| A guy I know once stood up in youth group and started talking about how he and a few of the guys were at a local college that day, and they saw a bunch of gay pride posters and newsletters, which they burned. I didn't finish listening to their story cuz Jess and I walked out. We had this long, heated conversation about the double-sidedness of Christianity. They preach God's word, saying that you must love your brother and everything... and then they hate people for the lifestyle they choose and the way they are. The guy tried to explain that he doesn't hate gay people, he just thinks that what they do is wrong. I couldn't talk cause I was crying too hard, but Jess spoke for us both when she told him that you can't say that you don't hate someone when you think that what they do is wrong. What you do is part of who you are... especially when it comes to your sexuality. If someone hates what you do, they are hating who you are. You are who you are, so they are hating you. If you hate homosexuality, you hate homosexuals. If they're gonna take the Bible so exactly, then they shouldn't use Christmas trees, which are 'pagan'. If they're gonna preach against gay people, then they shouldn't get tattoos, which is 'mutilating' your body. They can't argue that sex is just about procreation, when I know that a married couple with 2 children has to have had sex more than twice. The Bible is thousands of years old... can't God change in that space of time? Maybe he did say that homosexuality was wrong back then... but until the Son of God returns and tells me he still thinks it's wrong, I'm gonna believe otherwise. If someone has a radically different political view from you, but does not force you to convert, do you hate them? I realise that that's comparing molehills to mountains, but can you not simply disagree with the sexual preferences of homosexuals, and leave out the hate? God is about love... but you can't love something you hate. That's not how things work. In hating anyone you are spitting in the face of God. That is one of the reasons that I believe in Christianity, but am not a conventional Christian. I believe in what rings true in my heart, and parts of every religion do so for me. I am a Christian, a Buddhist, a Muslim, a Jew, a Sihk, a Hindu... I am a believer of God. God is all around us... God is the ocean, God is the stars, God is your pet cat, the sound of laughter, the taste of chocolate cake. God has many aspects, many of which are represented in each religion. The Hindu's speak truth in their many Gods, for there are many Gods, all part of the one God. I believe in a god/higher power. Mine is the Christian God; mine is the Jewish God; mine is Allah; mine is Shiva, Kali, Lakshmi, Ganesha, and all the other Hindu gods; mine is the Sikh god; mine is the "pagan" powers; mine is the Celtic powers; mine is any and every higher power. My god is male; my god is female. My god is vengeful; my god is peaceful; my god is loving; accepting; guiding; wise; kind; and everything else. My god resides in heaven; my god is in every plant, flower, animal, mountain, and lake; my god is deep within each person. My god is eternal; my god lives only through our belief in him. While I do not believe in every aspect of every religion, I believe they are all valid. I also believe that each separate god is merely a different aspect of the same "One God". No matter if we practise Buddhism or Judaism, share our faith with everyone or keep it within ourselves, we are all right in our beliefs. We go to heaven/hell; we are reincarnated; we fade into oblivion; we become a strand of wind, a piece of leaf, a clod of dirt, a bird feather. God listens directly to our prayers; religious heads take our prayers to god; god is oblivious to our prayers. To make things easier, name almost any aspect of any religion and I will most likely agree that it is valid. I was baptised as a young girl; I go to youth group (Christian) but no formal worship. I pray when I feel the need. I feel awe, respect, and a sense of spirit in the wind, the rain, the sun, the sea, the clouds, the snow, the forest, the landscape, and nature in general. I watch the rain, the sea, the clouds, the snow, and see the face of god. I feel the wind, the rain, the snow, and feel the touch of god. I hear the wind, the rain, the sea, and hear the voice of god. My god is love, my god is beauty, my god is acceptance, and my god is gentleness, serenity, and kindness. |
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