When I think of Christianity I think of God, love and goodness; when thinking of what doesn't fall into the realm of Christianity many other things enter my mind. It comes to light that Christianity is not like going to a jewelry store or to an exclusive retail store; we don't get to pick and choose which way is the right way to love. We cannot go into a store and pick out people to love like diamonds, gold, silver, cell phones, PCs or any other electronic equipment; people are not things. Jesus' example of love is simple; "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." < http://www.biblestudytools.com/nrs/john/15-12.html >
Jesus didn't have any problem loving people; he loved everyone and many criticized him for his association with certain people in much the same way that some people are criticized for their friendship with Gays, Lesbians, Bisexual and Transgender people. Jesus' love encompassed what today some might call the others: the blind, the deaf, the crippled, the epileptics, the lepers, people with AIDS and other diseased people, along with prostitutes, the homeless and the poor. Gay and lesbian people were around in Biblical times as well as today; we are not a new kind of people; Jesus loved us then and he loves us now. Just because the Bible doesn't really speak of two men and two women loving each other as much as it does the heterosexual people doesn't mean that we were not there. Being unfit or having dirty filthy sex does not pertain to one particular group of people; if the closet doors were to swing open to people of all lifestyles, what films and writings have already shown would be pale in comparison to what be found.
Various writings have divulged some things about some of the Catholic Churches and have shown us many instances with many of their Priests, who have been accused by some of those young boys now men, who have come forward and told of being raped and sexually abused by these so-called Holy Fathers. < http://formercatholicsforchrist.yuku.com/topic/3788 >
< http://www.usmessageboard.com/religion-and-ethics/25121-catholic-church-demands-celibacy-for-gays-too.html >
These deviant Priests were engaging in various kinds of sexual acts with these young boys. As of January 6, 2012 the term rape has been revised; no longer will the term rape be used exclusively for women; it will now include men and boys that are raped. < http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/06/justice/rape-definition-revised/index.html?hpt=hp_t1>
Clean is clean and unclean is unclean and people from all walks of life fall into both categories, even if they are married, heterosexual, gay, prisoners, prison guards, teachers, police officers, politicians, from congressmen to senators, ordained clergy or other people associated with different religious groups, even presidents.
You see as Christians many of us fall short from the grace of God as we journey on, and many of us have fallen into these unclean categories. As civilized people we don't get to love who we want when we want, the same way parents don't get to love certain children that they bring into the world as opposed to other children that might be more effeminate than their male counterparts or a little manlier than their female counterparts; this also includes children that are disabled as some are when they are born or become so after. Jesus loves all of us; why should we think that we're above him and that we should be able to pick and choose? We are all gifts from God and should be treated as such; as I say in my book "Born In The Wrong Country," "Love is the most precious thing in the world, it's beautiful and then there's the laughter." There isn't any place in the Bible that God says that if you aren't pleased with your children that you don't have to love or take care of them, and that you can mistreat or abuse them. If someone tells you any different then they are wrong and I believe that they do not understand God's love.
It doesn't matter who wants to teach us about love, whether they're Priests, Pastors, Rabbis, Ministers, Clerics or ordinary people, male or female; if they cannot love as Jesus loved or refuse to follow Jesus' commandments then what right do they have to tell Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgender people whom they should love or what they should be allowed to do? Remember this country already did this to the African slaves that they bought, stole and incarcerated, unfortunately much of this isn't taught in our history books. Today slavery still remains alive in other parts of the world, as does sexual slavery.
Jesus is love and love doesn't know anything but loving, just as the sun doesn't know anything other than giving light, or shining; the wind doesn't know anything but blowing; the rivers don't know any thing but flowing; and the rain doesn't know anything except raining. Some of your so-called Christians like Archbishop Timothy Dolan would have you believe that it is wrong for you to love some of your neighbors that are Gay, Lesbian and others, but thank God that he and other like minded Priests, Pastors, Rabbis and Clergy aren't the ones that mandate God's love.
I would ask these Priests, Pastors and ordained ministers of God's written word to define and show their love, because I don't really think many of them really get what love is all about. I don't have any problem loving people; it comes natural and many other Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender men and women don't have any problem with loving others either.
You see there is what I'd call a rock in many so-called Christian beliefs, which interferes with their perception of the way God loves and the way they love. This rock that I speak of is the rock that they put between them and God's love; it prevents them from loving the way God loves. Many so-called Christians put this rock in place thousands of years ago; they weren't too enthused about who Jesus associated with or with what he said; many of them tried to stone him, called him names, a blasphemer and I'm sure there are many names that the Bible doesn't mention. Unfortunately this was the kind of turmoil that caused Jesus to be crucified. Archbishop Timothy Dolan called what the New York State Senate did in passing the Same Sex Marriage Act "detrimental to the common good" and a violation of "natural law." <http://answersforthefaith.com/2011/06/27/ny-catholic-bishop-speaks-out-against-gay-marriage/>
Some Christians are a strange bunch; some Christians have gotten into their own clicks by separating themselves from those that they don't like or would rather not be associated with and who aren't like them; this goes beyond gay people. You see we have some evil and some hateful people in our world, in our community, in our schools, in our governments, in our prisons, but unfortunately we have some of these evil, hateful, maniacal thinking and acting human beings in some of our Churches and other places of worship. With people like this in our Churches one has to ask where is Christianity and where is the love? You might get to pick and choose whom you'd like to spend the rest of your life with but if you follow the Biblical teachings, God's law and Jesus' commandments, then you don't get to pick and choose which people to love.
Though many Churches are very ornate in their clerical vestments, their elaborate robes, stoles, head dresses, pastoral staffs and gold crosses, doesn't make them like jewelry stores. Perhaps some Christian Churches put too much emphasis on their vestments and Church dà ©cor instead of putting more emphasis on loving everyone.
The Church needs to put aside the issue of gays and same sex partners and focus on the real issue of loving instead of being hateful and despicable to others. Many people don't want other people to have the same rights that the Holy Bible speaks of as marriage being between a man and a woman, the same way some rich people don't want poor people to have what they have. They refuse to move that rock and see beyond what God was and is talking about, love and loving each other. As human beings we need to move beyond our differences so that we can approach getting to and beyond the rainbow.
As I say in "Born In The Wrong Country," --"Love is life, it's precious and adorning, it's a crown rich and poor alike can wear and be proud, for love is, and it knows no boundaries -- none. Love encompasses all of us, just allow yourself to feel, to feel the spirit and its warmth, and if you open up, it will take hold of you, if you just succumb to it."-- Those like minded people who are against Gay people and different ethnicities, against those with certain diseases, against those who are poorer, against those who aren't as literate, are the same kind of people that didn't make Jesus' stay a welcome one, and who later crucified him because of who he was and what he said.
Jesus was clear about loving everyone; that is why he was murdered by the same so-called Christians that enslaved the African people here in the United States of American, that hung, whipped, chained the same people, that condone hatred of your own children who are different from the so-called norm, that pay less wages to those who are not like the so-called upper class and that allows the government to in essence steal and cheat with insider trading, which is legal for them but not only is it illegal for you and I but can be punished by jail and or fines.
< http://insidertrading.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=001513>
It seems like Christianity and the United States of America make good bed fellows; they both seem to protect those whom they hold higher than many of the American people, the same way the Catholic Church has protected Priests that have raped little boys. Perhaps there's a reason why our government puts In God We Trust on the money that they print; perhaps it's their only real connection to God and Christianity. Unfortunately words aren't the connection that real Christianity calls for; real Christianity calls for love and respect, and those things aren't found in the vestments of the Clergy, the dogma of the Church, in the gold jewelry or in the stained glass windows of the very ornate Churches; it is also not found in the millions of dollars given to the Church by various Church goers or philanthropists.
Well here we are in 2012; when will we finally get it and bring about our own epiphany and begin to let the light that God has given us shine into this world? The late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. allowed the light that God gave him to shine, and of the books that he wrote, one was called "Strength To Love;" some of his quotes can be found online at <http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.>
The thing about love that we must understand is that in order to love someone or something we need to practice it; the spark of love is generated from that intuitive feeling that God gives all of us, which comes from feeling good; love feels good and if we practice that feeling it will feel even better. It's like everything else; one can never be an accomplished speaker, pianist, writer, singer, dancer, artist, teacher, preacher, doctor or nurse unless they practice the things that are related to becoming those people; in doing those things over and over one becomes better; love works the same way. As a people we need to search our hearts and listen to what God says when it comes to love.
Christianity is about loving; I believe that when you don't love then you're committing a slow suicide because there is nothing to nurture your soul. Love is L ife, O pportunity , V oice and E xpression. Wake up and find the strength to love your sons, daughters and others who are different; they are God's gifts to you and to our world, that's what Christianity is all about.
