tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post3738949547251976073..comments2023-08-23T08:45:53.071-06:00Comments on Paradoxy: Bridging the GapEugenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-11264429248078222552009-09-19T08:40:43.314-06:002009-09-19T08:40:43.314-06:00I'm an Orthodox Christian and what's alway...I'm an Orthodox Christian and what's always fascinated me is the overlap in Orthodox Christianity and Evangelical Protestantism (from my personal experience) when it comes to singles living dedicatedly celibate lives in the world. In Orthodoxy we have a very high regard for monasticism (it's often called the 'angelic life'), but if someone decides that the sort of obedience and asceticism built in to our monasticism is not for them, then there's really no place for them :-/.<br /><br />And amen on your third point - I've never really thought of "gay" as being synonymous with promiscuity, but whenever a Christian identifies as gay to other Christians the missiles come out. If their argument is that it's a disorder like alcoholism, then what's wrong with the word? No one reacts this way to alcoholics who say they're alcoholics, do they? ('No you're not! Say you deal with alcohol attraction!')Jon Marchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17906335382429497204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-36561920047887141692009-07-29T13:50:27.011-06:002009-07-29T13:50:27.011-06:00Rediscover compassion indeed!
I first read this po...Rediscover compassion indeed!<br />I first read this post during the synchroblog event. Much appreciated dialog!<br />If you are interested, I would like to offer you the bridge builder award. <br />There are two rules for this award: The first rule is to write 3 ways you build bridges between yourself and others. The second is to nominate 3 of your favorite blogs/writers for this award.<br />Here is the code for the award: if it doesn't come through, email me and I will happily send it to you!<br />Take care,<br />WendyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-50400451841396704192009-07-02T23:44:14.465-06:002009-07-02T23:44:14.465-06:00Okay, I am a traditionalist, but here is what I ag...Okay, I am a traditionalist, but here is what I agree with:<br /><br /><b>In theory, most churches recognize that lifelong celibacy is an honorable, biblical calling. In practice, all but a very few heterosexual Christians treat it as an inferior state that is fine for gays but that they would never in a million years consider for themselves. Spend time in just about any church and it will quickly become clear that getting married and having children is unanimously viewed as the be-all and end-all of human existence. Unmarried adults are looked on with pity, and church singles groups are seldom much more than "meat markets."</b><br /><br />Spot on (although I am not familiar with the singles groups part).<br /><br /><b>Meanwhile, any gay person who can't work up enough attraction to fall in love with a member of the opposite sex is flatly told they have no alternative to celibacy and no hope of anything better in this lifetime. It's a godly calling and it's all for their own good, after all, even though the heterosexuals preaching to them would view being relegated to the same situation with sheer horror.<br /><br />Until such time as the average Christian can honestly say that they view celibacy as a calling fully equal to marriage, and that they would accept it joyfully should God require it of them, and until celibate Christians are consistently treated in everyday practice as fully equal to their married counterparts, the church cannot expect its gay members to view celibacy as anything less than a prison sentence.</b><br /><br />Brilliant!<br />We are at best "damaged goods".<br />Most straight people don't know very much about themselves when it comes to sexuality unfortunately.<br /><br />But the most brilliant part of all:<br /><br /><b> it's time to retire catchphrases like "change is possible" and "freedom from homosexuality" that strongly imply a promise of orientation change. The semantic hoops that ex-gay spokespersons have to jump through to explain why these terms don't mean what they appear to mean make those same spokespersons appear as disingenuous as the oiliest politician.</b><br /><br />Boy do you deserve a medal. I have been hoping to post this for some time now but didn't know how. I might end up quoting you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-57507727723479680692009-06-25T05:48:07.780-06:002009-06-25T05:48:07.780-06:00I was on Bridges Across back in the day. As I sai...I was on Bridges Across back in the day. As I said at Christine's, I have since gotten married to another woman, realized just how hateful anti-gays can be (being legally divorced against our will can do that), rediscovered my inner grudge-holding bitch, and decided I'd rather make peace with her than people who are mad at me just because I live my life my way.<br /><br />But so many of my grudges stem from this sentence:<br /><br /><i>"Compassion requires far more from the giver than the "courage" to be a belligerent nag."</i><br /><br />So true. So true. So true. I wish the people who needed to listen, would. I hope some do. Thank you for your eloquent post.CrackerLilohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18176388186521154104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-77812992830126527622009-06-24T12:26:01.797-06:002009-06-24T12:26:01.797-06:00Wendy: Good point about those terms. I've add...Wendy: Good point about those terms. I've added a link to Bridges Across for those who aren't familiar with them.Eugenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05431724892247691165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-58182002599958518172009-06-24T11:55:13.267-06:002009-06-24T11:55:13.267-06:00Well said, Eugene. You are particularly eloquent o...Well said, Eugene. You are particularly eloquent on the point about "word games," which have created so much confusion in the church it is hard to know where to begin. Thanks for pointing these things out.Misty Ironshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03375350124307819943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17540148.post-18214337251382165222009-06-24T10:56:05.485-06:002009-06-24T10:56:05.485-06:00Thank you for being willing to join the conversati...Thank you for being willing to join the conversation for the synchroblog ... you have wrestled and thought about these realities much more than most. Some of the readers from the synchroblog may have no idea what "Side A' or "Side B" means .... I wonder if you could add a post-script to clarify those terms.....wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04075925387924140710noreply@blogger.com