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Not doing too well with religious issues

Discussion in 'Coming Out Advice' started by Gir Zim, Sep 22, 2010.

  1. Gir Zim

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    Hello there,i just recently came out to my family and friends but i still have issues with My religion,even though i have studied it time after time,something always rains on my cornflakes and gets me down.Has anyone else Gone through this? i feel like i deal with this religious issue everyday,it really needs to stop,it's a constant battle in my mind. I am a Christian and i can't help but think of the possibilities,i know i was born gay but am i suppose to not act on it? is this some type of test or something? Why would my God make me Gay if it is Wrong or whatever? I know God loves me and Jesus released me from bondage such as Religious acts and former laws But how come its a constant battle in my mind? I don't feel Guilty for being gay i just have that nagging thing in the back of my mind all of the time,i wish i could get rid of it,any ideas? :grin:
     
  2. Pseudojim

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    The bible was written by men. Not only that, it has been chopped and changed various times throughout its history. The bible does seem to implicate that homosexual sex is a sin... but if you want to take the entire bible as literally true throughout its entire length, it also states that wearing two types of woven cloth together at one time is a sin punishable by death, and that insubordinate children are to be stoned to death.

    The point is not that the bible is awful throughout, but that certain parts are dated and fallible, the parts mentioned above were all written by men before the time of christ anyway.

    a good christian is christ-like, and he wouldn't discriminate between gay or straight.
     
  3. Gir Zim

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    Yeah you are correct,i think i just let people get to me too much,i mean i know God myself i just wish they wouldn't use the Bible as a weapon for discrimination :frowning2:
     
  4. Pseudojim

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    That's their choice to be bigoted. I guess you just have to rise above it, and don't listen to anyone who isn't supportive
     
  5. Leon481

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    It's debateale whether or not homosexaulity is a sin. During biblical times it was illegal and looked down on, but in the entire context of the Bible, never does God, Jesus, or any heavenly figure once specifically state that it's a sin.

    It comes up in reference to cultural outlooks and ancient laws, but nowhere does it state that those laws came from anything other than men. There's an argument that god finds it a sin because of what happened to Sodom, but homosexuality was not the only crime or indecency going on there.

    This has always been an issue for me too. There may be no mention of god saying it was a sin, but he never said it wasn't either. There is no true answer about whether it's truly a sin or not, at least until God himself comes down and tells us himself.

    I've just decided to trust that God will lead me down the path he wants me on, and if it eventually involves a relationship with another guy, I'll go with it. If it turns out that it is a sin, I'm sure I'll be forgiven so long as I did it out of good faith.
     
  6. Pseudojim

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    actually, leviticus 18:22 is a continuation from 18:1, which is "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, "

    followed by a list of orders, including "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

    finishes with 18:30 "Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God."
     
  7. someguy82

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    This is why I'm glad I'm an atheist. But that said, yeah you should really look at it like it has been said.

    And honestly, if god is all loving and made you in his image, it seems unlikely that homosexuality would be any sort of issue in his (or her) eyes.
     
  8. Pseudojim

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    not exactly helpful for our support seeker though
     
  9. someguy82

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    I understand hence editing my post to offer my thoughts. Again if god is all loving, and like it has already been said in this thread (and the bible, or the koran, or the torah) were written by man, then it really is something someone can rationalize. It's possible to be gay and have a religious identity. I don't think there's a conflict between the two.

    Heck, the bible says eating shellfish is a sin, but plenty of good honest christians do that. It might take some time, but I think it's possible to reconcile religious and sexual identity without there being a conflict. It just takes some soul searching and an understanding that religion is a personal choice and issue. You shouldn't let others tell you what to believe, it's up to you to decide what to believe and what seems right to you.
     
    #9 someguy82, Sep 23, 2010
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2010
  10. Gir Zim

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    Personally i identify myself as connected to God through Jesus. Sort of like Wifi to God and Jesus is my Wifi connection :slight_smile:
    Me------>Jesus---->God
    Computer--->Wifi--->Internet
    metaphorically speaking
    but anyway i realized i follow God,not religion. Being connected to God is a Spiritual event that can't be made or invented like a religion :slight_smile:
     
  11. Phoenix

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    You said it well when you said that you follow God not religion. I think that's what you should be aiming for in the first place. Living your life in a Christ like way and following God, not the conventions that men invented to basically say "By doing this is only how you can gain God's approval." I think that's part of faith anyway; you can't know a lot about God but you just trust that He likes how you are no matter what. After all, we already deal with a bunch of shallow people who will only love you as long as there's a condition; you shouldn't have to believe that your god will only love you provided you're straight or white or male etc.
     
  12. Chip

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    A large percentage of the population in the US describes themselves as "spiritual, not religious" and I think it's an important distinction.

    If you haven't already, you should definitely watch (and perhaps encourage your family to watch) "Prayers for Bobby." ($3 on itunes.) It's a true story of an uber-fundy-religious mother who essentially drove her child to suicide and, subsequent to his death, through her own grief and exploration, came to a very different understanding about God and how organized religion does the very thing it preaches against, in terms of judging and condemning.

    There's also a great documentary called "Camp Out" that follows some very devout gay Christian youth as they attend a Christian summer camp specifically for gay youth. There are some pretty profound and simple but grounded understandings shared in that film.

    You may also want to check out the MCC church, it was formed by gays and lesbians who were seeking a welcoming spiritual home. I'd be surprised if there isn't one near Myrtle Beach, given the gay population in the area.

    I know it's probably not the easiest coming out and understanding and accepting yourself in a part of the country where people don't exactly welcome LGBT people with open arms. But you seem to already have given the topic some serious thought and I encourage you to continue keeping an open mind and exploring, because there's a lot of room for *practicing* LGBT people to find love and acceptance in the church, and congregations are slowly warming to that idea.
     
  13. Gir Zim

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    Thank you guys for the support and advice,i am spiritually wise,i just take criticism to hard and listen to others too much and their opinions,when i shouldn't listen to negative people or their opinions at all,we should all invite positive people and attitudes into our lives as much as possible and try to avoid the negative ones,if we try to help the negative ones understand they usually won't listen and regard our opinions or thoughts as inadequate.
    Anyway i always hear people say God didn't make gay people,so if he didn't who did? lol! i think God is included in everything and every part of our lives because he even knows every hair on our head :grin: so if he knows that much i'm pretty sure he's involved in our creation 100%
    but anyway Myrtle beach has a large gay community? where? haha
     
  14. MagicalMatt

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    Let me say this first, blindly following a book based on it's "divinity" is ridiculous. Not saying you can't revere it and follow it when logically or morally right, but blindly following is a no-go.

    When it comes down to it, at the end of the day, Christian theologians will (in different words) say that the New Testament in one way or another, is the more important thing to be worried about.

    The only person who mentions anything about homosexuality in the New Testament is Paul, and here's the thing about Paul. Paul taught many things that were almost completely the opposite of Christ's teachings. Christ taught genuine humility and love. Paul teaches humility for gain and love with a motive. The whole concept of righteousness is Paul's idea, and righteousness (that, God's children, high and mighty attitude) is something that goes completely against what Christ said.

    So maybe you get to still be religious even if you're gay, but maybe that just means you have to put a little thought into what's being said in that Bible you've known your whole life.

    "God spoke, and the rest is just commentary," as Rob Bell says.
     
  15. yourillusion

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    I have a lot of the same struggles you do, with the frequent nagging. I'm currently in the process of reading through the whole Bible (in 90 days). As I'm doing it, I'm trying to read side history and do research. I'm personally not a literalist, and Jesus spoke a lot in parables anyway. If you really think about it, even he wasn't a literalist. hehe.

    Though there are several places where 'homosexuality' is mentioned, truth is that word didn't exist as such during Biblical times. People had sex in order to have children. The world wasn't as populated as it is today. "Be fruitful and multiply" doesn't mean the same now as it did then. Back then, they literally had to multiply, because there just weren't that many people. So women who loved women and men who had men were going against that 'law' and not doing their 'job'.

    This is an interesting site, http://www.religioustolerance.org/homglance.htm Of particular interest to me are the discussions of 'clobber passages', or verses used to 'clobber' lgbtq folks.

    There is an interesting forum for Gay Christians also. There is an ongoing discussion debate amongst them that they refer to as side A/side B. Most agree God is okay with them being gay (able to fall in love with a gender that society isn't crazy about), but the discussion is like you mentioned... is it okay to 'act' on it. I'm not entirely sure if I'm allowed to link to it or no, but do a search for 'Gay Christian' on google and it should come up as well as maybe other helpful sites. I haven't made up my mind myself what I believe about 'side A/B'. I believe we can only know the Bible as we chose to interpret it (which is why I'm reading it), so I think it has to be up to each person personally when it comes down to it.
     
    #15 yourillusion, Sep 23, 2010
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2010
  16. Echo02

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    You all need to remember that, you are in control of whatever system of religion... Christian, or any other. Never allow a man made construct manipulate or control you to the point of guilt or shame for being a human being with all the challenges attached. Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff, on Earth.
     
  17. Gir Zim

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    Thank you [your illusion],i have studied this to the extent of driving me up the wall and what i've concluded is that the scriptures are misinterpreted ,when they actually refer to rape,molestation,pedophilia or going against ones natural orientation,i guess that nagging feeling we have is the bigoted people who just won't understand.
     
  18. beckyg

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    In addition to Chip's great suggestions, I would highly recommend "For the Bible Tells Me So". Many people are deeply touched by this movie. Also, there are many groups involving glbt Christians. I would highly recommend you visit this website also: www.soulforce.org



     
  19. Gir Zim

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    It means so much to me that all of you are here to help and support, knowing that you are going through the same thing as me helps me feel less alone,i just feel so much joy because you care,thank you so much!! :slight_smile: :slight_smile:
     
  20. yourillusion

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    I forgot to say I love the Wifi description. But yeah, I'm totally with ya.