(no subject)
Sorry that comments are off, but I don't want to discuss this as it'll just get me more worked up. I just feel the need to vent but I am SO beyond not interested in perpetuating drama which is why I am not commencing an argument on a post which isn't ABOUT this at all. This isn't an argument. It's my opinion and I need to express it somewhere or I won't be able to concentrate on my essay because I'll be stewing.
If you want to discuss it with me in private, email me or contact me on AIM.
This is my journal and I need to rant about this somewhere. This is not about anyone in particular NOR do I somehow believe someone out there thinks in order to be a good Christian you can't be gay, this isn't spreading a rumour (the people I rp with are awesome), I just need to get this off my chest.
Do you know what I don't like? The idea that in order to be a real Christian, you have to be prejudiced and you have to find same-sex relationships abhorrent. In the Bible it says not to judge. You know...among other things, but hear me out. Those people who use the Bible in their arguments for hatred tend to ignore the main teachings there. It is not your job to judge, love your neighbour as yourself, and hate the sin and not the sinner. I do not see same-sex relationships as a sin AT ALL, but even if you did (and a lot of Christians do and I UNDERSTAND THAT) there's a direct message there not to be a complete arsehole to someone because of it. So someone embodying Christianity should not be an arsehole if they were being true to what God said; being non-judgemental and loving people for who they are, not what they do.
Not all Christians act like Mel Gibson.
I never really talk about religion because I don't like shoving my views at people. But you know what? I see myself as Christian. And you know what? I think same sex relationships are awesome. I think heterosexual relationships are awesome. Love is awesome. Transgendered (FIREFOX SAYS THIS ISN'T A WORD though to be fair, it says Firefox isn't either...) people are awesome. Gender neutral people are awesome. Cisgendered people are awesome. Life is awesome. Tralalala yay.
So I guess I don't like the idea that in order to play someone of the Christian religion (I say 'the' as if there is just one, oy vey), I have to have them be prejudiced. I had my character (or one of them, the other one has other problems to be getting on with) be extremely uncomfortable with it, and they expressed that they didn't agree with what was happening, but they hated the 'sin' (because HE does see it that way) and not the 'sinner' and somehow that isn't how a real Christian should act. I had my character react in a way I understood was Christian and even went against my personal feelings as you are supposed to do in IC. And I am always willing to hear people's input on that (and did, actually) if people saw it as strange. But my understanding is apparently not the same as other people's understanding of what makes a 'real/good Christian'.
I'm just...so disheartened by that.
I don't hate whomever shared this view, nor do I think they're somehow a terrible person. I just get sad that this is the GENERAL view of my religion. And I know it is, AND I know there is no one to blame but the fundies! THIS is why I don't TELL people I'm a Christian. I don't want them to go "omg she's a fundie nutbag!" You know what? Not all Christians are. Just the loud ones, unfortunately (like Kirk Cameron, WOW). The other ones are sitting in their quiet corners like me, trying to blend in to the wallpaper. I worked at the Catholic Uni and I was open about my sexuality and not a single one of the people I worked with was terrible to me about it. Some of them may not have liked it, but NONE of them treated me differently because I had a picture of a hot girl up in my cubicle. And I so did. Because I am awesome.
I don't know. WHY CAN'T EVERYONE JUST LOVE ONE ANOTHER?! ;) That was the message I took away from Sunday School. Love, and I drew a lot of rainbows...
If you want to discuss it with me in private, email me or contact me on AIM.
This is my journal and I need to rant about this somewhere. This is not about anyone in particular NOR do I somehow believe someone out there thinks in order to be a good Christian you can't be gay, this isn't spreading a rumour (the people I rp with are awesome), I just need to get this off my chest.
Do you know what I don't like? The idea that in order to be a real Christian, you have to be prejudiced and you have to find same-sex relationships abhorrent. In the Bible it says not to judge. You know...among other things, but hear me out. Those people who use the Bible in their arguments for hatred tend to ignore the main teachings there. It is not your job to judge, love your neighbour as yourself, and hate the sin and not the sinner. I do not see same-sex relationships as a sin AT ALL, but even if you did (and a lot of Christians do and I UNDERSTAND THAT) there's a direct message there not to be a complete arsehole to someone because of it. So someone embodying Christianity should not be an arsehole if they were being true to what God said; being non-judgemental and loving people for who they are, not what they do.
Not all Christians act like Mel Gibson.
I never really talk about religion because I don't like shoving my views at people. But you know what? I see myself as Christian. And you know what? I think same sex relationships are awesome. I think heterosexual relationships are awesome. Love is awesome. Transgendered (FIREFOX SAYS THIS ISN'T A WORD though to be fair, it says Firefox isn't either...) people are awesome. Gender neutral people are awesome. Cisgendered people are awesome. Life is awesome. Tralalala yay.
So I guess I don't like the idea that in order to play someone of the Christian religion (I say 'the' as if there is just one, oy vey), I have to have them be prejudiced. I had my character (or one of them, the other one has other problems to be getting on with) be extremely uncomfortable with it, and they expressed that they didn't agree with what was happening, but they hated the 'sin' (because HE does see it that way) and not the 'sinner' and somehow that isn't how a real Christian should act. I had my character react in a way I understood was Christian and even went against my personal feelings as you are supposed to do in IC. And I am always willing to hear people's input on that (and did, actually) if people saw it as strange. But my understanding is apparently not the same as other people's understanding of what makes a 'real/good Christian'.
I'm just...so disheartened by that.
I don't hate whomever shared this view, nor do I think they're somehow a terrible person. I just get sad that this is the GENERAL view of my religion. And I know it is, AND I know there is no one to blame but the fundies! THIS is why I don't TELL people I'm a Christian. I don't want them to go "omg she's a fundie nutbag!" You know what? Not all Christians are. Just the loud ones, unfortunately (like Kirk Cameron, WOW). The other ones are sitting in their quiet corners like me, trying to blend in to the wallpaper. I worked at the Catholic Uni and I was open about my sexuality and not a single one of the people I worked with was terrible to me about it. Some of them may not have liked it, but NONE of them treated me differently because I had a picture of a hot girl up in my cubicle. And I so did. Because I am awesome.
I don't know. WHY CAN'T EVERYONE JUST LOVE ONE ANOTHER?! ;) That was the message I took away from Sunday School. Love, and I drew a lot of rainbows...