I come from a fairly religious Jewish family, I'd say Conservadox. My religion basically invented the "It is an abomination" idea.:icon_sad: If your religion clearly forbids it, share below how you deal with being religious and LGBT. :goodevil:
I'm an evangelical Christian and I don't view homosexuality as being sinful. I think the Bible has been falsely interpreted and people aren't putting the sketchy sections into the proper context. The God I worship is a God of love, who knew I was gay long before I did, and loves me no matter what!
OMG I know all about this! I grew up Catholic. Even though my family's liberal (i.e not anti-gay), my religion isn't. So far I'm still conflicted, and I would also like to learn how to deal with it.
I agree with this. There is lots of information explaining how particular verses have been mis-translated over the years. The word homosexual didn't appear in the KJV Bible, but does in newer translations. For example, the Leviticus verse about man lying with man as with woman cannot be understood literally. First of all you must assume lying with means having sex. Obviously men don't have vaginas so men can't have sex with a man as he does with a woman. See, not literal. I think the passage is about men dominating over other men sexually as they did women. Women were property of men. It was an insult for a man to be treated like a women. That's what it's about, male superiority, a common theme in the Bible. Leviticus has nothing to do with homosexuality as we know it today, consensual relationship of equals.
Hi! Wow, I feel for you man... Here's why I relate: I was raised as an evangelical Christian, and homeschooled until I started college at 17. I was very sheltered and spent most of my teens beating myself up for being attracted toward men part of the time. I am Bi, so there were plenty of times I was attracted to girls to help feed my denial. I tried coming out to my parents once when I was a little older than you and they sent me to a "Focus on the Family" recommended therapist who convinced me it was a choice and that God didn't make me that way. He was wrong, but a combination of that guy and my faith kept me unhappily in the closet for another decade. I lost ten years that I will never get back and it still makes me angry. Look, you need to ask yourself some fundamental questions. What kind of God would make you this way and then say it was "an abomination"? Do you really think a supreme being would make you fall in love with other men, and then tell you that what you feel is wrong and that you don't get to have a chance to love? I lost my faith partially as a result of this, and from living in Africa and seeing the suffering all around me. I am 25 and I am just now coming out. Buddy, if you are gay, the quicker you can accept it as ok, the quicker you can move past it and live your life happily! Please don't make the mistake I did and let the religion of your parents blind you from the truth of your own existence. You deserve happiness like everybody else, and I wish you luck. You don't have to lose your faith entirely, but a reassessment is likely necessary. Take care and keep us posted, -The Seeker
1. Being gay isn't a sin, homosexual acts are a sin. 2. Homosexual acts aren't even a sin. Leviticus was designed so that the people Moses brought out of Egypt never worshiped any false gods from the Egyptians/Pagans/Canaanites. 3. Other verses in the Bible (Sodom and Gomorrah and Corinthians) aren't even talking about homosexuality at all. Sodom and Gomorrah is about rape and power and no one even knows what the word that translated into homosexuals actually means. My view is that it means the married men who were having sex with the male prostitutes instead of their wives, thus committing adultery. 4. I have yet to find a verse that defines marriage. Genesis seems to say that any man who is not married is sinning, while other passages say that it's fine to not marry. When Jesus quotes Genesis later in the Bible, he uses it to talk about divorce; he's not defining marriage at all. Basically, there's no problem being gay, doing homosexual acts, or same sex marriage nowadays. Just don't do any of these to worship a false god. Edit: I guess there should be a 5th point that says that the teachings of the Old Testament went away when Jesus died on the cross. But since you're Jewish, that doesn't directly pertain to you. Edit2: I actually did see a passage that defines marriage, but all it said was that the two people have to remain together and they need a legal document to show others what they have done. It doesn't condemn same sex marriage at all.
I actually got ironically confirmed into the Catholic church a few weeks ago. What was funny is that the bishop kept talking about the evils in the world (and homosexuality) during his entire talk during the mass, and for some reason he kept staring at me. I don't think I'll ever go back to church again, as it makes me very uncomfortable to be there. I am religious, and I believe in God, but I feel uncomfortable with Catholicism. I walk into a church, and feel like everyone there is against me. I was in a Catholic store a few days ago, and I just started to feel woozy and had to leave. I understand the church's viewpoint, and I respect it though. I'm not angry at the church, and even if I was that isn't any reason to be angry at God. I believe that the church has its own views, and God does as well. The church does not necessarily define what God thinks. I know some people who have turned away from God entirely because of their church, and I just don't think this should happen. I guess I deal with being religious and gay by being religious, but not part of a church. My family forced me to get confirmed, and I dealt with it by seeing it as a graduation. Now I can do whatever I want with my religion I guess. :lol:
Heh, ironically, I'm about to be confirmed this year. My bishop too! OMG He's the only one in the Church who mentions that stuff. Wow, I never thought about that way before. ---------- Post added 4th Nov 2012 at 05:49 PM ---------- Wow, that's really interesting, I didn't know that. :icon_eek:
I was baptized and raised a Catholic...and spent 20 years in Catholic schools. The Catholic Church is homophobic. This is a fact. The Church's official doctrine is that homosexualtiy is a sin, and the Church has invested millions of dollars in fighting equality for LGBTQ people. Now I went to a Jesuit high school in Chelsea, Manhattan where the church flew rainbow flags and had LGBT Masses (their pews would have been empty every week if they didn't!) and then went to a Jesuit college in Massachusetts which had an LGBTQ support group and student organization... But at the end of the day, it is a homophobic church, and I ultimately just couldn't be a part of it. I was already doubtful about all of its religious dogmas and the homophobia just sealed the deal. Religion is largely a negative influence on society anyway. Ironically, it was during my time studying abroad in Rome that I began officially abandoning my Catholic faith.
Has the Catholic Church been able to successfully enforce its doctrine over most of its followers for the past several centuries?
^True statement. You're amazing! How I deal with it? I'm still dealing with it so I'll get back to you on that... XD
I haven't been AS conflicted with it as i used to be. I recently came to terms with it after myriad conversations with God, I think i finally figured it out, that he'll love me any other way. Sometimes, it still gets to me though, but I think I'll be okay...