
I've always loved this quote from a holiday special of The Peanuts, in which Linus states something along the lines of, "There are three things you should never talk about: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin." Well, we're not shy about talking politics, and we haven't had an opportunity to bring up pumpkins. So I guess I don't hold Linus' words close to my heart?
Therefore, I'd like to take a moment to talk about religion. A few days ago, I was filling out a medical history form for my new doctor, and it included a field asking about my religion. This wasn't a question I had to answer on a regular basis, so I became rather stumped. Do I deem myself as ex-Catholic? Recovering Christian? Agnostic? Spiritual in my own way? I had no idea what to write, and finally decided on leaving the field blank.
Much like myself, many gay or bisexual men raised in religious households have completely denounced their places of worship for not accepting who they are. But is the actual religion the problem? Or is it the assholes who misinterpret it for their own personal gain? Take Pastor Steven Anderson as an example. He believes that all gay individuals should be arrested, and that we're all sexual predators who recruit for our evil team by molestation. He's essentially likening us to butt-raping Voldemorts.
It's people like Anderson (among many others) who give Christianity a bad name. The Bible does say some fucked up shit. But on the other hand, it also includes some wonderful ideas. Upon reading historian John Boswell's Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality in college, it became clear to me that you can't blame the original book for all this hate.
Throughout history, men promoting their own agenda have inflated some lines from Leviticus to become this grand condemnation. Oddly, they choose to ignore the other elements of Leviticus that are completely ridiculous or just inconvenient to their lifestyle. It's not an abomination for them to hit up a Red Lobster and chow down on some delicious crustacean, but it is an abomination for us to roll around naked together. Utterly preposterous.
Now I'm not saying I'm about to go roll up into the nearest Baptist parish and start praising the Lord, but I think we need to be less judgmental of religious folks as a whole. Someone who is an openly gay Christian isn't "stupid" or "retarded". There's too much hate in this world, and if there's one thing we should take away from the fictional or non-fictional life of Jesus... it's his messages of love. Call it corny, but it's all I got to say right now.
- Dewitt
To hear an interview with Paster Steven Anderson, follow the JUMP: