing the other things were true, so it wasn't horribly difficult to dig into the context provided behind the Scriptures and realize that the literalist interpretation of homosexuality was simply not right. Of course, this research doesn't help me that much anymore, as I abandoned the faith for other reasons three months later... ah well, now I have a great argument for all my Christian friend (and believe me, I have a ton of them...)

3rd Jun 2011, 10:23 AM	#3
Holmes EC Addict Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out Location: Ireland Age: 25 Posts: 609 Join Date: Aug 2009	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? It preceded it in my case. I properly felt I was an atheist at 20, that I was gay at 22, though I'd gone through different thoughts on both for years before then. If you ask me honestly, I see no good reason for accepting taking there to be any factual basis in the creeds of any of the world religions, and I think life, the universe and everything, including the richness of humanity, wondrous enough without recourse to a creator. But I understand that religion means a lot to seem people, so I don't rail against it.

3rd Jun 2011, 11:05 AM	#4
Shevanel One Is Light. One Is Dark. Full Member Gender: The Dude Orientation: Bi-Winning Out Status: Everybody and Your Mom. Location: Bolivar, Ohio (From NY though) Age: 21 Posts: 7,672 Join Date: Dec 2008	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? Not at all. __________________ If there were no rewards to reap, No loving embrace to see me through this tedious path I've chosen here, I certainly would've walked away by now. Gonna wait it out... Be patient.

3rd Jun 2011, 11:10 AM	#5
Just Passing EC Addict Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Almost there Location: West Midlands Age: 20 Posts: 513 Join Date: May 2011	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? I didn't have any connections to religion in the first place, but I guess I had faith in life, but I didn't loose any faith at all. Just confusion, but nothing horrible personally. __________________ Meh.

3rd Jun 2011, 11:25 AM	#6
malachite EC's realist Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: Orlando Posts: 6,480 Join Date: Apr 2009	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? I was very religious to being with and as I got older saw all the hypocrisy behind it, I kind lost faith in having faith. Being gay had nothing to do with it. __________________ It's the 21st century, your bigotry is outdated. Either upgrade or go away.

3rd Jun 2011, 11:42 AM	#7
steel03 EC Addict Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: mission accomplished Location: Iowa Age: 20 Posts: 480 Join Date: Jan 2011	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? Nope, I love hot dish and lefse too much to stop being Lutheran. But seriously, no. My denomination had taken a lot of steps to include homosexuals as fully as everyone else. __________________ And on the third day, God created the Remington bolt-action rifle, so that Man could fight the dinosaurs. And the homosexuals.

3rd Jun 2011, 11:46 AM	#8
aidan EC Addict Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: Walsall, United Kingdom Age: 18 Posts: 260 Join Date: Jan 2011	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? it was so long ago now and i can barely remember, but i think that my sexuality was one of the factors in becoming sceptical of religion which lead to my eventual deconversion __________________

3rd Jun 2011, 11:51 AM	#9
Austin Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Most people in my life. Location: Orange County, California, USA Age: 19 Posts: 1,790 Join Date: Apr 2008	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? I think I just used logic as I got older to realize (at least, all of the world's current religions) are made up. I can't rely on blind faith I need some proof. "God either doesn't exist, or he just doesn't give a fuck." :P But, idk, I bet being gay helped me realize somewhat and not allow myself to be brainwashed. But, there are plenty of self hating gay Christians. If being gay was the only factor in gays becoming atheist there wouldn't be any. So I think we can all give ourselves some credit for being logical and not just say it's because we were gay. Speaking of which I need to get myself excommunicated from the catholic church. __________________ Can I sail through the changing ocean tides, can I handle the seasons of my life? Last edited by Austin; 3rd Jun 2011 at 11:53 AM..

3rd Jun 2011, 12:03 PM	#10
jony8472 Take care all=} Full Member Gender: Male Out Status: Most everyone knows =] Location: Bath, UK Age: 19 Posts: 201 Join Date: Jul 2008	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? I've found that my faith has been strengthening as I'm getting older. I've always known I was unstraight but when I was young I was very skeptical about christianity (I used to be the annoying kid who spouted science facts to the RE teacher). I've always followed the Bible as more of a general guide on how to live as a good person, and follow the messages layed out therein. On a side note, I hate it when I'm with a bunch of GLBT and they pay the hell out of religion (I realise the pun... I just don't know if it's intended or not). I just want to scream at them - 'How would you feel if your religious friends were treating your sexuality the same way?' __________________ Take care all=} K thx Baizz!!

3rd Jun 2011, 12:13 PM	#11
fiddledeedee 22/12-31/12+X! Full Member Gender: Complicated female Orientation: Bisexual Out Status: Most, sans Dad Location: England Age: 15 Posts: 1,128 Join Date: May 2011	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? I have not lost my faith, and I hope I don't, and I think my parent's break-up has helped me know that God does love me and my church is very supportive. I already took the Bible "with a pinch of salt" and I have been bullied before so if I am when I come out, I hope to be able to deal with it. __________________ A problem should be measured not by the cause of the problem but by the consequences it has on a person. ~ Anfauglith

3rd Jun 2011, 12:15 PM	#12
Rikudo EC Addict Full Member Gender: Male Age: 20 Posts: 2,198 Join Date: Dec 2009	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? I was never religious to begin with so you can't lose what you never had. __________________ "Out of love, sacrifice is born... Hate is born... and we are able to know pain!"

3rd Jun 2011, 02:26 PM	#13
malachite EC's realist Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Out to everyone Location: Orlando Posts: 6,480 Join Date: Apr 2009	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? Whatever happened to: if your a decent person with a good heart you go to Heaven? __________________ It's the 21st century, your bigotry is outdated. Either upgrade or go away.

3rd Jun 2011, 03:34 PM	#14
x2x2x2x2y2 PARAWHORE!!!!!! Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: ~I like guys~ Out Status: Everyone, pretty much. Location: Wonderland (and California, USA) Age: 18 Posts: 3,971 Join Date: Oct 2009	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? I was never strong in my religion, so I didn't really lose anything when I figured all of it out. Now, I don't think I believe in religion or any of that, but I'm still not sure. Either way, I know there are LGBT's that are out and proud that still have faith in religion. __________________ "THINGS ARE LOOKING UP, OH FINALLY!!" "I believe that there's hope buried beneath it all and...Hiding beneath it all and... GROWING beneath it all!!" -Paramore ...and the lesbians

3rd Jun 2011, 08:12 PM	#15
Charme Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? Nope, I found it.

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3rd Jun 2011, 10:13 PM	#16
IsItSo EC Addict Regular Member Gender: Male Orientation: 同志 Out Status: A few people Location: New York-ish Age: 18 Posts: 771 Join Date: Apr 2010	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? No. It might be worth noting, however, that I've been pretty mellow about religion my whole life. As a young child, my parents taught me to believe that the Bible was not meant to be taken literally.

3rd Jun 2011, 10:17 PM	#17
Porphyrogenitus Kalos Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: If you think of a spectrum... yellow/green Location: Brisbane, QLD Age: 21 Posts: 290 Join Date: Jun 2009	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? Nope. I just became somewhat heretical, I guess - ie. I ceased to accept what the Church was saying about homosexuality.

3rd Jun 2011, 10:23 PM	#18
Markio EC Addict Full Member Gender: Male Orientation: Gay Out Status: Family, friends, and staff! Location: California Age: 21 Posts: 1,139 Join Date: Oct 2008	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? I was brought up Catholic--went to Catholic school up until college. I was confirmed and everything. Since coming to college and coming out, I still be believe in God, and Jesus' teachings kind of. Mainly I've lost faith in other Christians. When I find out people are Christian, I have trouble trusting that they will like me and my sexual orientation. Or rather, I think they will like me as a person but then vote against gay rights politically, sending two conflicting messages to me about what they believe. It's not really fair to the gay-affirming Christians out there that I do this. I don't want to project my anger at a group based on assumptions, or else I'm just like the ignorant people who condemn homosexuality. Ideally I'd like to stop rejecting people before they reject me. So far I have one straight male Christian friend. It's a start. :/ __________________ Celebrate diversity!

3rd Jun 2011, 10:24 PM	#19
AtmaWeapon Huffs Rainbows Full Member Gender: Natal female - genderqueer Orientation: Kinsey 5 - I prefer women Out Status: As out as I could hope to be Age: 23 Posts: 186 Join Date: Mar 2011	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? Not when first coming out. I agree with those who say it has nothing to do with sin. However, the general attitude of the church and Christians has disgusted me so much that I have come to the point where I find religion to be mostly useless and destructive and stupid and really want nothing to do with it. So witnessing the depths of ignorance on account of how the Bible is interpreted and how much destruction and homophobia is bred by the church and is fanned by Christians who don't care about how they are hurting real people to follow their Bible is enough to make me want nothing to do with such unethical and stupid mindsets. So I have lost my faith but it's not about when I accepted myself. It was more about accepting the facts that Christians don't want to repent or start caring and tend to be too stuck in their own world view to really give two shits about doing good and finding the truth. In some years, most Christians will open their brains and will have caught up with those like Rembert Truluck who was a brilliant man who understood the Bible and Jesus better than anyone I have ever heard of, but it still sickens me beyond belief how irresponsible most Christians are and what evil they will commit because they think it means being faithful to the Bible. __________________ No book is more holy and no book is more sacred than giving proper respect to people and their humanity. Last edited by AtmaWeapon; 3rd Jun 2011 at 10:33 PM..

3rd Jun 2011, 10:42 PM	#20
MsShelf Member Regular Member Gender: Female Orientation: Lesbian Out Status: Everyone who matters and/or asks, except family. Location: Bible Belt Age: 19 Posts: 32 Join Date: May 2011	Re: Have you lost your faith when you accepted yourself as GLBT? I "lost" my faith at about the same time as I came out to myself, but I don't think that either one caused the other. It was more like I finally allowed myself to question things I had tried to push out of my mind for a long time. For a long time I was in denial about my religious beliefs and my orientation. I didn't want to think about them, because if I did, they might become more real. Eventually, I allowed myself to question everything I'd been told growing up, and to come to my own conclusions.