XemVanAdams: We Were Born Gay & We Aren't Going To Hell

[wutangfan85]

Run time: 09:50 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZX7VTSdBJE   Posted on YouTube: February 16, 2010 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: February 17, 2010 By DU Member: wutangfan85 Views on DU: 749

 
A youtuber named XemVanAdams explains his feelings about mainstream religion's treatment towards the gay community.



As someone who is black, straight and a Agnostic I have to say that one of the main reasons for homophobia in the Black community is the black church, now don't get me wrong there are churches that are excepting of gay people and preach hell and damnation about the gay community but for the large part it's stil a BIG problem. I know this because I've witnessed it myself different occasions. Anyway, you should check out this dude Twitter sometime and his youtube page. I think that somebody else did put up a video of him talking about the Mainstream Media's portrayal of the gay community called "GAYFACE: Mainstream Media's Portrayal Of The LGBT Community (QV - 4)": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLJul-zb6o4

[Rhiannon12866]

1. K&R. Pretty sad stuff, especially since it's still going on...

I know a gay man, in his 70s, who spent a lot of years hating himself for what he knew he was. He attributes a lot of that to growing up in the Catholic Church. ;(

[wutangfan85]

2. Yeah, that's sad too, but in the black church it is more of a taboo

subject and I think we haven't done a good job addressing that issue about homophobia in the Black community and the Black Church's role in it. And I'm specifically talking about what's viewed in the mainstream as the Black Church. My aunts are ministers and there have been a couple times where they look at Gay Marriage as a mistake and a sin under the eyes of God. That's when I knew that if there is a God that actually thinks that way about his/her children than I do not want to be associated in any way with that religion. Which is why I am an Agnostic, but I still respect people of different beliefs and their views about religion.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. I'm not at all religious, either, but I did grow up in The Church...

I went to Sunday school and all that, but I don't remember anyone ever mentioning homosexuality. Perhaps it's a more recent phenomenon or maybe I never heard about it because I'm female. :shrug:

The thing is, in any church, their doctrine is supposedly based on the teachings of Jesus. Nowhere in Christianity has bigotry ever been endorsed. Christians are supposed to treat other people they way that they wish to be treated. But it appears to me that these present day Fundies, the right-wingers, are intentionally forgetting the lesson of tolerance and twisting the message for their own ends, that their religion tells them that it's okay to dislike anyone or anything that they already don't like or approve of. x(

I think in your aunts' case, it may be a generational thing. They were probably taught what they continue to believe. My 71-year-old gay friend still believes in God, but no longer attends or supports the Catholic Church. I'm not familiar with the Black Church, but I would think that they, above all, would understand and reject any kind of bigotry, but old ideas die hard... :-(

Like you, I'm an agnostic, or, more likely, an atheist. I've posted in that forum here on DU. I have issues with most forms of organized religion. My mother goes to church, but, for her, I think it's more a social thing, or her upbringing, than a matter of faith. My father was a true believer, truly walked the walk as far as Christianity is concerned, but he died of cancer at 62. That's what firmly closed the door on religion for me. ;(

I think it's possible to have faith without belonging to any specific church, think that's the norm, these days. I often wish that I could believe, and, as a liberal, I have an open mind, but all that I see and hear, these days, pushes me in the other direction, too...

Rhiannon :hi:

[wutangfan85]

5. I also think that it's a genrational thing,

because young people do tend to be more open minded with stuff like this. I also think that it is possible to have faith without attending a church, but just like you sometimes the language pushes me in the other direction. I believe people who are religious people I just think that when it comes to issues such as homophobia a lot of times is not discussed in a honest way.

[norvech]

10. perhaps not in an honest way at times

and I have had many conversations where the bible is used to support a prevailing anti-homosexual perspective. The Old Testament runneth over with anti-homosexual sentiment.

[PatrynXX]

4. I try to stay out of these fights nowadays.

But it says it right in the bible. It's the reference about and forgive my spelling I believe it was Soddom and Gomorah where there was alot of adulterous sex going on. Female to male , male to male etc

I still believe though there is more logic to polygamy in the bible than there is homosexuality. Not the sect shit polygamy either. Just standard married to more than one spouse.

The reason I tend to stay out of the fights is I had a distaste for the term marriage, but it's an auto for being called a bigot. So goes the free speech. And I don't like fights. I like fine art nudes but have a problem or an addiction to porn. So I'm not mister perfect so thats also why I stopped fighting about it. I usually though stand my a quote Jesus said. He that is without sin, throw the first stone.

[Laughing Mirror]

7. So being gay is a sin

Is that what you're saying?

[norvech]

9. If a person reads the book of Leviticus

being gay is not only a sin. The people of ancient times were required to put homosexuals to death by stoning. Pretty extreme.

[wutangfan85]

11. Yes, a lot of the passages in Leviticus

are pretty extreme. The passage about being again is just one of them.

[phrigndumass]

6. "Jesus walked and talked unconditional love"

And he didn't draw the line at prostitutes. You are telling my story.

Worthy of a bookmark ... K&R

On edit: I am also agnostic, after rejecting the ex-gay experience two decades ago.

[norvech]

8. It all depends on perspective...

The Christian will reply that the prostitute was shown mercy, but the following line was that she was forgiven, and commanded to sin no more (to not practice prostitution henceforth). That is not the 'Beatles' love the agnostic is trying to assert that Christ advocated. And so the antagonism rolls ever onward by people not agreeing on what Christ was trying to say about the idea of love... (and after 2K years, they probably never will agree)...