I’m sick of homophobia. Frankly, I think it’s tired, outdated and a waste of time.
What someone does in (or out of) the bedroom is honestly nobody’s business. It does not make them a sinner; it does not make them dirty; it makes them human, sexual and amazing. And, as long as they are keeping their actions between consenting adults, who are we to judge? That’s not our job…that’s the big-guy-upstairs job and from what I hear, he doesn’t want anyone stealing it, so we all need to cut it out.
However, since we are humans and we do need to assess one another, a person’s character should be judged on decency and decency alone.
The Human Decency Code:
- Are they kind? Yes or No
- Do they play fair? Yes or No
- Do they share their good fortunes with the less fortunate? Yes or No
- Are they, in general, an overall a good human being? Yes or No
That’s it. Nothing else really matters. Not who they’ve slept with or who they want to sleep with, not which religion they follow, not which side of the bed they sleep on and absolutely not what colour their skin is. It really is, none of anyone’s business!
What frustrates me, is that in today’s society many people attribute their Gaytred to God because someone, a long time ago, interpreted the Bible as such that God does not accept homosexuality; that it’s a sin and that he WILL punish you if you engage in such activities. Many Gayters will validate their hatred and throw the Bible in your face and say that it’s ‘wrong’ and ‘indecent’ and say that ‘it has been written’. What’s that all about?
But, who wrote the Bible? Everyone knows, it wasn’t God’s hand that wrote those words. It wasn’t God who translated it from this language to that language and brought in their own human interpretations. It was man. And man is faulted with ‘human error’ all the time.
I’m pretty sure that neither God nor Jesus taught hatred. Humans did.
We teach our children that certain human orientations are wrong and dirty. We teach our children that there is only ‘one’ way. But is that true? Who are we to say what belief is wrong and what belief is right? I’m pretty sure that as long as people are abiding by the ‘human decency code’ that in general, they are doing just fine.
So, if God is love and God made us all (including the Gays and non-Christians) in his image, wouldn’t that mean that He may be a little gay too? Gay does mean happy after all.
I mean, if God didn’t want anyone to be gay, then why did he make some of us this way? Why did he make some girls drawn to girls, some boys drawn to boys and some drawn to everyone?
14 Responses to “Gaytred and the Human Decency Code”
November 24, 2011
Jen WoodallIf God didn’t want some of us to be gay, then why did he invent the prostate? A sick joke? I don’t think so…He’s much smarter than that
November 25, 2011
Bryan HermistonGod did make people gay but he also gave free will and he also gave instructions. He can’t reveal himself to the world because then the entire world would believe and that removes an individual’s freedom to choose.
I truly believe that a lot of people are gay either through birth or abuse. I’m the latter but in that same moment one has a choice; believe in God or do not. I believe in God and I believe that we have a choice regardless of our circumstance. It’s easy to say “i’m gay don’t judge me” but what if i said “i’m gay and i choose not to be”? That my loyalty to God is greater than my own motives. That my personal feelings are put aside for the greeter glory of the kingdom.
I also believe there’s a double standard here. But it’s not the typical one. The bible has value. It’s also male centric. That is; men are different than women and so our roles are different too. I’m pretty sure the bible speaks specifically about man on man contact and not so much women on women. Why? Because men, regardless of what popular culture has to say, lead. Not that women can’t. Women aren’t in gay relationships (typically) for the sex, men are insatiable and are very much in it for the sex.
Having been sexually abused for the better part of a decade the only thing that has stopped me from committing a number of terrible things is grace, love & forgiveness and those are much different banners than rights, pleasure and spite.
Men lead and are held to a higher standard. To ignore that higher standard is well … selfish. I think most homosexuals are selfish and damaged … just like everyone else.
November 25, 2011
Jen WoodallBryan, the fact that you were abused is outright awful. But that did not make you gay.
Religion is about interpretation so it’s up to you to decide how you will live your life.
There is nothing wrong with being gay. NOTHING. If you choose to pursue this, you may for the first time in your life, let a little happiness in.
I wish you all the best, and hope that you see a counselor.
November 25, 2011
Bryan HermistonBeing abused didn’t make me gay it made me predisposed. Then I chose not to be gay. Religion is not about interpretation it’s about choosing to follow a set of instructions and not reinterpreting it to fit with lifestyle choices.
There’s nothing wrong with being gay except if you believe the Bible in which it clearly states that being a homosexual is a sin. It’s like saying “I believe the law of gravity but the law is wrong on issues 4,5 & 6″; that’s ridiculous. If you believe the law then believe all of it or none of it. If you don’t want to follow the Bible then don’t but if you do follow the Bible it’s pretty clear on a number of issues.
#happiness. I’m very happy, very content and I let happiness in all the time. The anger you may be feeling with my words is contempt and its quite different from anger. I stand in contempt of homosexuals who feel that God (the God of the Bible) approves of their lifestyle when it clearly states otherwise.
#Counsellors? It’s almost insulting to imply that I need to see one. I have differing views than you, it’s that simple. Maybe you should see a counsellor about it?
Homosexuality and the Bible cannot and will never be reconciled together and this the crescendo of the GLBT movement to the point were Ministers are being forced by law to marry homosexuals under God and despite their personnel beliefs. Gay marriage is cool. Get married under God’s banner for all I care but my belief says the relationship is futile and the Bible says it’s a sin.
You asked the question, why did God make some people attracted to boys and others to girls and still others to both. You asked a theological question and I gave you a theological answer, it’s just not popular, and in fact it’s insulting to a lot of people. Just be sure to lump to me in with all the right wing inbred, brain dead monkeys. Clearly i’m against homosexuality and that makes dumb, immature, unreasonable and crazy or maybe just maybe it gives me character.
If I were a betting man i’d also presume (and I haven’t read your blog save today) your right to choose, your belief in the absolute equality of men & women, the need to never physically discipline a child and that the environment is sacred. Try standing on the other side of these issues and watch how popular your blog becomes.
November 25, 2011
Jen WoodallYou’re right:
I do believe in my right to choose! It’s my body dammit and I’ll govern it as I see fit.
I do believe that Men and Women are equal. Although we have different strengths and weaknesses no man is greater than any woman, and vice versa!
I do believe that one should never physically harm a child. But I also believe that children need to obey.
I also believe that the Environment is sacred. Who doesn’t?
And a gay person, has a right to marry!
Really, what it comes down to is that I believe in human rights. That’s all.
November 25, 2011
Jen WoodallOh, and anyone who was ever abused needs to talk to a counselor. That’s awful and no one should have to live with that.
November 25, 2011
Just CuriousIs it possible that the prostate exists for the sole purpose of accommodating homosexuality? Is it possible that all men that have prostates are inherently gay? Is it possible that the prostate serves nothing more than a simple biological function? Is it possible that there is a biological female counterpart to the prostate?
Is it possible that God has an agenda? Is it possible that we would know what his agenda is? Is it possible that we could know why he does and doesn’t do what he does? Is it possible that we have misinterpreted texts written in a different language, two thousand years ago, and we stake our livelihoods, our progress, and our happiness to those interpretations?
Is it possible that people become gay? Is it possible that free will plays a role in a person’s sexuality? Is it possible that a person is not gay simply because they decide to not lead a life that includes the true fulfillment of their sexuality?
Is it possible that there might actually be very real, and measurable differences between men and women. Is it possible that in our efforts to create the illusion of equality in this day and age, the pendulum has swung so far that we have lost touch with the beauty in those differences?
Is it possible that religion is simply there for us to interpret? Is it possible that we find ways to insert ourselves into religion using state laws as the crowbar? Is it possible that we do that, so that we may hide from our fear of death, and for the promise of the afterlife that religion promises, by lawfully forcing the religion to accept us? Is it possible that we pick and choose our religion, and which aspects of it we wish to follow so that we may live with ourselves?
If marriage is a ritual of the religious institution, and marriage between two people of the same sex is contrary to very specific rules laid out by that religious institution, another question arises. Why is it so important to people that they be allowed to participate in a marriage sanctioned by that religion that they cannot belong to? Is it a matter of convenience? Is it a matter of defiance? Is it a matter of acceptance?
Is it possible that the only people that are homophobic are the people that fight FOR and AGAINST the idea that homosexuality is natural. Is it possible that the only people that are not homophobic are the people that don’t give a shit about it, lead their own lives the way they see fit, regardless of their own sexuality.
Is it possible that the number of people on the planet who do NOT invest time and energy on the matter, far outweigh the few that do (both pro and con)? Is it possible that the only real reason there is homophobia to this day, is because the few people do invest their time and energy (both pro and con), are the people that perpetuate the whole thing?
These are all questions I wish I had answers to.
November 25, 2011
Linda KnolesNicely said!
November 26, 2011
VinceWhen talking about people who hate people that are gay and use the Bible to justify it, its worth noting that God doesn’t hate anyone. God hates sin, not people. He loves people. The purpose of Christ is to die for our sins. Everyones sin.
Whether you believe the Bible is God’s word or not is a bigger topic, but in it, the only sin that God can’t forgive is unbelief. Other than that, there is no greater sin or lesser sin. The whole topic of Christians being automatically anti-gay is overblown. It is possible for someone to believe that the act of homosexual sex is a sin and still love a gay person, just like God does, the same way he loves heterosexuals. I think the bigger question here is not about sexuality but about whose code of conduct you are going to apply to your life, which is a question most people will disagree on as long as there are people.
November 28, 2011
GeoffMost of the people who use the bible to justify their hatred have probably never truly read it, and look at it as a literal interpretation of rules. In which case I always quote Matthew 5:29 – “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” So if you check out a hot looking married woman, at dinner, you’d better be immediately plucking out your eye with the nearest salad fork if you’re gonna play the bible card, people. Otherwise just remember god loves all his children and move on with your day.
January 2, 2012
TanyaThere are many, many instances where someone will use the Bible to speak with authority about what God loves, or God doesn’t love, or what He finds a sin, or not a sin. The truth is WE DO NOT KNOW. If you can claim in the same breath that God is a loving God, that Jesus came to earth to pay for our sins, that Jesus walked with the poor, and the sinners, and warned us about turning our backs on our brothers, than you are ignoring the plot. Missing the point. Picking and choosing what to believe, while standing behind the bible as though you have all of the facts.
With the Bible, what we have are many accounts, over a long period of time, written by men, then heavily edited and translated again and again. This can not be your ‘proof’ that God hates gays. It is patently false.
There is no one single passage that speaks directly to a man living as a homosexual being a sin, no more than it was considered a sin to wear two types of cloth, to eat shrimp, to work on the Sabbath, to hoard your own wealth. You cannot pick and choose passages and interpret some and ignore others. That does not make you a Christian, it makes you a lazy reader, and a bigot. If you would stone a woman for touching a man while on her period, if you would gouge your own eye out for acting in your own sin, than I can safely call you a Bible literalist. But then, which version? Which testament are you going to follow?
January 2, 2012
TanyaThis is an excellent review about the 6 (COUNT ‘EM! 6!) little passages in the Bible that people love to refer to as the reason God hates that gays. There are thousands of passages, many that we happily would say are outdated, don’t fit our modern times, or simply don’t make sense. And, to be specific, none of the SIX small passages often referred to as ‘fact’, don’t actually have anything real to do with homosexuality. The main one actually refers to the horrendous sin of not being hospitable, one of the worst, most atrocious social crimes of that time.
http://unkingdom.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/why-I-believe-that-being-gay-is-not-a-sin.pdf
September 13, 2012
Mr. Sulu, so proud of YouYou! | Jen Talks Too Much[...] know that I’ve beaten this subject to death with my posts, Gaytred, Cure for Homo, and 7 Things Wrong with America, but with the American election coming up I’m [...]
September 17, 2012
Jen Woodall (@jentalkstoomuch)@VinesMatthew I think you’re brilliant. I wrote something Gaytred and religion that you may like: http://t.co/K9bRi5Bc