So why is sex such an enticing topic, and why is it so taboo?
Some say the West is uptight, and even European tourists to
Florida scoff at the swimwear required at US beaches. If sex
were actually taught (and practiced!) at school, would it become
as boring as algebra? This audio lecture from Alan Watts asks
such questions and explains why “Making Whoopie” makes
some people nervous.
Alan Watts – Sex in the Church from John Allen Bell on Vimeo.
Popularity: 10% [?]
I think my loved one might be gay.
Congratulations! Many people do not have the honor of knowing someone gay or at least don’t know they know someone.
You might be asking yourself – “well if he/she is gay, how to I treat them”? The answer to that is VERY simple and VERY important – you treat them like they are your loved one. Any other response is inappropriate and not loving.
You may not be pleased that your loved one is gay – or you may love it – either way – it is what it is and YOU need to deal with it – it will help your loved one deal with it. Trust me they will have plenty to deal with in the various forms of discrimination that we are forced to accept in the lack of equal rights: marriage, adoption, legal access, job and housing discrimination; the list goes on. If LOVED one is how you really refer to this person – do just that love them, support them, ask them questions, learn about them, care about their lives.
It may make you uncomfortable to talk about their life but ignoring it is very hurtful. Ask them if they have a significant other just as you would ask your straight loved one. Make sure invitations include “guest” or the person’s name, just as you would a straight friend. Introduce that person to others the way your gay friend would choose to have you do that – “this is Jason’s friend” can be very patronizing where “this is Jason’s partner” can be very freeing and respectful to everyone involved.
There may be a number of hurdles for you to get over – but in the end you and your loved one will both be much closer and respect will be the word used to describe how you feel about one another.
Popularity: unranked [?]
Should Gay Marriage be legal?
Of course it should be and it should be called marriage and not some other name like commitment, holy union, domestic partners. It should be marriage and come with all the rights and responsibilities it affords to straight couples right now.
Why, you ask? Well let me address the most significant misconception about “gay marriage” i.e., the church doesn’t approve.
Marriage is not a religious issue in any way, shape, or form. It is not a church sponsored activity. It is a legal issue. Being a legal issue, marriage should be accessible to any couple regardless of the gender mix of the couple – end of discussion.
Churches should be in the business of blessing relationships in the name of God. Churches should not be an arm of the government in providing a legal relationship to couples. This would mean conservative churches would not be asked to do something they do not believe in – and thank God. After all it is America and those churches do not need to bless gay marriages. Liberal churches on the other hand, like the United Church of Christ, could go on blessing marriages of same gender couples as they currently do. But the legal aspect of a marriage would take place in city hall, the court house, the office of a justice of the peace. Then, and only if a couple wishes, the church would bless the union in the midst of family, friends, and the congregation.
This practice has been the method for marriages in Europe for centuries. A couple goes to city hall. The government marries them. They go across the square to the church and the church blesses the union and everyone is happy. It is one of the reasons that so many other countries allow gay marriages – they have evolved far beyond the idiocy of this country to understand the difference between the legal and religious definitions of marrage.
Popularity: unranked [?]
Is being gay a sin?
NO! Next.
Ok Ok – so you want more than that. Being gay is how gay people were born – so if you are a religious person and believe that people are created in God’s image – God has no issue with gayness – in fact – God created it. Did God create sin? Well that is a conversation I am not going to have here – maybe another time.
There are those who will point to specific Bible verses and say – “see, Jesus thinks it’s a sin”. Well let me assure you that Jesus never said a thing about homosexuality. Nothing. Nada. There are passages, when read out of context and with little or no historical perspective, indicate that the writer of the book are less than thrilled with homosexuality but when read through the filter of historical truth one will find that those passages, in most cases, are about something else and not a condemnation of homosexuality.
The Bible tells us to do many things that we would never do; “sell teenage daughter into slavery”, kill those who work on the Sabbath, cut out our eye. So interpreting the Bible as infalable is a very slippery slope.
There are many things perceived as sin. You are free to develop your own theory but the Biblical truth just might be that anything you don’t do with integrity, that does not enhance your life as a good person could be a sin.
Is Gayness a sin? Is drinking a sin? Is living a lavish lifestyle a sin? You can find people who will say yes to all or any of these questions. So it is really up to you to determine, in your life, what you feel is sin. But aside from your belief is reality. In reality is gayness a sin? Well your believe structure and the way life is and needs to be lived may be in conflict on this and many other things. Deal with it. Gayness is. That is what is important to remember “and the greatest of these is love”. THAT is far more important to remember.
Popularity: unranked [?]
I think my loved one might be gay.
Congratulations! Many people do not have the honor of knowing someone gay or at least don’t know they know someone.
You might be asking yourself – “well if he/she is gay, how to I treat them”? The answer to that is VERY simple and VERY important – you treat them like they are your loved one. Any other response is inappropriate and not loving.
You may not be pleased that your loved one is gay – or you may love it – either way – it is what it is and YOU need to deal with it – it will help your loved one deal with it. Trust me they will have plenty to deal with in the various forms of discrimination that we are forced to accept in the lack of equal rights: marriage, adoption, legal access, job and housing discrimination; the list goes on. If LOVED one is how you really refer to this person – do just that love them, support them, ask them questions, learn about them, care about their lives.
It may make you uncomfortable to talk about their life but ignoring it is very hurtful. Ask them if they have a significant other just as you would ask your straight loved one. Make sure invitations include “guest” or the person’s name, just as you would a straight friend. Introduce that person to others the way your gay friend would choose to have you do that – “this is Jason’s friend” can be very patronizing where “this is Jason’s partner” can be very freeing and respectful to everyone involved.
There may be a number of hurdles for you to get over – but in the end you and your loved one will both be much closer and respect will be the word used to describe how you feel about one another.
Popularity: unranked [?]
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