To blame the demise of anything on a handful of individuals probably isn’t fair. It isn’t fair, but part of me believes it. My favorite place on Earth, Silver Bay, is tainted for me now and it’s because of a group and mindset I’d never experienced there until this year. I believe there is a place in this world for just about everything. If you’re in a bad place and you need help, get it any way you can. If turning to Jesus reforms your soul, turn to him. If peer counseling helps you, sign yourself up…just don’t fall back into the trenches. The one thing I will not stand for, though, is the oppression of people because of your beliefs. America was founded to provide religious freedom to oppressed religious minorities in Europe and here we can enjoy religious freedom. Who are you to challenge that?
A few weeks ago I was having a conversation at a spiritual meeting of sorts at Silver Bay about our “Truest Self” and what exactly that means. We discussed what it is that has, at points, removed us from our truest self, and this was something I’d never really contemplated before. (DISCLAIMER: I consider myself an intensely spiritual person and I utterly detest organized religion for their practices and social expectations, not for their values, which I believe are wholly good and right.) I realized that, although I had done everything “the right way” (graduate high school with honors, go to college, study abroad (twice), captain my sport team (rugby), write for the school paper, and graduate with honors and two degrees, get a job doing what I studied and live on my own) that I wasn’t entirely happy. Part of me didn’t really understand because this was the way I was taught and told life works, and I gave into all these expectations so I could live a full and happy life. But although my life was full, and filled with love and success, I gradually became less happy.
The expectations of other people are what got me away from my truest self. I am in no way upset about my path in life; I’m grateful for the pressure, both from home and society, that pushed me to be where I am today, but it was only until I let go of others’ expectations of right and wrong, good and bad, did I re-route my path back to my truest self. Something I’ve come to wonder lately is how people affiliated with a religious group can feel something deep, be it love, happiness, hate, passion, etc., and decide that what they feel is wrong because it doesn’t comply with the rules set forth to them by others. I’m going to try and have this conversation as sensitively and concisely as I possibly can and I implore you to comment on this post to tell me your opinion, including where I’ve been insensitive.
Back to Silver Bay. For me, and so many of my peers and mentors, Silver Bay has been a place of healing and self discovery. It is my forever home and I’m incredibly protective of the places and people I love. Recently, certain mindsets have been a part of campus that, in the simplest sense, I just can’t get down with. I’m all about believing in something: God, yourself, the greater good, science. Believe in SOMETHING or you have nothing to live for. I have friends that span an incredible array of beliefs and I am grateful to each and every one of them (truly) for teaching me more about this world and the ways we can look at it. There are sometimes, though, that I feel their beliefs have taken over their truest self and guided them down the wrong path. If something makes you happy, is filled with love, is safe and good for your soul, but your book says is “wrong”, do you extract that from your life? If your friend is happiest when (s)he is doing or being something your group says is “wrong,” do you tell her/him that (s)he is wrong?
Unfortunately for some the answer is yes. I’ve learned from a group this summer that, more or less, you may go to heaven as long as you recognize and accept Jesus in your life. That’s all the requirements. Rape, pillage, murder, steal, cheat, sex out of wedlock, etc., don’t really matter so long as Jesus is in your heart. You will go to heaven. Now, I’ve been trying to explain to some of these people that this particular concept is one us people without religious affiliation just cannot get down with. Sally Jo lives a beautiful life of love and charity and does all she can for as many people as she can, will go to hell if she has not claimed Jesus; but Jesse Mae who had killed in the name of her savior, or herself, or beat her kids, or some other awful thing, will go to heaven with Jesus in her heart. I. Don’t. Understand.
Fine, fine, fine, lets get back. So, you see someone you love doing something your book says is wrong. Forcing them to repent, even though it is not where they want to be and is moving them at rapid speed away from their Truest Self, is wayyyyyy more wrong. That is NOT an act of love. In fact, i perceive that as selfish, to keep someone away from what makes them beam with joy because you, or some other dude (because, lets be real, they’re all men), or a book says, is selfish. Need i remind you that Scientologists have a book, too? This life is beautiful and the beauty is in diversity, in the flaws and differences between humans and their choices. Who are you to decide what’s right for someone else? I realize this may not be taken seriously by some, but I implore you to look within and ask why. Why is what you believe absolute truth? Why do you damn your friends–or better yet, why do you believe the person in front of you that damns the only things that make the people you love happy? And, possibly, the things that make you truly happy, too?
We are all sinners in every sense of the word, but things get fuzzy when certain sins outweigh others. Religions and followers play favorites. According to the above mentioned thought about going to heaven or hell, all sins are weighed the same, soooo why is homosexuality chastised by the same people who experience pre-marital sex? Here are some things the Bible says are sins, but we just don’t really like to talk about:
- Leviticus 19:28 reads, “You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the Lord.” (no tats, kids, sorry.)
- Leviticus 19:19 reads, “You are to keep My statutes. You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together.” (what do you think you eat and wear every day?)
- Leviticus 19:27 reads “You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard.” (see ya later bowl-cuts)
I know these are old testament, but, how can one site Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination,” as truth or law without recognizing these as such? (Please, people, school me on this. I’m not a Bible scholar and I would love to know more, in earnest.)
There’s a lot more to say here, but the homosexuality thing really gets me. Who are you to tell someone their choices are wrong or call them a sin? We are all sinners, but the most potent and unyielding message that God teaches us is Love. I’m afraid that much of the love I’ve felt overcome me at Silver Bay in the past is no longer there. I hope one day this true love and understanding will find its way home and come back to my favorite place. I implore you to look within yourself and tell me how chastising someone for their beliefs (draining the love) is making the world a better place? The funny thing is, the non-religious spiritual people rarely condemn other beliefs unless they are harmful to others. Makes you think, who would an all-loving, righteous God protect and save in the end?
NOTE: I did not intend to offend anyone here, although I’m sure I will at some point. I’m sorry, I would just like to open up this conversation. I am upset at the way things are happening on the shores of Lake George and I would really enjoy hearing another person’s perspective. I take no issue with faith at all. Any kind of faith. Religion, however, I’m fuzzy with. I do believe we are all entitled to our thoughts, beliefs and opinions, though, so feel free to rip into me. Thank you for understanding and being a part of this conversation.
Juice The Squeeze 
Hi there! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I agree with a lot of what you said, but would like to add some clarification from a Christian perspective.
First, about the bits in Leviticus: the three passages you cite to contrast with the command against homosexuality are part of the Ceremonial Law, which is intended by God to separate Israel from the world and indicate to them that they are different, that they are His. We understand this for two reasons: one, these commands are not repeated in the New Testament, and in fact, have been fulfilled and completed by Christ. Homosexuality, on the other hand, falls under the domain of the Moral Law, which believers are still called to obey. Again we know this because it is, along with many other moral law prohibitions, repeated as being in effect in the New Testament.
As for condemning this behavior, I age with you that simply commanding change in a person regardless of spiritual position is unloving and harmful. But there is a difference that must be recognized between people. Believers in Christ are called to obey all the Moral Law, and if any claim to be His and are still harboring sin, as defined by the Bible, in their lives, they should be lovingly admonished and brought back to obedience to the Lord who bought them. Jesus said: “If you live me, you will keep my commandments.” As far as judging sin goes, believers are called to not judge the sins of the world, for that is God’s business. But believers are to practice discernment within the church to maintain purity of faith and doctrine, for what a person believes matters.
Which point bring me to the third thought I’d like to share. There are two kinds of people in the world: those who belong to Christ, and those who don’t. There are, as a part of those who don’t, many many people who think they belong to Christ but in fact have no connection to Him. “many will say on that day, ‘Lord Lord, did we not prophecy in your Name and do many wonders in your name?’ And I will say to them, “depart from me, you workers of iniquity, for I never knew you.” It all comes down to who you trust to save you. Is it Jesus, or yourself? Those who truly belong to Christ have in them the Holy Spirit, and through Him a deep desire for the things of God. They are constantly wounded by the remaining sin they see in their own lives and seek earnestly to be sanctified, and are given power to do so by the Spirit. Those who are not Christ’s have not this power nor the conviction of their own sin. They seek salvation through their own power, working on their own, focusing on doing enough to attain Heaven and often condemning other who do not follow their path of external righteousness.
I bring this up because those who name the name of Christ but still have lives full of sin are really none of His, but need to hear the true gospel, which is that Jesus, being fully man and fully God lived on eartha perfect life, fulfilling the whole of the Law, and was then sacrificed in our place, He bearing our sin on the cross, and His righteousness bring imparted to us, that any who come to Him shall be saved, counted clean for the sake of Christ before the throne of God. He died and was buried, and in the third day God raised Him from the dead as proof of the acceptance of the sacrifice. To understand these facts as truth, however, is not sufficient for salvation, for it is written, “you say you believe, you do well. But even the demons believe, and tremble.” No, you must repent and turn to Christ as your sole source of holiness, and He will turn away none who come to Him.
This is true christianity, preaching the gospel to those lost, and encouraging the brotherhood to more and more good works and love. It isn’t a list of rules to be followed, for that is the world’s religion, but a true love of God.
To summarize, no one has a right to command another’s action but God who created all. For one to imagine that they have that authority is sinful pride, for they place themselves in the throne of God. Those who claim Christ should be lovingly explaining His message, not condemning and judging the lost around them.
Thank you for your comment and for explaining this to me! I really appreciate your feedback here and I’m grateful you took some time to explain things to me that I don’t fully understand. Thank you!
No problem! If you have any more questions I’d be happy to share my thoughts.
You’re always the best at articulating your thoughts Kate. Now to throw in my Two Cents…Silver Bay is a place that you regard as your sacred grove, that place where you can get away from the world and be yourself. No one’s opinions or thoughts should change that or taint that. You love that place based off your experiences there throughout your entire life, no one event should change that for the worse.
On to the big topic at hand…after God destroyed humanity in the Flood, he made a covenant with Noah to never destroy us again, the rainbow is the sign of that covenant. Therefore, if God himself is not going to destroy those who go against a certain group’s interpretation of his laws and words, who is man to say that he will? Also, a belief that I learned as a very young boy in Hebrew school was that all humanity goes to heaven if they lead a righteous life in the eyes of God. So what man decides is right or wrong is irrelevant, for we can not comprehend God’s true will. I feel that many in the world have gotten away from that, particularly many Christians we see in the United States who believe you have to sign your soul over to Jesus for salvation (from my prospective that is idolatry but that’s an entirely different conversation). Salvation I feel is living a righteous life…be kind, do not murder, do not steal, just being a good person. God probably does not give a damn what our race, nationality, sexuality, or any of our characteristics are…since he made all of us as we are. Don’t let the opinions of men acting as prophets ruin what is beautiful to your world.
This is a great response, thank you Rusty. I appreciate this very much. And I miss you!