So dear readers; I have a feeling that I am not going to be fairing quite so well in a few days. This week at USGA we are having a panel discussing the wide range of spiritual steps and journeys in terms of being an LGBT individual.
Now incase you somehow didn’t know; religious people are generally hated by gays and that sadly that means that religious gays are far and few in-between. Funny how a group that tries to teach to everyone to accept and love them as a minority would then go and attack a minority within their own culture… hypocrites.
Well I am going to be on the panel which I am very very excited about because I feel like I have a very unique viewpoint on spirituality and mormonism; I am active and a proud member of the Church with a strong testimony. There will be a few people who aren’t members anymore but still consider themselves mormon all the way to an ex-mormon who is now an atheist.
I feel an attack might be coming. Not a physical attack, but, I honestly think others won’t like what I have to say unless they are in the same boat as me. My biggest worry is that others will think that I am judging them or looking down on them. I am going to be very careful to make sure that this doesn’t happen; I just have very strong personal convictions and I want others with those same morals to know that they aren’t alone.
I don’t want people to get offended and end up loosing friends over this panel. Oh and I don’t want to have to get into a huge argument or debate with the atheist; it is not worth my time trying to convince someone who wouldn’t be willing to listen…
Are you LGBT and religious or am I the only one?
Nathan, I'm bi and religious! In fact, my testimony of the LDS church has been the single thing that helped me the most to love myself and come to peace with the feelings and experiences that I have. It's interesting to me that many people in the LGBT community identify themselves by their sexuality: it defines who they are. While being bi is certainly a very strong part of my perspective, being LDS will always be my identity, because I truly believe that I am a daughter of God. I love and accept those who do not believe in the church or in religion in general, but--like you--I would love to feel more accepted by them. I generally feel that they judge me more than I judge them. And I think they often assume that I'm thinking such-and-such when I really have no hard feelings against them, period. But I admire you for representing our perspective, and--really--you aren't alone. Thanks for helping me know that I'm not either.
ReplyDeleteNathan,
ReplyDeleteI posted on your other blog, but I wanted to give a longer post here. I am gay and I am Mormon. I don't think that is the contradiction that it used to be. I also am finding my spiritual path to remain faithful and stay in the church spiritually. I say spiritually because one day I may be excommunicated for marrying a husband, but if that happens I want to remain spiritually involved in the church by going to Sunday meetings, socials, etc. And being the most compassionate and Christlike person I can be. Actions speak louder than words, and I hope my actions will demonstrate that you can be a good gay Mormon.
Yes I am gay I am religious.
I want to be honest here, right now I'm kind of half and half. I was baptized as a convert during high school and discovered I was a pansexual during college. I think the only reason I go to Church now is because I go to BYU and have to. And I want to graduate as soon as possible so I can leave Utah. But... I believe the Church is the true Church. I believe everything they have told me. I just don't know how to make me fit with Them. Does that make any sense? O.o
ReplyDeleteI don't think most gay people hate people who are religious, I think they hate religion. And lets be honest, many of them have really good reasons. How would you feel about your religion if it strapped you to a table and practiced electroshock therapy while making you watch straight porn? What I'm saying is, even though it still has a long ways to go, today's religion is a lot more tolerant than the religion that many people had to grow up in. I think Kurt Hummel sums it up best with two quotes:
ReplyDelete"God’s kind of a jerk, isn’t he? Well he makes me gay and then has his followers going around telling me it’s something that I chose. As if someone would choose to be mocked every single day of their life."
"Sorry, but if I wanted to pay tribute to Jesus I would go to church. And the reason I don’t go to church is because most churches don’t think very much of gay people…or women…or science."
I find it sad that you're assuming the atheist is going to be offensive or offended. Just because someone doesn't have some kind of "God" or christian religion doesn't mean that they hate any person who does believe in god or jesus.
ReplyDelete@El Genio, I agree. :) And I like your quotes.