The Chronicles of a Life Worth Living

Homosexuality is sin!

Now, there are a few problems with this statement which I will address right now.

1) To begin, this has the implication that homosexuality is a choice. Now, to begin, we have found - through science - that it is something innate and inborn. Homosexuality being a choice also implies that heterosexuality is a choice. Now, if both are a choice you make, then neither can be natural or unnatural, and neither can be sinful. That’s not to say that sexual sin does not exist, but more on that later.

2) Christians tend to adopt this ‘love the sinner, hate the sin’ attitude, which is basically where this derived from. But, what we find is that homosexuality becomes associated with a sexual act, a ‘lifestyle,’ and quite simply all people who are gay. Therefore, saying, “Homosexuality is sin” implies the sexual act, the ‘lifestyle,’ and anyone who is simply gay. It then becomes clear, when said that way, that we do in fact, hate the sinner as well. And anything from the Bible that leads to the hatred of another person, or group of people, simply cannot be correct as the basic message and goal of the Bible was to spread love and acceptance.

3) For the sake of this third argument, we are going to say that homosexuality refers to only sexual acts. Now, when stated this way, what you are saying is that homosexuality only exists outside of loving, committed relationships. That the only time someone can have a homosexual relationship is in the confines of lust. This is simply not true. Homosexual couples do love each other and endure over time, (see Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Burtka; Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DeRossi; David and Johnathon - from the Bible). The handful of verses from the Bible that address homosexuality are discussing relations between children, male prostitutes, or the act of rape; not loving, committed relationships.

For me, the most Biblical interpretation of the word would be to advocate for marriage equality. Not only are you spreading love and God’s word, but you are also not FORCING people to live in sin. When we hold true that sex outside of marriage is lustful and sinful, yet we do not allow homosexuals to get married, we are literally forcing them into sinful actions. It becomes a cycle where you keep people from having the life they want, forcing them to live in sin, and then say that because they live in sin, they should not have the life they want. It’s a circular argument which makes no sense. So, please, re-evaluate your position if you’re still unclear. It may not change, but at the very least, bear in mind everything I mention.

Homosexuality has been present on this world in every single culture that currently exists, or has ever existed. It is exhibited in 400+ animal species. Yet, homophobia only exists in one.

To Be Honest

As a Christian who sits in a pew every Sunday praying and worshipping to my God. I find it disgraceful that people would believe that who I am a gay man is not acceptable. Everyone has heard it time and time again - what the Bible ACTUALLY says on the subject. All I am saying is that we need to be a generation that is taking time to bring people into the church. Not sending messages of hating which makes people not want to come near it. We aren’t meant to go protest, and shout God’s word out of context. We’re called to love - to pray for God’s will. Not yours. God has plans far beyond what your brain - or even mine - can imagine. So, please. Let me be at peace sitting in my pew, with my rainbow bracelet on. Let me think about who I am and who I want to be. And let me leave the church feeling revived and happy at what God is doing in my life - and share that with everyone around me.

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Hope.

I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an Emperor, that’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible; Jew, Gentile, Black man, White. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one other. This world has room for everyone and the good Earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful. But we have lost the way – greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, yet we shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.

The airplane and the radio has brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men. Cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all. Even now, my voice is reaching millions throughout the world. Millions of despairing men, women, and little children. Victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. For those who can hear me, I say, do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed; the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die. And the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.

Soldiers: don’t give yourself to brutes. Men who despise you and slave you, who regiment your lives. Tell you what to do, what to think, and what to feel. Who drill you, diet you, treat you like kettle, use you as cannon fire. Don’t give yourself to these unnatural men, machine men with machine minds and machine hearts. You are not machines, you are not kettle. You are men, you have the love of humanity in your hearts. You don’t hate. Only the unloved hate. The unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers, don’t fight for slavery, fight for liberty.

In the 17th chapter of St. Luke it is written: the kingdom of God is within man. Not one man or a group of men, but in all man. In you. You, the people have the power. The power to create machines the power to create happiness. You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful. To make this life a wonderful adventure. Then, in the name of democracy, let us use that power! Let us all unite, let us fight for a new world, a decent world. That will give men a chance to work. That will give youth a future, and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But, they lie. They do not fulfill that promise, they never will. Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfill that promise. Let us fight to free the world. To do away with national barriers. To do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason. A world where science and progress will lead to all man’s happiness.

Soldiers: in the name of democracy, let us all unite!

Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator