Pastor Says

[Thorne]

Why do you have to work so hard to make people behave naturally?

Well, for one thing, too many people just can't view homosexuality as being 'natural'. They have to view it as an abomination, something to be feared and stamped out. Because it's different. Because "those people are not like US!"

In short, it's ignorance and superstition and dogmatism, in varying combinations. And besides, the Bible says it's okay to kill "those people". You know, the same places that say it's not right to eat ham or shellfish, or to wear clothes of blended fabrics, or to get tattoos. Yeah, God doesn't like those things, either.

[thir]

Well, for one thing, too many people just can't view homosexuality as being 'natural'. They have to view it as an abomination, something to be feared and stamped out. Because it's different. Because "those people are not like US!"

I wasn't just thinking of homosexuality, but about gender roles and other roles that are, in fact, considered natural by various parties. If they are natural, why is so much work needed to cram people into those roles?

[Thorne]

I wasn't just thinking of homosexuality, but about gender roles and other roles that are, in fact, considered natural by various parties. If they are natural, why is so much work needed to cram people into those roles?

Yes, I know. I said homosexuality, but I should include gay, lesbian, trans-gender, bi-sexual, or any other non-heterosexual lifestyle.

Not sure what you mean by "why is so much work needed to cram people into those roles?" I'm going to assume you mean the work done by the LGBT community to gain acceptance. But they are not cramming people into those roles, they are trying to have their rights recognized rather than have them denied for being in those roles. It's not all that different from the battle the African-American community had to (and still must) fight to gain acceptance as equal members of our society. The ONLY rationale for deny rights to LGBT people is a religious one. The BIBLE says it's bad! JESUS hates queers!" Except that Jesus never said a damned thing about homosexuality. He did, however, give tacit approval to slavery. And those parts of the Bible which DO seem to say something about homosexuality almost always speak ONLY of man/man sex, and not woman/woman sex. And they also say an awful lot about other things which are wrong, but which modern Christians don't really hold to.

[thir]

Yes, I know. I said homosexuality, but I should include gay, lesbian, trans-gender, bi-sexual, or any other non-heterosexual lifestyle.

Not sure what you mean by "why is so much work needed to cram people into those roles?"

I mean the roles that are seen as normal/gods will/decent/natural - and if people do not act 'naturally' as per the ideas of such authorities, all kinds of pressure is applied, according to the laws and habits of said society.

If you are gay, and people want to make you straight, if you do not conform to gender roles, if you want to live in another way etc great presssure is brought on to 'cram' you into the (usually) quite small box labelled 'gods will' or 'natural'.

[Thorne]

If you are gay, and people want to make you straight, if you do not conform to gender roles, if you want to live in another way etc great presssure is brought on to 'cram' you into the (usually) quite small box labelled 'gods will' or 'natural'.

That's because such people are "perverts" and "evil" and "Satan's spawn" simply because they are different than "good people."

In other words, if you don't think like they do, talk like they do, love like they do, pray like they do, and basically have the moral sense of ancient goat herders, you're obviously not even human!