Politics, the Fag and the Noose

It's no secret. Ever since Gov. Sarah Palin burst onto the political scene I have been a fierce supporter, even as a 23-year-old homosexual man. There is something about her that contributes significantly to that female touch Sen. Hillary Clinton introduced to politics earlier this year. And talking with my many international friends, I know that I'm not the only one. Bottom line is that politics has been on millions of minds lately, regardless whether you are American or not, Democrat or Republican, interested in politics or not.

 

Of course not everyone supports my liking in Sarah Palin. Especially my gay friends in Naples Florida strongly oppose my liking in her. One even went so far to say: "It is impossible to be gay and Republican." My previous blog on Sarah Palin highlighted the reasons why I like her so much. A recent New York Times report strengthened those reasons when the journalist wrote: "I am bias, but I got to like Sarah Palin after spending a few hours interviewing her. Those who dislike her are those who haven't even met her." I choose to look past the minor disagreements I have with Republican policies, such as their negative stance towards gay marriage. Yet, there is more to the party than most gay people want to see.

 

It was late in the recent election that the news was dominated with the story about the West Hollywood gay couple that hung a mannequin of Sarah Palin on a noose off the roof of their home, claiming it to be part of a Holloween stunt. But come on, let's be complete honest here, who would hang a Sarah Palin mannequin on a noose and not mean it as an expression of their hatred towards her. What upsets me is that this gay couple most probably dislikes her position on gay marriage. Subsequently she seems to deserve the noose.

 

What upsets me even more is the double standard of the whole scenario. Visualize this: a mannequin of Sen. Barack Obama, now Pres. Obama being tied up to a lamp post in a residential area with ketchup smeared all over his face and body and a knife protruding from his neck. I can just hear the Obama Sheep chanting in the streets, accusing a person responsible for such a display, "racist", "conservative", "sick". Nonetheless, simply because it's Sarah Palin this kind of display should be tolerated in the name of 'Halloween'? Forgive me for sounding fair, but this is a blatant and personal attack on the Alaska Governor simply because she stands firmly for what she believes.

 

Yes, if I were American, Sarah Palin would not grant me the right to marry my boyfriend, but it will not make me stage an imitation of her execution. I don't like Barack Obama. I don't like his arrogance. I don't like his ever changing tax plan. I don't like his medical plan. I don't like his treatment of media and individuals who dare oppose him. I don't like his views on abortion, immigration, the war or economy, but you don't see me make an exhibit in which he is executed. I am all for freedom of speech and expression. But if this expression is a shameful display of hatred, I oppose it. There are limits to what people should be allowed to subject others to. This Hollywood couple crossed the line. Big time!

 

ECDJ

 

 

 

Sarah Palin

 

Governor Sarah Palin of the great state of Alaska (USA) and vice presidential running mate of Senator John McCain in the 2008 US Presidential Elections has been a hot topic that I have been dying to cover for some time now. But I had to get my facts straight, do my research, plan and make up my mind before I could speak out. And I doubt you would know which direction I'm heading in. But cutting to the chase, let me get down to business and tell you exactly what I believe today about this woman. I'll start at the beginning.

 

First and foremost, if I were to be an American (which I definitely am not), I would have been a democrat. Why? Answer is simple; I'm gay for one and second of all, I don't like rigid thoughts. I would support a party whose members regard all human beings as their equal; allowed the same rights and privileges. When the US Party Nominations began, McCain soon took the lead in the Republican race. And we all know what the Democratic race was like. Subsequently, my vote and hope was on Hillary Rodham Clinton. Today I still believe that she would have made, not only the best candidate for this election, but the best president America has ever had. If only she could have managed to break the glass ceiling instead of just leaving 18 000 cracks in it. Yet, her phenomenal performance and passion for her values, her party, her people and her country paved the way for another American woman.

 

Sarah Palin, in my opinion, has been pulling on the shortest end of the stick ever since she was so unexpectedly thrust into 'the' spotlight. Surely, being a public figure and governor of her state should have prepared her for the challenging world of politics she now faces to the highest degree. But nothing, and I repeat nothing, could have prepared her for what the media and the Obama-campaign was about to do to her. Ever since her announcement as vice-presidential nominee, the media (and Obama) has gone on a rampage of negative publication against this woman. Her interview with Katie Couric, her impersonations by Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live and comments made about her during Obama's speeches are to mention but a few.

 

Yes, she is not the best public speaker the world has ever seen. Yes, she might not “carry a thesaurus in her pocket” to find all the politically perfect words. Yes, she might not be able to list American magazine and newspaper publications when questioned at point blank. Yes, she may not be the best debater on every issue America now faces in their dark period of economical recession and world standing drop. She is not flawless. Just like any other candidate in this election, she has flaws. Her predicament is that her flaws and the mistakes she make (however miniscule they might be) are blown up to astronomical proportions by media and opponents… and then used against her.

 

People question Palin’s lack of experience and her ability to be Commander in Chief. Wake up folks, Palin is but a running mate. Why isn’t anybody questioning Obama’s lack of experience and his ability to be Commander in Chief. As Governor of her state, Palin is Commander in Chief of Alaska’s armed forces. They did not question her when she stood as Governor, why oppose her now that she faces ‘angel’ Obama? Why do people try to bring her down as a person who abuses her power years after the incident happened (and has not entirely been proven)? Why don’t people focus on Obama’s promises to spend more money on helping America’s troops abroad and then failing to do so when push came to shove? I’m asking a rhetorical question here; which is worse, an inquiry into a possible misuse of power in a single government dismissal or making false promises to millions of people simply to clinch a presidential party nomination?

 

The list goes on, but the principle remains the same. The media and the Obama campaign negatively portray Palin in the worst possible way. It makes me wonder what ever happened to the first law of journalism; to be objective at all times. Furthermore, people are so blinded by Palin’s tiny flaws, such as her use of everyday American slang, that they neglect to see the lies Obama spins right in front of their eyes... and is gets away with. Obama has this utopia-outlook for America, but I know that we will never see the day he actually lives up to those promises. He speaks of change, but only knows how to point a finger at the Bush-administration and new Republican Party nominees. For someone who believes in change and a better future, he knows very little about the basics; to stop speaking and start doing.

 

Palin might not be on the same level as Obama when it comes to public speaking, or luring the public into a deadly trap of lies and deceit simply to reach the top, but she has proven to me that good character and honesty can change my mind to such an extent, that I am willing to (as a non-American) vote Republican in stead of Democratic. I pray that the media will stop blowing her flaws out of proportion and allow her to do her job. Instead the media should focus on the lies Obama is spinning the American public simply to come to power. I would rather see McCain and his hockey-mom sidekick in the White House, than Obama.

 

 

ECDJ

 

Anglican criticism

I just love it when I read the news and there are some news bulletins that affect me. Now I’m not talking about the European Credit Crunch or the plunging US Markets and multi-million bailout plans to save the greedy and fuck the poor tax payer. No, I’m actually referring to nonsense remarks made by a London reverent.

AFP reported today (7 October 2008) that the Anglican priest, Peter Mullen, published a highly offensive post on his blog. In his original blog post, he wrote:

Let us make it obligatory for homosexuals to have their backsides tattooed with the slogan: SODOMY CAN SERIOUSLY DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH and their chins with: FELLATIO KILLS.

Surely this priest wasn’t thinking before he tossed this burning match out to the petrol soaked gay London community. It sparked a furious debate in London. In response, the priest apologized and offered the following excuse for his verbal diarrhoea:

I did not intend to cause offence when I made some joking remarks about homosexuals. I was not actually meaning to criticise individual homosexual persons, but the promoters of gay culture.

Oh my god... I’m no expert, but let’s be completely objective here; Is there really a difference between ‘criticizing individual homosexuals’ and ‘criticizing promoters of gay culture’? Are promoters of gay cultures not primarily gay? And are homosexual individuals not promoting the gay lifestyle simply by living their lives? And even if there is a profound difference like this priest insists... don’t you think it’s a little unorthodox to be an Anglican priest and criticize another individual, regardless the motivation? Should we not love our neighbours like we love ourselves?

Seriously Father Mullen... I’m not questioning you as an individual, but the people who do and say similar things.

ECDJ

A few words on Homosexuality

I recently came across this article and it literally took my breath away. I could not believe that anyone, who dare to call themselves religious, would pass such judgment on another human being and dare to call it facts (statistics). Apart from upsetting me, it also made me sad, because it makes me wonder about the world I live in, the people that share it with me, and just how welcome I am on this very Earth, that God created for all of us. I add this article here, please read it and tell me what you think.

Even apart from what the Bible says, homosexuality must be termed extremely unhealthy.

Sexually transmitted diseases are without a doubt the most serious consequence of homosexual behavior. Practicing homosexuals as a group account for an overwhelmingly disproportionate number of cases of sexually transmitted diseases, including gonorrhea, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and syphilis (Mireya Navarro, "Federal Officials See Sharp Rise of Hepatitis Among Gay Men," The New York Times, March 6, 1992). According to the American Medical Association, homosexual youth are twenty-three times more likely to contract sexually transmitted diseases than heterosexuals (American Adolescents: How Healthy Are They?, American Medical Association, 1990, p.31).

Lesbians are 19 times more likely than heterosexual women to have had syphilis, twice as likely to suffer from genital warts, and four times as likely to have scabies (New England Journal of Medicine 317:973,1987).

A recent study of Massachusetts teenagers, published in the American Journal of Public Health (Anne H. Faulkner and Kevin Cranston, "Correlates of Same-Sex Sexual Behavior in a Random Sample of Massachusetts High School Students," February 1998, p. 264) discovered that self-identified gays were:

• nine times more likely to have reported using alcohol on a daily basis;
• six times more likely to report having recently used cocaine than their heterosexual counterparts;
• nineteen times more likely to report having used cocaine on ten or more occasions per month;
• five times more likely to report having used other illegal drugs, including cocaine, twenty or more times in their lives;
• nearly seven times more likely to report ever having injected an illegal drug;
• fifty percent more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to have considered committing suicide.

The average homosexual of any age is three times more suicidal than the heterosexual (Cameron, Playfair, Wellum, The Homosexual Lifespan, Family Research Institute, Feb 14, 1992).

Life expectancy of homosexual men and women without AIDS is about 33 years shorter than that of the heterosexual (Cameron, Playfair, Wellum, The Homosexual Lifespan, Family Research Institute, Feb 14, 1992). Surprisingly, AIDS has only a modest effect on the average life expectancy of a homosexual male. The average age of men dying from AIDS is 39. The average age of homosexuals dying from all other causes is even more revealing: 41. Only one percent die of old age. In study after study, less than three percent of all homosexuals surveyed are over the age of 55.

Why is homosexuality such a dangerous lifestyle? Part of the reason is the promiscuous lifestyle of homosexuals. Homosexualities (1978, page 308) an official publication of The Institute for Sex Research founded by Alfred Kinsey, Alan Bell, and Martin Weinberg, reported that only ten percent of male homosexuals could be termed as "relatively monogamous" or "relatively less promiscuous" (defined as 10 or fewer lifetime partners). Additional findings showed that 60 percent of male homosexuals had more than 250 lifetime sexual partners, and 28 percent of male homosexuals had more than 1,000 lifetime sexual partners. Another startling fact is that 79 percent admitted that more than half of their sexual partners were strangers.

What Does the Bible Have to Say About Homosexuality?

Genesis 19:5-8 They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof." "Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.

Leviticus 18:22 Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. [Read also verses 24-30.]

Leviticus 20:13 If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

Deuteronomy 23:17 No Israelite man is to become a shrine prostitute. No Israelite woman is to become a shrine prostitute.

The "male shrine prostitute" was a homosexual. He is called a "dog" in verse 18, a nickname he received from the dog-like manner in which he debased himself with men.

Judges 19:21-23 So he took the man into his house and fed his donkeys. After they had washed their feet, they had something to eat and drink. While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, "Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him." The owner of the house went outside and said to them, "No, my friends, don't be so vile. Since this man is my guest, don't do this disgraceful thing."

1 Kings 14:24 There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. [See also 1 Kings 15:12; 22:46; 2 Kings 23:7; and Job 36:13-14.]

Romans 1:25-26 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

"male prostitute" = malakos = literally softness, slang for a boy or man used in temple prostitution for homosexual activity. "homosexual offenders" = arsenokoites = one who lies on a couch with a male.

1 Timothy 1:9-10 We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers--and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine.

"perverts" = arsenokoites (same word as 1 Corinthians 6:9).

For more on specific Scriptures or to see how gays interpret these Bible texts see the following: The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics, ISBN: 0687022797, Author: Robert A. J. Gagnon. This is the best book that I know of discussing the traditional Biblical view of homosexual practice.

Homosexuality & Christianity. What Helps the Homosexual?

People who will call sin sin. I didn’t need any help in my attempts to condone or rationalize homosexuality. I seemed to do that quite well on my own. I needed people who would bring the truth of Scripture to me in my confusion. I needed advice such as that a friend of mine wrote:

"When you’re involved with a woman in a gay relationship, you may feel there is no greater joy in the world. You will love her and be loved in return, you’ll share at a deeper level than you’ve ever known before and she will return your sharing with tenderness and compassion. You’ll think that there was never a better love than this and never will be. You’re wrong. You’ll think that your love is different and unique and goes beyond the morals found in the Bible. You’re wrong. You may even feel that your love for each other is equal to if not better than the love between a husband and a wife—or you may even feel married to each other. But you’re wrong again. You could never give each other the greatest love possible. You may love each other, yes, but you are not giving each other the love that Jesus gave us (Mark 10:45)."

1. Realizing that there was a difference between homosexual orientation and the activity of homosexuality. Orientation is a condition. It is the way that my brain and thoughts are presently wired. Homosexual activity is what is forbidden in Scripture and labeled sinful.
2. Someone who would listen with God’s patience and compassion. Good listening ears were few and far between. Find one who will listen and won’t give pat answers.
3. Staying away from tempting situations. In other words, talk to female friends in broad daylight on the lawn, rather than after midnight in your bedroom. "Flee from youthful lusts" applies to homosexual as well as heterosexual temptations" (2 Timothy 2:22).
4. Realizing that homosexuality is not the unforgivable sin. All sin is equally deserving of condemnation, yet equally touchable by grace. I was freed to deal with my sin more realistically when I realized that homosexuality is no worse than envy or rage (Galatians 5:19-21).
5. I needed to not only be willing to let God make changes inside me according to His will and timing, but also to endure some loneliness and discomfort in the meantime. My goal in life has become holiness (Hebrews 12:1-13) and the means are obedience and the power of the Holy Spirit. There is hope—we have a big God! And He has assured us of his forgiveness and cleansing.
6. In dealing with lust, I found Philippians 4:8 to be extremely helpful. Rather than focus on my own struggles and inner conflicts and confusion, I tried to let my mind dwell on what is true, honorable, right, pure—namely the Lord Jesus himself. We are programmed by our preoccupations. If your mind is "set on things above" (Colossians 3:2), your actions will follow appropriately.
7. I have become content with being single and celibate. There is nothing second-rate about singleness! God does not always choose to change the orientation of a Christian homosexual. But Jesus has become my "first love" (Revelation 2:4) and I am really enjoying life.
8. I have also become open to and more interested in the possibility of eventual marriage—an indication of changes in my heart that I hardly dreamed possible. There still seems to be some ambivalence, mixed motives and confused emotions to resolve in this area, but I sense that God is at work.
9. "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:8). Whereas once I felt deprived of the "freedom" to act on my homosexual desires, I now count those experiences and momentary pleasures "as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8 TEV). That which I have given up is so little compared to what I have gained. My overriding feelings are not ones of being ‘deprived’ or ‘punished,’ but rather of being progressively liberated, gentled, and strengthened.

Suggested Resource: Bob Davies and Lori Rentzel, Coming Out of Homosexuality, Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1994. -- A practical handbook designed to help the individual who struggles with his or her sexual identity become spiritually whole and free from sexual bondage. The book features strategies for healing that have been developed and used around the world. Davies is executive director of Exodus International, an organization that offers specialized counseling to homosexuals in the United States.

How to Minister to Homosexual People

1. See a PERSON, not a homosexual. We're not a clean-up campaign; we're ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). How would you approach ANY person you felt needed Christ? There's nothing particularly special about homosexuality in God's eyes. Homosexuals are looking for love just like anyone else, Jesus is the answer for all their needs.
2. Remember that the gospel means "good news." Be sure to present a Savior who saves, not a code of ethics. God wants to redeem the whole person, not just his sexuality.
3. Know what you are offering. You are offering Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. You are NOT offering heterosexuality. There is a difference between FEELING homosexual feelings and ACTING out homosexual behavior. When that person makes a commitment to Christ he must come into agreement with God that homosexual behavior is sin. You are initially offering him power to come into celibacy. His homosexual feelings are not going to change overnight. That will come with time and the care and concern of friends, and the quality of his own continued surrender to Christ.
4. Actively, patiently love that person. Words can be so empty. Demonstrate your love by listening, by calling, by confronting when necessary, by sitting together in church. Love is an action verb.
5. Don't be afraid to hear some colorful language and "gory" details. Some folks don't know how to express themselves in any way but street language. Listen with love and respond as Jesus tells you. Love them where they are at.
6. Don't be afraid to say "I love you." Don't be afraid to touch or to hold hands in prayer. We all need that physical affirmation of love from one another. Homosexuals confuse sex and intimacy. They need people who can model the appropriate place of touch and love language. They need to learn the place of physical affection outside the context of sexual involvement. They won't rape you. If your intentions are misunderstood, explain yourself, but don't back away. If you don't know what you should do, say so.
7. Share your life. Be transparent. Many coming from a homosexual background are surprised to realize that "regular folks" also wrestle with sexual temptation, loneliness, rejection, hurt, etc. That helps them put their lives in perspective.
8. Present the whole of the Word of God. Jesus wants to set them free from lying, bitterness, pride, rebellion -- you name it. Homosexual behavior and fantasy is only part of it.
9. Point them away from their sin. Let them see Jesus, the answer to all their sins. Don't make homosexuality the focal point of your relationship. Stay away from homosexual and ex-homosexual jokes. It will only push them toward their homosexual lifestyle. For the same reason, avoid calling them ex-gays. They are WHOLE people in Christ. They are Christians!
10. Tell them about homosexuals that have found Christ -- groups like Exodus, Harvest, and Love in Action. Share Scripture like 1 Corinthians 6:11 ("...and such were some of you...") as well as testimonies of others who have come out of homosexuality.

From what I understand, a homosexual man responded to this article. He might have gotten a little carried away, but I forgive him for that, for what this article says is nothing less than hate speech. Here is the young man’s reply to the article:

You guys have a lotta nerve to tell people that homosexuality is wrong...You are not God...therefore you DO NOT EVER tell people that being gay or a "queer" is bad. i don't care what is in the bible becuz it also says in there that GOD will love us no matter what we are or who we choose to become and you cannot argue against that. I believe that if you feel you are good enough to judge other people u obviously need to step off your stool and take a look around you becuz you are no different than anybody else in this world. you are God's child as are the rest of us and you need to realize that. Oh and about saying that homos are more likely to get std's....ummm....sorry but your just about wrong. anybody who has sex knows that there is a chance that they could get an std. sorry but your article..pissed me off and i think you need to take a hard look at yourself...being gay is not wrong. Some guys are born to have a natural attraction to woman...others are born having a natural attraction to guys...vice-versa. You cannot control that or change that. Again-- you are not God!!! I think people like you need to die and stop breathing my precious oxygen. You, like a virus, tend to breed and this is why you must be stopped because otherwise you will go around creating other self-righteous weirdos who have nothing better to do than attempt to tell everyone else how wrong they are...HATER!!!!!

I thought this man made a good point… to some extent. But what I saw next, shocked me to the bone. The Pastor wrote back to him. Here is what the pastor had to say:

Thanks for your letter. Even when people don't agree with us, we are thankful to hear from them.

Perhaps you would prefer me not to respond. If that's the case, please just ignore the rest of this reply.

God Loves Me No Matter What?

If you are willing I would like to explore this idea of God loving us. I believe that most people don't think very deeply about this issue and end up spouting clichés about what the Bible and Jesus say, rather than what the Bible and Jesus actually say.

Now it is certainly true that God provides for everyone. The Bible tells us that He sends the rain, causes growth, holds our atoms together, etc. As Jesus said, "God causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45). In this sense, God mercifully cares and gives to everybody. We might call this God's general love for all beings. The theologians call it common grace.

It is also true that "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). In other words, God provided His most precious possession (His Son) to give us a way to not perish, but to experience abundant everlasting love. The theologians call this God's compassionate love.

So I would agree that God loves every person through common grace and compassionate love. In this way He in shows mercy and goodness to everybody.

People are often surprised to find that there aren't more verses about God's love for everybody in the Bible. I think they have the idea that God (or Jesus) is like some grandfather figure that has warm feelings toward everybody and will eternally feel this way.

But the Bible says that we all fall short of God's expectations (Romans 3:23) and therefore are living under God's anger (Romans 1:18-32). God is angry with us because we don't honor Him as God and attempt to live life without Him. This idea of God's anger is something that runs throughout the Bible from the book of Genesis through Revelation. We are all traitors and rebels at heart. That includes me. In that sense, what you said in your email is right: I'm "no different than anybody else in the world."

BUT God provides a way of change and holiness through His Son Jesus the Messiah. I know that it is often said that Jesus loved everyone unconditionally - no matter what they did. Jesus' actions in reaching out to all kinds of people and parables such as the Good Samaritan or the Prodigal Son are said to show this.

I certainly agree that Jesus will love anybody. I'm certainly an example of that. I just don't believe that the Bible teaches that Jesus loves everybody unconditionally. Jesus did reach out to everyone. In fact, Jesus seemed to cure the diseases of anyone that came to Him and asked. But Jesus said there were two essential conditions for receiving continued relationship with Him: repentance and faith. This was the message He proclaimed: "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the good news!" (Mark 1:15 ). Faith means putting complete trust of your life in Jesus' control. Repentance is a genuine admittance that we were wrong to go our own way and a desire to go God's way no matter what the cost.

Jesus And Repentance

This condition of repentance is a repeated theme with Jesus. Jesus said that the reason He came was "to call sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32). Jesus said that unless we repent we will "perish" (Luke 13:3,5). In fact, the parable of the Prodigal Son includes the prodigal saying, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you" (Luke 15:18). For other times that Jesus talked about repentance see Matthew 3:2,8; 4:17; 11:20; 21:32; Mark 6:12; Luke 5:32; 15:7,10; 16:30; 17:3-4; 18:10-14; 24:47. This is only a partial list.

So if Jesus is any example (and He is usually the one that people appeal to in the Bible as being the most loving) then I really don't believe it's correct to say, "GOD will love us no matter what we are or who we choose to become." Certainly God mercifully provides for all His creatures (God's common grace) and God gave His Son so there would be an opportunity for anyone who believes to avoid perishing (God's compassionate love). So it would be accurate to say that God reaches out to all of us with the offer of His love. But God will only move into an eternal loving relationship (God's redemptive love) with us if we will repent and trust Him. You certainly don't have to like those conditions, but I think we need to be honest about what the Bible really says and not make it say what we want it to.

This means in order to have relationship with God and to no longer live under His anger, I had to repent of my sins of wanting to run my own life, hatred toward other people, premarital sex, a bad temper, bragging, impatience, lying, viewing pornography, and envy of others. That's the short list and God is still working in me to overcome what I am repenting of. In order for you to have relationship with God, you will have to repent of some things too.

Homosexuality and Hating

You may be surprised to learn that I really would prefer to believe the way you do about homosexuality. It would be so much easier to get along with all the other people who believe that homosexuality is no different than heterosexuality. I wouldn't have to receive emails from people wishing I was dead.

But the things I wrote in the article which you refer to are scientific facts (most of which originally appeared in medical or scientific journals reporting on studies of the gay population). And what the Bible says... well that's what the Bible says and since I believe the Bible is God's communication to people, then it really isn't about what I say, but what God is saying about homosexuality.

I'm sorry we disagree about homosexuality. But your issue really isn't with me. It's with the God who reveals Himself in the Bible.

Finally, I want you to know that I don't wish you harm in any way. I'm sorry that you view me as a "virus"  when all I'm attempting to do is talk about what the Bible says and what the Christian church has unanimously believed for 1,950 years (that is, prior to some contemporary churches teaching that monogamous, committed homosexual marriages are acceptable).

I'm sorry that you want me to "die and stop breathing." I certainly don't want you to do that. So here's my dilemma: How does that make me the "HATER"? Aren't you the one who wants me to die?

Wishing you the best in Christ,
Dennis Rupert, Pastor

And being the person that I am, I cannot allow these words to pass me by without speaking out against it. In an email, I addressed Pastor Dennis Rupert with the following words:

Dear Pastor Rupert,

Recently I was browsing Google on topics about homosexuality and came across your article about being gay and what the Bible states about it. I also read the hate letter you received from an anonymous reader of your article and your reply to him/her. I have had many heated debates with various individuals regarding this topic; my parents, professors, pastor and friends. It seems that nobody can come to an agreement to what the Bible really has to say, making me wonder if we should, then, be looking for the answer to this age old question therein.

I am not writing to you in an attempt to resolve the issue at hand, as I believe that you struck the nail on the head with your statement that the dispute really isn't between us human beings, but between the individual and God. I would however like to comment on the issue at hand, giving you my personal opinion. And if it is possible, I would like you to publish this email on your website so that people can see that we all think differently about this topic and... That it is indeed okay to have various and different points of view.

Pastor, I am a 22 year old homosexual man. Call me gay, call me queer, you can even call me a fag. None of those terms offend me, because, is it not true that regardless how thin you cut it, it still remains ham? I am gay, I am a queer and I am a fag. Now I'm not the type to be parading around in pink hot pants and a rainbow flag, marching at the pride of being gay. But you better believe that I am not the type to hide who and what I am from the world. Who I am is who I'm going to be, for the rest of my life.

I was brought up in a decent Christian home in Namibia. My parents are religious, attend church, read Bible, pray and above all have a personal and prosperous relationship with our Lord. This is how I was brought up; this is how my life used to be. Do I regret it? No, certainly not, for I believe that it sent me in the right direction, made me the person I am today, a believer in the Lord and God, creator of the world I live in, founder of all that is good and savior of my soul. Pastor, these are things I would never deny and will keep on believing for the rest of my life. However... there is one aspect that does not fit into this lovely picture of my Christian World; the fact that I'm gay.

People, including you, can believe whatever they want to believe. They can quote the Bible countless times, rub it in my face, try to indoctrinate me with whatever ideological circumstances they crave for this world of ours. Today, the only thing I am 100% certain of is the fact that I did not ask to be gay. Believe me pastor if I say, that there was not a single moment in time that sat down on my bed and chose my life to be this way. I would not choose to be bullied, made fun of and even rejected by my family. I did not ask to be laughing stock of my community, the outsider in my school or the poor guy (with feelings) that always had to pull on the shortest end just because one pathetic aspect of his life (his sexuality) wasn't according to this ideal situation described by the Bible. I never asked for this life and if I could, I would ask to be straight, for all the pain and suffering in my life to end.

Pastor, I'm sure you never sat down on your bed and decided to be straight. It is just the way it has always been, right? Well, I can say the same thing. I know the Bible speaks out against homosexuality and homosexual tendencies; these are things my mom still rubs in my face every single day. But you know what Pastor? I choose not to see the negative. That same Bible that speaks out against homosexuality also tells me that God loved me when I was but a fetus in my mother's womb. Is it not the same faith that you use as ammunition against my lifestyle that states that we should love thy neighbor like you love yourself?; that we should not judge others? Pastor, the whole Christian faith is based on love, love for God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and... each other. If you cannot even love a fellow human being whose sexual orientation differs from your own, how can you possibly call yourself Christian?

I'm not here to pass any judgment, nor to change your mind or argue against this strange religion you believe to be the alpha and omega. The mere point that I want to bring across is that God created both you and me. He made me in his image, just like he did you. He made me exactly the way I am, and He stood back and admired me, for I was made in His image. You and I might not have the same sexual orientation, but God loves both of us. He will not stop loving me for something in my life that I have no control over. And to claim that God does not love unconditionally is walking on broken glass Pastor, for as far as God's promise to me in the Bible I read is concerned; He loves me unconditionally, for I was born with sin into a sinful world.

My relationship with my God is good. I love Him, I honor Him, but most of all, I believe in Him, recognize Him as my Savior and Father. What happens to my soul when I die is up to Him. But as far as I know He is a loving God, who will save those who do not turn their back on Him. I don't turn my back on anyone, especially not God. Pastor, I hope that you will free your heart and mind of the prejudice it holds against gay people. Please allow us our fair place in the sun like we allow you yours. Please don't try to judge us by highlighting single verses in a Bible that was, after all said and done, still written by human beings just like you and me, who in turn had their own judgments of people, society and of life (why else do you think the Bible states that we are not allowed to eat prawns?). Let us all conclude in this age-old debate that it is not up to us to decide what is right and wrong in God's eyes, for only He knows exactly. And let us all try to manage the paths of our own lives before we start telling others how to lead theirs, for we are not perfect, not a single one of us. Let us allow each other space to live, space to breathe, space to be who we are, space to love freely, unconditionally and truly... even if that love is for someone who happened to be of the same gender.

Kind regards and God bless.

ECDJ