When I watched this show again today I had to laugh at the daughter "Em" saying that her lesbian sister thought she could "pick and choose" from the bible.
I agree that the lesbian sister needs to learn to let some healing happen before she starts trumpeting about her sexuality to her family. Her sexual orientation doubtless factors into what makes her the person she is but she has to learn diplomacy. I think that's only reasonable.
However, my hackles were certainly piqued at the continued preaching of the Christians.
Did everyone see the episode where the girls in the Mennonite sect were brought back from the third-world nation of Belize to America and reunited with their mother?
If the ladies who call themselves Christians were to truly obey the bible then they would be wearing the bonnets and capes the same as those two girls.
1 Timothy Chapter 2 clearly states
"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array."
In other words no more jewelry, no designer labels, nothing flashy, they should have totally covered hair and body. If you're really committed to that way of life then the bible instructs that you should live like a 1st Century Judean. That means "tithing" your nice fancy three stall garage, split level, 4 bed, 3 bath, and moving into a shack with no running water or electricity somewhere in North Dakota or Nebraska.
1 Timothy Chapter 2 goes on to say
"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. "
That's what the bible says about women in general - according to the bible; women are only fit for the draconian traditional roles they've been assigned over the past couple of millennia and anything else is against this precious "God's law".
Personally I think more of women than that. I think of women as my equal as a man and I don’t think that gender prevents someone from doing any job they choose well.
To me, this so called "God's law" is a schizoid collection of seeming random acts of violence, hatred, persecution, murder, intolerance and cruelty smattered with a few common sense aphorisms which are trumpeted and held up as divinely inspired despite the absurdity of it.
According to the Old Testament, and “Deuteronomy” you should stone to death anyone you disagree with - including your own son if he is "stubborn and rebellious". Which teenage son isn't stubborn and rebellious?.. at least a little bit? Certainly you should stone me to death, priests of other religions etc. So this whole tolerance thing is very un-Christian.
Personally I don't buy a single word of it. I'm very much with the man who wrote the Constitution of this nation and the Fourth President, James Madison who wrote
"Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise."
Madison also wrote
"During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution."
Sources : The Madison’s by Virginia Moore, P. 43 (1979, McGraw-Hill Co. New York, NY) quoting a letter by JM to William Bradford April 1, 1774, and James Madison, A Biography in his Own Words, edited by Joseph Gardner, p. 93, (1974, Newsweek, New York, NY) Quoting Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments by JM, June 1785.
Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to William Short wrote
"I have examined all the known superstitions of the world, and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology. Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites; to support roguery and error all over the earth."
As for these ex-gay ministries which are, in my view, disgusting shams, I would like to suggest that families struggling with religious issues consider counseling away from the source of their misery – the religion.
There are many sources for leaving Christianity in particular, and unshackling ones mind from religion can be an incredibly wonderful freeing and life affirming thing to do. It kind of removes that clingy cosy blanketed feeling that religion gives you, but at the same time it brings the world into sharper focus, a higher resolution, emotions are real – not prescribed. Conversations can go anywhere – not just on pre-arranged routes around circular logic.
Go to an Internet Search engine and type in “Leaving Christianity” and you’ll find dozens of forums dedicated to the discussion of the merits of leaving behind the shackles of organized religion, and how to do it.
Dan Barker’s book “Losing faith in faith: From Preacher to Atheist” is a wonderful story of a preacher turned atheist that details the struggles, the bigoted injustices and the hateful and threatening correspondence he received when he announced his decision to become an atheist all the way through to him finding his true self and the joy of finally leading a rational life without lying to himself and to those around him.
Incidentally I have no affiliation with Dan Barker, his publicist, his publisher, his friends or family or himself personally. I just like his work.
Finally, if you really think your religion allows you to be free intellectually try telling them you want to leave and that you have decided that you don’t believe in God. See how many of them talk to you after that, see how many threaten you with various things including hell, damnations and torture for all eternity. See how many people attack you personally, some people who have left Christianity have even been the targets of violence from other churchgoers and even preachers themselves.
Leaving your religion may be the best thing you ever did for your life.
(Original Air Date: 10/19/05) Sexual orientation used to be something kept hidden from family and co-workers, but now more and more people are "coming out" and finding acceptance. Anjela says her mother and sister don't support her sexual orientation, and feel she can't be Christian and gay at the same time. Can they reconcile this touchy issue? Then, two men debate whether a person can go from gay to straight, and parents of a 4-year-old boy fear their son's desire to play with dolls and wear heels means he'll grow up to be gay. Are they overreacting to his wishes to be a princess instead of a prince? Talk about gender and gay issues here.
