“Gay love is a form of hatred.”
Wait, what?
Earlier today, I was explaining to a friend about the short text Plato’s Symposium, which I found stuffed away in a bookshelf at home. I decided to take a quick read through, and part of the dialogue claimed that homosexual relationships tend to embody love in its purest form. But I guess my friend had a different take on the subject.
And so I asked him why he feels that homosexuality denotes hate. Being a devout Christian, his explanation was that the Bible condemns such acts. He added that, unlike the Old Testament and its horde of contemporarily bizarre rules, the disapproval of gays can be found in the New Testament, a proclaimed benchmark for morality. Therefore, he was not just some religious fanatic who followed each law within the holy literature.
On a side note, my friend made a good point about the Old Testament. Did you know that, in the book of Leviticus, one law specifically prohibits people with flat noses from visiting an altar of God?
Soon, my curiosity got the better of me and I began bombarding my friend with questions.
Why should homosexuality be considered immoral?
“Well, I could use practical reasons, like how we were meant to reproduce. But, bottom line is I sincerely believe it is wrong.”
What makes it wrong?
“Why is stealing wrong? Or incest? Because there is a higher power and a higher moral code.”
But how do you differentiate between what a higher power states and what is only claimed by man?
By this point in our conversation, I was slowly becoming the nagging five-year-old who responds to all statements with an innocent “why?” It didn’t help that my friend’s retorts were becoming more and more abstract.
“What is right and what is wrong? Can you really justify morality?”
But what makes YOU believe in something?
“Oh, in that case, it’s faith.”
I guess this is the key difference between our views on the idea of faith. To my friend, faith is used to validate his devotion to the values of God. As for myself, I believe in having values found through experiences and pray for faith in upholding them.
Which approach is the right one, and how could you ever explain such an answer? That, I will never know.
But I’m pretty sure my nose is too flat for God’s altar.
Homosexuality is a really tough subject for some Christians, and many wrestle with it.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Christian, and I have a number of good friends who are gay. I love them dearly and accept them for who they are. I don't think it's my job to judge their sexual orientation.
Just my two cents. Thanks for the thoughtful blog.
-Csuds
Hey I really like this post. I'm a lesbian and Obviously i think homosexually is not a negative thing. The way i look at is, you can't choose who ur heart wants, love is love does it really matter what form it comes in? And how does being gay hurt someone else. each to their own i say. I'm not a person to say someones beliefs or lifestyle choices are wrong so i expect the same in return.
ReplyDeletehere is a quote i like
"Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority; the political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities (and the smallest minority on earth is the individual)."
Ayn Rand
This was a great read as well Jacky.
ReplyDeleteThe whole "because the bible says so" thing boggles my mind. How can someone take a book that was man made so literally is my question Because the bible says so? Errr.
Like you said, I am not 100% positive with my beliefs, but what I do know is that everyone WAS created equally- whether it was by a higher power or by an expanding singularity in space and time.
Your blog is awesome! I will be sure to follow. :)