Because faith (and the lack of it) can generate strong feelings in people I know that it's a tricky topic to discuss, but I'm curious. I want to know how other people within the community navigate spirituality and religion. In many cultures, LGBT people were often spiritual leaders - now it seems like we're often pushed out of religious circles. Some things to consider for discussion...do you identify with any religious groups or organizations, or distance yourself from the lot of it? Is community important in faith, or intuition and individual exploration? What are your beliefs surrounding the Divine? What do you think it's "all about" - what's the point of spirituality, anyway? Why do you think some cultures have embraced queer people as spiritual leaders and even perceived us as saintly, while others have gone to great efforts to push back against us and brand us as amoral? Does your personal faith conflict with or harmonize with your gender and sexuality? Keep in mind that there is no universal world view when it comes to this topic, and that "rightness" and "wrongness" don't actually carry any meaning when dealing with abstract, immeasurable things. Nobody has "the answer" and that's good!
I didn't know that some faiths viewed LGBT as spiritual leaders. Could you please tell me which ones, I am quite curious to know why. I identify as a christian and yes my faith is very important to me. I think spirituality provides us not only with inner peace that things will be taken cared of in this life and the next, but also (in my case) the bible serves as a guidebook on how to live life the best way possible. I think the reason some faiths might demonize or glorify LGBT people depends on sex and procreation. If a faith puts a lot of emphasis on having children, then we become the bad guys, if the faith says sex doesn't always have to be about kids, then we might be okay. Yes, my faith and sexuality are constantly at odds with each other. That is a bloody and long war that might never end. I hope I answered all your questions. Please tell me if there is anything I missed.
These are some very interesting facts I wasn’t aware of. Personally my family has never identified under a certain religion so neither have I. They believe God will love you no matter your race, gender, or sexual orientation. It’s made me into a person that will do the same for others who treat people how they would like to be treated.
Mostly the faiths of indigenous cultures. It's really kind of interesting, many cultures around the world perceived LGBT individuals to be naturally spiritually in tune. As a result, there were a lot of LGBT shamans and faith healers. My knowledge is admittedly limited because I'm not an anthropologist, but I would really love to learn more!
I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic school from age 4 up. In Ireland most of the schools are Catholic. My secondary school was next to the local church with the convent behind the church. We were forced to attend mass on certain days I never kept track. I always hated mass and the religion in general. I also think it’s weird to have a large statue of a man nailed to a cross, wearing a crown of thorns with a bleeding gash in his side in full view of children. To add to the trauma tell the kids he died for your sins. I don’t have a problem with religious people, my mother is still a practicing Catholic and since COVID started cleans the church with her friend. I just don’t like the general view of most religions. I also don’t think that you can justify anything by referencing an ancient book which is probably fiction and has no relevance to life today. I’m mostly agnostic. My country is religious and my cousin had to have his child baptised to be allowed to attend the local public school.
I was also raised Catholic...it's an experience, for sure. I never embraced a lot of what they're selling, especially the part about my sins...I was six, what sins did I have?? I was fascinated by the ritual of mass, the candles and incense and the idea of communing with the Divine, but the actual culture of the religion and the church never worked for me. I know a few happy Catholics, and I'm happy for them that they can find peace in it, but from what I've observed there's definitely fear tactics at play with the whole eternal damnation thing and all, and it just never gave me that sense of inner peace that I think a spiritual practice should give a person. Honestly I think faith is a personal journey. It just isn't something you can make someone embrace if they don't feel a real connection to it.
clockworkfox.....When I finally accepted that I am and always have been gay, my faith was a major conflict. I had not been raised in any church and my beliefs were ones that I had come to on my own as an adult. It took a while for me to come to the simple realization that God made me that way I am and that God does not make mistakes. That seemed to me to be a rather simple answer to a complicated question. However, it works for me! (there is actually more to it than that...but that really does sum it all up) .....David
My faith as a Christian is very important to me, but it only gained significance and importance after I went through a process of deconstruction and learning, which allowed me to dispense of trite ideas about God and The Bible. When we've been spoon fed nonsense about the literal truth of human creation, the great flood, Jonah and the big fish, David and Goliath, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and various miracles it just seems utterly implausible and immature. In order to grow up, many people feel as though they have no choice but to walk away from Christianity, even when the faith has brought them a sense of hope, comfort and strength at various times during their lives. In reality, it's not necessary to abandon the Christian faith, but you may need to walk away from churches or denominations that seek to exert control and keep you in a state of naivety with their deliberately narrow approach, which includes prejudice of LGBT+ people (but that's some churches, rather than all churches).
The teachings and lessons from structured religions are only valid when they do not run counter to natural law or preach hate and intolerance as a means of control and power over the hearts and minds of others. Unfortunately, many modern religions vilify the very essence of humanity to the point where many good and spiritually aware people are castigated for giving and receiving the only indisputable truth in life that separates us from all other living things. Love.
I practice Hinduism, to a large degree, even though I'm not overly orthodox or religious. I pick and choose the elements I want to follow and I'm happy doing that. Though I felt I lost religion, during my process of acceptance, I'm at a comfortable place in life, where I feel my views as an person belonging to the LGBTQ+ community and a practicing Hindu go hand in hand.
My biggest issue with Christianity was the literalism. I think too much, and I questioned everything...they'd say that god told Noah to round up two of every animal, and I'd ask, just how big was the boat? That being said, I take absolutely no issue with people finding their faith in Christianity. Just because it wasn't for me, that doesn't mean it can't be for someone else. It's my personal opinion that religious stories and world myths are meant to inform their listeners, but they aren't meant to be taken so literally. Breaking with literalism is a huge step forward in finding faith - once you break away from following a spiritual path because it's "real" or "true", you can really get cozy with your beliefs and discover why they're fulfilling for you. There's nothing wrong with being choosy! It's really cool that both of you have managed to find that place of comfort with your sexuality and your religions. If it isn't weird to ask, have you found a faith community that you're comfortable in? I'm a solitary pagan and while I love what I have, the total lack of rules and doctrines, sometimes flying blind has its own challenges.
