Beth's Contradictory Brain

On Being Gay and Christian

Probably the only topic that can piss people off and cause fights more than politics is religion. As they say, fools rush in...

(There's a link over there on the right - religion - that has a lot of my thoughts and personal history on this topic.)

Two articles that have been brought to my attention in the past week are leading to this post.

There are two about Jennifer Knapp, a Christian recording artist who's been off the radar for a few years, recently came out with a new album, and as a lesbian. Article one and two.

This is the quote that most gets to me, it's from Joe Carter, online editor at First Things: "It's one thing for a non-believer to struggle with letting go of their sin in order to embrace Christ. It is quite another for believer to decide that they no longer need to struggle but can have their sin and Christ too."

What is it that makes homosexuality such a different sin from every other? Are we not all sinners saved by grace? Are we all not working out our faith with fear and trembling? It seems that being gay is it's own special type of perpetual sin.

I just don't believe in a hierarchy of sins. If I did I'd probably put judging others at the top. The often accompanying hypocrisy makes it that much worse.

But I can't tell you how many Christian friends I lost when I "gave myself over to being gay." That was all many, many years ago. But some days it still hurts. I've never understood how you can show someone God's love or His ways when you don't speak to them anymore.

The other side of all this seems to be in a new book "Love is an Orientation” by Andrew Marin reviewed here.

Those many years ago when I left church and lost my Christian friends, I knew that I had to get to a place with God that was a blank slate. I had to let go of the hurts and depression and wrong ideas about God and start at a very simple place with Him. Growing up in church as I did, and having the probably extreme religious life I had in college and shortly thereafter, it's impossible for me not to question the whole possibility of being gay keeping me from being closer to God. My only prayer for many years was "I'm still here, and I have no idea what to say." That was it.

Honestly, it's been the existence of Noah Maxx that has truly helped me relax and trust God and his goodness.

Also, through this dude, Kim Clement, I'm learning a lot about God and how He sees people - His most beloved creation, His destiny.

Am I a sinner? Of course. We all are. Will being gay keep me from fulfilling God's destiny in my life? Maybe, maybe not. I think God's bigger than that.

Will the words and actions of the mainstream Christian church lead my any closer to it or God - absolutely not.

Battle of Ideas

I'm finally getting around to reading Amity Shales' The Forgotten Man. It's a new look at the 20s and the depression era. I read a book many years ago about the 1920s and have often heard them compared to the 1990s, so I guess it doesn't seem too off the mark that 2000-2009 ended a little like the 30s. (No, I don't think the past two or three years even come close to a depression, but I know it's not all roses out there.)

Anyway. As I often find when I read history, humans never really learn from history. The same arguments we're having now on free market vs socialism, progressiveness vs conservatism, ect., are the same ones we were having back in the 20s and 30s.

But here's what frustrates me. Apparently a lot of those in charge these days seem content to ignore the entire history of failure of socialism, communism, and progressiveness. They seem to really think that they're smarter than every other set of people who've tried it and can make it work this time.

Unfortunately, they have a hell of a country's resources to blow through before it all once again fails miserably.

The FDA Thinks You're Stupid

I'm pretty sure this hasn't gotten much attention, but it caught mine and I'm in the mood to write about it.

Here's the money quote:

"However, FDA's research has found that with FOP (front of package) labeling, people are less likely to check the Nutrition Facts label on the information panel of foods (usually, the back or side of the package). It is thus essential that both the criteria and symbols used in front-of-package and shelf-labeling systems be nutritionally sound, well-designed to help consumers make informed and healthy food choices, and not be false or misleading."

I know that sounds all well and good. But it's a little paternalistic for my taste. It's not that the nutritional info ins't on the package, they've just decided the information on the front of packages is too hard to understand and/or too misleading. And stupid consumers can't manage to turn a package over and read the fine print.

I'm sure the entire packaging industry is about ready to quit.

"We also intend to continue to improve our understanding of how consumers view and use such labels. Research suggests that the proliferation of divergent FOP approaches is likely to be confusing to consumers and ultimately counter-productive."

See, they still think you're stupid.

Here's the whole Guidance for Industry Letter.