I am a Christian and I am a Eunuch.. I can see where the true Church is realizing that have to be more open. Many I have talked to realize that homosexuality is not a choice. And they need to be more accepting. I have been told by Christians, you did not ask to be born this way. You did not ask for the deck of card you were dealt in this life. Yes, I see changes in the real church happening. Be patient.. It is happening and more is coming.

The author of the article would be so disappointed to see there are some who don't read the article LIKE THEY SHOULD before decrying the article as hating on religion. No, the article was about hate, it wasn't about Christianity per se. It isn't even about religion. It's about unjustified hate, pure and simple.

What some people choose to express about religion here is entirely their own doing, due to their own experiences. Out of respect for what they have gone through, I've choosen not to criticise them for saying what they said, but to stay silent and not join in the religion bashing because that was never what the article was about.

HOWEVER!

Those of you confusing the opinions of others for the gist of the article, can and SHOULD stop, take a deep breath, and actually read the article before jumping to conclusions. I mean it.

To everyone else, please keep this as a discussion about hate and ignorance, not religion. Secular, non-religious people have also decried being gay as being immoral as well. They've used things like culture but to name one, to justify their hate. That is what the article is trying to say, and it would be lovely not to lose sight of the author's original message nor my purpose in sharing his article.

MacTheWolf (imported) wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2011 7:31 pm Cainanite

In my 65 year old opinion, we shouldn't allow any religious threads on the Boards. Ok, I've put in my two cents now. I'll shut up now

Years ago I requested such threads or forum too but was soundly rebuffed and refused.

Members here are very well read and religious discussion with scripture interpretations need not result in hostility. Unless you are Christian or Muslim.

moi621 (imported) wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:32 pm Years ago I requested such threads or forum too but was soundly rebuffed and refused.

Members here are very well read and religious discussion with scripture interpretations need not result in hostility. Unless you are Christian or Muslim.

This thread isn't for the purpose of debating whether religious discussions should be on the EA or not. Kindly go start another thread for it please.

When my parents come to visit me here on the west coast, I'm always leery of what they might say in public.

Where we are from, it can be a very racist and intolerant place. Even though my parents taught me to respect others despite their beliefs, or color of skin, or gender or whatever, they still sometimes revert to the only life they've ever known.

When talking about someone who is homosexual, they'll use the term, fag or queer. They'll call First Nations people Indians, or Jigs.

When I took them to see Jim Byrnes perform at a local club, my loving father exclaimed loudly as we entered, "Gee, there's sure a lot of Negros in here." I could have died.

They don't mean any harm. These are two of the most accepting, and lovely people you could ever want to meet. They believe in equal rights for LGBT people. They have dear friends of every race color and creed, and are disgusted by racism. I could go on and on about their virtues.

When I tell them not to use that kind of offensive language, and point out why it is wrong, they make a real effort to change. Eventually though, they have to go back home, and live among intolerant people with their intolerant language. It is easy to revert.

My point with this is, even for loving people who only want to do the right thing, change is very difficult. Excising hate from our lives is a lot harder than it sounds. We are creatures of habit, and are set in our ways.

I think more people are loving and willing to accept than want to reject. Making those changes takes time and effort.

I think this thread says more about humanity, than it does about religion. We often react out of our programming, and it is easy to say or do things that hurt, when we don't know any better.

The only way to stop hurting others is to recognize the harm you are doing. The only way to recognize the harm you are doing is to learn it. Talking about that harm, (as we are doing in this thread) is the first step in learning.

My parents, like me, just want to live a loving life. It's hard for them to realize the hate in something they've done their entire life, until they learn otherwise.

It has nothing to do with religion. It has everything to do with how we live and learn.

I think most people would prefer to be loving. At some point we have to stop letting hate hijack all the good things in this world.

Just my two cents.

I once read an article about immortality and why it would be horrible for humankind. One of the reasons listed was that we need old generations to die out and new generations to take their place because some beliefs are so deeply ingrained that they cannot be undone through any other means other than the death of the generation with those beliefs. As harsh as that statement is, it is also true.

Cainite, I gotta say that while your parents might use language that seems discriminatory, they don't actually seem to hate those who're different. Doing the right thing is one thing, completely hating is another. That they taught you to love and accept is a far brighter achievement than their occasional verbal slip-ups can ever eclipse. If anything they've already broken the mold of their generation to make sure the next generation is more enlightened.

No Holy Wars on the EA.

Dang Cainanite, now you tell me.

I had already hired the Welsh longbowmen, Swiss pikemen, French knights and a few hundred Irish floosies as camp followers.

Can't we at least go sack Istanbul? That was a favorite pasttime of Crusaders of old - sacking Constaninople

MacTheWolf (imported) wrote: Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:44 pm Dang Cainanite, now you tell me.

I had already hired the Welsh longbowmen, Swiss pikemen, French knights and a few hundred Irish floosies as camp followers.

Can't we at least go sack Istanbul? That was a favorite pasttime of Crusaders of old - sacking Constaninople

Either way, it sound like one hell of a party. Or is "sack Istanbul" not the euphemism I think it is? As to "sacking Constantinople"... not without a few drinks in me, and you have to buy me dinner first.

I took the time to read the article, and can confirm Punkypink's statement. It's about hate, not about religion. The references to multiple religions are to show that they were not originally founded on hate, but on love instead. It is the thoughts and actions of later generations that corrupt the teachings of love to serve their own hateful means. People that hate in the name of any deity are obviously ignorant and misdirected. I pray for them, that one day they might see the light of love in their own lives.