F**k Your Feelings

[Julie Marie]

SL Letter of the Day: Almost Sorry
Posted by Dan Savage on Fri, Oct 1, 2010 at 6:42 PM

I'm sorry your feelings were hurt by my comments.

No, wait. I'm not. Gay kids are dying. So let's try to keep things in perspective: f**k your feelings.

A question: do you support atheist marriage? Interfaith marriage? Divorce and remarriage? All legal, of course, and there's no Christian movement to deny marriage rights to atheists or people marrying outside their respective faiths or to people divorcing and remarrying. Why the hell not?

Being told that they're sinful and that their love offends God, and being told that their relationships are unworthy of the civil right that is marriage (not the religious rite that some people use to solemnize their civil marriages), can eat away at the souls of gay kids. It makes them feel like they're not valued, that their lives are not worth living.

Full Article

[Janet_Girl]

If you hear every Sunday that certain people are bad, and then every day Mom and Dad say it over and over, you begin to believe it.

And then when you see those people it is easy to be hurtful to them, after all the church said they were evil.

Hate is learn, a little at a time.

[Octavianus]

That is a very powerful article. A Dutch comedian once said he disliked people like these because they claim to have a monopoly on truth. Because they claim to be offended without realizing how they offend others.

Subtle indoctrination of the mind is like poison, we percieve the world through the eyes of those who taught us. The only way we can save ourselves from this prejudice is by looking at the world from a neutral point of view which is very hard when you live in certain environments.

[gennee]

There are some things that are wrong regardless of who says it. Discrimination is wrong, period. It doesn't matter if a family member, pastor, or peer, or legislator say that we are evil. Mistreating anyone for any reason flies against what Jesus preached.

Gennee

[Julie Marie]

While the article by Mr. Savage was powerful, what really moved me was the comment by Sheryl

Wow, Dan. That was well said.

I think I've commented here enough that you know I am a follower of Christ (I almost hate to use the term "Christian" anymore because of the connotation it has gained). I support same sex marriage, and I abhor discrimination, violence, and bullying in whatever form it takes.

I don't understand how people who read the same book I read can reach very different conclusions than the ones I reach. In the Gospels, neither the writers, nor Jesus, nor any of the other characters make any mention of homosexuality. Granted, there are several mentions in the writings attributed to Paul and Timothy, but some of those writings also espouse women keeping their heads covered when they worship and celibacy. Very few groups follow those commands, yet they insist that the language about homosexuality be obeyed to the letter.

The way I figure it, the God I know, the God who is infinitely loving, who gives second chances whenever I screw up (and God knows I screw up a lot), who insipires me to want to live my life in love for everyone, isn't going to deny someone the chance to find a partner, to find the love of their life, and spend many happy years together. The God of Love isn't going to say that love is meant for everyone but 10% or so of the population.

So, I'll go on believing in God, because I can't not believe. I'll go on trying to be welcoming to everyone, trying to love everyone. And I'll go on speaking out when others who call themselves Christians say hateful things about "the other," whether that means people of a differnet race, creed, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. That's What Jesus Would Do (to paraphrase every piece of religious kitsch made in the 90's.).

[Bam]

We have been through 7 Churches so far and the one we are at now says you can come and worship with us and possibly join,but if you want to be in the choir etc. you would be too much of a distraction to their super "Christian congregation"!!! and i am a straight(like guys,fully Transitioned)woman so what would it be like for a(transitioned)lesbian woman!!!!! I have challenged these Ministers to show me in the Bible where it says anything about us(TG's) and they cannot,But the Bible says that these Ministers will have more to answer than we do,oh to be a fly on the wall then.