Being gay and raised Christian sucks.

[snoopydog]

5000 years ago, people KNEW that the pharoah was god.

2500 years ago, people KNEW that zeus was god.

2000 years ago, people KNEW that jesus was god.

1500 years ago, people KNEW that allah was god.

70 years ago, people KNEW that the emperor of Japan was god.

30 years ago, people KNEW that jim jones was god.

16 years ago, people KNEW that david koresh was god.

Gods change like yesterday's news. Who will be the god of the next millenium? I can't find it in me to give a rat's ass about religion, or religious people, or a 'god' that hates me for who or what I am. God didn't make man in his image, man made god in man's image, and we've been trading gods for 7000 years. It's like the flavor of the millenium or something. Not happy with god number G0159783? Fine. Make model G0159784. Or G0159783b or what the fuck ever.

When mankind, as a whole, realizes that religion is the worst idea in the history of bad ideas, and drops religion like a bad habit, the world will be a better place.

 

[hothunk222]

Agreed. The first time I ever heard the word gay, or homosexual was at church... followed by how it's an abomination etc. It really screwed up my self-esteem...

 

[subobj]

Agreed. The first time I ever heard the word gay, or homosexual was at church... followed by how it's an abomination etc. It really screwed up my self-esteem...

Hate is hate, no matter how religion tries to sugarcoat it, and it should be called out such.

It's almost inevitable that being the target of hate -- whether that hate is directed physically and/or emotionally and/or spiritually -- will screw up one's self-esteem.

 

[MystikWizard]

I was hardcore raised Christain going to Church on the 7th day of every week with my grandmother since i was it least like 13 - 14. And I used to believe all of everything i was told at church, but i came across a movie one day called ( not spelld right ) Zietgist anyway it basicly explains how all religions came to be.


I don't know if its true but its good enough for me....... personaly after watching that movie i don't believe in god or hell or whatever because bible = astrological bull shit.
Thats just my input..

I was in the same situation. Raised Catholic and wound up Gay.

But Zeitgeist was the film that did it for me, as well. And now I am Agnostic.

As far as whether Zeitgeist is true ... I think some things in Part 1 are embellished. The same with Part 2. I don't think 9/11 is an Inside Job and have gone back and forth with that with people over the years, but my end conclusion was that it was not.

As far as Part 1 and the religion part, it still was an effective tool in getting me to "wake up" and realize that things may not necessarily be all they same in the world of Christianity.

 

[opinterph]

… But Zeitgeist was the film that did it for me, as well. And now I am Agnostic.

As far as whether Zeitgeist is true ... I think some things in Part 1 are embellished. The same with Part 2 …

I agree that parts are embellished, but it is a thought provoking presentation. (also rather loooong!)

For those who may be interested, you can watch Zeitgeist, the movie, online.

I see that the original version has been “remastered” [Feb ’08] and that the site now features an Addendum movie [Oct ’08].​

 

[LiquidSky]

So have I.

I finally realized that God made me gay; it wasn't my personal choice. I really hated myself for a long time because I was different, but convinced myself that it was a challenge that I had to rise to accept. I now take church not at face value, but for positive guidance in my life. I accept others and realize that we are all people that need help and support from one another. Never judge - it's not our job. Never look on a person's sins, but instead on their character.

I was raised Catholic and love the history and traditions of my church. Although I am an 'abomination' by the preachings of my spiritual leaders, I have to remind myself that it's humans that decide so much in my theology and not God Himself.

I know we all take different viewpoints on religious matters, but this is the best that I can offer and hope that you do well in your struggles with this aspect of your life.

Excellent post Diver!! In the past I've struggled with this as well and have come to the same conclusion/peace.

 

[hotatlboi]

Zeitgeist is based on a book (forget the name of it) and almost all of the first part about the various religions is untrue. Yes, there are a few similarities but nothing like what it claims.

But yes, I was also raised Christian until I began to seriously read the Bible and realized what a flawed text it was. Certainly not anything from a divine source.

 

[conrad]

Good people often are guilty of generalizations that simply do not hold up in real life. One gets the impression that the whole of Christianity is dead set against any accommodation with the great variety of sexual orientation in the world today. That simply is not true.

I grew up in what most people would call a very conservative Protestant traditional church and community. Yet, my wise parents were consistent in presenting the Christian faith--the good news of the Gospel of God in Jesus Christ- in it most all-encompassing beauty. Whatever I was, whatever I might become, did not really change the fact that no one is outside the mercy of God. And, in family conversations surrounding the events involving sex in our community they did foster a degree of tolerance which I continue to appreciate.

The obsession which some who call themselves Christians to paint those who differ from the supposed correct norm as being outside the reach of the grace of God, is something to be lamented and countered. No one has a corner on the truth and we all need to exercise a bit of humility before we cast judgments. To those who feel they are victims of such judgmental attitudes, I would suggest that each of us can avoid inflicting such stuff on our children.

In my home I never heard the many dos and don'ts my peers got from their parents. For instance, my dad was a decent fellow and I assumed I never heard the warnings of the "dangers of masturbation" simply because my father had himself discovered the joys of self pleasure when he was young and as a decent father he would not want to lay a guilt trip on his son when the son discovered the joys of a good wank for himself.

 

[grizza]

At one time I had a problem with being gay and raised Christian too, but not anymore. I sill believe that there is a god, but I don't believe everything in the bible. It contradicts itself and wasn't written by god, but by men. I am now at peace with myself because I learned to love myself. I know that may sound cheezy but I had to, or I wouldn't survive.

 

[LiquidSky]

Excellent post conrad!!

Giving grizza hugs!! I went though the same thing.

 

[AsianDream]

At one time I had a problem with being gay and raised Christian too, but not anymore. I sill believe that there is a god, but I don't believe everything in the bible. It contradicts itself and wasn't written by god, but by men. I am now at peace with myself because I learned to love myself. I know that may sound cheezy but I had to, or I wouldn't survive.

One way to accept the bible is to admit that most of it isn't true and shouldn't be interpreted literally - the difficulty of this is that you will start to doubt if any of it is true - then you might wonder if you are really immortal and will actually live on forever after you die

 

[conrad]

The more I read the posts on this subject the more I am convinced that what is needed is for those who encounter Christians who make them feel rejected is for them to cast their net much wider. There are millions of Christians who know better than to judge you on the basis of your sexual orientation. There are also millions of Christians who are ready to help you to appreciate that the gospel is good news for you wherever you may be on your life journey.

There are of course those who read their Bible in a nitpicking sort of way--they seem to delight in finding something in that great book which excludes some from enjoying fellowship, forgetting that the dominant message of Christianity is that Christ has done away with that which separates us from one another and from our God. Even in the earliest Christian preaching, and certainly in the teachings of Jesus there is a heavy emphasis on the importance of the forgiveness of sin since we all fall short of the commandment to love God with heart, soul, and mind, and none of us have good records with regard to our duty to love others as we love ourselves. (I can, and I'm very sure that others can think of sins which are more harmful to more people than the sin which comes into being by reason of the misuse of our God-given sexuality) The Good News is that no one is outside God's mercy. You are welcome just as you are and anyone who tells you otherwise is perverting the intentions of God as we Christians have come to understand them through the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Most Christians that I know do not suggest that everything in the Bible is to be taken as the very Word of God. When the Bible is read in my church the reader always prefaces the reading with: "Listen for the Word of God in...." and there are large portions of the Bible which are never read for the simple reason that no one today seriously suggests that there is even a hint of a message from our Creator in many parts of the Bible. We take the Bible seriously, but never literally.

If "being gay and raised Christian sucks" for you, I would suggest that you find some person who was raised Christian and is gay and is happy being both gay and Christian.

 

[thewiz]

I am gay and I am Christian; I am a practicing Catholic.

I went through the same guilt...a priest friend of mine calls it "Holy Guilt." I was studying for ordination as a permanent deacon at the time and he was my confessor (which is great because he is a friend and also cannot tell anyone a thing I said!)

I had tried everything to deny who and what I was; I had spent 20 years denying the fact I was gay even though I knew I was and it was how I was created.

It was when I came to embrace that God creates all things and, if I truly believe that God is a "good" God, then he does not make mistakes. He made me who and what I am and when I said the words, "I am gay" it was like a weight being lifted off my back.

Actually I had reached a point of despair and depression where the more I prayed and the more I studied, the more guilt I felt. I would go to my study in the basement and look at gay porn and jack off; I look back and laugh because it was as if I thought I could hide from Him there. Kind of destroys the concept of an all-knowing and all-present God!

When I could look at Him while at church and say that I am who I am (to use a quote from the Old Testament), that I felt closer than I had ever been. When I could be honest with me, I could be honest with Him. It was through three years of study of scriptures that I came to the realization that most Christians have no understanding that the Old (or First) Covenant was FULFILLED by the second. It was not replaced; if you want to live life under the first Covenant, then you are free to do so. However, it was a covenant that used dead sacrifices and actions by which to remain in covenant with God (aka Leviticus).

If you want a relationship in the New Covenant, then there was a simple command from Jesus: Love. Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. He did not add a bunch of caveats. And if I love God, He loves me....just as he created me.

It was coming to that comfort level that began a new spiritual dimension in me; something that was based on truth and not a lie. Too many Christians live their lives of lies; for me it was refreshing being totally and unhidden honest!

I will be praying for you on your journey....

 

[hotatlboi]

tell me about it. my dad is a pastor.

lol, same here.

 

[accorn]

This is something I have been struggling with all of my life (and still do) and quite honestly it is something that most gay christians will be having to deal with most of their life.

I was born and raised as a catholic but during high school through my own choice i decided to become an "evangelical" protestant. I had an attraction for both male and females but always figured that my attraction to males were largely attributed to youth angst. I fought it internally to a degree that it consumed me my last year of high school.

Because i had questioned the authenticity of what i thought were the hate mongers at church (i was always a liberal christian who believed in the concept of love rather than exclusion) I chose to study theology *not bible school* in college (much to the dismay of my parentals). Studying theology made me look at my faith in a different light. Understanding the historical context of christianity, the way the bible was translated and its interpretation lead me to believe that our religion has been so misguided to the degree that its become extremely hyprocritical. I remember my senior thesis being about the issue of homosexuality in the church and how a new theology was going to cause a division over this issue.

With that being said, all the education I have about christianity I still question myself. Is who I am created by God or was a product of my experiences?

I tried other religions, being an atheist and I crawl back to my faith...i struggle with it daily. But i always have to comfort myself with the fact that christianity has been misconstrued through historical dogma. Always be comforted by the fact that love is the center piece of our religion and we were created for a reason.

 

[EwanSF]

5000 years ago, people KNEW that the pharoah was god.

2500 years ago, people KNEW that zeus was god.

2000 years ago, people KNEW that jesus was god.

1500 years ago, people KNEW that allah was god.

70 years ago, people KNEW that the emperor of Japan was god.

30 years ago, people KNEW that jim jones was god.

16 years ago, people KNEW that david koresh was god.

Gods change like yesterday's news. Who will be the god of the next millenium? I can't find it in me to give a rat's ass about religion, or religious people, or a 'god' that hates me for who or what I am. God didn't make man in his image, man made god in man's image, and we've been trading gods for 7000 years. It's like the flavor of the millenium or something. Not happy with god number G0159783? Fine. Make model G0159784. Or G0159783b or what the fuck ever.

When mankind, as a whole, realizes that religion is the worst idea in the history of bad ideas, and drops religion like a bad habit, the world will be a better place.

Well said man. To the original poster, good to hear that you've abandoned this nonsense. Having an imaginary friend is not essential for happiness.

 

[cityboi]

I was raised Catholic and still have a sense of personal spirituality. Doesn't seem to me that you have to go to a formal church setting once a week to be "in" with God. Organized religion is out for me; spirituality is in.

 

[luver boy 16]

i know what you mean i am a closeted gay and i attend church alot sun. and wed. and they were showing this video of what its like being a priest and during the video all of these pictures start popping up then i realized they were sins one of the pictures that came up was that of two guy dolls on top of a wedding cake at that point i was really struggling to hold back the tears i felt so bad and tought about it for the rest of the day =(

 

[thewiz]

Luver boy 16..... I can empathize with you and your thoughts. Unfortunately most Catholics (actually most Christians) are ignorant of what is a "sin" and what isn't. Two guys...I guess that would demonstrate love for each other. Hmmm...last thing I knew Jesus said that there were really only two commands to remember -- love one another and love God with all your heart!

Being raised Catholic and actually ready for ordination led to a tough period of my life. Be honest with yourself; learn to love. My bet is on my God being pleased with love, loving, and sharing that love with others and not a bitter, angry person in life (like all too many priests I worked with).

 

[eddielee]

I'm gay and was raised as a Christian. I'm still gay, and still a Christian. I was raised around people with a narrow view of things, and not just homosexuality. People often have a very narrow view of scripture as well. I was glad that I met other gay Christians and was able to work through it all and be happy.