by Jules Roberts

Created on: May 11, 2008

I believe that this question can only be answered by God.

However, as a human being, it irritates me that some think they can read the mind of God and judge me in His place. As far as I am aware, nobody else has been given this authority!

God knows that I am not perfect and that I can only be the person that I am. God understands me more than anyone else can. I was thankfully born with a free spirit and the right to make my own decisions in life. I will face the consequences for all of my actions, nobody else.

Why then, should it be anyone else's business?

After all, you can't honestly tell me that "God is Love" and then condemn me to Hell in your next breath. I am in a consenting relationship with my partner that is approaching eleven years. Longer than many marriages last these days. Me and my partner care a great deal about each other, about our families, our community and our environment. We both have very little room for hate in our lives.

Hate is a very strong HUMAN emotion. It is also a very destructive one. To constantly carry around hate must be quite a burden. I suspect these allegations of Gods hate towards gay people is actually only based on the homophobia of people.

Because anybody seeking evidence of sin can find it almost everywhere. Most likely even in their own lives. This whole earth is completely soaked in sin. It's interesting that with all this sin around, people should want to focus on the perceived evil of a loving relationship between two consenting adults. Why are they so bothered?

I mean, look around you. There is so much more to worry about.

This world is full of people who deliberately go about destroying lives for personal gain. There is war, greed, cruelty, corruption, poverty, starvation, hostility, rape, murder, child abuse, elder abuse, violence, fear, pain, hopelessness and despair.

And am I to feel that being gay is worse than all of this?
As quite frankly, I don't.

Nor do I feel it is useful or acceptable that people use God as a front to their own homophobia. Some gay people have taken their lives because the struggle of being gay in a religious setting can be a nightmare. So for those people who want to tell me that being gay is unforgivable, I will say this; "so is driving someone to suicide".

I can't speak for God (who I think is frequently misunderstood). This is all I know...

1. A lot of PEOPLE (who don't even know me) hate me because I am gay.
2. The God that I pray to might not like everything I do, but He doesn't hate me.
3. I can only be the person I am.

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