need testimonies about religious oppression

[JimClive]

Hi everyone,

My church is doing a big sermon on the persecution of the LGBT community and the pastor was wondering if he could have some testimonies to refer to during the sermon. We already have someone giving an oral testimony on stage, but I've been intrigued by your stories as well.

Anyone have a testimony about your oppression from the church? It'd have to be about two paragraphs long or so. I'd love to hear them and forward them along to my pastor as he echoes your cause.

Also, let me know if you're in the Chicago area, and we would love to have you at the service!

-James

[keltic63]

hey James,

take a look at capeguy's story: http://www.soulforce.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4710

look near the last pages of that thread. he speaks of being "cut off" from the congregation. we haven't heard whether that actually happened, but should that ever happen?

[matthewspeed]

James,
I would be interested in giving my testimony. I was involved in the ex-gay ministry and experienced all sorts of oppression. Let me know if you are interested. I can write up a summary and send it to you. I am all for exposing oppression within the Christian community in order to provide freedom for gay christians of every denomination.

Blessings

-Matthew

[pnggrad79]

Well, the oppression I felt (and still feel) is the fact that I can't step foot in a Baptist church and introduce my wife as such. As a lesbian couple, we would have to step back into the closet, go to church, and never let anyone know who and what we are. If we did, we would risk being chastised by the pastor or congregation and asked to never come back.
Also, my sister has preached at me several times and sent me a sermon on CD preached by Andy Stanley that was entitled, "Homosexuality Reinterpreted" and he basically told the gay people in his church that they needed to find another church that DIDN'T preach the Word of God. He was tired of gay people trying to "reinterpret" the Bible to fit our "agenda". He wasn't trying to argue with a homosexual orientation, rather, if you were going to live out your "urges" as a homosexual, then go find a church that didn't preach or believe the Bible was the Word of God, or better yet, just don't go to church.

[colinashante]

it was my freshman year of highschool and I had been in public school my whole life and I grew up seventh day adventist and so naturally I was the freak of nature at church because I didn't go to a seventh day adventist elementary school/jr. academy. so naturally I was curious about what all the hubub was about getting a superior christ filled and centered education. so I went to missouri's boarding academy my freshman year, and I immediately didn't fit in. I was akward, more open minded, and accepting of other people that was completely culture shocked and I learned very quickly that I had to tone some of my mannerisms down. my schoolworks suffered because I felt stifled and unimportant. I got really close to this guys and we were talking in our dorm room one night and he confided in me that he thought he was gay and me in all of my naive gory decided to confide in him that Iwas in fact gay. so we had this great conversation and we became close friends. then one day my dean came to me and took me in his office and asked me if I was gay. I asked "why" and he said "someone has brought it to my attention that there have been rumors about your sexual orienation going around and now it has come time that I have to step up and do something about it." I asked "what the usual protocol was for gay students at this adventist academy." he said "well first off you would be suspended from school and sent to corrective therapy because homosexuality is wrong, and then you would be able to and sent back to this academy for teh remainder of the year." so he looked at me in the eye and asked again if I was gay and I looked him back in the eyes with tears streaming down my cheeks and said "no". that affected my spiritual life with god up until recently where I have no started looking at religion again. I left church and now I am on my own personal journey with god and am not letting anyone tell me that it is not ok to be gay and christian because I know differently. I hope this is what you were looking for.