I can remember my first bicycle. I was probably less than five, but what I remember most is that the first time I tried to tame it, it technically wasn't mine. In fact, it belonged to someone else entirely and we were just visiting their house. But it looked like a dirt bike (with training wheels) and I just couldn't resist maneuvering my body in an attempt to straddle it. Sometime later the family that owned my dream bike, decided to give it to us. I loved that bright orange bike for a whole .... month! (maybe two) before I was bored and ready to move on.
This happens all the time, and not just to kids either. Every time I've salivated at the possibility of owning a new car or moving to a new house, or getting some new furniture, I end up like this.
At the time, in the moment, it was ALL that I needed to be complete, but before I can even find a new thing to desire, it's already become mundane .
What is it about us? (because I highly doubt that I'm the only one)
What tempts us towards boredom and dullness after we have attained the very thing that we always wanted?
Is it just a problem with Americans?
Or is all humanity just gluttonous from the start?
Is to be human to be discontented?
When the new wears off, we discard and move on.
I've stopped going to self-help meetings and support groups for now. I guess you could say that the new has worn off for me. I just don't feel the urgency or the desire to explore my inner workings anymore, at least in that area. I've accepted the fact that I am no different than the rest of the gay community in my attraction towards other women, but that I have made a choice. A choice, not to try and flush those desires out of me entirely, but a choice to follow God on faith and His teachings.
The Bible does not say that I should not feel anything when I see a beautiful woman. The "don'ts" about this subject are fairly clear. Don't "lie" with her. Of course, the word "lie" implies sex, but "sex" itself is open to personal interpretation now days. I would side with prudence on this one though, just to be cautious. This is not just the afterlife I'm talking about, when it comes to sin it's much more immediate than that. Sin separates us from God. Just like an affair, it destroys our relationship with Him. I believe caution would be well advised.
My gay friend Patty seems to believe that caution is for traditionalists, those who seek to oppress others based on what they've been taught by others.
If I were to sum up the core beliefs of our gay Christian friends, I would say that...
Ok, here it is.
This happens all the time, and not just to kids either. Every time I've salivated at the possibility of owning a new car or moving to a new house, or getting some new furniture, I end up like this.
At the time, in the moment, it was ALL that I needed to be complete, but before I can even find a new thing to desire, it's already become mundane .
What is it about us? (because I highly doubt that I'm the only one)
What tempts us towards boredom and dullness after we have attained the very thing that we always wanted?
Is it just a problem with Americans?
Or is all humanity just gluttonous from the start?
Is to be human to be discontented?
When the new wears off, we discard and move on.
I've stopped going to self-help meetings and support groups for now. I guess you could say that the new has worn off for me. I just don't feel the urgency or the desire to explore my inner workings anymore, at least in that area. I've accepted the fact that I am no different than the rest of the gay community in my attraction towards other women, but that I have made a choice. A choice, not to try and flush those desires out of me entirely, but a choice to follow God on faith and His teachings.
The Bible does not say that I should not feel anything when I see a beautiful woman. The "don'ts" about this subject are fairly clear. Don't "lie" with her. Of course, the word "lie" implies sex, but "sex" itself is open to personal interpretation now days. I would side with prudence on this one though, just to be cautious. This is not just the afterlife I'm talking about, when it comes to sin it's much more immediate than that. Sin separates us from God. Just like an affair, it destroys our relationship with Him. I believe caution would be well advised.
My gay friend Patty seems to believe that caution is for traditionalists, those who seek to oppress others based on what they've been taught by others.
If I were to sum up the core beliefs of our gay Christian friends, I would say that...
- They want to be saved (just like other Christians).
- They like the example of Jesus, what He stands for, and refer to Him and the gospels more than any other part of the Bible.
- They believe that God is not defined by gender and neither are we.
- They believe that the homosexual acts as spoken of in the Old Testament, were more about the rape and violence, and that love for one another was not involved at all. So these verses do not apply to their circumstances.
- They don't just question the apostle Paul's written word, but many have offered up doubt about his integrity.
- They redefine "inspiration of scripture" as meaning simply that the person writing had a heart that wanted to serve the Lord. So in reality their word is no different than our own opinion.
- Love and acceptance of others, just the way they are, is the most important thing to them.
- They think other Christians who believe the "old way" only believe that because they were taught this way stemming from tradition, ignorance, or hate. Proper re-education is what they see as turning this into a non-issue inside the church.
- Scientific explanations through observation of nature (animals, plants, human behavior) have just as much or more collateral than the Bible itself. Because divine inspiration is not what it was thought to be, science can help us come to a better interpretation of scripture.
- They believe that God would not create someone who is innately sinful. So a gay person who is condemned from the start would be a cruel joke, and God is not that cruel.
- Being gay is not just an action to them. It is their defining factor, and to take it away or to say, "It is sinful.", is like calling them "sin", itself.
- The fight for the expression of their love, is a very real battle that they face everyday. They take it as a personal attack and their ears only hear hate when spoken to about a conflicting word from scripture.
- They see Christians who disapprove of their beliefs as hypocritical and unloving, therefore they must not be very good followers of Jesus.
I know that there is SO much more to be said about this. In fact, I probably did not adequately represent every belief that is out there right now (there are so many), however, I do know that the most ironic detail is that when looking for answers to any questions that may arise within them, They are only open to listen to others like themselves. The rest of us are just ignorant or intolerant.
They are the enlightened.
Ok, here it is.
I'm not against someone who calls themselves "gay" becoming a Christian or falling in love with Jesus. I think it's encouraging to see this gigantic gap being filled in by the church. I just become concerned by the obvious red flags that emerge while interpreting the Bible with agenda to prove then settling with, "God's-inspired" is not all that it's cracked up to be.
When I first started writing this blog, I had a much different point of view about all this. I was enraged by my friend's pursuit to "enlighten" so many others of her newly discovered truth. I felt like it was my duty, my calling, to put a stop to her re-education and evangelism. And sadly, many of my conversations with Patty and her friends over the Internet became all about me trying to show her the facts. As time went by, I realized this anger and frustration with all arguing about who is right and who is wrong, is not what God has called any one of us to do.
This might sound like I'm giving up, or becoming more liberal and less conservative in my thinking.
I think, I'm getting wiser.
I think that the heat of the fight or the anticipation of playing a key role for a seemingly HUGE cause has started to cool down a bit. The result, I can now step back and see things more clearly.
I see the church fighting against homosexual this and gay rights that. I hear about it all the time on the Christian radio stations. It's no big mystery that it's a hot issue in our world right now. And I'm not going to preach, "Love the sinner, but hate the sin." either. But something I came to see finally, is the world is not going to end with homosexuality.
We don't need to act as if they are "the plague" invading our towns, our schools, our families. We are all sinners. Being angry at someone never made them want to listen. Quoting scripture at them to prove them wrong, will not tear down the walls they've built inside
I understand the panic, feeling like they are trying to change our nation, or take our freedom away. But shoving back will only be their ammunition. I believe that God has shown us there is a better way.
The new has worn off for me, but I've not forgotten what has brought me this far as a Christian:
my humility, and His love.
This might sound like I'm giving up, or becoming more liberal and less conservative in my thinking.
I think, I'm getting wiser.
I think that the heat of the fight or the anticipation of playing a key role for a seemingly HUGE cause has started to cool down a bit. The result, I can now step back and see things more clearly.
I see the church fighting against homosexual this and gay rights that. I hear about it all the time on the Christian radio stations. It's no big mystery that it's a hot issue in our world right now. And I'm not going to preach, "Love the sinner, but hate the sin." either. But something I came to see finally, is the world is not going to end with homosexuality.
We don't need to act as if they are "the plague" invading our towns, our schools, our families. We are all sinners. Being angry at someone never made them want to listen. Quoting scripture at them to prove them wrong, will not tear down the walls they've built inside
I understand the panic, feeling like they are trying to change our nation, or take our freedom away. But shoving back will only be their ammunition. I believe that God has shown us there is a better way.
The new has worn off for me, but I've not forgotten what has brought me this far as a Christian:
my humility, and His love.
