Choice or Chance - Sin or Sentiment

This is a response to a blog from a friend of mine which was a response to a blog from a "friend" of hers... 

My friend is a lesbian; her 'friend' disapproves. Read on.

I am never so appalled as when a 'christian' starts espousing faith-based "wisdom" about something that is controversial. I find it especially telling when you ask one of 'them' to explain or substantiate some of their ranting...  You are liable to get the same old rhetoric and hoopla and when all else fails the old standby  "...that's what faith is all about". 

As near as I can tell, the ultimate goal is to make certain that absolutely no one is happy (except the mindless drones who meander contentedly through life, denying themselves many forms of pleasure in the now, for a promise of eternal happiness forever-after -- after they die that is).  

So here is this wonderful, loving, christian woman writing about how forgiving she and God can be of the horrible evil that is homosexuality.  You know what else I find interesting... when a heterosexual relationship is brought into question for one reason or other, a common response is 'Well, you can't help who you fall in love with".  Unless of course you 'choose' to be gay. WTF ever!

 - - Here is a snippet of the blog that started this...

...put your arm around that person and let them KNOW they are loved by God, Healer, the Almighty One who has defeated death, defeated Satan.  This war that goes on now is a war for each individuals soul.  God fights for every one persons soul out there.  Yours, mine, your sisters, brothers, mothers, neighbors, and yes...your gay friend.  Am I saying that homosexuality is OK?  Well, if I go by what the bible says, then no.  And despite the fact that I have a couple of friends who are gay...friends that I think are wonderful people, I believe that living a gay lifestyle is wrong.  It's not how God intended it.  It is a sin...

She then goes on to 'quote'/reprint a whole article from someone else, a woman who has spent her life denying who she is and what she feels because it is 'wrong'...

- - - - - - snippet of article - - - - - - - 

What I Found Waiting for Me   

by Kristen Johnson

 

I had been a Christian since I was five years old, the daughter and granddaughter of Presbyterian ministers, yet I struggled with same sex attraction. I also had engaged in unhealthy relationships with men.

Although I dated in high school, I was ambivalent toward the boys I dated. I was very outgoing and active in music, theater, cheerleading, and other activities. Yet, underneath all this activity and “normalcy” I was struggling with my sexuality and self-image.

In college, I had a non-physical, emotionally dependent relationship with my roommate, which lasted over four years. I was terrified of the romantic love I felt toward her, rationalizing the relationship as merely a deep friendship. Because of my attachment to her, I was not motivated to date men or desire marriage.

After college, however, I became physically involved with a man while I was overseas. I was relieved to be in the arms of a man rather than a woman, but the loss of my virginity, my increasing promiscuity, and my occasional abuse of alcohol began to take its toll. My relationship with this man ended with my having a miscarriage.

In my late twenties, I finally acted out my homosexual feelings and had an emotional and physical affair with a woman. Initially, I felt euphoric, and yet at the same time I felt as if a war was raging inside of me. It was during this affair that I was forced to reconcile being a Christian and living in a homosexual relationship.

I wrestled with the Lord in prayer: I questioned him and I begged him. I attempted to find peace by reading books that described Christians who had reconciled their faith and homosexuality, and I even tried attending a gay-friendly church. However, my anxiety only increased because God was making it clear as I read Scripture that God’s plan for my sexuality was staring at me in Genesis and in the words of Jesus. 

 Does this sound like a choice this woman made? That makes as much sense as someone choosing forty years ago to be black. 

My question is this: How can something be a sin if it isn't a choice? 

Will someone please reference some specific scripture here that says that homosexuality is wrong. I mean I realize that the bible can say anything you want it to. Let's face it - the bible clearly says: "...and Judas went out and hanged himself. Go thou and do likewise." Take any two verses in the bible and prove any argument. 

While we are quoting scripture - let me throw a good one around.

Matthew 7  says:

Judge not lest ye be judged...

I think it is shameful that the most judgemental and the least tolerant people I know, call themselves 'Christians'.   Everywhere I turn I see WWJD.  What would Jesus do? My guess is he would have another 'cleansing' as with the money-changers then  he would weep and finally he would say "Let my children come unto me".

I remember as a very young child singing the song 'Jesus Loves the Little Children - All the Children of the World - Red and Yellow, Black and White - They are Precious in His Sight' and even then I knew people who sang it but did not live it. 

The bible says "Let him without sin cast the first stone".  Assuming someone thinks that being born a certain way is a sin, it sounds an awful lot like it is none of our business.

Good Service Not Yet Dead

Everyone likes to feel special, right?

Sure we do.  Don't let anyone tell you that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. It is all about feeling special. We want that one woman (or person, sorry), that makes us feel like we can do anything and we can do it better than anyone else. That's the secret.

I have to move on before this becomes a very different blog.

This weekend, a few of us went to the newest Mexican restaurant in the area, La Parilla, again. We have become fans. I should mention that we have been a few times.  

I went in and put in for a table of four and was handed the vibrating thingy. I asked how long and the girl estimated about 25 minutes. I went back to let the rest of the group know. 

As we stood waiting outside, enjoying the pre-summer afternoon and a little banter amongst ourselves, the guy who has been our server several times (maybe every time), caught our attention and asked if we'd like to sit there on the patio.  As it was a nice day out, we said sure and he motioned us over to the exit which I know from personal experience is tricky enough to get out and nigh impossible to get in.

Our wait time was cut down to about 1/5 of expected. Aren't we all 'VIP'. So after being seated on the patio near the door, close enough to hear the live music just inside, which by the way was pretty good, Juanguy (I hope I spelled that right),  came around and asked "Sweet tea all around?".  Good memory, I thought.

He came back fairly quickly with four teas and points to Sonja and asks "Fajita Quesadilla?"  Now anyone who has been there with Sonja knows this was not a stretch. It is what she always gets. But still, in the grand scheme of things, I was impressed. 

The whole crew was fascinating to watch. I saw one guy come out several times with plates lined all the way up his arm. The food was phenomenal as always and Juanguy was as good as it gets for service. He never let me run out of tea (the first cardinal sin) but he never hovered obsessively either. 

As usual, when we finally stopped eating, and we were all stuffed beyond comfort level, Juanguy asked if we would like dessert and as usual we said no way. This time, however, he asked if we had ever tried flan?  Apparently, none of us had and off he went. In a moment he returned with a plate and four spoons. 

It was delicious and despite the fact that each of us had just declared that we couldn't do dessert, as we were stuffed, we all dove in and destroyed it. It was a flan massacre. If you don't know what flan is, I may not be much help. It's like a custard type thing covered in caramel. I was pleasantly surprised. (For those few of you who might be thinking it is the same as creme brulee, it is not. Creme brulee has a hard caramel top while flan has a liquid or soft caramel poured over it.)

In an unusual twist, I have become sidetracked. ;D  My main motivation was to point out that good service is rare but it does still exist. If you want proof, drop by La Parilla Mexican Restaurant on Hwy 231 N. Be sure to ask for Juanguy (pronounced won-gey).

And don't forget to tip your server. 

Random Rants {PG-17}

So, it's been a while since I blogged. Yesterday was a month because, for three weeks I had no internet. It had something to do with the freakin' 40 days and 40 nights of rain that nearly washed away my humble abode. (OK, It was more like 2½ weeks.)

Because of this extended and unplanned hiatus, I have several unrelated items to air out. So, if this seems disjointed and rambling - it is.

The Job

I still have the same job, working for a company with nearly 200 employees and about 220 faces. Also I have discovered that, after two and a half years in school, struggling to get a degree (while working full-time), I have achieved the heady title of Overpaid Typist.  I am all choked up.

The Car

I still have the same car that I spent over $1250 to get running after the "Total Loss" of my perfectly good one. I haven't had a lot of trouble out of it other than the fact that it is 16 years old and during the aforementioned monsoon season a couple weeks ago, leaked like a sieve, leaving a nice little pond in my floorboard. It is almost dry now but I still get the benefit of driving what smells like a big, wet dog to work.

Friday morning, however, I wasn't even sure that Clifford, the big green POS, was gonna get me there. It definitely has an issue. I think I just need to buy a bicycle.

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WARNING - THE FOLLOWING MAY CONTAIN OPINIONS OF THE AUTHOR REGARDING POLITICS, RELIGION AND OTHER IDIOCY!
This is not an invitation for you to share your opposing views. If you wish to do that - GET YOUR OWN BLOG!

I rarely read the newspaper. I mean an actual, dirty, smelly newspaper. I have never been a big newspaper reader but since moving to the Wiregrass Area, I have a hard time stomaching what passes for the English language in any of the local media. 

I shouldn't be surprised. Even (muffled inaudible) years ago, when I was pulled off the graduation list because I was flunking English (SLACKER!), I was amazed because the guy who sat next to me, (the football player who couldn't read a paragraph from our literature book without sounding like an epileptic falling down stairs in slow-motion), was passing. Unbelievable!

Anyway, I got sidetracked again. The other day, I am perusing a local paper, left in the break room at work and as usual, I am seeking out the crossword. I run across the Opinion page, the top of which is monopolized by a cartoon. Across the top of this is a banner, of sorts, that reads "Gay Marriage Legal In Four States... Next?"  Below this is an unsigned drawing depicting three cowboy-looking figures leaning against an old pickup. One of the figures is looking at the other two and says: "I wish I could quit you... and you." The pickup's tailgate reads 'POLYGAMY'.

I'm not sure if the implication is that homosexuality leads to polygamy or that only homosexuals are polygamists or perhaps it implies that owning a pickup truck leads to polygamy. That seems kind of self-defeating. They should have a bus. Maybe one like the Partridge Family - 'Hey, I think I love you and you and you...' 

Oddly, I've never heard of a homosexual polygamist (truck-driving or otherwise). In fact, it's usually some religious jackass(es), though most churches actually preach against it. Religious people do love to tell other people what they can or cannot do. Seems polygamy, specifically polygyny (1 man with many wives), is perfect for them. A man gets 10 or 12 wives to dominate and they each have a passel of kids to control. 

Ironically, the bible has approximately forty documented cases of polygamy. [...] Not to mention, Exodus 21:10, states that multiple marriages are not to diminish the status of the first wife (specifically, her right to food, clothing and conjugal relations). Deuteronomy 21:15-17, states that a man must award the inheritance due to a first-born son to the son who was actually born first, even if he hates that son's mother and likes another wife more; [13] and Deuteronomy 17:17 states that the king shall not have too many wives. [wikipedia.com]

Again, I digress. I never meant to argue for polygamy. My point is, I was totally offended by this cartoon. I am neither gay nor a polygamist but the correlation drawn between the two was appalling. The mere fact that being gay was likened to marrying numerous people is offensive. It is apples and oranges anyway.

First, one is a choice; a choice which happens to be illegal in the US. Most western countries do not recognize polygamous marriages, and consider bigamy a crime. Several countries also prohibit people from living any type of polygamous lifestyle. No one is born a polygamist. 

Second, even if we skip the mechanics and suppress the speculation, the main idea is that if we legalize gay marriage now, soon we might just allow somebody else to do something else they want to do. - Oh my stars! - What would happen to this country if we just let everyone do, say and believe what they wanted? 

It isn't just the fact that many don't support gay marriage that bothers me. It bothers me that few seem to realize that we have once again taken a group of people, different somehow by birth, not choice, and denied them equal rights. We have, in essence, said, "You are not worthy of the same rights and privileges that others are afforded because you are different from what we deem as natural. You are less than a person."

WOW! All that is missing is the swastika (and the tiny mustache).