rooter@well.UUCP (Brian Mavrogeorge) (09/21/85)
Tried to append this to the article asking about opinions about religion but couldn't figure it out. Sorry. It is not surprising that gays and lesbians are sour on religion having been either directly murdered in its names or having had their oppression "justified" by it. I would submit though that times are a changing. Have always felt that altho gays and lesbians were estranged from the church that they maintained a wellspring of religion within themselves. After all it was not their problem that needed to be resolved it was the churches. I have limited experience with those groups now working within their own denominations for change since I left my family's church (MEthodist( years ago and joined one of the local Metropolitan Community Churches quite some time ago. In San Francisco there is an abundance of religious feeling among gay and lesbians with many synagogues, churches, denominationa "interest" groups etc. And that situation is not unique to SF. There are hundreds of MCCs around the world. My thoughts about religion and Christianity specifically since that is where I come from are that a belief takes work. One must be willing to go the extra mile and get behind the preaching and demagoguery to the source writings. You must study what it is you profess to believe and make up your own mind about your faith. Don't let anyone else define it for you. In the final analysis, your status is between you and your God. Regardless of other people's labels, definitions, and rules, your relationship with God is a very personal direct one. Be an informed Christian (or whatever you profess) and conduct yourself in accordance with what you believe those tenets to be after study and reflection. I was sour on religion also for a long time. But sour on the organization not sour on Christianity. There is a difference. Off my soapbox.