My church won't accept me

[handsfreedave]

Some of the most caring, public-spirited people I've met in the last year have been those at my wonderful local church and I am so grateful for their influence. But something is bugging me. They take the words of the Bible very literally, and I'm left feeling inferior as the words of Leviticus and some of Paul's letters are bashing me over the head for my very existence. How can I carry on worshipping and accepting guidance when I know that in their hearts they wish to reject me? These are big churches with a lot of influence. The church newsletter carried a warning to parents that some schools in the borough were arguing children are too young to determine their sexuality - the warning implying that this was promotion of homosexuality by the back door. A man from Italy told me he couldn't return to his faith saying 'gay people can't be Christians'. This makes no sense. The principal message of the Bible is love - and we know that we can practise this, maybe?

[barnyards]

I sympathise with you Dave, it most be so frustrating to find people who can be so caring yet so blind to anything the Bible doesn't condone. I'm not really a religious person, I'm a lapsed Catholic who now just believes in the "Church of being nice to people". Trying to get bible bashers (of any religion) to accept homosexuality is an uphill struggle, and I'd be interested to know of any religions that accept homosexuality.

[pfknz]

All manner of ugliness passes for 'christian' these days Dave.

At our local cult, otherwise handsome young men have even taken to wearing monobrows.
Sadly as the church looses it's foothold on public consciousness, many within it seek the assurances of dogma (interpretation of teachings into doctrines) and certainty.

With all this science, technology, genetics and understanding of consciousness (psychology) malarky, the church has lost a lot of ground in recent centuries. So it's not surprising that some churches flourish, by offering a hard line of eyebrows raising revealed 'truth'.

Not to dis, that they may still be a force for good to gather people, and to help you discover the divine within.

.. yet I'm sure that a percentage of those involved in the 400-600 strong local cult are also blessed with the gay. If they can't yet admit that (while they're in the cult) then I'm sure we can agree that they're all blessed with a sexuality.

Like you, I think it's all about the quality of our love not the focus of it, which is where the church lost it's focus some time ago.

I must admit that I lost complete respect for the institution when your leadership campaigned against lesbian and gay people's rights to provide loving homes for adopted children. Their record on child protection issues is criminal ... and they pontificate hate against all manner of loving, good and right thinking people. Appalling.

This is the same christianity that is now persecuting our lgbt brothers and sisters in Uganda, with Pro-HATE legislation.... so while it may bring comfort and succour to some, it is far from a benign force for good.

My advice is leave more footprints in the sand by holding hands with the man you love

[David Watkins]

yes we shouldn't worry when people love each other, only when people hate each other

d