Homosexuality: The Mother of Nonissues

Okay, here is the simple formula to create a senseless issue:

1. Find some writings written by goat herders in the Late Bronze Age.
2. Claim the writings are "the word of God" without providing a shred of evidence.
3. Out of hundreds of pages, cherry pick two scriptures that bash gays.
4. Use that scripture to discriminate against 7 percent of the population.

Are you kidding???? For much of my life I was a conservative Christian and the War on Gays did more than anything to push me away from religion and the Republican Party.

The ultimate turning point for me was in 1993 when my county, Cobb County, Georgia, passed an anti-gay resolution. I was still a good Michael J. Fox Republican at the time and I remember a coworker asking me, "Is hate a family value?" That comment put a fissure in my thinking that grew wider and wider.

What the Bible Says

I read it for myself and there's six scriptures commonly used to support the anti-gay agenda. Four are implied and only two hit the issue straight on:

• Leviticus 20:13 - The Bible gets straight to the point here — if you have sex with another man you are to be put to death. In fact, there are 23 capital offenses listed in the Bible. I always wondered how any Hebrew made it through life without getting executed. If you curse your parents or pick up sticks on the Sabbath, well, get ready for a stoning.
• Romans 1:26-27 - It appears that Paul is coming down on "unnatural" sex. Of course, a little later in the Bible, in 1 Corinthians 11:14, Paul says that long hair is unnatural too. And for this, my fundamentalist Christian father would drag me to the barbershop where the old barber with the shaky hand proceeded to give me a crew cut. Crap, and this was the 70s when everyone had mullets, so I really stood out. Hey, there's Todd, he's either in ROTC or a Christian fundamentalist.

Homosexuality is Natural

Despite the Apostle Paul not liking it, homosexuality is normal and natural. For the human species about 5 to 7 percent of offspring are going to be same-sex oriented. So what? It's not wrong, it's not abnormal, it is just a byproduct of our complex genetics and brain formation.

I believe homosexuality is a mix between genetic predisposition and environmental factors. According to one study, same-sex sexual behavior occurs in about 500 animal species, ranging from primates to gut worms. There will be a lot of gut worms in hell. 

The Pointlessness of Discrimination

When a person discriminates against another due to race, religion, sexuality orientation, etc... they are simply cheating themselves out of meeting wonderful people. Some of the most kindest, warmest people I've ever known happened to be gay. The gay community works hard, contributes to society, and harms no one. And I can't remember anyone ever saying that gays want special rights — only fairness and equality.

Most conservative Christians are so insulated in their yuppie religious worlds that I doubt they have any contact with gays. Yet, the issue comes up repeatedly in their War Against Everything. No marriage licenses to gays, and no putting two plastic men together on top of a wedding cake.

Sin

Growing up I've always been intrigued with the idea of "sin." Already, in our society there are tons of rules. Many are legal and civil rules, like stopping at stop signs or not punching someone for fun. Then there are all the social norm rules, like not putting your elbow on the table. Then, if you are religious you have to deal with an entire third layer of rules, which dictate what you eat, what you wear, when you can work, etc... If you break one it's called a "sin." Unlike a law, where you get thrown in jail, a sin is where you get punished later. As a young teen I tested a few sins, like skipping church, and noticed that I didn't get struck by lightening. The idea is that a "sin" pisses God off, but since Jesus died for our sins and forgave us, we're really not held accountable. We can still get into heaven no matter WHAT sin we commit, like being a serial killer. All we have to do is ask for forgiveness before we're strapped to the chair and we go to Heaven, like Ted Bundy did.

The point being is that calling homosexuality a sin is pointless, since Jesus has already paid for all sins and has forgiven all of us wild eyed heathens.

When I was in the religious community I regularly heard, "Hate the sin, love the sinner." I rarely drink and only occasionally let a curse word slip, so by the terms of the Christian evangelical I'm a good person. Well, except for all the anti-religious things I say in my blog. So, I'm happy to know that Christians will love me. Thanks, guys. But as for the gays, their sexual orientation is part of who they are, so, yes, you are hating them.

Conclusion

If a gay couple wants insurance coverage or wants to get married, it doesn't affect you good Christians in any way. So back off! The "homosexual agenda" is not destroying America or "eroding our moral fiber." Believe me, American morality is already destroyed — look at the divorce rate, even among Christians. Or look at the oversexed child that you elected as president. I mean, are you serious?

Gays have always been around and the human species has survived. I know that you need "enemies" to unify your base, but leave the gays alone. They are minding their own business and you guys should just focus on your Christmas musical and church softball teams, and all your other so-called "outreaches," which just really entertain yourselves. Better yet, make friends with a few gays and flush all your self-righteous demagoguery down the toilet.