I hope this post doesn't repeat others views as I can't remember how far I read back the other day~

I love your quote, Lisa. That goes with what iSm said. And how I have come to feel, as well.

You don't need to belong to a church to have God in your life. I think people stress that you do because they think it makes them better people to bring you in to the fold. {Oh, that is harsh but how about it eases their souls to try and 'save' you?}

I think there are good and bad people in all groups. Very good, very bad. I also think that, from my upbringings experience with the Church, guilt is a big part of it. Guilt and fear. I had enough of that.

So, if you feel God in your heart, well, I think that is where He is supposed to be. If going to church gives you comfort, go. If it makes you angry to hear their views, find a group that has similar views. There has to be one. I only say to go that route because you wouldn't go to Disneyland to enjoy it with a bunch of people who were knocking it all of the time, would you? It wouldn't change what Disneyland means to you but would you want to spend the day arguing the point with them? Why not go with friends?

You guys are pretty deep and there I go comparing Church to Disneyland. :blush: Oh well.

I am not gay but I felt unwelcome to go to the church and guilty about my life. My mother still says we should get married in the church and I won't. Oh, hell, maybe I will because she is pretty darn old and it would make her happy BUT I wouldn't agree to some of the terms they have for wives.

I have to agree with some of the comments~ you are a very level headed person, very well balanced. So sorry to see you having this issue.

So I'm talking to my son the other day, just kinda shooting the bull about nothing and everything, and he rattles off the names of about four or five openly gay guys from his school. He says that the whole school knows who's gay and out and nobody really cares about sexual orientation and nobody gets picked on for being gay.


The children shall lead us.

If only Sac- at my sons school being gay is a huge insult and is weilded as such. Makes me sad. Because if they abuse my son, who is not gay- imagine what these kids would do to a kid who was and said so. :(

At the mall about a month ago, a kid commented out loud about a Brokeback Mountain movie poster, using the word "fag." The eight or nine kids of mixed genders he was with came down on him hard. They equated the term 'fag' with the infamous "N" word, and they told their friend never to use that word around them again.


Where does that leave us in the battle of anecdotal evidence?

Sounds like it leaves us in California.

Not necessarily. Up here in the PNW, Eastern Wa to be exact, I've been pleasantly surprised by the attitudes of a lot of kids regarding homosexuality. There is a lot of support for gay teens and adults and I never hear anything negative from the kids I know.

Here are 3 things that make me scratch my head:

1. People using the word 'gay' to describe something or someone lame.

2. How anti-gay people always use the word 'homosexual' instead of the word 'gay' to describe people. But I guess they're catering to the people who find the words 'homo' and 'sex' reprehensible.

3. Cooties.


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I have noticed more and more of the younger generations being open minded about same-sex issues. It's interesting to see how much easier it was for my sister (who is 11 years younger than me) to come out than it was for me. (Although sometimes it feels like it's easier for women to come out than men. At least in this country...)

Cooties come from girls, GC.

HEY!

Hmmm, an all caps "HEY!" but no denial. I rest my case.