[antiochian]

Welcome to Soulforce! You have been respectful even as you stated your beliefs. Much appreciated. You have the right to believe what you do, just as anyone else.

You recognize that what any given person's beliefs might be, such should not be a reason to deny others civil rights. Thank goodness! My main problem is with Christians (or members of any faith, for that matter) who think their personally embraced doctrines should become law, and thus be forced on society as a whole. People like James Dobson, Pat Robertson, and most other famous Christian figures disgust me for this very reason. They are hateful. They say they don't hate, but calling a viper a teddy bear doesn't make its bite any less poisinous.

I'd simply ask you to consider how your statements in churches or wherever about the rightness of heterosexual marriage to the exclusion of everything else might affect young people questioning their sexuality. Mary Griffith, whose gay son took his life because he felt cursed and abandoned by God, said it well when she stated: "Before you echo 'amen' in your home and place of worship, think. Think and remember a child is listening." You obviously intend no damage to gays or anyone, but words can still have a powerful and negative affect on people. The first pastor I came out to as gay was certainly not malicious (I was 17 then), but his message in so many words that "straight is better" stayed with me for years, and nearly destroyed me a number of times as I tried to be something I'm not in order to please God. Please consider this.

Thankfully, I've come to a pont where I see my sexual orientation as good and natural. Had I been able to do so earlier--had I been affirmed by that priest instead, and others to follow, I wonder how much suffering might have been prevented.

Bright blessings and again, welcome.