Out of the Closet, at Gunpoint

This guy is lucky, real lucky he didn't get killed. Glad he is ok now in NY.

I am so naive, I still can't believe a cultured, intelligent person should have to go through this. I just don't understand hatred in the least.

The 10 Commandments say nothing about homosexuality. Know your facts before you INCORRECTLY put your own spin on them. And this story has NOTHING to do with Christianity. This person is not a Christian. He's Muslim. BIG DIFFERENCE. That being said. If homosexuality is indeed a sin, that is between the sinner and God. I CORRECTLY recall Jesus teling us not to pass judgment. Because we all sin. One of the Commandments says to obey the law of the land. How many of you speed. Which is against the law and therefore is a SIN. We all sin, you don't get to pick which sins are better or worse than others. Therefore, let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

I applaud the guy in this story. He was lucky to have such accepting parents. Even with the religion, and the attitudes in that country, the overcame that to still love their child unconditionally. This is the way it should be. Parent's should not throw their children out, much less disown them. Nothing is wrong with them, they are the same as they have always been, just more honest with themselves and their family. I truly feel sorry for the people who have to live their life in the closet because they are surrounded by the bigoted bible beaters that spread their hate around. I pray one day they get the epiphany that I had of "If they can't accept me for who I am, then I don;t need them in my life". Why would anyone choose to live a lie to make others happy? Life is too freaking short to falsely live it secretly in pain. These "bible beating" hate filled bigots can not pass judgement. Only god will judge, and why would he create millions of people wrong? That's right, millions, as we are everywhere. Maybe even in your circle of family and friends. He created us this way, so we will be loved and accepted in his eyes, and anyone who passed judgement on, or bashed us will pay the price of a trip down to meet the devil for being so hateful in their lives.

I applaud the guy in this story. He was lucky to have such accepting parents. Even with the religion, and the attitudes in that country, the overcame that to still love their child unconditionally. This is the way it should be. Parent's should not throw their children out, much less disown them. Nothing is wrong with them, they are the same as they have always been, just more honest with themselves and their family. I truly feel sorry for the people who have to live their life in the closet because they are surrounded by the bigoted bible beaters that spread their hate around. I pray one day they get the epiphany that I had of "If they can't accept me for who I am, then I don;t need them in my life". Why would anyone choose to live a lie to make others happy? Life is too freaking short to falsely live it secretly in pain. These "bible beating" hate filled bigots can not pass judgement. Only god will judge, and why would he create millions of people wrong? That's right, millions, as we are everywhere. Maybe even in your circle of family and friends. He created us this way, so we will be loved and accepted in his eyes, and anyone who passed judgement on, or bashed us will pay the price of a trip down to meet the devil for being so hateful in their lives.

Let me lay things out clearly from a Christian perspective. God created us to love Him and to glorify Him. God created us all perfect without any inclination to sin. But, he gave us the choice to sin or to obey (because true love and obedience cannot be coerced). Our ancestors chose disobedience. Since then, every human being except Christ has chosen disobedience/sin. We all have inclinations or proclivities toward certain types of sin, whether it be from genetic causes (our "fallen" nature) or from environmental factors or a combination of both. Some are more likely to be attracted to alcohol, or sex outside marriage, or homosexual acts (sins of the flesh). Some are more likely to be inclined to more "socially acceptable" sins such as pride, lust, anger, jealousy, or unrighteous hatred (sins of the heart). All sin is wrong and we all need Christ's offer of forgiveness.

Just as God asks those who have wrongful desires to drink, fornicate, lust, lie, cheat, and steal not to indulge in those desires, He also ask those with homosexual desires not to engage in them. However, just as those with desires to lie, cheat, and drink only have the power to suppress these desires (if even that much power), those with homosexual desires can only hope to suppress them (you obviously cannot just ???wish them away???). Fortunately, God created a way for us not only to be forgiven for our sinful acts and thoughts, but also a way to be freed from them! By trusting that Jesus was who He said He was (God) and did what He said He would do (purchased our salvation by taking our punishment for our sin on the cross), we not only get to have eternal life with Him in heaven, but also have freedom from sin on earth. God will not just suppress your desires for sin, but will eventually (and in some cases instantly) transform your desires into righteous and Godly ones, through the renewing and cleansing process of reading His word and allowing His Spirit to work.

P.S. ??? Unbelievers AND believers, please stop abusing Matthew 7:1, "Judge not that ye be not judged." Clearly, in context, the verse is teaching that those who refuse to confess and deal with their own sin, shouldn???t be telling others to deal with their sin. Many of the verses before and after this verse show Jesus telling people to exercise discernment and expose evil (publicly if necessary). Jesus is very concerned with people being set apart from sin so please don???t use this verse to pretend Jesus is telling people they should not ???judge??? what is right and what is wrong based on God???s holy standards. He is telling people to do the exact opposite. He is telling people to judge and expose what is evil/wrong, but after careful self-examination.

I, as a straight man AND an interfaith minister, am dismayed to read such religious misunderstanding and misinterpretation being used to support the fears and ignorance which separate us from each other. SOURCE (God, Allah, Most High, whatever the name) is far too complex for our limited minds to comprehend, so for anyone to begin to preach about what HE/SHE/IT has commanded is truly the height of arrogance, audacity and anthropomophism (the acscribing of human characteristics to something). Our concept of the Divine is just that, a CONCEPT, not a FACT. The Sacred Books of each Path are, at best, guidance from above that has been funnelled through and interpreted by 'channels' that have been programmed by the culture, events and personal hang-ups of their life experience. All life comes from SOURCE and all are expressions of the Divine. To those fundamentalists and zealots using religion to justify your aversion, look inside yourselves to find out why difference spurns such passionate reponses from you. Those truly comfortable and at peace with themselves have no reason judge another, and doing so is an indication of internal schisms and insecurities which should be addressed. This is not to imply that all 'homophobes' are gays-in-denial, but what is the true reason behind your rigidity and need for dogma? To those of the gay-community and all those different from the 'norm', while you may not have chosen your way of life, i applaud your souls for being willing to act as mirrors through which society can see its fears, ugliness, and need for conformity reflected back upon itself. Peace to all!!!