Religious Protestors At GLBT Events

[LadyArana]

As some of you may know, I am a bisexual woman. I am active in my local GLBT community. For those who don't know, GLBT stands for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Transvestite. Now, it's bad enough that the United States government doesn't view gay couples as being deserving of the same civil liberties as heterosexual couples, but to add to this unconstitutional persecution, we get religious persecution as well! I've been to many GLBT events, such as pride fest, pride parade, NCOD (National Coming Out Day), etc. and each time there were religious protestors, picketing. They'd have signs out saying that homosexual relationships were an abomination against God, and how we were all going to hell, and on and on and on. Now, first of all, who the hell are they to judge me?! Doesn't Matthew 7:1 of your precious Bible say "Judge not lest ye be judged."? And what about that passage in Second Chorinthians that talks about how love never fails and never judges, and love is perfect, and God is love? If love is perfect, and God is love, how can a homosexual relationship be wrong? Compounding on that, who's to say the God you worship is the same as the diety I worship? EVERY monotheistic religion thinks that their God is the ONE God. I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing that an all-seeing, all-knowing, all-loving God, can sit there and "create" man and then say, "Oh, I'm going to give you free will, but if you do this, this, this, this or this, I'm not letting you into heaven." What the hell? Really? If you don't act like I want you to you're not invited to my party?! And if God is supposed to love everyone, then why would any given denomination of Christianity or Judaism claim that God has damned a certain group of people to hell? Really? Can someone please explain to me how this makes any sense?

[Thorne]

And if God is supposed to love everyone, then why would any given denomination of Christianity or Judaism claim that God has damned a certain group of people to hell? Really? Can someone please explain to me how this makes any sense?

The first thing you have to do is try to figure out how anyone can WANT to spend their life on their knees worshiping some supernatural being so that, after they die, they can spend eternity... on their knees worshiping that same being! And of course, anyone who doesn't worship in exactly the same way, and believe exactly the same things, is going to hell no matter what they do!

It truly is madness when you look at all the people in the world who basically turn their minds off because of some book. A book that is so self-contradictory that virtually any point of view can be justified by it. And it does precious little good to quote their own book at them, since they have already decided that anything you say is blasphemy, spewed from the mouth of Satan, and therefore not applicable to them.

But keep up the good fight, LadyArana. The numbers of people who are abandoning religions because of the intolerance and hate are growing. Much of the anger and hatred we see going on today is caused by panic and fear, fear that they are losing the battle for the minds of the people. It wasn't all that long ago that admitting you were gay or bi (or atheist, like me) would have practically been a death sentence. We are making progress.

[lexora]

Hmmm I would not worry so much about a religion that has rules and follows NONE of them, all thur time they done everything that they said not to do. Most of those people have skeletons in there closets that makes what they doing seem idiotic. But they just want to place blame on something one someone so they do not look as bad.

[Ownedfyre (mm1)]

The first thing you have to do is try to figure out how anyone can WANT to spend their life on their knees worshiping some supernatural being so that, after they die, they can spend eternity... on their knees worshiping that same being! And of course, anyone who doesn't worship in exactly the same way, and believe exactly the same things, is going to hell no matter what they do!

It truly is madness when you look at all the people in the world who basically turn their minds off because of some book. A book that is so self-contradictory that virtually any point of view can be justified by it. And it does precious little good to quote their own book at them, since they have already decided that anything you say is blasphemy, spewed from the mouth of Satan, and therefore not applicable to them.

But keep up the good fight, LadyArana. The numbers of people who are abandoning religions because of the intolerance and hate are growing. Much of the anger and hatred we see going on today is caused by panic and fear, fear that they are losing the battle for the minds of the people. It wasn't all that long ago that admitting you were gay or bi (or atheist, like me) would have practically been a death sentence. We are making progress.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Thank You Thorne!

[Thorne]

You're welcome, fyre. Glad to see someone who appreciates me.

[denuseri]

As some of you may know, I am a bisexual woman.

So am I.

I am active in my local GLBT community.

Im not all that active anymore. Though I have activly campaigned for G&L rights both in real life in my local community and here in the forums in two different threads, one on the topic of gay marriage and one on gays in the military.

For those who don't know, GLBT stands for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Transvestite. Now, it's bad enough that the United States government doesn't view gay couples as being deserving of the same civil liberties as heterosexual couples, (Thats becuase it was a non-issue for a very very long time due to the cultural standards of the original collonists of their day and age...and those standards didnt change on this issue until quite recently historically speaking) but to add to this unconstitutional persecution, we get religious persecution as well! I've been to many GLBT events, such as pride fest, pride parade, NCOD (National Coming Out Day), etc. and each time there were religious protestors, picketing. They'd have signs out saying that homosexual relationships were an abomination against God, and how we were all going to hell, and on and on and on. Now, first of all, who the hell are they to judge me?! Doesn't Matthew 7:1 of your precious Bible say "Judge not lest ye be judged."? And what about that passage in Second Chorinthians that talks about how love never fails and never judges, and love is perfect, and God is love? If love is perfect, and God is love, how can a homosexual relationship be wrong? As much as it pains me to say this...there are a great number of people who feel that it is unatural...do I agree with them...no...but do I respect their right to express their opinion...yes. Compounding on that, who's to say the God you worship is the same as the diety I worship? EVERY monotheistic religion thinks that their God is the ONE God. I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing that an all-seeing, all-knowing, all-loving God, can sit there and "create" man and then say, "Oh, I'm going to give you free will, but if you do this, this, this, this or this, I'm not letting you into heaven." What the hell? Really? If you don't act like I want you to you're not invited to my party?! And if God is supposed to love everyone, then why would any given denomination of Christianity or Judaism claim that God has damned a certain group of people to hell? Really? Can someone please explain to me how this makes any sense?

It makes sence in that man is falable..capable of mistakes...if you know anything about the history of how the Bible was written...then you would know that the Bible was written by men. Men who make mistakes...they may try not too, but they do. Now Interpetations of what those men wrote...is also, often times full of mistakes, especially when such things are taken out of their historical contexts in which they were written. I believe that if Jesus, were alive today he would be amongst those non-criminal elements of our society that people look down upon the most setting the example he would wish for us to uphold personally.

Outside of that consideration...I too believe that the people you have mentioned who think its ok to condem other people for practices that do no harm to others are mising the forest for a single tree as it were.

[denuseri]

Here is a link to the threads I mentioned in case you or anyone else wishes to contribute some more on those subjects specifically:

http://www.bdsmlibrary.com/forums/sh...-same-sex-only

http://www.bdsmlibrary.com/forums/sh...litary-Service

[LadyArana]

denuseri, as always, you are extremely well-spoken. Yes, the Bible was written by falable men. And interpreted by falable men. And CONTINUES to be interpreted by falable men. Does that make their God the one true end all be all of deities? Hardly. I was raised in a Christian home, but turned away from that faith long ago. I much prefer the Wiccan crede: An' it harm none, do what ye will. Thank you to everyone that's responded here. Thorne, thank you for your encouragement. fyre, thank you for your echo of Thorne's sentiment. denuseri, thank you very much for another well-spoken and analytical response.

[Ownedfyre (mm1)]

An' it harm none, do what ye will.

Blessed Be!!