thomascwaters.com

The video linked is also embedded in the Pam’s House Blend story linked below, and she found it at Box Turtle Bulletin from last week. I wanted to post it, but also wanted to consider the context within which to post it, and thanks to Pat Robertson, I found that context.

The idea of “Christian” carries a negative connotation for many folks, and verbal Christian-bashing is as common among some gay people as verbal gay-bashing is among dome Christians. It isn’t much of a stretch to the conclusion that there is a battle between gay people and Christianity.  A few months ago, I called a pastor friend about use of her church for a training session, and she, at first, said no, because something I had said (maybe here on my blog, or on my podcast, Queer Look at the Bible, or maybe just on Twitter or Facebook) ticked her off, and she called it anti-God. Who is fighting with whom- that’s an interesting question.

I don’t believe the battle is really between gays and Christianity, even though some on the Christian right want to portray it that way. I think the real battle is actually within Christianity itself, and standard operating procedure for some, is to use the GLBTQ community as both a weapon, and fuel for the fire of their fight. And this is a critically important distinction to make because “gay as opponent” and “gay as weapon” defines both our role, and their perspective of us differently, and ultimately can influence our response.

The people most brutally damaged in this, are those young queers just coming out, especially those from a very conservative or Christian family. For these young women and men, coming to grips with one part of their “self” while being taught that that “self” is an abomination can lead to much internalized shame. The other group most badly damaged by this, are those gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer folk for whom, religion and their faith play a central part in their lives. These folks often feel betwixt ands between two worlds, alienated on both sides. The gay side sees them as freaky for placing their personal faith experience as central in their lives, and the religious side views them with disgust.

Even where welcome, it can be tenuous. I remember a number of years ago, attending a Methodist church which had a reputation for being welcoming to gays. Not long after starting to attend, a pastor (who is actually extremely supportive of the GLBTQ community) confided in me that when she had looked out that sunday morning, and saw me with a black leather biker jacket, she was a bit frightened. But these personal ramblings are taking me off topic.

The real battle is within Christianity overall, as parts of that faith tradition evolve and others seek to keep things at the status quo. So, watch the video, and then watch the second video of Pat Robertson, who expresses the desire for the Episcopalian Church as a whole to just disappear.

Here is where our (GLBTQ) perception of where we fit in the battle has importance: If we see ourselves as the battled enemy, it is easy to operate from a place of victimhood, where too much emotional energy is lost as individuals work to counter the inner battles for self worth. We also, end up dismantling relationships and community by battling each other. If, on the other hand, we recognize that homosexuality is being used as a wedge issue- as a weapon to try and stop change, we do not have to feel quite so victimized. We hold actually, far more power than we might imagine from that vantage point.

Faith is, at the core, a personal and individual inner experience. Faith is practiced in community for a number of reasons, but the battle we are talking about isn’t really about Faith at all. It is about control, and rigid rules. I would go so far as to say, it is fueled by the refusal to seek and appreciate faith. As long as denominations like The Episcopalian Church continues to seek new understandings of the fullness of God’s covenant with all, those of little faith who need to have rigid rules to feel comfortable will continue to use gays as a weapon, and try and make it be about us- when it isn’t really. It is about their unwillingness explore the bigness of God.

Pam’s House Blend:: Open thread – fundie quote of the day: Scott Lively .