Erasing Condemning Messages
Rev. Turner:I am a 29 year old lesbian who is in a very loving relationship with my partner. I am in the process of coming out to my family and a select few of my friends. I am having trouble reconciling my sexuality with my spirituality. See, I once was involved with a cult, Boston Church of Christ, you may or may not have heard of it but it is all over the country and I know there is one there in your home state named the Atlanta Church of Christ. Anyway, in that church and other born-again Christian churches that I have belonged to, I have acquired several mental tapes that run over and over inside my head telling me how this lifestyle is worthy only of hell. It has even gone as far as people telling me to my face that if I left the BCC, I would not be able to shed the evilness of homosexuality because only their church, the true church, could heal me. Now I have left all churches and I am trying to live a full life as a lesbian but something inside is still missing a closeness with God. I have bought a few books to try to help; "Don't be Afraid anymore" by the pastor who started the MCC churches, "What the bible really says about homosexuality" and "Coming Out Spiritually". These books are all fine and good but I still can't turn off those tapes. I struggle daily with this issue although I do try not to think about it and try to keep myself busy with my daily work. This just puts off the problem but doesn't solve that void I feel. I need some advice from a real person. I need to know that I am "good enough" to go to heaven. What I mean is that, I want to know that God doesn't look at my homosexuality as a pass to go directly to hell. Also, how am I going to turn off those tapes in my head? I am scared, real scared of what is ahead of me and definitely afraid of what is on the other side of this life. Can you help? I will read some of the responses that you gave to others and I am sure that they will give me some hope by the answers you have given.
Thank you!
Laurie
Dear Laurie,
Who died and made this church the King and or Queen or worse yet GOD of the
Churches? I mean did I miss something? Has the free will God has bestowed
upon each and every one us been signed over to this new church that has the
answer of the ages? I know that you might think I am being sarcastic, but
my dear child of God, I am not. I wanted you and the readers to see what
power you have given these people. They want control of your mind and most
likely your pocketbook so they will scare you into doing what they want
because they think they have the secrete to living the "true life of God."
Let me share what Jesus had to say about such people:
These are the folks who planted these tapes in your head. They LIED to you
Laurie by telling folks what is appearing good, what is looking
Good, teaching that God only created one type of people, claiming to be
the ultimate authority on God -- what a lie! Jesus spent an entire
ministry speaking about people's personal faith. Their minds, beliefs and relationship
with God was for them to work out and design, not for some group of power
hunger people to decide what that relationship should be or had to be in order to
be acceptable.
These folks are not comfortable with the fact that God has created
a great variety of sexuality and the fact that there is more then one way to
express one's sexuality. That sexuality is in fact an extension of
expressing our love for another person.
I assure you that you are a child of God, a creation of God and that your
sexuality is a part of that creation! God does not make mistakes nor does God make
things to only later destroy it because after giving them an incredible
variety in tastes, needs and expression decides you can't do that. In other
words, God didn't change the rules in the middle of Creation!
My sister in Christ, do not be afraid, for Jesus came that you might have
life and have it abundantly. Remember Jesus also said: "Do not be afraid of
those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the
One who can destroy both the soul and the body. Are not two sparrows sold
for a penny? Yet, not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the
will of your God. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
so don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Who ever
acknowledges me before people, I will also acknowledge before my god in
heaven." Matthew 10:28-32
Please listen not to me, but rather the words of Jesus:
And
finally these words of our Savior:
My sister, you believe in Jesus as the Christ. God has given you a very
special person to love and honor. Today I give you good news -- destroy the
tapes and celebrate the life and gifts that God has given you to share with
the world!
God Bless,
"But let the greatest among you be your servant. And whoever makes
themselves high will be made low, and whoever makes themselves low will be
made high.
But a curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you
are shutting the kingdom of heaven against people: for you do not go in
yourselves, and those who are going in, you keep back. A curse is on
you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you go about land and sea to get
one disciple and, having them, you make them twice as much a son or daughter
of hell as yourselves. A curse is on you, blind guides, who say, Whoever
takes an oath by the Temple, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the
gold of the Temple, they are responsible. You foolish ones and blind:
which is greater, the gold, or the Temple which makes the gold holy?
And, Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever takes an
oath by the offering which is on it, they are responsible. You blind
ones: which is greater, the offering, or the altar which makes the offering
holy? The one, then, who takes an oath by the altar, takes it by the
altar and by all things on it. And the one who takes an oath by the
Temple, takes it by the Temple and by God whose house it is. And the one
who takes an oath by heaven, takes it by the seat of God, and by God who is
seated on it. A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for
you make people give a tenth of all sorts of sweet-smelling plants, but you
give no thought to the more important things of the law, righteousness, and
mercy, and faith; but it is right for you to do these, and not to let the
others be undone. You blind guides, who take out a fly from your drink,
but make no trouble over a camel. A curse is on you, scribes and
Pharisees, false ones! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the
plate, but inside they are full of violent behavior and uncontrolled desire.
You blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the
plate, so that the outside may become equally clean. A curse is on you,
scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you are like the resting-places of
the dead, which are made white, and seem beautiful on the outside, but
inside are full of dead one's bones and of all unclean things. Even so
you seem to people to be full of righteousness, but inside you are all false
and full of wrongdoing. A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false
ones! because you put up buildings for housing the dead bodies of the
prophets, and make fair the last resting-places of good people, and say,
If we had been living in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken
part with them in the blood of the prophets. So that you are witnesses
against yourselves that you are the sons of those who put the prophets to
death. Make full, then, the measure of your ancestors.
You snakes, offspring of snakes, how will you be kept from the
punishment of hell?"
--Matthew 23:13-33
"If you are hated
by the world, keep in mind that I was hated by the world before you. If you
were of the world, you would be loved by the world: but because you are not
of the world, but I have taken you out of the world, you are hated by the
world. Keep in mind the words I said to you, A servant is not greater than
his lord. If they were cruel to me, they will be cruel to you; if they kept
my words, they will keep yours. They will do all this to you because of my
name--because they have no knowledge of him who sent me."
--John 15:18-21 "Happy are those whose heart's desire is for righteousness: for they
will have their desire.
Happy are those who have mercy: for they will be given mercy.
Happy are the clean in heart: for they will see God.
Happy are the peacemakers: for they will be named sons of God.
Happy are those who are attacked on account of righteousness: for the
kingdom of heaven will be theirs.
Happy are you when men give you a bad name, and are cruel to you, and say
all evil things against you falsely, because of me.
Be glad and full of joy; for great is your reward in heaven: for so were
the prophets attacked who were before you.
You are the salt of the earth; but if its taste goes from the salt, how
will you make it salt again? it is then good for nothing but to be put out
and crushed under foot by people.
You are the light of the world. A town put on a hill may be seen by all.
And a burning light is not put under a vessel, but on its table; so that
its rays may be shining on all who are in the house. Even so let your light be shining before all, so that they may see your
good works and give glory to your God in heaven."
--Matthew 5:6-16
If you are seeking guidance and pastoral care on your journey to fullness as a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered person, please contact Pastor Paul directly at pastorpaul@whosoever.org.