homosexuality and your religion?

[lietchi]

Well, I was wondering what religions/beliefs you guys had... Also, is/was there a conflict between your sexual orientation and your belief/religion?
Christianity is the example that is closest to me. Most Christians where I am don't see homosexuality as a sin, so gay Christians usually don't experience an internal conflict between their sexuality and their religion. This isn't the case everywhere obviously...
I'd love to hear about other religions than christianity, don't know as much about that...

[SelfControl]

Officially I'm a Catholic, but I've never gone so far as to attend a confessional or anything, so I don't see what right I'd have claiming it. I'm basically agnostic.

[lietchi]

Yeah, I'm "formally" a catholic too (baptised and both Communions) but it was out of tradition, not belief...
Hard to describe what I believe... I believe there is a "superior force" but not some conscious being watching us, with specific rules which we should follow etc.

Anyone else?

[SelfControl]

Oh, I wasn't baptised. I swear that's where it all started going wrong.

As for God/whatever, I dunno, there probably is some superior force to mankind, but whatever it is it doesn't seem to do much so I figure leave it to it.

[henry101]

CofE

Basically, I just keep my beliefs to myself. That's the great thing about protestantism, you can hold whatever views you want and no one has to know. I have to be hard pressed to reveal what I think about god and all that.

Frankly though I do believe that protestant-based societies are the most gay friendly. Atheist movements tend to have the worst record when it comes to respect for gays. Atheism makes it easier to justify eugenics, which can lead to the killing of gays (WWII saw the wholesale slaughter of jews, gays, gypsies, etc, in fascist atheist dictatorships). And more recently you have people like Erasmus suggesting that homosexuals should be aborted, which is just as wrong.

Islam is also very bad when it comes to respecting homosexuals. But that's a topic for another time.

[Green]

Well, I was wondering what religions/beliefs you guys had... Also, is/was there a conflict between your sexual orientation and your belief/religion?
Christianity is the example that is closest to me. Most Christians where I am don't see homosexuality as a sin, so gay Christians usually don't experience an internal conflict between their sexuality and their religion. This isn't the case everywhere obviously...
I'd love to hear about other religions than christianity, don't know as much about that...
I am agnostic. Suprisingly my beliefs have never had an issue with my sexual orientation (or lack thereof) or vice versa. I'm being sarcastic.... I'm tired.

Anyways I'm agnostic.

[Night_Owl49]

I don't believe in any organized religion at all. It gets to the point where business takes over. Not to mention that most of the ideas are bullshit to me.

I just like to think there's something out there. Definitely not a "God", persay...meh. I really don't know.

[SageDreamer]

I don't fit in any of these categories. Neo-pagans don't ordinarily feel any sort of conflict between their (our) beliefs and sexual orientation.

[mushie18]

i'm not religious.


Right now I don't believe in a god. But you never know...

[GanjaPrince]

I am a student of all religions, but could generally be labeled as a mystic... I am aware of the one consciousness, which could be called god, it is everywhere, beyond time space, and in all of time space. One of my teachers Ram Dass is bisexual and leans more towards the homosexaul side... I am very far leaning to the hetrosexual side, but acknowledge that I do have unconcious homoerotic things that rarely come up. So I guess technically I could be considered a bisexual... but I usually refer to my self as a hetrosexaul since I prefer and am oriented toward women sexually. I am interested in homosexual issues, and like to fight for gay rights in my own silly ways.

As far as the mystical view of homosexuality... I would generally say mystical teachings point towards sex as a cosmic joke, sex is part of the illussion... the point of it is not whether you do it or not do it... but whether you are attached to it. Thus there are to mystical ways to deal with sex reguardless of your orientation, celibacy or tantra. And a homosexual person could do either... there is nothing in the teachings of tantra that prohibit homosexaulity, but most of the tantric teachings deal with male/female sex (there are some exceptions). Yet this doesn't mean they couldn't be applied to homosexual sex.

mysticism is aimed at getting beyond it. Not if homsexuals are alright or not.

[lietchi]

Since you mention mysticism... For my thesis (to graduate from university) I studied a novel very heavily influenced by catholic mysticism (Theresa of Avila etc). The ironic thing was: in getting "beyond" sex and becoming one with God, the vocabulary was extremely sexually oriented. Describing becoming one with God is impossible to express in words, but sexual vocabulary apparently is one of the ways to get the closest to expressing it...

[Ballad f Dwight Fry]

you must be kidding!.

[lietchi]

you must be kidding! Why?

[SelfControl]

I don't fit in any of these categories.


Not even "Other"?

[SelfControl]

Since you mention mysticism... For my thesis (to graduate from university) I studied a novel very heavily influenced by catholic mysticism (Theresa of Avila etc). The ironic thing was: in getting "beyond" sex and becoming one with God, the vocabulary was extremely sexually oriented. Describing becoming one with God is impossible to express in words, but sexual vocabulary apparently is one of the ways to get the closest to expressing it...
Well yeah, I mean, they call nuns "Brides of Christ", after all.

[TreeFiddy]

I really can't say I fit in a specific one of these, the only word for my beliefs is pantheism. I can't devote to any belief to much or I'll ruin it for myself. But I would never be part of a religion that looks down upon any sexuality.

[Closet Kid]

I'm christian and my parents don't think being gay is a sin but they are homaphobic

[lietchi]

What does it matter if I have read the bible? I'm not a christian. But the christians around me don't think homosexuality is a sin. That is THEIR interpretation of christianity.

[lietchi]

double post

[Baja 1000]

Christianity allowing gays? What has the world come to. It is one the of the most banned things in the olden times, talked about alot in the bible, you have to pick one or do both and lose christianity, have you ever read the bible?The rumor is that although sex was forbidden in Buddhist monastic code, he “interpreted this” as only pertaining to "heterosexual love" not intended to forbid getting it on with cute, baby soft, shaved, oiled up, impressionable young "grasshoppers".
And the reasoning the samurai used to explain why they didn't like having sex with women were no different than the reasoning for the Nazi or for the Greeks.
In a nutshell their argument was this, women have no use except for birthing children, they make for shitty partners in combat because they can’t fight.
In the ranks of the samurai, taking on young male lovers was the thing to do. Although at 18 the relationships were ususally ended for the most part because at that time, it was believed that the boy had become a man at 18 and was old enough to take on his own young piece of man ass. But to me that sounds kinda like, by 18 these ass kicking pedophiles don’t have interest in you anymore because now they want to get themselves some new young man ass.

[Baja 1000]

.

[jehryn]

I'm Wicca and dont feel any conflict between my religion and my sexuality

[Arrows Next Life]

I'm an ancient Egyptian spiritualist who incorporates whatever else I want into my spirituality. Nobody in my religion (the particular denomination I hang with, anyway) cares.

[BuffFilmBuff]

Not all people confine their beliefs and practices to any one of these categories. I picked "Christian" but my beliefs go beyond that. I don't think all Christians or all Buddhists or all anybody else agrees on everything. Labels are for clothes!

[lietchi]

Not all people confine their beliefs and practices to any one of these categories. I picked "Christian" but my beliefs go beyond that. I don't think all Christians or all Buddhists or all anybody else agrees on everything. Labels are for clothes!Which is why there is a category for "other". And I mentioned these labels because a lot of people actually use them...

[txbarefooter]

I was brought up in this cult, a really evil ,nasty, homophobic, shit for brains fucked up dirt bags, anti-everything not church of christ. can you tell I hate this group. as a result of this brainwashing .. since my late teens, I don't believe in god anymore.

therefore, my being gay and my anti-religon are not in conflict.

[lutsko67]

Catholice here!! 12 Yrs. of Catholic School teachings, bein baptised, catechism Classes, 1 st communion, then communion every sun. Sats. spent in confession! Damn short skirts, knee highs, white dress shirts and those damn ties we had 2 wear!! Sheeshe.!! All those girls!! And they wonder why I m a lesbian? lol!! Who d of thought!! Lol!!
peace n love 2 all, Kat
Ps.
By the way bein catholic and bein a lez is not good in my family. my sis, barely talks 2 me unless it s a emergency, my mom prefers 2 say my lady friend in referrin 2 my g/f. my brothers(3) all think Im sick. But hell, U know what they say? U can pick ur friends, but u can t pick ur family!!
By the way, my sis is 37, my bros. r 28,24, n 22. all adults w/narrow minds.

[MSman]

Christianity allowing gays? What has the world come to. It is one the of the most banned things in the olden times, talked about alot in the bible, you have to pick one or do both and lose christianity, have you ever read the bible?Yea I have. There is one verse that says not for a man to sleep with another man, unless his wife is pregnant. Soddom and Gomorahs fate wasnt homosexuality, It was rape and sexual imorality (Homosexuality may have been one of these). David and Johnathan were in all likelyhood gay lovers. Homosexuality is mentioned only 1 more time in the bible and is mentioned by Paul. He mentions 23 different sins of people who will not inherent the kingdom of God (mentions liars, Glutoners, rapists, adulters, the judgemental *cough, cough*(excuse me), Drnkards) and one of them is homosexual offenders. But usually when people like u quote that verse, u usually dont like to say the quote after that, "But rejoice, for you have been redeemed in the eyes of our Lord Jesus Christ." Don't debate with me in the bible cause i know my stuff.

[MSman]

and TXBarefooter, Church of Christ are judgemental bigots who have worse skelotons in their closet than your own. If they chased you away, give religon a 2nd chance and go to a more liberal church.

[ArmOutsideIn]

I was born and raised Catholic. Baptized, first communion, first reconciliation, 8 years of catechism classes, confirmation, and I attend church every Sunday. Growing up one of my biggest fears was that I would be a lesbian because then God wouldn't love me and my family would disown me. My father actually had a talk with me when I was around 10 yeards old, about how that's not "right" or "natural", how people aren't born that way, they must have learned it from somewhere. Something my grandfather wrote about the sin of homosexuality for the Catholic Messenger (a crazy catholic newspaper we get every week). My brother is homophobic. My sisters are disgusted by it.
So, yea, there's been conflict. About a years worth of conflict. But I think I'm starting to leave all of that crap behind and I just want to be who I am, and be okay with it. I still believe in God, but I don't believe that he's not going to love me because I do a girl just as soon as I would a guy.

[twiztidrainbow]

Atheist

[CrazybutLazy]

I am currently Agnostic. I blindly followed my ignorant Christian church untill the age of 12, at which age I began questioning my religion. I did some soul-searching and I finally realized that my logical mind simply doesn't allow me to believe either way since niether way has been proven. About 3/4 of the way through my soul-searching I began questioning my sexuality, so as you can imagine, that changed everything.

[ruralblues]

Crazy thing of religion.. My Father is of the Apache Nation and is more of a metahphysics and my Mother was raised Catholic but turned to being a Jehovah's Witness. Growing up with all that I know I have combined all three teachings into one that makes it very unique, at least to me that is.
It doesn't matter to me what is in a name, but as long as the faith is alive, I know I will be just fine..

[Sunburst]

I was raised Catholic, but got sick of the "everyone is a sinner, feel bad, shame shame shame!" of it. I still believe in and love God, though now I draw from lots of different religions and am more spiritual than anything :)

[SR21]

Atheist. And I knew I was an atheist before I knew I was gay.

[rain_in_summer]

No problems here... Was raised in a liberal protestant family and although not everybody is happy with my sexuality (none of their business anyway), it's not religious reasoning, apart from my conservative grandparents.
I consider myself something along the lines of UU pagan and there's no problem with being gay.

PS: Sunburst! Haven't seen you posting here for ages! Good to see you! :)

[lunarlight555]

I acknowledge myself as a eclectic Wiccan (solitary practicioner.) I suppose the proper term though would be neopagan since I am not part of a coven.

[Samhain]

I acknowledge myself as a eclectic Wiccan (solitary practicioner.) I suppose the proper term though would be neopagan since I am not part of a coven.
I am a Witch but not wiccan, I have said before on this thread that I find it annoying pagan was left off, espiecally on a hippy forum
S

[GuruLite]

I'm a Unitarian. There aren't a lot of us and we don't particularly have a co-joining belief system in regards to sexuality, so I'd say those two topics are kept separate. I tend to find sex to be a religious experience however.

[knotdirty]

I'm nondenominational...I love and believe in God, but his fan club can be downright blind sometimes.

My God doesn't hate anybody...especially not for expanding their love outside of accepted boundaries. Love is good.

So my religion is love. :)

[Loveminx]

I believe in "do what feels good."
My religion, Hedonism.

[Setanta]

Was brought up a catholic, but no longer practice

A friend of mine showed me a book her daughter got from school on sex education and religion... apparently God hates gay people and their sinning, and wishes they would give up their hateful ways... sheesh... I thought that god was all about love