Straight Christian Guy. I come in peace!

" so I apologize if some of my questions are the wrong questions to ask or I accidentally offend someone."

There are no 'wrong' questions here*. If you're really here to learn, you will find your answers.

Welcome to EC, I hope you find what you need.



*Well there might be a couple, but mainly those are just the ones you KNOW are going to offend people

 

Hi welcome

 

Hellooooo~ Welcome to the forum, have a good time here~! <3 ^_^

 

It's refreshing to see an open-minded Christain, and I thank you for trying to understand us.
Welcome to EC! (!)

 

For starters, I think you may have already offended some people with the "I come in peace" implying that we're aliens from the planet Xanifrax that are really that different from you. I personally have not, but I think it may be interpreted that way.

I think many of us are glad that someone is willing to open their minds a bit more to see the other side, especially nowadays when things are getting much, much worse.

As for the blog post, I'm not sure that would comply with the terms and conditions of the forum. It's generally known for 2 people not to be allowed to interact with each other outside the forum. Very few exceptions are made.

 

Welcome! We're not as scary and evil the church makes us out to be.

Coming from a gay Christian. Hallelujah!!! :eusa_danc

 

Welcome to EC! And remember, there aren't only gay here

 

How did you first realize you were gay?
Depends which story you prefer.

You could have 'I've always been a bit lesbian' which is the short version, or you can have the longer version. Once upon a time I thought I was a guy. I started noticing I was paying a lot of attention to the penis in porn. I ignored it, and it sort of progressed from there and that's how I realised I was a bit straight!


What was your original religious upbringing and viewpoint before, during and after you made this realization?
Brought up christian. I've been atheist since birth as far as I can tell.

How has the stance of the Christian church that you are a sinner personally affected you? Did it cause unnecessary guilt or shame? Did it make it difficult for you to come to terms with who you are? If you were a Christian, then did it cause you to lose your faith?
None of the christians I know have a problem with it so it's never really affected me personally. It certainly didn't cause any guilt or shame because it means literally nothing to me.

Does it hurt you that a Christian friend sees you being gay as a sin or does it only matter that he loves you?
As I said above, none of the christian people I know (as far as I'm aware) think I'm a sinner, or at the very least they've kept it to themselves.

Many of the responses I have received tell me to stop confusing Christians because it doesn't matter that we think its a sin as long as we love them. Are they right? Does it matter to you? I think it would matter a lot if I actually thought sin was a thing, but I don't so I don't really care. Personally, I think if you can say with a straight face that the love I can show for someone is 'evil' you're not exactly high up on my list of people I'm paying attention to.

If the church changed direction tomorrow and welcomed you with open arms and didn't expect you to change who you were but instead celebrated our differences than would you be more likely to seek out Christianity? Would you be happier? Or does it really not matter and I should stop trying so hard?
I don't think there is ANYTHING that would cause me to seek out christianity or any other religion for that matter. Contrary to what my mum thinks, I am far better off without it. People have tried and failed to convert me all their lives.

I realize that there are a few Christian churches that are doing this already. Do any of you currently attend or associate yourself a with a Christian church like this?
No.

 

Welcome ride:

 

How did you first realize you were gay?
Umm, I've always paid more attention to girls than guys.

What was your original religious upbringing and viewpoint before, during and after you made this realization?

Well I was raised Roman Catholic and I still attend mass just not as often as I used to.

How has the stance of the Christian church that you are a sinner personally affected you? Did it cause unnecessary guilt or shame? Did it make it difficult for you to come to terms with who you are? If you were a Christian, then did it cause you to lose your faith?

I tend not to pay much attention to other people so it didn't cause me any guilt or shame. If it was my mom saying I was a sinner than it probably would have. Again, it's not the Christian religion that has altered my views on it but more the people who are in it (not all of them). Since the Religion teaches love and compassion and many of the people involved with the Christian church are more hateful than the people who are not.


Does it hurt you that a Christian friend sees you being gay as a sin or does it only matter that he loves you?

None of my friends really care. I think it's more of the older people (like their parents) who seem to have the problem. However, I have noticed that my friends are also becoming less religious due to all the hate and hypocrisy within the Christian church. Not just the hate toward LGBT people but I think just the intolerance of anything "non-christian".

Many of the responses I have received tell me to stop confusing Christians because it doesn't matter that we think its a sin as long as we love them. Are they right? Does it matter to you?
I don't have an opinion on this since I don't understand the question.

If the church changed direction tomorrow and welcomed you with open arms and didn't expect you to change who you were but instead celebrated our differences than would you be more likely to seek out Christianity? Would you be happier? Or does it really not matter and I should stop trying so hard?

I would be happier. The main thing that bothers me is the hypocrisy which I have stated before. Teaching one thing and then practicing another.

I realize that there are a few Christian churches that are doing this already. Do any of you currently attend or associate yourself a with a Christian church like this?
No.

 

How did you first realize you were gay?


If we want to get technical and include fetishes, I'm actually bisexual. I simply identify as gay largely because I'm in a homosexual relationship with someone else. My sexual orientation has a lot of gray in it, if you think about it. This is the first post that I'm going to come out as a chubby chaser (except I don't actually pursue anyone, really). However, without that, I rarely get attracted to females. There are a total of 2 times I've gotten sexually aroused by a female since I hit puberty. I don't particuarly like talking about my fetishes, though.

Anyway, I found my fetish through youtube. Since about 5th grade, I've been masturbating (because I got curious on what would happen. I was doing it before I even knew what it was. Had to make the connection in High school. There was no "recruitment" required). Found that it went both ways on Youtube as well.

As for the other LGBT stuff that argued that I'm actually gay, I saw "Literal pants" by LittleKuriboh on Youtube (since I was following him and TeamFourStar at the time. I still do). It mentioned yaoi in it, and again, I got curious about it, being quite new to anime at the time. A google search and a few pages later, I found my body making the fireworks that everyone else talks about when it's the opposite sex. At the same time, I found that I was a bottom, since that's really how my body works. I'm sensitive emotionally and physically, so it was really easy for me to relate to the ukes in whatever I was reading. Again, no actual "recruitment" required. LK didn't force me to look at them. I got curious.

I tried getting aroused to yuri. Nothing. I tried getting aroused to straight hentai. Nothing. But when I got back to the yaoi pages, everything was firing on all cylanders.

What was your original religious upbringing and viewpoint before, during and after you made this realization?

My upbringing was methodist. About a couple years before I found out about yaoi, I had pretty much decided that although I was supposed to be Christian, that I actually was an athiest. No sufficient evidence had been given to me to believe that a god actually existed, and one day, when I was taking the garbage out, I imagined about no heaven. And while it was a bit hard to grasp for awhile, it ended up being something that I was okay with because that tells me that in the end, we're all equal. Again, I found out about yaoi 2 years later.

How has the stance of the Christian church that you are a sinner personally affected you? Did it cause unnecessary guilt or shame? Did it make it difficult for you to come to terms with who you are? If you were a Christian, then did it cause you to lose your faith?


I think it might have. Honestly, logically, I don't care, being an athiest. If I'm a sinner, then I'm a sinner and nevertheless, I'll fight for human rights whether they deal with LGBT issues, racism, sexism, classism, etc. Most recently, I've been coming across too many pages that have been worse than the WBC as far as treatment of LGBT people go. Some of them have called for the extinction of LGBT people and some of them lure us to attack us, and then claim that they're being persecuted when we cry out any sort of opposition (which is then deleted from their page, ironically).


Does it hurt you that a Christian friend sees you being gay as a sin or does it only matter that he loves you?


Both, honestly. The "being gay is a sin" is a logical fallacy and is only rooted in religion. I've had my father use this argument against me when I came out, right after "I don't care". I want people to be logically educated about this because there are still too many rumors about LGBT people and too many arguments that call for the persecution of others because they are different.

Honestly, all I wish for right now is to be accepted because of who I am, and not be persecuted in any way for it. This goes for anyone else.

Many of the responses I have received tell me to stop confusing Christians because it doesn't matter that we think its a sin as long as we love them. Are they right? Does it matter to you? If the church changed direction tomorrow and welcomed you with open arms and didn't expect you to change who you were but instead celebrated our differences than would you be more likely to seek out Christianity? Would you be happier? Or does it really not matter and I should stop trying so hard?

Honestly, if you're for human rights, then I don't care. With the "Being gay is a sin" thing, it lumps LGBT people in with people who actually cause harm to others such as rapists, murderers, and thieves when not even the majority of LGBT people do anything that causes harm, and when they go by with anything remotely pro-gay, there is a large chance that they'll get a dirty stare at the very least because of this.

If the church changed direction tomorrow, I probably won't automatically become a Christian. Again, there needs to be enough of a bridge between science and the Judeo-Christian god for me to actually be a Christian. That has more to do with me being athiest than me being gay or transgender.

I realize that there are a few Christian churches that are doing this already. Do any of you currently attend or associate yourself a with a Christian church like this?


Doing what, this survey? Or persecuting gay people?

For the record, my family is slowly cutting ties with a church we've been with for many years because my father is a huge supporter of contemporary worship, and the new and current pastor of our church has argued several times that contemporary worship isn't "real worship". Hm... Sounds familiar...

 

*Before you read my responses to your questions, please understand that I have had very negative experiences with Christians in general. The comments made by me are not representative of all Christians, as I'm well aware that there are some decent Christians out there. These comments are only representative of Christians that I have met in my own, personal life. Please understand that I have no hate towards you, or anyone else who can manage to accept us or can manage to not force their religion on others. At this point for me, however, I cannot help but have quite a bit of resentment for the religious people around me in my life.*

How did you first realize you were gay?
In 8th grade when I began to notice that everyone else had a girlfriend and all they talked about was girls is when I first began to realize that I might be gay. I never participated in discussions about girls and my only relationship with a girl at this point never even got to the holding hands stage. Then during my freshman year of high school during marching season, I began to notice that I was checking out guys a lot. I tried to have another relationship with a girl but once again it still felt too awkward to even hold hands. I began to only think about guys when it comes to relationships and sex. After that, I slowly came to the realization that I was gay. (There were other things that happened along the way, but these are the things that made me first realize that I was gay.)

What was your original religious upbringing and viewpoint before, during and after you made this realization?
I was brought up in the Christian faith (specifically Southern Baptist). I began questioning my faith way back at the start of my 6th grade year although I convinced myself that I was just being tested by God. By the time that I realized that I was gay, I no longer identified as a Christian and became an atheist. Fast forward three years to the present and I still identify as an atheist. I should mention that I am still forced to go to church by my mother though. She seems to believe that God will change me.

How has the stance of the Christian church that you are a sinner personally affected you? Did it cause unnecessary guilt or shame? Did it make it difficult for you to come to terms with who you are? If you were a Christian, then did it cause you to lose your faith?
The stance the Christian church generally takes towards homosexuality has affected me a great deal. It caused me a lot of anxiety and stress for several years until I was outed by my mother. I was very afraid of what my family would think. I had heard my mom talk about homosexuality as an abomination and as something disgusting for many years and I was very afraid. I thought that she would have kicked me out of the house when she found out, but luckily, that didn't happen, although she still does not accept me. I would even go so far as to say that the church's stance was one of the most contributing factors when I had felt like committing suicide several months ago. From my perspective, the church has taken away my family and friends leaving me with almost no one. It has also made it unsafe for me to come out to the majority of my friends and peers because the vast majority of the people in my community share these same views with the church. Yes, it caused me to feel shameful for awhile. I thought that there was something wrong with me and I didn't know why this was happening to me. While I was questioning my faith as I came to the realization that I was gay, it did still cause me a lot of grief with coming to terms with who I am. I thought that I was going to go to hell, and that everybody around me would hate me. It took me a couple of years to realize that there were other people out their who didn't hate me. I wouldn't say that realizing that I was gay caused me to lose my faith alone, but it was kind of the final nail in the coffin.

Does it hurt you that a Christian friend sees you being gay as a sin or does it only matter that he loves you?
I don't have any Christian friends who view homosexuality as a sin but still love me. As a matter of fact, I haven't met anyone who could do that, not even my own mother. I always hear the 'love the sinner, hate the sin' speech but I have found that it has always been full of crap. It's like saying to a black person 'I love you as a human, but I hate that your black'. The 'sin' is inseparable from the person and this saying is just a way that Christians rationalize and justify their hate. I realize that this is not representative of all Christians, however, but at least in my area, this is how they think. I do have one Christian friend who think that homosexuality is ok though, but of course, he won't let any other Christians know that out of fear for his well-being.

Many of the responses I have received tell me to stop confusing Christians because it doesn't matter that we think its a sin as long as we love them. Are they right? Does it matter to you? If the church changed direction tomorrow and welcomed you with open arms and didn't expect you to change who you were but instead celebrated our differences than would you be more likely to seek out Christianity? Would you be happier? Or does it really not matter and I should stop trying so hard?
Those responses you are getting about how it doesn't matter that Christians think its a sin as long as we love them is bs in my opinion. Maybe there are some Christians that can do that, but I sure as hell haven't met any. Even if Christians could love us even though they think it's a sin, it is still very awkward to hang around anyone like that. Imagine being around someone who thinks that what you are is a sin and an abomination. If the church changed its viewpoint, it wouldn't be more likely to seek out Christianity. I have had way too many negative experiences with it to ever consider willingly attending church or doing anything religious. I would be happier, however, because there would be fewer ignorant people and we would receive less hate. Fewer young people would feel worthless and guilty for something that they cannot help. I would encourage you to continue trying. I may not agree with your overall ideology, but if you could convince even one more person that homosexuality shouldn't be treated as an abomination then it would be worth it and I would thank you.

I realize that there are a few Christian churches that are doing this already. Do any of you currently attend or associate yourself a with a Christian church like this?
No, the church that I'm forced to go to is very anti-gay.

 

How did you first realize you were gay?

I don't like define myself as gay but as gynesexual. So, I realised this when I was about 16. Girls make me feel so good and so full How did I realised this? Uhm..simply I see boys too similar to me therefore I need a person who makes me full and complete.


What was your original religious upbringing and viewpoint before, during and after you made this realization?

My upbringing was Roman Catholic and I have never liked this doctrine.


How has the stance of the Christian church that you are a sinner personally affected you? Did it cause unnecessary guilt or shame? Did it make it difficult for you to come to terms with who you are? If you were a Christian, then did it cause you to lose your faith?

Shame or guilt absolutely not. They are wrong, not me. About my faith, I define myself as a different type of Christian and so...at the moment I'm interesting to Waldensian religion.


Does it hurt you that a Christian friend sees you being gay as a sin or does it only matter that he loves you?

How could he love me is he thinks I'm a sinner? No, thanks. I want having smart friends otherwise I prefer being as for me.


Many of the responses I have received tell me to stop confusing Christians because it doesn't matter that we think its a sin as long as we love them. Are they right? Does it matter to you? If the church changed direction tomorrow and welcomed you with open arms and didn't expect you to change who you were but instead celebrated our differences than would you be more likely to seek out Christianity? Would you be happier? Or does it really not matter and I should stop trying so hard?

I don't know. For the people it must be better obviously but I don't care.


I realize that there are a few Christian churches that are doing this already. Do any of you currently attend or associate yourself a with a Christian church like this?

I know Waldensian are very gay-friendly and they defend LGTB community. I don't know if it's true because I have never been in a Waldensian church but it must be very interesting.

 

When my friends started having crushes on guys, I realised that I was different because I had zero interest in guys. Then I started noticing girls more and more until I just couldn't deny it anymore. It's taken me years to become okay with it.

I was raised Catholic, but I never really bought into it. I've always been an atheist, even before realising I am gay.

As I've said, although I am not a Christian myself, I was raised in a Catholic home and went to a Catholic school. Even though I didn't believe I was a sinner for being gay, it hurt me to know that some of my friends and family think being gay is a sin. It did make it harder to accept myself, because there were so many negative views about homosexuality around me.

Yes, I went to a Catholic school and so I had friends who held this view. They were never hostile about it. They were the "love the sinner, hate the sin" types, but it still hurt to know that they thought that being gay was a sin, and by extension that there was something wrong with me.

I already touched on this in my last question, but those who say that are still saying that there is something wrong with us when they say" love the sinner; hate the sin". I was an atheist before I was gay, so I personally wouldn't become a Christian if Christianity became super accepting of LGBT people, but I know that there are many LGBT people who are religious, and it would do them wonders to feel that they are included and loved by their god.

I'm an atheist, so no.

I hope my answers help you, and thanks for coming here with an open mind and heart. Your effort is appreciated.

 

Hey, welcome to the forum

You are a brilliant example to the religious communities, I applaud you for that. I wish all religious folk had your open-minded views. Thank you for joining the forum and I hope your views don't get you into any trouble

All of the best, and good health

---------- Post added 5th Mar 2014 at 10:41 PM ----------

How did you first realize you were gay?

At first I thought I was straight (up until I was 9/10) and then I realised I fancied guys as well. When I turned 15, I realised I preferred guys. Nothing had influence on me, no one I knew (at the time) was gay as well, I don't know why my infatuations changed.

What was your original religious upbringing and viewpoint before, during and after you made the realization?

I don't come from a religious background (sorry); we aren't anti-religion, we are more agnostic. I haven't had a reason to follow faith or believe in God, but I do not judge or discredit those who do. I'm glad religion exists in many ways, I like the idea that the faith some people have allows them to be a better person and to care for others.

How has the stance of the Christian church that you are a sinner personally affected you? Did it cause unnecessary guilt or shame? Did it make it difficult for you to come to terms with who you are? If you were a Christian, then did it cause you to lose your faith?

It hasn't affected me because I'm not 'out'. It does, however, upset me that many Christians are against homosexuality, as I think it is applicable to the 'love thy neighbour' phrase. The way some openly homosexual civilians are treated really does upset me. The only thing that stopped me from coming to terms with my sexuality was myself.

Many of the responses I have received tell me to stop confusing Christians because it doesn't matter that we think its a sin as long as we love them. Are they right? Does it matter to you? If the church changed direction tomorrow and welcomed you with open arms and didn't expect you to change who you were but instead celebrated our differences than would you be more likely to seek out Christianity? Would you be happier? Or does it really not matter and I should stop trying so hard?

I think I've answered this already, sorry :lol: but, as a scientist, I think more than 'open arms' would be needed for me to change my beliefs. I need evidence, and with that said, I repeat that I like the idea of religion.

I realize that there are a few Christian churches that are doing this already. Do any of you currently attend or associate yourself a with a Christian church like this?

Nope.




Thank you

 

How did you first realize you were gay?

How? Was a simple case that I found myself increasingly attracted to the same sex from my early teens, but I was probably aware even before then if I'm being completely honest. I had no such feelings or inclinations towards the opposite sex and never have.

What was your original religious upbringing and viewpoint before, during and after you made this realization?


I was baptised as child in the Anglican/Episcopal church, but my parents were not religious and didn't attend regularly. I had no religious feelings as teenager when I first realised I was gay and only made a decision to start attending Church and be confirmed as an adult after I accepted my sexual orientation.

How has the stance of the Christian church that you are a sinner personally affected you? Did it cause unnecessary guilt or shame? Did it make it difficult for you to come to terms with who you are? If you were a Christian, then did it cause you to lose your faith?

I'm not sure it is the stance of the Christian church that I am a sinner. I've encountered a wide range of views about same sex attraction within the Christian Churches and it seems to be the position of only some churches, but certainly not all.

The Anglican/Episcopal Church in the West has noticeably softened it's position on same sex attraction and relationships in recent years, with the Archbishop of Canterbury describing some same sex relationships as being of "stunning quality". There are early signs that the Roman Catholic Church is moving away from a more dogmatic and judgemental position too. Certainly, amongst the laity of these churches, there is increasing tolerance and acceptance and I personally have experienced a lot of love and support from fellow Christians within the Anglican Church.

I think those Churches and churchmen who preach an ultra conservative viewpoint are wrong. They are very selective in their choice and interpretation of scripture and use a few narrow passages to promote a deeply offensive and bigoted position. Having researched these contentious scriptures carefully I arrive at the conclusion that their claims are baseless and unworthy of my time and further consideration.

For me, Christianity is about love, peace, tolerance and respect. I have no time for churches who promote a different position - I regard them as charlatans who offend God.

Does it hurt you that a Christian friend sees you being gay as a sin or does it only matter that he loves you?

My Christian friends don't see me as a sinner and have demonstrated great love and respect. I ask nothing more of them.

Many of the responses I have received tell me to stop confusing Christians because it doesn't matter that we think its a sin as long as we love them. Are they right? Does it matter to you? If the church changed direction tomorrow and welcomed you with open arms and didn't expect you to change who you were but instead celebrated our differences than would you be more likely to seek out Christianity? Would you be happier? Or does it really not matter and I should stop trying so hard?

It's important for those churches who regard homosexuality as a sin to get back to basics and stop being judgemental and hypocritical. The Bible is not to be misused to abuse and humiliate people and offend their human dignity, or to deny their identity or liberty. It should be used to promote the fundamental message of Jesus Christ that we love God and one another (for there is no greater commandment).

It's not okay to say love the sinner and hate the sin. That is incredibly patronising and does not help. In fact, it creates even greater hostility.

I realize that there are a few Christian churches that are doing this already. Do any of you currently attend or associate yourself a with a Christian church like this?


My Church positively welcomes LGBT people and other minority groups too. I wouldn't worship there if it didn't.

 

How did you first realize you were gay?
-I always had this attraction to other guys even before I knew what the word gay was. I thought it was pretty normal until I heard of anti-gay stuff and homophobic slurs.

What was your original religious upbringing and viewpoint before, during and after you made this realization?
-I was originally from a Pentecostal church, it was the typical Pentecostal stereotype. My dad was an elder, but we moved to two other churches due to better convenience. My viewpoints were about the same motto: Jesus loves me and that he is my savior. However, there was a time I questioned religion a lot and had this hatred towards God for making me gay. Soon enough, I quit trying to change, and felt that God created me in his image.

How has the stance of the Christian church that you are a sinner personally affected you? Did it cause unnecessary guilt or shame? Did it make it difficult for you to come to terms with who you are? If you were a Christian, then did it cause you to lose your faith?
-It made me feel very alone and shameful. I had many days, and still do have days where I will cry to sleep or just lock my door in pity. It has made it very hard to come to terms. It tooks years of research and leaps of faith. I continue to believe in God because no one has a say on what I should believe. Christianity is a relationship with God on a personal level.

Does it hurt you that a Christian friend sees you being gay as a sin or does it only matter that he loves you?
-I have recently lost a friend that considered himself Mormon, but he was raised Catholic. It pains me to know that religion can sometimes break friendships than make them in certain scenarios. However, I feel this was the right choice. My friend wasn't the best/most supportive person either.

Many of the responses I have received tell me to stop confusing Christians because it doesn't matter that we think its a sin as long as we love them. Are they right? Does it matter to you? If the church changed direction tomorrow and welcomed you with open arms and didn't expect you to change who you were but instead celebrated our differences than would you be more likely to seek out Christianity? Would you be happier? Or does it really not matter and I should stop trying so hard?
-I personally hate the 'love the sinner, hate the sin'. It sounds good on paper, but it's practical use is terrible. It makes those deemed 'non sinners' to have this pedestal where they can judge. Jesus did not act this way to others. He loved unconditionally and viewed others as people, not sinners. In addition, what part of cultures is used as the 'sinner' group other than LGBT? There is none in modern society. This term is only used to bash LGBT. I would be very happy if the church opened arms for me to join because that's what church is about. It's a win/win not a win/lose.

I realize that there are a few Christian churches that are doing this already. Do any of you currently attend or associate yourself a with a Christian church like this?
-I'm not sure but my church is highly optimistic and friendly, so I'm sure it is friendly towards LGBT. They have remained diligent on this issue. My uncle went a few times and he is openly gay, but had no problems.

 

How did you first realize you were gay?

I first realized it when I was a kid, like 4 and 5, and anytime I had a sleepover with other boys, basically, I was THAT KID that was like "let's sleep naked everybody!". :eusa_doh: And basically, the thought of those little things followed me for the longest time, and I tried to ignore the crap out of them. Basically, I knew I had attraction to other males since I was a little kid. Tried to cover it up by dating girls or "having crushes" on them. Eventually, to make a long story short, I accepted myself as gay when I was like 14 or 15.

What was your original religious upbringing and viewpoint before, during and after you made this realization?

Christian, Christian, and Christian. Well, Christian with my own beliefs. I'm a firm believer in God and I pray very often. But admittedly, I don't rely on the word of the Bible too much. The Bible tends to be contradictory to the God that we're taught to believe We're always taught that our God is loving and caring and accepting. But then, the whole old testament of the Bible is basically God eradicating mankind? Basically, the God I know loves and accepts me for who I am, and is here for EVERYONE in the world. So, maybe Christian isn't the exact term for it, but for the purpose of this, we'll say Christian.

How has the stance of the Christian church that you are a sinner personally affected you? Did it cause unnecessary guilt or shame? Did it make it difficult for you to come to terms with who you are? If you were a Christian, then did it cause you to lose your faith?

It hasn't ever really personally affected me. I had to sit through a church a few times where this pastor, at the end of EVERY one of his "sermons" would finish with the most bigoted, homohating rants, saying things like "don't use the term 'gay' to describe homosexuals, gay means happy and they ain't happy people, FAGGOT is the term to use for them", and yadda yadda. It made my angry, but I felt no shame to be called such derogatory terms by someone so ignorant. I didn't lose faith in God, but it made me question humanity, but that happens just about every day heheh.

Does it hurt you that a Christian friend sees you being gay as a sin or does it only matter that he loves you?

Yeah, it really does hurt actually. When I came out to my friends in 11th grade (last year) my closest friends started treating me differently. My best friend since middle school (male), the first thing he said was "he'd get me some help". My other best friend (female), the first thing she said was "you've gotta be joking". And my other best friend (male) said "please tell me you're kidding" (but the last friend is just awkward and he found out through a sexual jjoke, and he was more referring to the joke than the gay thing).

But, a year later, and these friends have come a long way in accepting me. The first friend I mentioned is a Catholic Thai-Vietnamese, soooo naturally it was a little difficult for him to accept it at first. My female friend was hurt about it mainly because she had/has a huge crush/strong feelings for me, sooo, yeah. And my last friend, well, he basically wasn't too on or off about it from the start. Honestly he couldn't care less because he doesn't care about relationships too much. He's a pretty laid back guy.

So, to re-cap, my friends were a little off about it at first, but they're more accepting now.

Many of the responses I have received tell me to stop confusing Christians because it doesn't matter that we think its a sin as long as we love them. Are they right? Does it matter to you? If the church changed direction tomorrow and welcomed you with open arms and didn't expect you to change who you were but instead celebrated our differences than would you be more likely to seek out Christianity? Would you be happier? Or does it really not matter and I should stop trying so hard?

I dooon't think I exactly understand the question. If you see homosexuality as a sin, personally, then it's not that big of an issue to me, it's your opinion. But if you think it's a sin AND you are hateful about it, then we have an issue.

I realize that there are a few Christian churches that are doing this already. Do any of you currently attend or associate yourself a with a Christian church like this?

Haven't bee to church in a few months, but I honestly don't know exactly how my church feels about LGBT people, sooo...

Hope this all helps