Things You Should Read...

Here are my responses to two blogs I found interesting. You should check them out as well.

Leana Weaver's Just a Snapshot blog post Macho Country Boy = Accepted

I have commented on one of your post already but I have to post on this one as well. My town is like that as well. Male, female, redneck, or whore. There were no in the middles or anything like that alot here was black and white. Anything gray or any other color was extremely looked down upon and talked about for.

Miriam Brook's Women Studies 301: post Homosexuality and Religion

I completely agree with your post. I can not stand a church that belittles others. That is my reason for currently not going to church. I find people use religion to justify their attitudes and hatred toward others and their "sins" but yet the Bible does not apply to the sins they commit themselves. My best friend from preschool is homosexual. He endured relentless torture in high school and to this day has only come out to a few close friends and family because he does not want the shame put on his family. I have always stood by him and will always do so and can not stand to see him hurt. I am so glad to see I am not the only one who has my beliefs

Because Hell Would Be Fabulous

         Being a Christian from the south I have heard more than once that homosexuality will send you straight to hell. I believe the church has a lot to do with the way people view homosexuality. We were told to write about the readings or how our views of sexuality have been changed, but I can’t help but to think about the movie. It just helps me to feel that much better about my views.

          I believe in Bible. I believe in its teachings. I however, think that the Bible was written for a different time. The Bible has been used as a basis of oppression for years. I do not think that was the intention of the Bible. The Bible was made as a guide to live by.

          What I find most interesting about people who use the Bible to say homosexuality is wrong are funny to me. The Bible says a sin is a sin not one is bigger than the other.  People who spout verses to back up their beliefs often tend to forget the verses that condemn themselves.

          The Bible says that lying, cheating, stealing, sex before marriage, idolizing, dishonoring your parents, and wanting what your neighbor has along with many other things are sins. If one sin sends you to hell, shouldn’t they all if they are equal?

          From a very early age I was taught that owning up to your sins and asking for forgiveness works. Being saved gets you to heaven not the sins you do or do not commit. I find it sad that the people who say no one but God can judge do the most judging. I think that churches forget they are the hands and feet and face of a God we cannot see. If I was a homosexual and had never experienced the church I would surely stay away from most.

          I had a friend once tell me if every sin in the Bible sent us to hell, well heaven would be empty. But, the thing that sticks out most to me is a church sign I saw in a photo one time. It simply said “If all the homosexuals went to hell, then hell would be fabulous.” As stereotypical as this sign is I love it because I believe that God loves us all. He is not sending anyone to hell for their sexual orientation but for the salvation they may or may not have. I fully believe it is not how you do or do not live your life but how your heart reflects your life.

Because It Isn't Lady Like and He Will Be Gay

       This week we were asked to write about a time we were told we could not do something based on gender. I have two I want to write about the first one about myself the second about my son.  The first story is from when I was in the around 13 or so. I live in the country and we do country things. We ride 4-wheelers and play in the woods and stay out past dark. The thing that stands out most for me is that one night my brother and the rest of my neighborhood (all boys) were riding 4-wheelers in the woods. We had been out all day riding and playing in the mud. When it got close to being dark my grandpa called me in. He let my brother stay out and build a fire and roast weenies in the woods with the rest of the boys. He told me when I asked why I couldn’t stay out that it was because it was not lady like to stay out past dark especially with boys. It made me so mad.

The second story is about my son. My son is 18 months old. He loves stuffed animals and shopping. He loves shoes. I get told on a regular basis that if I don’t stop letting him play with his animals and go shopping with me and he is going to be “gay”. I get told that if don’t let him play with more balls and let him get more bruises and hurt more than he is not going to be tough or a manly man. I think my son is perfect even if he loves animals. I think he has to like shopping because he is my only son and my best friend. I don’t do anything without him. He likes shoes because he can put them on himself so he feels like a big boy.

It upsets me to know that I could not play after dark because it was not what a girl did. It upsets me even more to know that at only 18 months old my son is already stereotyped because he doesn’t  have bruises and broken bones, and because he isn’t seen playing with the “boy” stuff as much as not. But in his defense I bought him trucks and cars and balls. He loves those too.