Building Bridges and Breaking Down Walls using stories about...
Abuse, Bullying, Love Lost, Love Found, Obsession, Rejection, Renewal of Spirit, and MORE!!
Here I will confess my innermost secrets about my past and present.
(Updated monthly)
Annoymous comments are always WELCOMED.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Gay/Bi/Lesbian or Straight - I was born this way
I handed my MP3 player off to my husband, and forgot that he had it when I drove away. So I was, in turn, "forced" to listen to the Top 40 over the radio on the way home. This song by Lady Gaga was number 15 this week. Your thoughts?
From a Christian perspective, I can't agree with this. We were born into a sinful world. The bible doesn't say we ARE perfect as we are, it says we are BEING MADE perfect. There's a difference. One is static, one is active. The logic here is faulty...if we are what we are and there is no need or room for improvement, then, well, that's a pretty crappy perfection. Because if we are perfect, then it follows that the world is perfect. And I don't think I want any part of that perfection. To me, amidst all the dirt and sadness and despair in this world, the hope for better things, the hope that I can become something better than what I currently am is what makes me want to keep going, to keep striving. On one hand I get what she's saying, but I don't think it's good in a lot of ways. I don't think we should be satisfied with where we are ever. Because if we stop reaching and growing, well, then we die. Stagnant water is not pretty, even if it's happy to be stagnant. As to the sexuality issue, I'm kinda surprised this has become accepted as it has...maybe my cynical side isn't surprised, but my factual side is. I remember a number of years ago, this big assertion that there was a "gay" gene. They looked and looked, and then the news broke that no, they could not actually say that there was a gene that made some gay and some straight. The best that they could say is that some people are more likely than others to become gay, but there are no guarantees either way. I remember it seeming like there was quite a bit of embarrassment about it, and it got a lot of attention for a short amount of time, and then nobody really wanted to talk about it because it was awkward and might actually help confirm the idea that some hold that being gay is to an extent by choice. And then there was nothing about it either way, for a long time. It seems though, that somehow in the last few years it's suddenly become accepted that "you are born this way". I've not seen any medical or gene studies that prove this, it feels almost like a bunch of folks decided that they didn't really care, they felt like they were born this way, so that's just the way it is. For what it's worth, so far, every one of my friends who has come out as homosexual, I've eventually found out that they were abused in some way in their past. I think that's significant. And I think that the attitude of "born this way" does a disservice to those who have chosen that life as a reaction to something in their past. Because, by validating something that is perhaps a symptom, by saying it's normal and healthy, then that means there's no reason to look for a wound. After all, if there are no symptoms, who looks for an injury? Whatever sexual choice people make, I think they need a chance to heal from abuse. And never getting that is sad.
Most of my friends are gay/lesbian (being a theatre major and moving to a larger metropolitan city, I was blessed with many LGBT pals) Many of them grew up in loving, supportive, non-abusive homes. They had parents who loved them and accepted them for who they are. They went to church and still do. Many Christan churches are supportive and welcoming of the gay and lesbian community. For instance, "reconciling Methodists" and many Episcopal churches are now asking forgiveness of the LGBT community for the church's past judgments and condemnamtions. I believe that is more "Christ-like" than most Christans I know. If the love is honest, pure and sincere.. between two consenting adults... than it is not wrong.
i kinda think the song is cheesy, though :) too 'poppy' for my taste.
From a Christian perspective, I can't agree with this. We were born into a sinful world. The bible doesn't say we ARE perfect as we are, it says we are BEING MADE perfect. There's a difference. One is static, one is active. The logic here is faulty...if we are what we are and there is no need or room for improvement, then, well, that's a pretty crappy perfection. Because if we are perfect, then it follows that the world is perfect. And I don't think I want any part of that perfection. To me, amidst all the dirt and sadness and despair in this world, the hope for better things, the hope that I can become something better than what I currently am is what makes me want to keep going, to keep striving. On one hand I get what she's saying, but I don't think it's good in a lot of ways. I don't think we should be satisfied with where we are ever. Because if we stop reaching and growing, well, then we die. Stagnant water is not pretty, even if it's happy to be stagnant.
ReplyDeleteAs to the sexuality issue, I'm kinda surprised this has become accepted as it has...maybe my cynical side isn't surprised, but my factual side is. I remember a number of years ago, this big assertion that there was a "gay" gene. They looked and looked, and then the news broke that no, they could not actually say that there was a gene that made some gay and some straight. The best that they could say is that some people are more likely than others to become gay, but there are no guarantees either way. I remember it seeming like there was quite a bit of embarrassment about it, and it got a lot of attention for a short amount of time, and then nobody really wanted to talk about it because it was awkward and might actually help confirm the idea that some hold that being gay is to an extent by choice. And then there was nothing about it either way, for a long time. It seems though, that somehow in the last few years it's suddenly become accepted that "you are born this way". I've not seen any medical or gene studies that prove this, it feels almost like a bunch of folks decided that they didn't really care, they felt like they were born this way, so that's just the way it is.
For what it's worth, so far, every one of my friends who has come out as homosexual, I've eventually found out that they were abused in some way in their past. I think that's significant. And I think that the attitude of "born this way" does a disservice to those who have chosen that life as a reaction to something in their past. Because, by validating something that is perhaps a symptom, by saying it's normal and healthy, then that means there's no reason to look for a wound. After all, if there are no symptoms, who looks for an injury? Whatever sexual choice people make, I think they need a chance to heal from abuse. And never getting that is sad.
Most of my friends are gay/lesbian (being a theatre major and moving to a larger metropolitan city, I was blessed with many LGBT pals) Many of them grew up in loving, supportive, non-abusive homes. They had parents who loved them and accepted them for who they are. They went to church and still do. Many Christan churches are supportive and welcoming of the gay and lesbian community. For instance, "reconciling Methodists" and many Episcopal churches are now asking forgiveness of the LGBT community for the church's past judgments and condemnamtions. I believe that is more "Christ-like" than most Christans I know. If the love is honest, pure and sincere.. between two consenting adults... than it is not wrong.
ReplyDeletei kinda think the song is cheesy, though :) too 'poppy' for my taste.