Friday, September 24, 2010

Homosexuality and self-love instead of self-loathing

Disseria wrote (on jesushighforthegayguy.blogspot.com), on July 6th, (which I just read today) that there is a group that met at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) (their biggest meeting, where they elected a new moderator, leader, for their church this year) to help people with ‘unwanted same-sex attractions’. I think that I would be fine with this if I believed that the organizers of this group wanted to help them learn to love themselves and forgive themselves for whatever they think they have done wrong (which is nothing). I have a feeling, though, that the organizers were helping them to go further in their self-hatred and self-loathing up to the point of denying who they are. There are certainly bi-sexual individuals who are attracted to both men and women, but many people are only attracted to one gender.


I knew that I was attracted to boys when I was four years old. I would chase them around the playground hoping to catch one and kiss him.


I think the inclination to keep individuals from embracing their true selves is destructive at best and homicidal at worst. Gay teens are 3x more likely to commit suicide than straight teens.


There are so many ways that people are hurting in this world. Why can’t caring people work to stop the pain, instead of encouraging and exacerbating it?


One of my favorite hymns starts this way: “Love one another, – word of revelation; Love frees from error’s thrall, – Love is liberation. Love’s way the Master [Jesus] trod; [Those] that love shall walk with God. Love is the royal way.” May we love each other enough to see past our own prejudices and self-limitations.


I pray that we may all feel Love, an aspect of God, in our love for ourselves and each other. When Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” I think that a lot of people get tripped up because they don’t love themselves, so they don’t really have a problem hating others as well. Perhaps even for those people, through showing others love and compassion, they may learn to love and forgive themselves. That is my continual prayer.


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