MY TURN

Let Me Worship as I Am

From a young age I felt called to Christ. But as a gay man, I took a long time to find my spiritual home.

NEWSWEEK
From the magazine issue dated Jun 23, 2008

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  • Posted By: Bearnabas @ 12/25/2008 6:12:09 PM

    God Bless You, Jimmy Doyle! Your essay really resonated with me. It is a strong voice/testimony for God's working in the lives of GLBT people. I hope you ignore all the trite rehashing of "you should read your scripture" comments below, and listen to the ones who know you read it, know you thought long and hard about it every night, struggled with it, and finally, with God's grace, found peace with it. I thank you for your testimony, your witness. May God continue to richly bless you and your partner. I know God is infinitely proud of you and your partner and your witness for Him. Merry Christmas!

  • Posted By: Chalmetia-Man @ 12/12/2008 11:32:07 AM

    If you believe that Christ is in fact the Messiah and that the Apostle Paul was called of God to write the Epistles (letters) of which became a major portion of the New Testiment (Bible) is not the first Chapter of "Romans" false. Paul made it very clear to the early christians (congregation) near the headquarters of the roman Empire that it is a sin to have sexual relations with the same gender. Hello, or are we so much smarter and more advanced thinkers that it is no longer a sin? Is God wrong, or that His doctrine no longer true. Then he's immediately cease to be God, and if you are smarter than God then worship yourself and create your own heaven and Eternal Life after death.

  • Posted By: reina21 @ 12/09/2008 2:38:00 PM

    My suggestion is that you take time to read the bible and before you do ...ask God to speak to you through His word...you need revelation on who you really are...you're living a lie if you honestly think you can be gay and spiritual. God does love you but not the sin you commit. Read 1Corinthians 6:9 Its God's word not man's.

  • Posted By: slapyourself @ 12/07/2008 5:06:13 AM

    Anyone who is for HOMO marriage is nothing but a closet *** HOMO!!!

  • Posted By: Willian C DeMuth @ 12/03/2008 9:43:55 AM

    I love when two groups of deviants tear each other up!

    I don???t care who sleeps with whom, it isn???t the gays I fear, it is the idiots who use Bronze Age superstition as the basis for their lives and try and force their values down other???s throats.

    Whether you???re deeply committed to either side, I suggest you seek therapy while you still have time, and always remember that speaking to God is a sign you are feeble minded, but hearing him reply is a sign you???re a paranoid schizophrenic.

  • Posted By: Willian C DeMuth @ 12/03/2008 9:19:16 AM

    Ironic that two parts of this gentleman???s convoluted mind are diametrically opposed to each other.

    Just remember it is his fellow followers of Christ who would have him spend his mortal days in a gulag, and an eternity in hell

    He should join the priesthood where he can indulge both of his deviances at once!

  • Posted By: lbisson @ 11/16/2008 4:21:59 PM

    You must have a lot more patience with the likes of the "dangerousdave's" of the world than I do. I do not consider myself a Christian and part of that has to do with people like him. May you find your path and may it make you happy. You, like every other human being, have that right. I am not gay but am very sympathetic to the gay struggle. Even my mother, who is a born again, agrees that it is simply not something you chose but that chose you. Best wishes Jimmy Doyle.

  • Posted By: Alioness @ 08/12/2008 10:43:39 AM

    Georgeo u keep using the phrase 'falliable human' as a curse. We are falliable, we are imperfect, we ALL are sinners but God still loves us! Christ gave His apostles and us, His followers, the directive to go out and tell the world about Him, about God, offering them the perfect gift of salvation, and yet you choose to ignore the teachings of those He sent, thus ignoring Him, when you refuse to listen to the words of the prophets and apostles. You choose to serve your flesh instead of making the sacrifice necessary for you to truly receive His gift. You will always find people who will have your views concerning Christianity and homosexuality but I would hate for you to finally come to grips with the truth on judgement day! Make the choice before it's too late, ask God to soften your heart, to speak to you concerning the topic and if your mind isn't changed then so be it! I like logics and even the way in which you have sexual relations with your same sex partner is not logical, it is obviously not intended based on the design of your bodies so why would you persist in using your body in the way in which it was not created?

  • Posted By: dangerousDave @ 08/03/2008 10:57:00 PM

    God loves everyone,but Jesus didn't die so you could fill ur lustfull fantasies.what u r doing is not even natural,the way you r having sex is not clean or healthy and it's not of God.Is the whole world going nuts.This is filth and it needs to stop.God can help u thru anything and he will love u thru ur struggles,but I'm not gonna sit back and listen to this crap that homosexuality is normal.I have desires to be with beautiful women,but I know that I am supposed to wait for marraige.I'm not going try justify fornication because I have a desire to do it. Our flesh is naturally evil,that's why Jesus had to have His flesh ripped off for our salvation.We have a responsibility to crucify our flesh daily

  • Posted By: georgeo @ 07/18/2008 10:21:54 PM

    I never said the Bible wasn't to be trusted, and remember that your opinion is also being offered by a fallible human. But as a Christian I put more trust in the words of Jesus that are found in the Bible than the words of any human. This is why I support the separation of church and state as Christ told us to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what are God's. I also oppose the death penalty because Christ rejected it, telling us that while we may have heard an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth he tells us to turn the other cheek, but as I said Christ never, not once, mentioned homosexuality so maybe you could tell me why it seems to be the single most important issue to many churches today while poverty and oppression and a lack of forgiveness are still so common in the world, and all of these things were talked about by Jesus repeatedly.

    • Posted By: SCRIP @ 07/19/2008 11:11:35 AM

      Christ fully endorsed all of the Old Testament scriptures and authorized the New Testament ones as well. Trying to seperate Him from all of the Biblical context is impossible. The fact is that Paul and Peter's writings are just as valid and authoratative as Christ's recorded words.

      You are also using a "red herring" approach common to arguments. You seek to divert attention from the sin of homosexuality to presumed "larger issues." However, to the homosexual, whether he or she realizes it or not, this is an issue resulting in blessing or condemnation. It also is affecting our society as a whole, causing many young people to not only be seduced into an unhappy experience (ironically called "gay") but also to tolerate immoral behavior in general. Thus the promiscious hetrosexual can say , "At least I'm not gay" and feel morally superior while steeped in sin that God abhors.

      It's a hot button issue in the church because the church opposes sin in obedience to Him who knew no sin. Homosexuals make up a tiny fragment of our society but they certainly know the media game and how to promote their own cause.

      Summing up, Christ is against sin and presents a way out of any destructive life style. Since you seem to put much emphasis on Christ's words, remember that three times he told a moral teacher of the Bible that he needed to be "born-again."

      I bring that up to make the point that homosexual or not, all men need to experience the new birth according to Jesus Christ. Being a homosexual might keep one from yeilding to Christ's truth. That makes it a very big deal indeed for all concerned!

      • Posted By: georgeo @ 07/30/2008 4:34:14 AM

        Well it looks like we are at an impasse, my studies of the Bible have brought me to a considerably different understanding of God's love than your studies have. One of us might be right and the other wrong, of course we both might be right or both might be wrong, truthfully what we think is pretty unimportant, the only thing that matters is God's opinion and neither of us, or anyone else for that matter, will know what that is until we get to meet him in person. So I'm not going to worry about what you think. I know that there is nothing in the Bible that leads me to believe that God ever opposes love and so I can't fathom how God would be opposed to the relationship I have with my partner. On the secular level though I do know what principles this country was founded on, one of them being the freedom from religious oppression. So while I may not know with 100% certainty if God approves of my relationship, I do know that you or no other person has the right to tell me I can't enjoy my relationship in the same way straight couples do. I believe that in the future many Christians will look back at the way the "church" has treated gays with embarrassment in the same way they look at how many churches treated racial minorities in the past, and one day they may realize that the pain some gays feel isn't because they are gay (and it certainly isn't because they are seduced into being gay), but is because of people like yourself who should be promoting caring and compassion.

        I will pray for you in hopes that God will help you to allow a bit more love into your soul, you may think that I lead a miserable existence, but truthfully, from what I have read here, I don't think you have found a 10th of the happiness in your life that I have found in mine.

  • Posted By: Jadvar @ 07/13/2008 7:39:29 AM

    Georgeo's comment is exactly right. There are too many that have been led astray into thinking monogamous, same-sex relationships are somehow sinful. They are no more sinful than monogamous opposite sex relationships. Every time it is even mentioned in the bible (all by fallible humans and then translated by even more fallible humans several times over), it is mentioned in the context of old Jewish laws on cleanliness, inhospitality, same-sex prostitution, and same-sex rape. Opposite sex relationships, in these same contexts, are also cited as being wrong in the Bible as well.

    There is no passage that can be even loosely translated to mean that it is sinful for a man to take another man to be his husband or for a woman to take another woman as her wife. If you've heard and believed something else from the pulpit, you've been led astray. Read The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart, by Peter J Gomes. He is a Professor of Morals at Harvard, and pastor of Harvard's Memorial Church. He's been recognized as one of the seven best preachers in America. I think he might know what he's talking about.

    • Posted By: HomeBrewMan @ 07/19/2008 10:47:00 AM

      ok, let me get this straight ( no pun intended) you believe in what God and Jesus say in the bible.... but you don't believe in what the Apostles wrote, even though Jesus himself chose them and what they wrote is inspired by God. you tout this book written by who? - a sinful human!! Also, as to no passage condeming homosexuality.... hmmm how about these passages?
      Romans 1:20-32 which reads - For his invisible [qualities] are clearly seen from the world???s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable; 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God nor did they thank him, but they became empty-headed in their reasonings and their unintelligent heart became darkened. 22 Although asserting they were wise, they became foolish 23 and turned the glory of the incorruptible God into something like the image of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed creatures and creeping things. 24 Therefore God, in keeping with the desires of their hearts, gave them up to uncleanness, that their bodies might be dishonored among them, 25 even those who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and venerated and rendered sacred service to the creation rather than the One who created, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 That is why God gave them up to disgraceful sexual appetites, for both their females changed the natural use of themselves into one contrary to nature; 27 and likewise even the males left the natural use of the female and became violently inflamed in their lust toward one another, males with males, working what is obscene and receiving in themselves the full recompense, which was due for their error. 28 And just as they did not approve of holding God in accurate knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mental state, to do the things not fitting, 29 filled as they were with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, badness, being full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malicious disposition, being whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, insolent, haughty, self-assuming, inventors of injurious things, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, false to agreements, having no natural affection, merciless. 32 Although these know full well the righteous decree of God, that those practicing such things are deserving of death, they not only keep on doing them but also consent with those practicing them

      Notice what is said about becoming inflamed toward the same sex- it is Working what is obscene.

      • Posted By: HomeBrewMan @ 07/19/2008 10:47:44 AM

        or how about this one: 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 -- 9 What! Do YOU not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God???s kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men, 10 nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit God???s kingdom.

        I don't know about you, but I want to inherit God's Kingdom!!

        and as for Georeo's comments - both of thes passages were from the Christian Greek Scriptures as is this one: 2 Timothy 3:16 & 17 -- 16 All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.

        • Posted By: HomeBrewMan @ 07/19/2008 10:49:23 AM

          Consider what the Apostle paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:1-12--

          1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus under command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus, our hope, 2 to Timothy, a genuine child in the faith: May there be undeserved kindness, mercy, peace from God [the] Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 Just as I encouraged you to stay in Eph´e???sus when I was about to go my way into Mac???e???do´ni???a, so I do now, that you might command certain ones not to teach different doctrine, 4 nor to pay attention to false stories and to genealogies, which end up in nothing, but which furnish questions for research rather than a dispensing of anything by God in connection with faith. 5 Really the objective of this mandate is love out of a clean heart and out of a good conscience and out of faith without hypocrisy. 6 By deviating from these things certain ones have been turned aside into idle talk, 7 wanting to be teachers of law, but not perceiving either the things they are saying or the things about which they are making strong assertions.
          8 Now we know that the Law is fine provided one handles it lawfully 9 in the knowledge of this fact, that law is promulgated, not for a righteous man, but for persons lawless and unruly, ungodly and sinners, lacking loving-kindness, and profane, murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, manslayers, 10 fornicators, men who lie with males, kidnappers, liars, false swearers, and whatever other thing is in opposition to the healthful teaching 11 according to the glorious good news of the happy God, with which I was entrusted. 12 I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who imparted power to me, because he considered me faithful by assigning me to a ministry, 13 although formerly I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man. Nevertheless, I was shown mercy, because I was ignorant and acted with a lack of faith.

          Notice that Jesus HIMSELF gave Paul that preaching commission. Would he have done that if Paul would be teaching things contrary to what Jesus wanted? No, of course not. also, a point of interest is where he groups "men who lie with males" -- with murderers, liars, kidnappers etc. Now that is just a few of the many passages that condemn homosexuality

          • Posted By: Jadvar @ 07/19/2008 9:07:59 PM

            Every passage you've quoted from the Bible, actually refers to either promiscuity, child abuse, prostitution or some combination of the above when taken in context. I agree that they are wrong, but they are wrong for both heterosexual and homosexual relationships. They have nothing to do with long term, committed relationships regardless of the sex of either partner.

            • Posted By: HomeBrewMan @ 07/23/2008 8:02:42 AM

              i guess you have made your mind up so don't cloud the issue with the truth huh?

              • Posted By: HomeBrewMan @ 07/23/2008 8:30:45 AM

                ok, take the example of Sodom and Gomorrah.

                In Jude 1:7 it says - So too Sod´om and Go·mor´rah and the cities about them, after they in the same manner as the foregoing ones had committed fornication excessively and gone out after flesh for unnatural use, are placed before [us] as a [warning] example by undergoing the judicial punishment of everlasting fire.

                So, what would be this "unnatural use" of the flesh? It's Homosexuality. the men and boys who surrounded Lot's home asked for the angels who were staying with him so they could have intercourse with them!!! Now lets use a little reasoning... if homosexuality were ok, don't you think that God would have provided an escape for those people like he did Lot and his family?

  • Posted By: georgeo @ 07/11/2008 3:19:20 PM

    Neither God nor Jesus ever mentioned homosexuality, not once. All of the times homosexuality is mentioned in the Bible it is mentioned by humans, imperfect and fallible humans. It is mentioned in the old Jewish law but Jesus freed me from having to be burdened by these laws, so I feel no guilt in eating pork or wearing blended fabrics, I also, as a Christian, feel no guilt about being gay and living in a monogamous relationship with another man.

    • Posted By: Jadvar @ 07/19/2008 9:04:35 PM

      Every passage you've quoted from the Bible, actually refers to either promiscuity, child abuse, prostitution or some combination of the above when taken in context. I agree that they are wrong, but they are wrong for both heterosexual and homosexual relationships. They have nothing to do with long term, committed relationships regardless of the sex of either partner.

  • Posted By: SCRIP @ 07/18/2008 9:35:18 PM

    So lets see; the Bible is not to be trusted because it is written by fallible humans. No doubt a fallible human offered that opinion???.hmmm ???it seems that consistency of thought would invalidate all the reasoning of men. If that conclusion be true; why should anyone listen to anyone else? Including the Professor of Morals at Harvard? Or is he a valid reference because he preaches what you want to hear?

    The suggestion that the Bible does not condemn the homosexual life style is ridiculous. It clearly does so in both the Old and the New Testament. The very fact that the Bible teaches how men shall treat their wives (using only opposite sex partners) should give a clue to those who stubbornly twist the intent and meaning of the familiar, plainer passages dealing with the condemnation of the homosexual lifestyle.

    The writers of Scripture were remarkably consistent in pointing out all sins, including homosexuality and warning of their consequences. They also emphasized a conversion experience through Christ that would increasingly bring sinners into conformity with the God of Holy love as the only alternative to a life of sin, whether homosexual or any other manifestation of the flesh nature.

  • Posted By: Alioness @ 07/10/2008 1:04:48 PM

    If u truly love God u would desire to do all that pleases him, doesn't it say in scripture 'if u love Me you will obey my commands' and elsewhere it says 'obedience is better than sacrifice'? If u love God u would not openly practice homosexuality but make the daily sacrifice of overcoming your sinful desires thus pleasing Him.

  • Posted By: SCRIP @ 07/05/2008 11:16:24 PM

    My God is a merciful God. How many times one hears this comment when teaching that God is completely holy and hates all sin.

    I would like to suggest that Divine mercy only finds an occasion in the transgression of the sinner, of which I am the chief.

    It is no good to deny the fact of sin in one's life on the basis of God's mercy.. The opposite is intended; admit not just a sinful action, but rather a propensity for sin (read; rebellion against God's will in any area).

    An initial admittance of this nature and a subsequent cry to God for forgiveness and His Presence to empower different future actions, is salvation.

    This is truly being born again, born from above.

    Let Me Worship AS I Am is not acceptable to God. Rather, as the old hymn reads; Just as I am, without one one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me, I come to Thee.

    God loved all so much that He gave Christ to pay for all sin, including homosexuality. This is so that we forgiven sinners can truly worship Him as Christ said, "In Spirit and in truth."

    God's love is not a license to keep on sinning but a lifeline to joy, peace, Heaven.

  • Posted By: ariesgal63 @ 07/02/2008 4:00:56 PM

    People there is no such thing as a God...it's man made so people would have something to fear about...please...

  • Posted By: gmfsf @ 07/01/2008 6:06:25 PM

    Dear Jimmy,

    As a gen-x Jew living in San Francisco among gay and straight friends, I must defend my fellow American Christians from your statement, "Christian is equated with fanatics who need G-d to be as human as can be: male, full of pride and hate..." The American churches are predominantly institutions that elevate our spirits, fund and perform charity work, and promote morality in an often immoral world. That you plaster over this goodness the label of ???hate??? simply because a congregation - ???in worshipping as they are??? - doesn???t sanction gay church leaders or similar is dishonest: It is entirely possible (and truly Christian) to simultaneously reject ideas or actions of people while still loving them. Will you consider reserving your courage and good voice for those institutions of any stripe who actually preach hate and violence?

    Jordy Berson
    San Francisco, CA

  • Posted By: FaithWatcher @ 06/26/2008 9:15:38 AM

    Jimmy and Bishop Robinson, you consider yourselves Christian, which, by implication, means you believe in God and you believe the Bible. If you put aside the man-made ???smells and bells??? and focus on that one true root of Christianity ??? the Bible, given to us by God ??? you have to reckon with the fact that the Bible says, repeatedly, in the Old Testament and the New Testament, is that homosexuality is offensive to God. It is a sin. He destroyed two prosperous cities (Sodom and Gomorrah) because it was so offensive to Him. As Christians, you cannot escape that fact. You cannot ignore this very clear instruction anymore than you can ignore the commandment not to take His name in vain.

    Yes, Jesus Christ did teach love of all humans. As such, I have absolutely no doubt that you are loved by your Heavenly Father and Savior, and it is your fellow Christians responsibility to love you the same. I do, and I pray for you. But to say that Jesus or God would condone homosexuality is a contortion of Word on which the Christian faith is based. There is a big difference between loving the sinner and loving the sin. Jesus did the former, but not the latter.

    God gave us free will to choose to live the way we want, but He did not give us the permission to adapt His Word to justify our lifestyle choices and therefore escape blame for sin. Many a society, according to the Bible, was punished for just such a move.

  • Posted By: proud to be 57 @ 06/25/2008 12:26:15 PM

    and this would be the comment:
    Comment: I'll leave it to the debaters to fight over the question of homosexuality as sin. But I know this, as an "evangelical" I realize that every personI am worshiping with are broken and in need of redemption. I'm not gay, but I know my sin - and if homosexuality is sin, it's not worse than any other. Lastly and most importantly, I believe the if Christ were conducting His public ministry in today's time - a major focus of that ministry would be the gay community. The reason? To show others His love for all.

  • Posted By: scottkarin @ 06/15/2008 8:27:48 PM

    I'll leave it to the debaters to fight over the question of homosexuality as sin. But I know this, as an "evangelical" I realize that every personI am worshiping with are broken and in need of redemption. I'm not gay, but I know my sin - and if homosexuality is sin, it's not worse than any other. Lastly and most importantly, I believe the if Christ were conducting His public ministry in today's time - a major focus of that ministry would be the gay community. The reason? To show others His love for all.

    • Posted By: proud to be 57 @ 06/25/2008 12:17:31 PM

      It is time for this comment to be read again for its insight and wisdom.

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