Regardless of the true intent behind the action, I think we can always trace the root of the problem back to the "Great Commission" that Christ gave his disciples right before he ascended to sit at the right-hand of god (or so we were told to believe). The commission is as stated:
Most fundies take this as free license to knock on your door on any given day (and from my experience, usually a Saturday morning, the day you are trying to sleep in and ignore the banging at the door!), and try to get you to come to church to learn about the love of Jesus. But what strikes me, perhaps in a quite silly way, is the word "creature." A quick look at the word "creature" in the original Greek, and the definition is, in its entirety:
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Basically, anything that God has created. Hampsters, crab grass, sugar maples, duck-billed platypus's, even the person trying to sleep in on Saturday morning.
- the act of founding, establishing, building etc
- the act of creating, creation
- creation i.e. thing created
- of individual things, beings, a creature, a creation
- anything created
- after a rabbinical usage (by which a man converted from idolatry to Judaism was called)
- the sum or aggregate of things created
- institution, ordinance
Now, you may be thinking, "Then why aren't there mass fundraising-efforts to preach the gospel to the inch-worm, or the dandelion?" Of course, if you were to pose this to a fundie, he would probably laugh at you, tell you Christ only meant people, and then shake his head at you like you were the crazy one.
But I ask, quite sincerely, if your God tells you "every creature" and not "man," and you take everything else in the bible literally (like the 7-day creation process, world-wide flooding, as well as talking snakes and donkeys), why would you turn your back on the three-toed sloth?
Perhaps I am being quite silly. Or perhaps we can chalk it up to more hypocrisy on the part of the fundie. Either way, I think it safe to say the fundie will be quite surprised if and when they make it to heaven. The ass might turn to them and say:
Will the fundie turn to the donkey and say, "Blow it out your ass!"? Or, "Forgive me, father, for I have sinned."?
And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? Numbers 22:28
Hmm. Remind me to ask a fundie about it sometime. Adam, feel free to send an e-mail. (Or for Christ's sake, just post it here! It'll only end up on this blog anyway!)
8 comments:
Hi Jason:
I am writing you because I think that you should be careful giving your opinions to gay people that feels desperated. I read your opinion in "I am a gift from God" blog, and it is very thoughtless. Remember that, although that blog can be totally fictitious, also it can be the only air source for that child of God with "sexual identity" problems. That person only needs love, prayers, and an attitude that demonstrates that the great desperation that he/she feels in his/her soul is understood. In one word, SOLIDARITY with his/her suffering, it is all that we can give. Remember that people with this problem are given to consider the suicide as solution to their anguish. You should think that being so thughtless, you can cause a suicide. Think about that.
God bless you.
Although you are entitled to your opnion, I have to disagree. The man is suffering, yes. Challenging his beliefs ma be the only solution for his misery, whether that be turning him closer to his god, or turning away form the source of his misery. Love is demonstrated through many avenues, and to simply say we must hug him and all will be well is silly.
I used to be on that path to suicide, thinking that since I couldn't change me and god wouldn't change me, ending my suffering was the only course I could think of. It was only when others began to challenge what I believed and why was I able to work through those issues.
To say engaging in conversation with a man who obviously wants to communicate by publicly posting his struggle is thoughtless on your part. I may be the only gay man that ever reaches out ot him, to let him know there is life away form the self-hatred perpetuated by the hateful groups of "Love in Action" and "Exodus International."
To perpetuate his self-hatred would leave him on the road of suicide and self-destruction.
Pray all you want. Tell him you love him all you want. But he also needs to think about his beliefs, why he chooses those beliefs, and if he chooses to stay the course, more power to him. But I've seen too many lives destroyed, suicide and otherwise, to watch a man suffering and say nothing.
Suicide rates according to the latest all-inclusive data I can find on a quick search (i.e., I spent about five minutes, but given more time and a future post, I can get more up-to-date data and facts):
*White males account for nearly three-fourths of all completed suicides.
*While there are four male suicides for every female one, women attempt suicide twice as often as do men.
*The highest suicide rates are found among white men over 50, who represent 10 percent of the population and who are responsible for 33 percent of the suicides. *Suicide rates for men over 65 are on the increase after a steady decrease from 1950-1980.
*Since 1950 the suicide rate for young men aged 15-24 has tripled, and for young women, it has more than doubled.
*Although suicide among children is a rare event, there has been a dramatic increase in the reported suicide rate among persons aged 10-14.
*Suicide rates for American Indians and Alaska Natives are well above the national average, with a disproportionate number of suicides among young men.
*Suicide among young African American males, once uncommon, has increased sharply in recent years.
*Suicide rates among some professions, such as police, farmers, dentists, and doctors, have been found to be higher than the national average.
*Attempted suicide rates among youth struggling with questions about their sexual orientation are higher than among others of the same age.
*Nearly 60 percent of all suicides are carried out with a firearm. People living in a household with a firearm are almost five times more likely to die by suicide than people who live in gun-free homes.
Stats from statistics on suicide come from information provided in the Surgeon General's report and accompanying documents as well as by the suicide prevention organizations. Information relies on official United States data from 1996 and earlier.
The discussion between Anonymous and myself is taking place on the blog "Life is a Gift From God" under the post "I Live" from May 6, 2006. The blogger is struggling with his sexual identity in the context of his biblically held beliefs. I am not looking to make him feel demonized or ganged-up-on, but I do hope others will reach out to him and let him know the truth about the reality of homosexual persons in today's day and age...
Did I ever mention I had bad Mexican food in Albuquerque?
I have no idea what you guys are arguing about, but it gives new meaning to "just shoot me."
Darkmind: I think Chris Carter forgot to put the whole Jesus-was-an-alien plot on the X-Files. Too bad, that would have been good! ;)
Darkmind: Damn! There's a loophole for aliens?!? I was hoping when we did discover extraterrestrial life we could throw the baby out with the bathwater! Sigh>
Kelly: You crack me up! How bad was the food in Albuquerque? Have you been able to eat Mexican food since? :D Maybe if you ordered your food in Mayan...
Ergo: This is where my eternal optimism comes into play! I believe that in everyone there is a desire to be good, and a desire to learn. So I hope...
And if it turns out that I am not the person for him to learn from, so be it. At least a seed has been planted...
Although you are entitled to your opnion, I have to disagree. The man is suffering, yes. Challenging his beliefs ma be the only solution for his misery, whether that be turning him closer to his god, or turning away form the source of his misery. Love is demonstrated through many avenues, and to simply say we must hug him and all will be well is silly.
I used to be on that path to suicide, thinking that since I couldn't change me and god wouldn't change me, ending my suffering was the only course I could think of. It was only when others began to challenge what I believed and why was I able to work through those issues.
To say engaging in conversation with a man who obviously wants to communicate by publicly posting his struggle is thoughtless on your part. I may be the only gay man that ever reaches out ot him, to let him know there is life away form the self-hatred perpetuated by the hateful groups of "Love in Action" and "Exodus International."
To perpetuate his self-hatred would leave him on the road of suicide and self-destruction.
Pray all you want. Tell him you love him all you want. But he also needs to think about his beliefs, why he chooses those beliefs, and if he chooses to stay the course, more power to him. But I've seen too many lives destroyed, suicide and otherwise, to watch a man suffering and say nothing.
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