I am a christian. This doesn't make me evil.

[galadriel1010]

"Sorry, you're wrong. The Christians have set this agenda – they want to maintain their ‘ancient’ right to discriminate against gay people.

They also want to get their hands on as many impressionable and vulnerable young people as they can to pervert them with their corrupt ideologies.

When they renounce their discrimination and stop indoctinating our young with their hurtful oppression we can all be friends again. Simple."

If you know me, you're probably aware that I'm a gay christian. The full deal is gay christian, pro-choice up to a point (if it's started kicking and responding to your voice, then I think that that point has been reached), pro-science, believe in intelligent (and sometimes unintelligent) design, and think that God has very little impact on my daily life. My relationship with God is a little bit like the one I have with my brother - he's just there, and I don't neccessarily like him all the time, but he's still there.

The comment I opened with, directed at me, by the way, was hurtful enough as it was. What made it worse was the fact that it was a reply to me saying, in reply to someone else, that some liberal christians don't feel that they can stand up for gay rights because they feel like they're not welcome. My actual quote was:

"We’re doing what we can, and you’ll probably find christians in the counter protests, but there’s a horrible wave within the gay rights movement that thinks that gay rights have to be gained at the expense of religious rights; I don’t just mean in the B&B and fostering cases, either, but from people who think that christians shouldn’t be allowed to foster children full stop, even if they’re the most tolerant, brilliant parents in the world. It can be quite threatening at times."

And the reply I got was "christians are just determined to discriminate and to bring children up to do the same".

So why don't liberal christians speak up more often? Would you speak up for someone else's rights if they thought that they could only get their rights at the expense of yours, and you knew they were going to give you verbal abuse for being you?

And yet some do, because that's what christianity is, at the end of the day. There's churches doing their best to welcome gay people in (which is hard, because they don't want to come), there's christians showing up to gay pride marches to apologise for the batshit parts of our faith family and to add their support, there's christians working in shelters and as counsellors, as MPs voting in support of gay rights amendments, and as foster parents who give their full support to gay children.

But they don't count, of course, because they believe in the "sky pixie" and so their actions and views are invalidated.

So if you think that I'm worth less because I'm a christian, in the words of Woopie Goldberg as Sister Mary Clarence, "bless you".

Comments

[sariagray.livejournal.com]

I've known many Christians; some are good and some are bad.

I've known many gay individuals; some are good and some are bad.

I've known many people; some are good and some are bad.

I think people tend to categorize and make strange leaps in stereotypes, so yes, I agree with you! And you're right; somehow this seems to have turned from equal rights to gay rights. I thought equality was the point, always. Where I am the fight for marriage equality fight was fought with clergy of many denominations by our side. The same can be said for the transgender battles. But it's been years since I've been involved and it seems as though things are shifting the world over.

Personally, I was raised without restraint when it came to religion. My parents gave me a broad overview of many doctrines and said "Pick one, or don't, but research before you do!" I've dabbled in religious practices and ultimately determined that I'm spiritual. The same thing sort of happened with my sexuality (although my parents didn't say "Pick one, or don't, but research before you do!" when it came to that...).

I know this seems like a bit of an off-topic rant, but essentially, the idea I'm trying (perhaps unsuccessfully) to convey is that I come from an interesting perspective with this. I truly, fully, completely love people and I get so frustrated that others can't just love the complete diversity of the human race. *Sigh*

My coworker is extremely Christian and I admit that people with her fervor initially terrified me. I basically grew up without religion and had grown a bit defensive to the criticism I received for it. I had been in a long-term relationship with a woman at the time, and was only out to one or two of my coworkers then (mostly because I just didn't really talk to them ever at the time). Essentially, she found out and, although she said some things about sin and whatnot, she ultimately accepted me and we're very good friends now. I completely respect her faith, as it gives her hope and guides her to be a good person. And (I think) she completely respects my spirituality and lack of dogma for the exact same reasons.

I think what I'm trying to say (and I'm, pardon the pun, preaching to the choir, I know) is that we're all here and we're all trying to make it and some of us strive to be 'good' and others do not, regardless of sexuality, creed, race, ethnicity, gender, level of education, hair color, or shoe size.

And WOW that was a long, ranty comment. Sorry, love. :-/

*Hugs you tight* I think you're a good person, though, and really that's what matters. Other people see in black and white. Don't pay attention them, because they miss everything in between.

[fiwen1010.livejournal.com]

*Hugs a lot* Long and ranty is fine, it's what LJ's for :)

I don't know why people are so willing to lump people into one homogenous group whilst trying to fight their way out of one themselves. It's something that always tickles me about 'the gay community', actually, because some are sparkly and warm and giving like Barrowman and some are utter twazzocks like the one who made that comment to me, some are kinky as hell and some as vanilla as vanilla ice cream, some are cat people and some probably kick kittens. Just like 'christians' range from Mother Theresa to Fred Phelps, via a lot of people who care to a greater or lesser degree and just want to be allowed to believe what they believe in peace.