Instead of working like I should be I took the time to read this & I looove it!!

Thank you for sharing!

As the old hymn goes: "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so".

Just a pity that his attributed "father" is recorded as being seen to hate everybody and everyone who didn't conform to his very strict, orthodox views and condemned most to the most horrific of deaths.

It's certainly an interesting article and one that deserves to be re-read in more depth methinks.

Kenneth__Thanks for posting this. I took the time to read all of it. While I have no problem with faith, I find that religion often gets in the way of common sense.

"for the bible tells me so" is an amazing documentary. People who interpret the bible literally aren't going anywhere. Just ignore them. God made you the way you are. My best friend is a gay man and he has such an internal struggle over this because of the environment he was raised in. He is so scared he is going to hell. The fact anyone ever made him feel that way breaks my heart and made me cry so much to even think about. There is no way the greatest person I have ever met is going to hell yet the people so filled with hatred towards him are going to Heaven.

Thanks for sharing this article! I love when I read things that I agree with, it gives me the warm fuzzies. :smooched:

Here's the thing...people claiming to be christians who use religion to justify hatred of any kind (child abuse, mysogeny, homophobia, racism, ablism, classism, etc.) Are not following the words or examples of Jesus. He said love your neighbor as yourself. He did not add an addendum that aid "except if they are queer". Supposedly, for christans, jesus' words overrde the ancient laws of an eye for a eye, kill those not like you, etc. His whole point was : love each other. Treat everyone with respect, even if you can't see where they are coming from. Do good things for others. Respect yourself.

I am not a christian, but i have respect for the teachings of great teachers such as Jesus, Buddha, Mohamed, Martin Luthar King, Gandhi, and a ric diversity of other people of wisdom, some of whom I don't know of yet.

I have difficulty when people paint a very personal relationship to the devine with broad stereotypical brush. Sometimes I find myself doing that, and I try to catch myself and remind myself that the LGBTQ+ comunity has some very strong allies in communities of faith and it is as unfair of me to say "all Christians are homophobic" as it is for someon to say "lesbians hate men". (That is a discussion for another day!).

Some of our allies include: the UnitedChurch of Christ, the Unitarian Universalist Church, Dignity, Discipls of Christ (I think that is their name), Metropolitan Community Church, there are also individual churces throughout the world that are "welcoming and affirming", there are also countless individual people of faith who go to bat for us evry day in small ways, as part of their faith and spiritual path.

My best friend is a lesbian UCC minister at a church with a large population of transgender, lesbian, gay, bi, questioning folks who praise their god together in deep loving, worshipful ways and words.

It is just as wrong for us to acuse another group with a blanket stereotypical knee jerk assumptions. As an out ad proud lesbian for over twenty years, I get angry when I hear someone refer to "the gay lifestyle". What is that? Bar hopping and promiscuity, or I it comforting your child when they have a skinned knee or get teased for having two dads? How is broadbrushing the whole of christandom any better than broadbrushing those of us who love someone different than what is expected of us? How can we point fingers of accusation when it ishappening here, now among our own?

We name homophobia for what it is...fear of LGBT people and sometimes that takes on a very prsonal, hateful and painful form that often starts,but does not always end with hateful words because of lck of understanding, fear and bing unable t see us as equals, or even to look us in the eye or having an honest conversation with us about what it means t be queer in a hostile world. How is bashing those of faith any different? We fear "them" for what we have heard or experienced in the past. We group all of "them" into one category, falling under the umbrella of that which we fear and therefore distain. And, like me so many of us walk in th straight world, keepingthis beloved queer side of us in the shadows for fear of being branded "other", there are many in the LGBTQ community who also feel that within this beloved community of diversity and queerdom, they have to keep their faith, that part of them that feeds their soul in a different way, hidden in the shadows for fear of being branded "other".

Sorry for the rant. I just believe that speaking truth to those we agree with is just as important as speaking truth to power and confronting injustice and homophobia where we see it.

Is there a way to make this a safe space for all of us, free of judgement and stereotypes?

The only issue I had to deal with when my daughter came out to me was my religious background. I was terrifed she would burn in hell for all eternity. I prayed, and read, and prayed and read............and continued to love and support my beautiful daughter

One day a woman from the church was railing (sp) about gays and "them people" who tear up there body(transgender).......how they are an 'abomination before God"...................:brokenheart:

It occured to me at that very moment she had had 2 children out of wedlock, had a tummy tuck and botox injections, and was filled with hate.

It was at that moment He revealed himself to me. He is That was my last time at church. I pray more now then ever before and feel closer to God than ever in my life.

More on topic, I remember Phil Donahue had on a racist family.......scratch that-a hate filled HORRIBLE family. There were 3-4 children sitting at a kiddie table coloring. The parents were in chairs, 2 couples holding hands in chairs behind their children.

They LOOKED like hate (isn't God supposed to make us happy?)

I was 16 at the time, and my mom had dated black men, so I had dealt with hatred. One of the children said the N word and it made me cry. Hate from a baby was so sad for me.

Then Phil asked them where in the bible they were told that whites should be only with whites, and that people of any other color were below them, as he had studied the bible and not read this anywhere.

The nasty woman in the middle pulled out 'The' bible and pointed out one line. O N E LINE! It was about separating the races because He was going to save his people from slavery and death. If they mixed, then they would die with the sinners.

Deuteronomy 7:3-4 ESV / 8 helpful votes

You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.


These people on stage, their children, their friends, had their entire lives set up based on ONE misinterpreted line in the bible.

All of this came back to me when my daughter came out. I am so thankful "Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so"

This brought tears to my eyes. A few years ago I worked with a young woman, at first I was undecided as to her physical gender. She was and is lesbian and was at that time dressing in a very masculine manner. I was the charge nurse and she was one of the aides. We had butted heads a few times about work quality. Many months later we were there for an extended period because of weather and other employees were unable to get there to relieve us. We sat and talked and found we both had misconceptions about each other. She thought when I reprimanded her it was based on her lifestyle. It wasn't and I thought she was a rude disagreeable person. She was defensive because she'd caught alot of attitude about her orientation. In fact she was a nice person. She was very young and had been rejected by family members. She asked me if I would allow my daughter to be around her. (daughter was about 5 at the time). I told her I saw no reason why not. She cried! This young woman expected to be rejected. How sad! She came from a very religious family...I do understand that not all people of faith would react in the same way.

thank you so much for sharing this! i have bookmarked the page. i also sent the link to my mom. she's a christian and is having trouble being an ally.

My viewpoint on this subject; the Bible is full of contradictions and you can find a verse to back up any side of an argument in it. I'm a Catholic and I do have faith but I don't like people trying to justify hatred or intolerance of any type by referencing one line from the Bible. For every verse that appears to refer to condemning people; there are just as many that tell us to be accepting of all people.

John 15:12
12 - This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you.

Basically, people will always try to justify their own opinions by referencing one verse. However, if they widen their reading of the Bible they will find a totally opposing viewpoint.

my favorite bible verse. thank you for sharing