Is there any religion that does not oppose homosexuality? - Page 2

lunamoth · 04-23-2005, 02:42 AM

Hi Janitor, I appreciate the honest thinking you've shared here. It's so much easier to say this is right or wrong, or this is what God wants or doesn't want than to express our struggle to really understand grace.

Julia, others here have mentioned the Episcopal church and I would also say that you might consider checking out the Episcopal churches near you. The church I go to is welcoming and supportive of same sex couples and I think this is the majority view, well at least most are neutral if not supportive. However, not all congregations are as supportive or welcoming and you probably have already thought to check out the controversy over our gay Bishop and same sex couple blessings. The Episcopal church USA has decided not to ordain any bishops (regardless of gender or orientation) until further consultation and concord with the Anglican Communion is reached. best wishes if you do decide to search for a new spiritual home.

lunamoth

joseftu · 04-23-2005, 03:18 AM

As dauer rightly points out above, the more traditional or "orthodox" branches of Abrahamic religions are not going to be very welcoming of homosexuality (although they may still be welcoming of homosexuals, if you see the difference). But the "liberal" or "egalitarian" branches can take a much broader and more open view on this subject.

In addition to the gay-accepting and specifically gay-identified Christian churches already mentioned, there are also gay-accepting and specifically gay-identified Jewish synagogues (Congregation Beth Simchat Torah here in NYC is probably the largest).

Many reform, and some conservative, synagogues, also, are very accepting and open in this area. The congregation of which I'm a member, for example, is a Conservative Egalitarian Jewish congregation (oy, how confusing the terminology!) affiliated with the United Synagogue of America, and we have absolutely no opposition to homosexual people or behavior. Our Rabbi is gay, as are many of our members, and discussion and debate about the issue is open and active.

hpet · 04-24-2005, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by julia

Dear friends,

the election of Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI has finally made me look for alternatives to my catholic faith. Please do not put me down for that - I can assure you that I have thought very long before making that decision and long even before the conclave.
I am now trying to find a spiritual community that shares my beliefs on certain points. One issue that is important to me is the attitude towards homosexuality. Astonishingly I could not find any religious community that does not in some way or other oppose, forbid or even condemn homosexuality. I wonder why. Or did I overlook a religious group?

I'd be very grateful if you could give me advice on this.

Julia

Dear Julia,
It is a grace that you have to ask for advice and not shut the door.
I can only offer the advice that will bring the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ on you to reveal the truth. What is more important is that you have direct relationship with Jesus Christ. Pray to him as follows and he will guide you.

"Dear Lord Jesus, I do not know all the truths but I invite you into my heart and guide me always." That should be it.

John 14

15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. 18 "I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you.

26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

julia · 04-24-2005, 04:28 AM

Thank you very much for your posts and helpful information! I really think CR is a great place.

All the best,

Julia

julia · 04-24-2005, 04:34 AM

Thanks for your reply!

Quote: Many reform, and some conservative, synagogues, also, are very accepting and open in this area. The congregation of which I'm a member, for example, is a Conservative Egalitarian Jewish congregation (oy, how confusing the terminology!) affiliated with the United Synagogue of America, and we have absolutely no opposition to homosexual people or behavior. Our Rabbi is gay, as are many of our members, and discussion and debate about the issue is open and active.

I'm interested: How do you align the tolerance of homosexual relationships or practices with the mosaic laws about sexual behavior? Or how do you decide which laws to take literally and which to discard as outdated?

Thank you!°

Julia

brucegdc · 04-24-2005, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by julia

Thanks for your reply!

I'm interested: How do you align the tolerance of homosexual relationships or practices with the mosaic laws about sexual behavior? Or how do you decide which laws to take literally and which to discard as outdated?

If I recall, there were some good posts in the Homosexuality thread that dealt with this - basically, the philosophy as I understand it is that there are a LOT of commandments. Nobody follows all of them, so why go ballistic over one of the ones that's not even repeated. Now, cheeseburgers, *they're* evil (the commandment against seething the calf in the milk of its mother is repeated three times...)

... Bruce

julia · 04-24-2005, 05:19 AM

Hi Bruce!

Isn't it also about whether I think the scripture is the word of God or man? To me, the bible is merely a book written by humans - thus, they can make mistakes and regardless of how frequently they repeat that error, it will still be an error.

On the other hand this also explains my difficulties with catholic dogma: Once you concede that the bible may be wrong you will have to start from scratch to find out for yourself what the rules are. But maybe that's not too bad after all.

Julia

Abogado del Diablo · 04-24-2005, 01:34 PM

If you look inside yourself, you'll find what the rules really are. Nobody needs 2,000 years of Rube Goldberg-like dogma to tell them about love, tolerance, forgiveness and temperance.

joseftu · 04-24-2005, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by julia

I'm interested: How do you align the tolerance of homosexual relationships or practices with the mosaic laws about sexual behavior? Or how do you decide which laws to take literally and which to discard as outdated?

Bruce answered it pretty well. Nobody takes the all the laws literally. Nobody stones to death disobedient children, or violators of the Sabbath (to take just a couple of examples). But we're not "discarding the laws as outdated," either. Rather we're trying to find ways to make them relevant and meaningful in our lives as Jews in the contemporary world. That's what makes the Torah a living, powerful, text--interpretation and application.

kiwimac · 05-25-2005, 10:39 AM

Quakers are extremely gay-friendly, there are GLBT groups in all the major Christian denominations, as well religions such as Gathic Zoroastrianism and some branches of Hinduism and Buddhism are also gay=friendly.

Kiwimac

THUNK · 05-31-2005, 07:02 PM

Why 'shop' from organised religions? Your own thoughts are just as valid as those individuals that penned each religion.

Each religion is merely a man made interpretation / theory. Imagine if Africa had had the first indusrtial revolution and spread thier indeginous religions instead of the other way round. We would then have a whole other shopping list of religions.
Consider that us as a species will eventually die out. After that another species will rise. They will have thier own religions. In other words, your own inner belief - blend is just as valid as one already established.

May not work for you, but I feel great contentment that I dont have to 'buy - in' to the thoughts of others, and that my own beliefs and responses are entirely mine and entirely self - generated.

Vajradhara · 06-02-2005, 06:30 PM

Namaste all,

back in the Buddhas day, homosexuals were actually considered to be a third gender, so it wasn't really much of an issue at all.

of course, within the context of the monastic enviornment, sexual activity of any sort is prohibited... part of being a monk or nun. within the context of the Buddhist laiety, however, there is no prohibition upon a beings sexual preference. the Buddhist ethical concerns in this regard are more for sexual misconduct rather than sexuality itself. Buddhism teaches that beings that engage in sexual misconduct usually end up more unhappy than they were when they started. sexual misconduct is a broad category that includes all manner of coereced sexual contact and more.

Flutter_Fli · 06-05-2005, 11:40 PM

I can tell you that the earth-based religions are very excepting of homosexuals. I am wiccan and my boyfriend is a pagan and a bisexual. Most pagans do not descriminate against others regardless of their ethnicity, religion, or sexual identity. But you have grown up as a Catholic and our practices are alot different and they might not be for you.

If it helps you could always look up and explore some other religions before choosing. Listen to yourself because you are the one that has to decide.

Saponification · 06-11-2005, 05:15 AM

Taoism, Buddhism, Paganism... umm I'd say Shinto and Confucianism are fairly safe bets, although I'm not sure. I'd say a homosexual would be okay in Jainism as well.

According to a monk I've spoken to, "There are no exceptions." If you're heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual it doesn't matter - the same rules apply.

bodhi_mind · 06-13-2005, 02:26 AM

Hi, I'm new here (boy, what a way to introduce myself, lol), but Julia, I was in the same position you are now.

I'm gay and a now ex-Catholic. It wasn't the election of ol' Benny that did me in, it was John Paul II. So dig this, the Catholic Church hid these pedophile monsters for years, but when gays and lesbians want to get married, the Church stumbles all over itself rushing to proclaim gay marriage an "ideology of evil."

That did it, I want a new religion!

I thought briefly about the Espicopalians, but with the election of V Gene Robinson, they threatened a war "church by church." Ughh! Didn't sound too appealing to me.

So, my thoughts turned eastward. That meant renouncing Christianity entirely.

I studied Toaism for awhile. That appealed to me. The western mind thinks of things in duality, "good" ,"evil", "right", "wrong", "righteous", "sinners."
Eastern tought transcends that type of thinging. Things are more, cyclical, not so entrenched into dualistic thinking, dogma, and ideology.

Anyways, I settled on Buddhism. Sure, it has precepts, but they are guides, not commandments. No one will punish you or reward you if you don't follow them. Plus, the Buddha taught for 45 years after his enlightenment, and homosexuality was soooo important, he never said a word about it.

The Dalai Lama said some things regarding homosexuality that don't set too well with me, but the Dalai Lama is the leader of the Tibetan tradition, and I don't follow that tradition, so we disagree, simple as that.

Anyways again, I look at it this way. Homosexuality has existed since the beginning of time, long before Jesus, the Buddah, Moses, Mohammed, ect.
Our understanding of human sexuality is vastly different than the thinking 2000-3000 years ago. We need to look at the Bible, Torah, Darhma, ect to today's culture and circimstances.

Peace and compassion to all.