Just some thoughts and ideas going around in my head while trying to figure out where I am and where everyone else is going.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

SundayOut

Umbrage is a word that I learned from one of those Dickens novels. Nicholas Nickleby I think. Its a word that means that I have gotten to the point where I have straighten my back, stare into the face of the opposition and ask, “who the fuck do you think you are dealing with?” And I have taken umbrage with some Christians.

This post is not about religion. I don’t know enough about religion to really talk about it. I will leave that to the experts or the people who have a real passion for it. I am not even sure that this will be about my relationship with religion because in point of fact, I have none.

I haven’t been anywhere near religious since I was 11. That was the age that I was to be confirmed a Christian by my church, but I guess I had questions or I got lazy and never completed the thing. That means that I am unable to accept the Holy Communion although I don’t believe they check papers as you go up to the altar. But I’m not sure that I would even want to drink from the same cup that hundreds of others have slapped their lips on and slobbered over. There is something weird and unhealthy about that.

You see I am an Episcopalian, a member of the world wide Anglican Communion. I belong to a church that can be described as one without a true identity, a sort of watered down version of the Catholicism, some of the guilt but missing much of the ritual and splendor, sort of Catholic Lite. We have an openly gay bishop; Gene Robinson of New Hampshire whose presence has now threatened to split the church because of his belief in being true to himself. That has been at odds with the beliefs of many of our community and my church has been fractured.

Of course the revulsion of gay people by Christians is not limited to just my own church. The Catholic Church has placed a ban of gay priests because of the recent controversies, some would say with good cause. Although I would say they should concentrate on getting out the pedophiles, straight and gay before discriminating against people with adult desires directed towards other adults, but that’s not my call. I have seen and have been to Baptist services where gay’s and lesbians were condemned routinely to the fiery depths of hell for their behavior based on the passages from Leviticus or Letters or some other part of the Bible. Well alright, that’s all fine. That’s their house and I’ve lived this long without being upset by it.


But when I attended an Equality Forum Festival, which they had in Philly on Sunday which was geared towards the SGL community, the “Christians” were there as usual protesting with their bull horns and placards spouting their philosophy of hate, screaming of lust and hell and who was about to go there. And I have to wonder and ask myself where was the God of love that I grew up with in all of this, and why are they coming into my house just to make me uncomfortable?


Well all I can say is if they think this is bad, just wait until the Philly Gay Pride Parade during the summer. Then they will see men in leather thongs and things that you’re not sure people should be allowed to wear in the privacy of their own homes let alone on the streets. Then I may scream and protest along side them in unison. But until that time I will say in a clear voice, I take umbrage.

5 comments:

  1. I loved this post and the writing was very well balanced. But um, you do have a point - it's time out for all that going to hell bullshit about gays. There are so many gays running around, it's ridiculious...people need to be accepting and realize the truth for what it is!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Curious,
    Your writing and authentic spirit keep me coming back to visit you here. Thanks for your honesty. I'm a Christian and it burdens my heart to know that many of us have given Christianity a bad name with our actions and hateful speech. To say nothing of our thoughts. I think my Christian brothers and sisters mean well, I do, but we so often fall short, failing God, failing ourselves, and certainly failing to love the way God intended us. Please don't give up on us. We are broken, imperfect, judgemental, too often hypocritical, but (and I can't speak for all Christians) I am trying to be more like God, however imperfect my attempts, and they certainly are marred. I can't even trust my own motives, half the time. But. I really want to love the way Jesus would if he were standing right here (and he is). I guess I'm not about religion as much as I'm about walking with a Savior who's rescuing me from the danger of myself every minute, every hour, every day --- and one who's replacing my junk, filth and grime with the truth, power and absolute beauty of who He is. It's no easy journey, mind you; it takes a lifetime, and I am still a work in progress. Please don't give up on me. I see something true and beautiful in you, and I can't help but believe God has something to do with that. If you like to read, I'd like to recommend to you the book Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller. It's one of my favorite books. It's not your average book, but I'm willing to bet you a chicken dinner it will speak to you. Sorry for the novel. :)

    Grace,
    Michele

    ReplyDelete
  3. Darius - I'm glad that you feel the way that you do. I of course agree with you, but I also believe in freedom of speech so I believe that people can feel anyway they want and say it. I just wonder what the purpose is when they go into the middle of the "enemy" and say that stuff. It's like me attending a Klan meeting and shouting Black Power - what would be the purpose accept to start a fight.
    ___________________________________

    Michele - If I have left the impression that I am against God, religion or Christianity then I apologize sincerely. That was never my intention. I am not anti-christian or anti-moslem or anti anything other than against people who are out there being confrontational just for the sake of being confrontational. What people think or believe is their affair. If they want to let me know how they feel, well that's fine to but what I object to is the over aggressive provocation that some of them tend to do using the shield of God and religion.

    ReplyDelete
  4. umbrage with some Christians

    now that a line for yo azz lol

    ReplyDelete
  5. T - That's just the best line I could do without going over the edge and putting down a whole religion.

    ReplyDelete

Did you like or dislike what you just read? Go ahead, tell me why. All comments are welcome here, good or bad let's both open up and discuss our differences or our similarities.

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Google Analytics Tracking Code