Amen Darwoo!!

You should be a minister yourself...um maybe not! LOL!! No but seriously, you have hit the nail on the head. Too many gay and lesbian bothers and sisters are oppressed by this thing we call our ticket to heaven. I think if more people would actually examine their own lives and realize that some things that they do are biblical no no's. We have understand that a lot of translations and meaning were changed in the bible. Hence why people need to go beyond the bible and investigate...God won't strike you dead.

Darwoo, keep preaching...I hope in our lifetime we will see our "own" come around love all of our differences!
 

My Brother,
I am speechless. I am literally to tears because of this man. I had the rare opportunity to work for Randy and Paula White of Without Walls International Church in Tampa, Florida and two (2) years ago Bishop Paige came to out church. I was cool with the message until he hit on homosexuality and sissy christians. I became enraged. I at that time was already struggling with my sexuality and my place in the temple. I wish not to go further but fast forward to this past Sunday... I decided to put in a cd from a previous sermon... I asked myself, "Why I have not listened to the message in quite some time?" I forgot the content of the message. When I played the cd it was immediately taken back to that day. Flash back to today... I'm still trying to find my place in ministry where my fellow peers won't kill me. It's so funny because the one talking shit are the one living this life too. What a shame! I can honestly say, We've walked away from the true meaning of Christ. Keep it up man. Hopefully one day I will be able to stand with you in unity declaring the true Christ and making a difference in this world that far exceeds the the mission of what I call the "Boot-leg Jesus message"
Stay encouraged,
K.D. Perry
 

I once was asked, by my older brother, who is a "Born Again Christian" to assist in the videotaping of a guest lecturing pastor at Church On The Way, in the San Fernando Valley. This is a "Yahweh" church, filled with mostly evangelicals. One member of the congregation even tried to lay hands on me and the camera equipment in order to "bless" us, which caused me to literally shy away like a... well, like a pony. Anyway, it seemed like the meeting (a large, two-day affair attended by about 2,500 people) was going along well enough, and in a positive, constructive meanner. Then, on the second day, a well-loved guest minister spoke from the pulpit, vehemently denouncing Gays, Lesbians, prostitutes, and anyone else who was not heterosexual AND "married in the eyes of God." Well, I knew that this video was important to my brother's company, and normally my professionalism as both a journalist and film maker would have kept me in my place. However, this preacher became more and more outraged about Gays in particular, calling for blanket condemnation of Gays. He topped it off with that tired old bullshit about "love the sinner, but hate the sin." Sorry, but that's still just plain old hate, masked in some twisted political correctness, as if these people can stab us in the belly with a knife while saying, "I'm not really hurting you; I'm helping remove your evil," while your liver and colon fall out onto the floor and you die.
Anyway, I decided that I could use my small amount of power in the situation to stop this man's statement from getting any further technical help from me, so I shut down the video equipment, and in front of the entire congregation, I walked out of the building.
That afternoon, I got home, called my brother, and basically ripped him a new asshole. He tried to explain that he didn't know that the man in question would say those things, but he also tried to defend the preacher, saying he would never advocate hatred or violence against Gays. I told him that not only WAS he doing JUST THAT, I could also guarantee him that there were probably several people in that congregation who themselves WOULD use that minister's hatred as permission to practice hate and even violence against Gays. After all, if it comes from the pulpit, it must be okay, right? Our pastor says God hates Gays, or at least the idea of homosexuality, so therefore it's okay to practice that hatred on those who are Gay or have Gay friends and family. Right?

This is part of the problem with so many Americans: they don't exercise independent thinking. They follow the flock. They think in whatever way their priest or pastor or police or politicians tell them to. And, as a result, they bury their heads in the sand when it comes down to real, individual situations. Because their brains have atrophied as a result of disuse. Why do you think Fox (alledged) News is so popular? Certainly not because it's accurate or correct. Because it's easy. Fox loves to point fingers of blame at anyone with a progressive or "liberal" bias in the world, and tell you "Liberalism is the cause of all the world's problems." Like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Rielly, Sean Hannity, and many others, they're not interested in offering solutions. They are interested only in fomenting fear and insecurity among people who should know better. And making themselves rich at the same time.
Add to this pattern the fact that more and more churches, congregations, preachers, and "faithful" in America feel the need to proselytise, and basically cram their beliefs down everyone else's throats without concern for whether their victims really WANT to be converted or preached to. Many of them are using their religious beliefs in the most fundamentally un-American way possible: to enact legislation into the Laws of The Land based upon their own narrow viewpoints.
Many of us should know better, and make the effort to act better toward Gays, Lesbians, Transgendered, and all others around us. But then, that would actually take some thought and effort, wouldn't it? It would take a challenge to a lifetime of ingrained, destructive, false programming by those we were supposed to trust, but who in reality were following their own selfish agendas. It would take the guts to stand up to those in "authority" with intelligence, thoughtfulness, and even forceful resistance when need be. We have become a fascist country, because we refuse to stand for what's right about The American Way.
After all, doing so would be a risk to our comfort zones.
Wouldn't it?