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Readers are an integral part of Whosoever. We appreciate hearing from our readers, whether they have praise or hot coals to heap on our heads. With the new year, we're beginning this new feature of a reader forum. Here's some of the things our readers are saying.
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Editor:
I did like reading your article. I thought it was thought-provoking and
insightful. I just don't happen to agree with a few of your basic
tenets. Or what I perceive to be you tenets of faith--I certainly may
have made some unwarranted assumptions.
Sincerely,
Skip .. thanks for your letter. I'm glad you enjoyed the article, and I'm also glad it brought up more questions than answers for you. Often that's what our whole magazine is about ... making you think and helping you as you work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Often my answers, or the things that work for me, as I work out my salvation with God will not be answers that will ring true with you. That means you must do the work to find those answers for yourself. I only offer my thoughts and experiences as examples, guideposts, to help you on your way.
You asked in your letter about God's wrath and the horrible things attributed to God. I did address this in the article, though maybe not as completely as you would like. I wrote:
I do believe, wholeheartedly, that many of the examples you give are instances of this. I don't think God sent the bear to kill those little children
As for violence against gays and lesbians in the name of God, that's just horrible theology, and again, an example of people exacting their own revenge and calling it the will of God. I think God grieves over stuff like this, but that's the danger of free will. We can choose to hurt others .. and we can choose to give the credit to God for our unkind and malicious acts. It doesn't mean those acts actually came from God, even if those acts happen to reside in a book called "canon" by some church.
I hope this helps clarify my thinking in the article and gives you at least some sort of answer to your question. I still believe the only true example of God's wrath is when we take God for granted, forget God's teachings to love one another, and get lost in our own pettiness, anger and greed. Other examples of "God's anger", in my opinion, are nothing more than human vengefulness, wrongly attributed to God .. and yes, some of those examples are in the Bible!
Blessings,
Editor:
Kerry,
One of the things I like about running this magazine is that it teaches me so much about how others view the world. Honestly, in my mind, "right-wing" is synonymous with "detractors" who rail against homosexuality and especially those who say they are both gay and Christian. It's eye opening to hear from someone such as yourself who also embraces the term "right wing" as well as "gay" and "Christian."
You're absolutely right, of course, that in a world of labels, one must tread carefully. One person's identity is another person's insult. We do strive to not bash anyone here at Whosoever. Being human, we often fail in that respect. But, if we can admit our wrong, move on and try not to inflict that same injury again, we should try. I appreciate your letter and the expression of your offense over the term. I agree with you and will strive in the future to try and see beyond my own back yard when writing future articles.
Thanks for the lesson!
Blessings,
Candace Chellew
Editor:
It's the idea that only the "righteous" survive, that God will not preserve
and prosper a nation with "unrighteousness" in it. Specifically, it is the
fear that God will not show favor to America and may remove it from it's
dominant position in the world (perhaps even destroy it) if our nation doesn't
adhere to traditionally-interpreted standards of purity.
As the fear of World Communism fades, this new fear is replacing it in the
American public consciousness. So in an increasingly right-wing religious (but
not necessarily increasingly Christian) America, homosexuality may be
popularly envisioned as a threat to national security! This makes God our
enemy as much as the perceived "threat."
National prominence has never been a reward for righteousness, and certainly
American's history wouldn't justify our current unmeritted state of
prominence. This is just another sad case of sacrificing a group of fellow
human beings for a perceived benefit: the Jews, the Kosovo Albanians, Native
Americans, African slaves, and I need not go on. All of us are unrighteous (as
your said) in exactly the same way, and all of us are saved (praise God!) in
exactly the same way.
One day, the whole Church will appreciate the struggles, self-searching, and
triumphs of faith that Christian gays are experiencing today.
Thanks for your article,
Tom Meacham (straight but not narrow)
Editor:
I just found this page recently and plan to spend alot of time here!
Mahalo for this gift of love.
--Ric
Editor:
If I understand your article that you are attending a seminary and if so I wish you God speed on your endeavor to fulfill your dream.
I know that you will do a good job and that God will use you to further His cause in this life.
I am impressed with Whosoever. I commend you for a good job. I pray that you can continue to do keep this going and to help
educate 'mainstream Christianity.'
God Bless
Editor:
As a community and as an
entire race, it is evident that the one true thing lacking is communion with
God. It's very clear we've all forgotten the divine power inside us and the
very fact that we all are one in Christ, the consciousness that is available
to us all at any moment, so sayeth Jesus himself. And to think, all we need
to do to reach the Truth at any moment is "be still and know." Here we are
then, beyond the scope of any personal agenda.
I was not raised up into any religious institution, but it seems my whole
life has been geared toward finding God. I was so surprised to learn He has
been right inside each one of us all along. My spiritual path is rather
eclectic, but nonetheless, I've always been on my path, like we all have.
Whatever form it assumes, it is always our path. No one will ever know all
the answers, but if we are still, like the Christ says, we are sure to catch
a glimpse. I agree with you that, in reading any texts, i.e., the Bible, Tao
Te Ching, Dhammapada, Bhagavad-Gita, one should take into consideration the
time, place, circumstance, and audience the verses were spoken for. In fact,
much confusion arises from such texts very often through "isogesis."
Those
who really practice their faith, who REALLY practice, who are still, no
longer see the world in terms of separation, that we all are truly "one." No
gender, race, religion, sexual preference, or handicap. EVERY soul matters.
Breathe, be still and know. I've adopted this catch-phrase because it does
catch all.
Thank you for the work you are doing. There is no US and THEM. Just WE.
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