My thoughts on homosexuality, heterosexuality and same-sex marriage.
I am 62 years old. I had a fairly strict upbringing and was taught certain basics, which have been reinforced for more than half a century.
I have spent time in many places of this world and don’t have a closed mind to anything. I don’t have a closed mind to anyone’s relationship; otherwise I would not be able to accept the relationships of most people. However, it is important you understand that I only accepted anyone’s relationships because I love them and I want them to be happy. If I could invent a little pink pill to change everyone to think as I do, I surely would.
When I was 19 years old and about to be married, the preacher told both my soon to be wife and I, for whatever reason, that what went on behind closed doors in our home, was our business and no one else’s. I have carried that thought with me for years and believe that, to the point of any form of abuse. Because of this belief, I don't get involved in anyone’s sexual life. It’s frankly none of my business.
However social media is so openly shared with everyone, and because many feel the necessity to share their personal beliefs with everyone else and because of highly publicized politics and national news coverage, I have chosen to join the crowd and share my thoughts on homosexuality, heterosexuality and same-sex marriage on my blog.
Homosexuality in general, I believe to be unnatural and unhealthy. I have studied homosexuality and religion, and most everything I read is confusing. There are and can be so many interpretations of Genesis 19; regardless of whether you are conservative or liberal.
Conservative Christian theologians generally believe that the Bible was written by authors that were directly inspired by God. Thus their writings are seen completely free of error as originally written. The Bible is regarded as the actual Word of God. Thus whenever the Bible and science disagree, then the Bible must be right. Most interpret the Garden of Eden story in Genesis as indicating the fall of humanity into sin. They view homosexual behavior as an evidence of that sin. When they then study the Bible for guidance on homosexuality, they generally look for proof texts passages that clearly and directly deal with the topic.
Liberal Christian theologians on the other hand interpret the Bible as having been written by authors who were intent on promoting their own religious and spiritual beliefs. The writers lived in a pre-scientific age, which treated slavery, genocide, mass murder, and the oppression of women as acceptable. Since the scientific study of sexual orientation didn’t begin until around 1950, biblical authors had no awareness of the topic. When the Bible and science disagree, we have to give greater weight to the recent findings of human sexuality researchers. Most rely heavily on the findings of human sexuality researchers to help them interpret biblical passages. When theologians study the Bible for guidance on homosexuality, they generally look for applicable biblical themes, like those advocating justice, love, monogamy, caring, etc. Some religious liberals promote homosexual ordinations, same-sex marriage, civil union ceremonies in the church, equal protection under hate-crime legislation, protection against discrimination in employment, etc. as fundamental human rights issues.
Whereas some religious conservatives feel that the Bible teaches that homosexual behavior is always a serious sin. Allowing sexually active gays and lesbians to be ordained, or to have their committed relationships recognized by the church would involve a drastic and unacceptable lowering of church standards. They also oppose including sexual orientation in hate-crime and anti-discrimination legislation.
If you are still reading this, I am probably not telling you anything that you don’t already know. In fact, suspect that many have studied this subject in much more detail than I have.
Although I am more conservative than I liberal, I am not a Conservative Christian theologian by any means. I sort of straddle the fence on a lot of issues. I do believe that each person’s journey through life is unique. Some will make it alone, others in loving relationships, whether in marriage or some other form of commitment. We need to ponder our own choices and try to understand the choices of others. Love has many shapes and colors and is not finite. It can not be measured or defined in terms of sexual orientation. This was sort of a quote I read somewhere.
I believe marriage is a basic human right and an individual personal choice and I do not support either the State or Federal Government interfering with same-gender couples who choose to marry.
I do fear for their mortality however, but no more than I would if a person married to the opposite gender and committing adultery, or living together out of wedlock. There are just some things humans do that are sinful. I believe that all homosexual activity is inherently sinful, irrespective of the relationship and love felt between two people. Most heterosexual activity is not sinful however, if it is done within a marriage.
It was only after the civil war that blacks were allowed to marry in all areas of the I do believe that gays and lesbians should be free of persecution and have protection from hate crimes based on their sexual orientation. Believing anything else would mean that one would believe that homosexuals were something other than human. I don’t believe homosexuals should be discriminated in any fashion towards employment. I don’t believe that homosexuals should have the right to enter into a traditional marriage, but I do believe in what I would call a Common Law civil union, and that the union should be recognized by our governments the same as common law marriages of the opposite sex. I do believe that the right of same-sex marriage will exist in most states in the near future, regardless of what some of our elected officials fight for or against. And although this right may exists, there will still be bashing and persecution of homosexuals. I don’t believe that homosexuality should be flaunted and carried proudly anymore than the flaunting of heterosexual activity, as it promotes promiscuity in our youth.
I don’t believe homosexuality is a disease that can be cured, but I do believe that the human mind has powers that have never been touched and that inside of ourselves we have the ability to do whatever we choose to do. I believe if it is more natural and easier to choose to be homosexual, then they will choose to be just that, but if they choose wish to be heterosexual, they have the ability and power to do so.
2 comments:
Ted St Martin
Mike my friend. Reading your blog, you come off sounding very fundamentalist which I can understand and respect. My up bringing and religious education, to include 4 yrs in a seminary, seems different to yours. I take few thing literal and i've done extensive study as to how the book was assembled. The basic stories were told literally for many hundreds of years before ever being written down. The value of literal stories is that they changed with the times and needs of the period. Once written down we are stuck with the values and concept of the time they were written.
Remember the stories come from the Jews. Ive spent 10 yrs going to a temple to better understand the old testiment which is the foundation of what you have now. How much do you really understand the Jewish mind. Im still a novice
when it comes to the Jewish mind.
for example, One of the big basic fundamental laws of every fundamental Jews of the early time was to have children. Any thing that was appose to that was seen as very bad and would have been included in the stories we now read as gods law. Fundamental Jews controlled the government and temples. It was fundamental men controlling the un-educated of the time.
Also remember the new testament we know, was not the first approved bible to be put together. There was so much church strife and politics used in the assemble of the book that it frightens me that people judge others from its literal reading. Just think of the number of people that have been killed or persecuted in its name.
Every religions has followers that take things literally in there religions thus wanting to do away with us because we see things differently and are different. I go to war to make sure people have the right to there opinions but when others are put down because of a book and the fact that they different that goes too fare.
What ever happen to the concept of walking 10 miles in another persons shoes before you judge them. Bringing in only one literal interpretation of one religion, to label others is not fare. That unless you really really think its the only true religion and everyone else is going to hell. Religion Religion everyone understand it differently. Everyone understands differently even in the same church. Religion is not a good tool to develop consensus, it only increases confusion. Everyone sees it differently. I would have enjoyed your view point using logic and no conjectures. True experts disagree on the subject. Genetics is not perfect. Whos to say what they really feel. I don't want to impost my genetic makeup and view point on them. We are all gods creatures and if they exist the way they are, god made them that way. They are in his greater plan and they have been around since recorded time. Let them live in peace as god planned. Stop judging what god has made. My thoughts, my friend.
PS Lets not forget our fundamental rule. " do unto others"
Nice thoughtful piece. Really. But what you fail to understand is that choice plays no role in the issue. Being gay is difficult and at times full of self hatred and despair; who chooses that? And if someone did make that choice, wouldn't it be the more difficult and daring one? So easy to be a heterosexual in a world designed by and for heterosexuals. The only choice people make is the choice to live a lie, always denying their true nature and 'choosing' to go through life never knowing themselves and never having the chance to love themselves and feel worthy of other people's love just for being what they are, how 'god' made them. Or choosing to love themselves and feel worthy of love from those who offer their love freely for being just as they were made to be. Those are the choices we make the other stuff, that's hard wired. Nature. Natural.
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