//Withering Gay Discussion #134

The two little quoties below are pulled from a discussion on homosexuality I came across on a forum that has absolutely nothing to do with homosexuality. I imagine there are thousands of such threads, and most forum literate people have probably stumbled upon them at some point. This one was no different from any of the others. It concerned plans by a Baptist organisation to run a ministry on curing homosexuality in the midst of some US city's gay pride celebrations. As is typical, you have your posts from gay people, inured to this kind of thing; posts from sane people, aghast at this sort of thing; and posts from Christian types aiming to justify the intent or actions of the group causing the ructions among the former two.

The following struck me as the undeniable highlights of an otherwise unremarkable and by-the-numbers tete-a-tete on homosexuality:

Post: I also believe that God wants them to follow his guidlines that he sets out for us, they are there to help us, not to hurt us. Basically, he knows what is best for us, even though we may not know sometimes and we may get mad at Him for some of the things he wants us to do. But who are we, we are the pot and he is the potter, should the pot tell the potter how to build it?
Response: I'm not gay, but I do have a comment for you:I don't give a shit what your imaginary friend "wants". How's THAT grab you?

Heh. Brought a simle to my face anyway. Sometimes, in amongst the immense paragraphs and carefully worded arguments that make up the war of words in these types of posts, it's the simplest statements that are the most striking.

The following was noteworthy for similar reasons. Again, a response to another post, what made it grab me was the simplicity, and beauty of it.

Post: Since you gave an example, I'll give one: If your child is on his deathbed diagnosised with a disease that is uncurable and he/ she asks you, "What will happen to me after I die?" Do you want to say that he's going to go into the dirt and be food for bugs or would you rather say that he will go to another place similar to Earth where he'll live forever?

Response: Actually, I would rather live in reality. It is just disturbing that people would fall for religion simply so they may feel comfort in times of grief. I mean it sure is tempting to think that way, but it is also a sign of weakness. I have told my children, way before they will hopefully ever see their death bed, that we are all part of the universe. I have told them that when they die their atoms will, with time, scatter to form new stars and new planets.

Sometimes, the truth is more amazing than the made up.