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Originally Posted by Adrastus
So how many people here have been brought up catholic? And then realized that god you believed in , or didn't believe in, doesn't believe in you because you like people of the same sex?
Unfair right. Now I'm not a religious person in the very least, but its still interesting looking at all the different religions, and seeing who and what the accept. So how many people here would still call themselves Christian? and if not, what other religions interest you.. or do you call yourself?
Just an interesting topic amongst gays. Do we actually have a religion besides atheism?
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Unfortunately, many of the religions of the world are not very friendly to gays, but I my belief that has a lot more to do with culture than religion itself. The line between culture and religion is very blurry at times, and to blame God (or whatever deity in which you believe) for the narrow minds of people is really not fair to God. My belief is that homosexuality is not a choice and that a person's sexuality is something that is biologically ingrained within them. No matter what a given Church or demonination says about homosexuality you should keep a strong connection to God irregardless of the dictates/doctrines of a given faith. For example, the Roman Catholic Church is against divorce, abortion, and birth control, but people who engage in such activities still go to church because of their desire to worship God. Being a homosexual in a straight world is not an easy task, but as long as you respects the sensitivities of the majority of society without jettisoning your beliefs or morals, then you will be all right.
Basically, being homosexual shouldn't bar you from being a normal member of society, and folks shouldn't bar themselves from Church (or whatever religious institution where you worship). In the Roman Catholic example, it has been revealed that quite a few number of priests are gay, and for the Roman Catholic Church to give homosexuals grief is not right. Simply put, I would operate under a don't ask/don't tell policy when you go to church where you can be a productive member of the congregation while also maintaining your lifestyle without getting grief from others. Once you become an indispensible part of the community most likely your sexuality will become an irrelevant fact of life or at worst an open secret about no one talks.
Finally, the Episcopal Church has shown itself to be pretty progressive when it comes to homosexual rights. While it is a Protestant Church it retains many aspects of the Roman Catholic liturgy which may be appealing for those from high church traditions.