REFELCTING ON ANCIENT CUSTOMS OF RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE OF HOMOSEXUALITY AS AGAINST EUROPEAN CHRISTIANIZATION OF CONQUERED COLONIES IN THE LIGHT OF COMMON SENSE

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ORGANIZED RELIGION:

HIJACKING RIGHTS OF HUMANS

Once upon a time, during the First Stone Age some 200,000 to 300,000 years ago, primitive man lived by a simple code. Smack someone and you get smacked back. Steal from someone and they will steal back. It was kind of a self ad-justifying order of justice.

The point is that behavior was controlled by a learned sense of knowing what the consequences for a particular action might be. People lived and died under that code. Obviously kind deeds attracted its own as well so that most people by the time they were adults pretty well knew how to live their lives and experienced the consequences of good or bad behavior on the spot. While tribal codes were imposed, there was no deferred judgment of penalties or rewards to consider that would be imposed after death to hinder or condition behavior in the present life.

Special individuals developed within the tribes who seemed to have particular abilities to heal and to spiritually guide members of the tribe. These were called Shamans and most primitive tribes had them. Often, these shamans were men who at an early age became aware of their own sexual orientation in which they tended toward the association of women. That decision was generally supported by the tribes and particularly the family. They were special and revered. Often they were go-betweens of male and female disputes. While the masculine male was a hunter warrior, females were food gatherers. The shamans would dress like and participate in female activities. Weaving, beadwork, food gathering and cooking were activities they excelled in.

 In the ancient Americas, these individuals were what today we call “gay”. In North America after European discovery, these individuals were called “Berdaches” (French) by Europeans.  Their influence was noted among most of the Indian tribes. While they had male genitals, they loathed to have sexual contact with females, but rather became lovers for other males. Similar trends were observed in South America, Pacific Islands, Australian Aboriginals, Japan and elsewhere. The same conditions were known in Africa, Greece, Rome and even Europe.

Is indisputable that male homosexuality existed in all areas of the world prior to Christianization. Homosexuality was acknowledged and accepted as a part of normal human life. Lesbianism or female homosexuality was a con-current anomaly of tribal life as well. It flourished in ancient polygamous societies where there were large harems and insufficient sexual attention was given to individual wives. In most of these cases lesbianism was a condition of the situation as is prison homosexuality rather than the inborn gender of the individual. Yet an inborn gender trait was often considered the real gender rather than the genitals.

Other forms of homosexuality existed in which the younger male partner was used to avoid pregnancy and family responsibility which often was deferred to a later time.  In most cases these were not the result of inborn gender but rather a choice occasioned for other reasons. There clearly were abuses.

 Nevertheless, the ancient code prevailed and there was little if any repercussion arising out of what was a customary practice openly known and lived. A person’s body was his/her own to do with as wished. This was true in societies outside of the influence of organized religion.

In the European colonization of the world such as the Western Hemisphere, India, Africa and elsewhere, the invader brought with it its own moral code fashioned out of the Bible. In doing this these colonial governments sat in judgment of ages old lifestyle practices of natives they had conquered. Because those practices were deemed to be below the dignity and morality of European Christians they were suppressed.

South American conquests were accompanied by the priests of the Catholic Church imposing Catholicism on the Natives. Where the new code ordered death or beatings for practices of homosexuality, the Colonial Courts ordered it. This attitude caused the practice of homosexuality to be driven underground in the lives of those conquered. Nowhere to this day has homosexuality been defeated and destroyed by organized religion. Yet it has suffered abuse and discrimination by religious biased governments and main stream heterosexuals and even by closeted homosexuals.

In addition to physical pain, suffering and death imposed on homosexuals by governments, the influence of organized religion has added a burden of judgment of the homosexual as a sinner facing judgment from God in an afterlife.

The simplistic concept of Black vs.White — God vs. Satan which drives religion is the deciding factor in what a member of society may think or do. In this, religion has inserted itself into the mind and body of individuals it wishes to control.  Using fear it has hijacked the freedom of gullible followers by insisting it and only it has authority to speak for God and thus justifiably condemn practices it deems dirty and ungodly.

Unfortunately, we cannot realistically discuss the issue of homosexuality without making a judgment call on the authenticity of the Bible.  The general reverence given to the Bible is that it is the inspired word of God (Mormons say as far as it is translated correctly). Many well meaning people repeat the standard reverence without thinking.

IT IS TIME FOR REAL WORLD!

The bible was written and compiled by men not God. The best that can be said about the Bible which is a compilation of numerous ancient books is that they were written by men. These writers at times attempted to place in the mouth of God, words which they them-selves thought God ought to utter according to their unique biases. Nowhere in the scriptures is there a word or statement directly from God.

NOWHERE!!  I repeat NOWHERE!

Reliance on the utterances of the word of God written by “inspired” men as per the Bible is based on faith not fact!

St Paul expressed a definition of faith as the, “substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things unseen”. That statement would gain no traction whatever in a court of law.

That human beings are being tossed about between the fabricated opposite poles of heaven and hell, is a situation designed by and for the benefit of the priestly class. From time immemorial that class has taken upon itself the right to guide the poor unsuspecting soul toward heaven’s ambiguous salvation. It is and has always been a money making/prestige garnering/mind controling occupation. Its key to success is promulgating fear! Of course the Bible has been kept and preserved for centuries! Why? Qui bono!

Let’s take a common sense approach to the issue of sin. The worst that can be said about sinning is that any conduct classified as a sin by men pretending to speak for God is merely non-progressive/non benefiting conduct and becomes its very own reward or punishment.

Man may beat, torture and kill others as punishment for offenses perceived as sin, but God doesn’t punish for there is no need nor is it in the capacity of God. One may flunk a college exam but the reason for flunking is not a sin merely a deficiency. The punishment is in not obtaining the advantages that passing would have granted. However that is not the end as one can keep on trying until such time as the appreciation (and striving) for the benefits to be gained has outweighed the deficiency. It kind of equates with the idea of not putting pearls before swine (a matter of appreciation)!

In considering homosexual attitudes the same thing applies. On the part of the homosexual couple. The sin if there be any would be to choose a lifestyle (except as an inborn gender factor) that is not progressive (damning). But the sin would also be the reward if that was all you wanted to experience. The punishment would not be a spear that god would throw at you but rather the deprivation of some benefit that might have been gained by not having “sinned”.  Even then there is an opportunity to change (repent) at any time should one want to experience the other benefit such as heterosexual marriage and children. God has simply laid out the choices for actions to be chosen through free agency.

As to the inborn gendered homosexual, lesbian, bi-sexual and transvestite there is no sin in living your life in response to the natural sexual impulses. God would have to admit [ res ipsa loquitiur (the thing speaks for itself) ] that somewhere in the cosmos things got a little skewed in DNA makeup and for this the cosmos is to blame if there be any blame! You have a God given right to live your life according to the dictates of conscience.

On the part of the anti gay individual: The sin is in the extension of hate toward an individual or individuals or conduct whom/which you have no appreciation for.  The punishment and reward for hate is a deprivation of the experience of love and learning.

To the clergy: Your sin is your own damnation in failing to understand the love that God extends to those who exercise a right to free agency within the purview of His domain. You would rather order homosexual persons into a prison of the mind to be subject to your fear mongering tactics arising not out of love of or for God but rather your own fear of losing control over those you have usurped a right to dictate to in the name of God.  Your reward and punishment is ignorance and blindness.

To Mormon leaders who abuse homosexuals:  Your sin is self righteousness in believing you have any authority to act in the name of or in judgment for God; Your pretense of love for individuals you condemn based upon spurious belief systems which you have created and promulgated; Your belief in the efficacy of patriarchal control over the masses including women whom you have suppressed as second class members of society.

Your reward and punishment is deprivation of the concocted blessings of celestial polygamous marriage and hope of becoming gods as well as light learning and understanding.

In times past, blinded by a spurious concept of Christianity,  society has killed atheists, burned witches, marshaled armies against heathen and beaten and bullied persons it has subjected to slavery. Thanks to an enlightenment, those sins have been eliminated. The day has arrived for sins against God protected rights of the homosexual community to end.

Nowhere in this article do I deny the existence of a higher power for it has been my lot in life to have experienced it. Nor do I suggest that laws ought not be in place to have some semblance of civil control over the exercise of sexual freedoms which I suggest are God-given.

Protection of the innocent against rape, statutory or otherwise is required. Regulation as to the issue of propriety and decency as to the exercise of those freedoms is appropriate.

No civil statutes ought to be enacted which restrict sexual affairs between consenting adults nor any discriminatory laws or practices against the equal civil rights of those persons. Without exception, persons of same sex wishing to have the status of marriage and all the ramifications that status brings should not be denied that right on account of sexual orientation.

If the state has not yet grown up in its recognition of that right and does not wish to extend the license (proactive) for such unions it should enact legislation (passive) which grants an acknowledgement of marital status (Common Law) of two same sex adults upon request by issuing a certificate of marriage without the fanfare of a license to marry. A ceremony of marriage is not the concern of the state or the church.

         KNOW THIS THAT EVERY SOUL IS FREE

      To choose his life and what he'll be;

       For this eternal truth is given:

       That God will force no man to heaven.

       He'll call, persuade, direct aright,

       And bless with wisdom, love, and light,

       In nameless ways be good and kind,

       But never force the human mind.

                             Anonymous 18th Century

 

Time to grow up America! (And the world)

Authors Bio:

Retired Designer-Builder formerly practicing Attorney at Law.

Credentials include ordaining a Black man to priesthood in the LDS Church leading to a public struggle with the church yielding and ordaining Black men about 2 years later. Doug had completed a mission for the British Mission in 1951 with the title of Mission Architect. He consulted with church prophet David O' McKay for approval for construction of the London Temple and was responsible for the preliminary design.>

later in life Doug became disenchanted with the closed nature of the church leadership and sought meetings with them concerning issue which they refused to discuss. That refusal led to his open struggle to force change where and when needed.

He has written his biography and is currently published as "Under the Mormon Tree" available on CreateSpace E Store and soon on Amazon.com To order on E Store click or copy and paste
https://www.createspace.com/Customer/EStore.do?id=3394801

He has also just published 'No Mormon For President' Available at Amazon Books. The book answers the reasons why
Mitt Romney should not be elected president.