Several paragraphs in...I knew I needed a good, strong cup of tea. As a convert to Catholicism ~ hating/persecuting gay people was not a part of my Catechism. As you mentioned, I knew gay people but never thought of them in religious terms. They were simply....people. Short, tall, fat, skinny, likable, not so likable. They were you and they were me.
Absolutely, Christians interpret the Bible ~ may I jump out on a limb here and say that in my personal experience over many years, how literally/fundamentally the Bible was interpreted depended upon what religion the individual subscribed to.
Okay. I understand that. I never took any Bible literally, I chose to use it (when I did use it) as a great learning tool with wonderful/ sometimes not so wonderful stories. My bottom line became simply..The Golden Rule. As you know, I am in the midst of a divorce after many years with the same person...being in a relationship, whether heterosexual or homosexual does not guarantee a person won't be lonely. I am a prime example of that. I also have had a gay man close friend for twenty years. I watched him struggle. I watched him fall in love, fall out of love, weep for a lost love.
Now I am privileged to see him with a wonderful man (whom I think is worthy of my friend) and see a beautiful relationship grow..and couldn't be happier for them. I go to a gay dance club with them and, when I'm not out on the dance floor, sit and observe the humanity around me. It's NOT all about the sex. It's about community...community of like people..talking about their jobs, about bills they are struggling to pay, the grandchildren or children they are going to be with the next day. THEY are YOU and THEY are me and I couldn't wait to read the happy ending of David finally finding himself and someone else. I didn't see his death coming and I cry not only for the loss of a valuable life, but that he didn't get to experience the love he so deserved..
Chris Gromlowicz offers this beautiful comment:
ReplyDeleteSeveral paragraphs in...I knew I needed a good, strong cup of tea. As a convert to Catholicism ~ hating/persecuting gay people was not a part of my Catechism. As you mentioned, I knew gay people but never thought of them in religious terms. They were simply....people. Short, tall, fat, skinny, likable, not so likable. They were you and they were me.
Absolutely, Christians interpret the Bible ~ may I jump out on a limb here and say that in my personal experience over many years, how literally/fundamentally the Bible was interpreted depended upon what religion the individual subscribed to.
Okay. I understand that. I never took any Bible literally, I chose to use it (when I did use it) as a great learning tool with wonderful/ sometimes not so wonderful stories. My bottom line became simply..The Golden Rule. As you know, I am in the midst of a divorce after many years with the same person...being in a relationship, whether heterosexual or homosexual does not guarantee a person won't be lonely. I am a prime example of that. I also have had a gay man close friend for twenty years. I watched him struggle. I watched him fall in love, fall out of love, weep for a lost love.
Now I am privileged to see him with a wonderful man (whom I think is worthy of my friend) and see a beautiful relationship grow..and couldn't be happier for them. I go to a gay dance club with them and, when I'm not out on the dance floor, sit and observe the humanity around me. It's NOT all about the sex. It's about community...community of like people..talking about their jobs, about bills they are struggling to pay, the grandchildren or children they are going to be with the next day. THEY are YOU and THEY are me and I couldn't wait to read the happy ending of David finally finding himself and someone else. I didn't see his death coming and I cry not only for the loss of a valuable life, but that he didn't get to experience the love he so deserved..