same-sex love

Seems like a good place to put my stance.

I'm a slightly liberal moderate living a very conservative lifestyle in one of the most conservative religions out there. And I'm gay. Most people don't understand how that works, but it's a fact of life for me.

Reconciling conservative religion with homosexuality is a huge hurdle, and most people won't even attempt it unless it punches them in the face - either through their own struggles or through the struggles of someone they're close to. I grew up believing that homosexuality in all forms was wrong, unnatural, and an abomination in God's sight. Then I realized (early on, apparently) that I was definitely attracted to guys much more frequently than girls. That was never a choice presented to me - it's my natural inclination. When it then became obvious that no amount of intense prayer, fasting, or religious worship was going to change the way I felt, I knew I had to figure out where I was going to go with things.

The way I see it, temptations are not sins. Jesus was tempted by the Devil himself - did that make Him a sinner? So my being homosexual is not a sin. Acting on that temptation - if I believe that homosexuality is a sin, then it's the acting that makes the sin. And I don't think that homosexual activity really has any place in the plan God has set up for us. I believe that one of the main purposes of life on earth is to pursue healthy family relationships, and that the natural order of things, and the conditions under which a family flourishes best, is with a father and mother who love each other, fulfilling whichever roles they have decided upon together.

This doesn't mean I condemn people who believe otherwise - how you believe is your business, not mine. Of course I think I'm right, but anyone with any measure of self esteem ought to feel convinced of their own opinion if it's thought-out.

So how do I live my life? I actively pursue the aspect of myself that isn't homosexual, but I don't ignore that aspect of who I am. Homosexuality doesn't define me, but it is part of who I am and I won't deny that. And love, for me, transcends gender and is more than just attraction and sex. I hope when I fall in love that I'm attracted to the person I fall in love with, but if that doesn't come I'll have another challenge to face. And if someone falls in love with anyone, same gender or not, I really shouldn't base my opinion on that relationship purely on 'what' they are. Concern for safety or emotional well being is one thing, concern for one's private bits is entirely another.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Dark Nation

Drex: I had heard that you were Bi, but I wasn't aware of being full blown gay. Well I must admit if more people like you had the open mind to accept that which was traditionally shunned by your peers, perhaps this whole gay/lesbian issue would work itself out much faster.

For a long time I considered myself bi because I was much more emotionally attracted to females. Over time, I've come to understand much more about myself and have determined that while a small part of me is heterosexual (I believe that very few people are 100% either way anyway), it is a small enough fraction as to render 'bisexual' and inaccurate label. Be that as it may, I'm pursuing a heterosexual relationship right now, so I guess that shoots the 'gay' label out of the water as well. :P

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by GhaleonQ

*bows down to Drex* I can't fathom the difficulty of that, and "respect" only begins to describe my feeling.

Heh, we'll see how it all pans out in a few months before we start throwing respect around. I feel like I've got a good perspective and one of the only decent ways that I've heard of for reconciling conservative religion with homosexuality, but that doesn't mean it'll work out in the end. :P

Originally Posted by wvlfpvp

Also, Drex.

Spoiler:

You're a million times better than this gay guy that I knew in High School (didn't know he was gay until about a year after) who's married to a woman who's helping him "more than she knows"

Sounds like someone that's either a jerk, an idiot, or a putz. I'm not sure which, though. I won't even date a girl seriously unless she knows that I'm gay, because I have a lot of respect for women in general (and especially the type that I would consider dating) and wouldn't want to offend, slight, or hurt someone by withholding pertinent information until later on.

Additional Spam:

Originally Posted by Bubblehead1123

I don't think you people would want to know what i think of "gay" people.

PS this kind of post doesn't really help conversation, unless you're simply striving for attention.

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