Gay Christians; "A Life of Unlearning"

* Further post here:
http://www.freedom2b.org/topic/1222


When I left the United Pentecostal Church (UPC) many years ago, it wasn't anything to do with my sexuality. Back then I don't think I'd paid much conscious attention to who I was sexually. There was I guess so much else going on in my life (like attempted suicide) that to add another drama into it would have been just too much. I left the UPC because I considered it was behaving as a cult.


Upon leaving I rejected all religion and became a secularist. I have no problems with people who have faith in this or that, as long as they don't expect me to adhere to their beliefs. It's when their faith hurts the people around them that it becomes wrong. To me it goes against morality, for me morality being simply about how you treat people.


I've finally finished the book "A Life of Unlearning"
Link to original post here


I didn't know what to expect when I started reading it. It is about a famous well known Australian evangelist preacher with the Assemblies of God church Anthony Venn-Brown. He writes about his life long struggle against his gay sexuality, finally able to reconcile being gay and his Pentecostal Christian faith after more than 20 years of turmoil. In short, he is a gay Christian now. 


He also describes at the end of the book the many emails and letters from like minded people within churches after reading the first edition book. I had no idea there were so many gays who considered Christianity was a faith that they embraced, but were being ostracised by the churches because of their sexuality. He lists in fact specific themes garnered from the emails and letters of the damage the churches stance is doing in demanding that people who are gay are not acceptable or loved by God:

• Suicides
• Parents rejecting their gay children
• Men and women marrying to solve the "problem" of same sex attraction
• Deep emotional trauma
• Inadequate counselling
• The damage and failure of ex-gay ministries

Gay is not a lifestyle choice, it is part of who you are. Sexuality is part of who you are. Personally I'm the most comfortable I've ever felt in my life now regarding my sexuality and who I am. Expressing my gay sexuality felt like going home. It is not a sin, it is who I am, and I'm bloody proud of it. 


Also personally Christianity is not for me, but I'm fully supportive of gay people wanting the same rights as hetero's. People should not be discriminated against because of sex, any more than they should be because of the colour of their skin. For those many gays who want to attend a Christian church to worship their God, without discrimination against them from the church because of who they are, I fully support them in their struggles for that. I admire their willingness and dedication to assert themselves in this way.


For me I follow my own spirituality. No rules, no guide, just being able to listen to an inner voice sometimes. I was permanently turned off Christianity during my time in it, and more-so during my many years out of it. The face of Christianity is an ugly one. To someone who has been involved in drugs and debauchery over the years, and especially of late expressing gay sexuality, the churches have nothing but contempt for me. I found help during times of crisis in the secular world, professional people who really fuckin cared and understood, sometimes going far beyond the call of duty for me. A far far cry from most church people who were more interested in condemning me.


The Catholic World Youth Day for example. I was part of a protest against the Popes stance on condoms not being allowed, amongst a large group of gay (and other) protesters. One of the dear Catholic pilgrims decided to show his Christian love by assaulting a protester there. He was arrested.