Excerpts from an e-mail exchange we had with one of our relatives, who is very dear to us, who was angry about our article: a Critique of Homosexuality.
From : an interlocutor
Date : 6 July 2011.
This is [name omitted]. My mother and I skimmed your website. And I was offended. I feel ashamed that my own flesh and blood condemns me. Judges me. I think you are all sick. You need mental help. We live in the millinum. Not the 1800s. Who do you think you are to twist Gods words. I am his child. And as far as I am concerned, he made me who I am, and he loves me no less, no more than you. To have my own relative say these things, well it really hurt. And it hurt that you [name omitted], couldnt abide by the laws, whether we agree with them or not, they are laws. Just like rules. And they should be followed. My point is, I read your website. And its discrimitory in every way possible. I rest my head in shame. Maybe you need to start thinking about [what] God is gonna think about you and the way you feel it [isn’t] your right to judge anybody. Quit twisting the words of the bible. And for your infomation, I live in the United States of America, and I stand for [that] all people should be treated equal. Nobody is perfect. I am not. And your family sure the hell isnt. Clean out your own closet before you ridicule other people. Havent you ever heard … “people in glass houses shouldnt throw stones.”
From : Our response
Date : 12 July 2011.
I’m sorry that you felt condemned by something on our website. I’m glad to hear that you know and believe that God made you. … I’m not sure exactly what you were offended by on our website. Hopefully, you can let us know and we can discuss it and correct it if we have written something that is not true or that twists the words of the Bible. We do not want to do that, there is too much of that happening on Earth today.
From : an interlocutor, continued
Date : 12 July 2011.
It offended me because I am homosexual myself, as is [omitted]. My sexuality isnt a choice. Its my reality. Who I am. Something I can not change. What I mean by being “God’s” child is if there really is a higher spirit waiting for us when we die, then in the Bible it says that we are all his children and he created us. So he created me a gay woman.
… Your religion is one of the few that condemns me for being who I am. My sexual preference is no one but myself and my partners business. The way Gary [editor] explained his options of the penis and vagina were, well, disturbing. Did you ever read the love story in the Bible between David and Saul? Did god condemn them? Or were the angels the ones in the wrong? If being homosexual is so bad, then why do statistics prove [that] a homosexual marriage compared to a hetrosexual marriage stays together rather than gets divorced? Do you know who [name omitted] is? Do you know anything about the GLBT community? The GLBT youth? Do you know how many boys and girls die each day from suicide? If it came down to either living and choosing to be hetrosexual or committing suicide because my family, friends, etc., can not accept it, Id CHOOSE to live.
… I tell you this, I am not a beliver in your religion. I do have faith in a higher power but not one who judges me for the person he claims he made. I am not sick. I am not mental. I am a hard working citizen of this World. And I deserve all the rights [of] every person in America or anywhere else for the matter. If there is a God, I have a lot of questions for him as well. [name omitted] doesn’t accept and respect who I am. I follow the “Ten Commandmants.”
… But as I grew older, and had knowledge of science and history, I made the desicion to not be anybodys puppet. We have one life on this earth. And I will live it as I feel fit. I deal with my own consequences. So why do people feel the need to express their beliefs on me? I do not push my own on you. Just because I think your religion is a bunch of lies and distortion, and think that you are brainwashed, and have like a cult of some sort, and the fact that you don’t have [a] grip on reality, you and your disturbed husband, does not mean I do not accept and respect you. To each its own. The best way to live is to mind your own business. Do whats right for you. And if that makes you happy, then I am happy for you. Bet you can not say the same for me. Bet you cant be happy that I am getting married next year to a woman, That I already have a family of my own.
…But heres my opinion, I mean you post yours all over the internet, I want nothing to do with people who try to brain wash you into their beliefs. I want nothing to do with people who cant provide proper health, food, education and shelter for their children. I want nothing to do with anyone who condemns me for being who I was born to be, or judge me. Clean your own house before you ridicule mine. I wish the best for you and your family. But I will not have anything to do with bigots or people who try to twist the words of bible for their own sick benifits.
From : Our response
Date : 19 July 2011.
Dear [name omitted], …now that you tell me that you are homosexual, it does not change my love for you as my dear and precious [omitted]. You have to know that, even though you didn’t like it, Gary was first inspired to write the article on homosexuality because two of our dearest friends in Chicago are homosexual. I’m sure Gary will be glad to receive your input, and will try to answer your questions. I agree that it does not help when people condemn, belittle, or disown someone because of their beliefs, but hopefully we can communicate and be open to input as we all try and understand if there really is a God, and if so, we want to understand who he is and what he offers to each of us and what he wants from each of us.
To be honest, it is troubling to me that you get angry at us because you think we are judging and condemning you, and yet in your writings, aren’t you full of judgment and condemnation for me and my husband as though you have judged us to be brainwashed, disturbed, cultists, who can’t provide proper health, food, education and shelter for our children, without a grip on reality? I don’t know where you get your information about who we are, but it sounds like it comes from our worst enemies, who would just as soon bulldoze us as consider us as fellow human beings. Please consider that we are working very hard to try and expose how modern-day Christian leaders have left many people disillusioned with the whole notion of believing in and following Jesus. We want to be part of the answer, not part of the problems, even though it has cost us many of Earth’s benefits. Lord, hear our prayer.
We are also, like you, heartbroken over the high youth suicide rate in all of the countries of the Western world. When we were in Switzerland in 2003 and 2004 we heard that they had the highest suicide rate (100 per year) in all of Europe, yet they are supposed to be the model of a great democratic nation? For 6 years (1984 to 1990), I was in the same category. I hated myself and my life and tried to commit suicide either by overdose or slowly through anorexia, bulimia, alcoholism, etc. …
I tried all of the world’s solutions, like mental health programs, eating disorder programs, and even going to Church buildings and Bible study programs, all of which I failed at or they failed me. Either way, I was on a collision course with death. The truth is that my belief and faith in Jesus does not come from a Bible, whatever version, nor from having done religious things, but rather from the miracles he did in my life and the transforming power he gave me when I asked him for help in spite of my weaknesses and inabilities. He gave me a new life, and only because of him I was no longer dominated by the bizarre addictions that had become my only identity. I’m sorry, but I can’t avoid the desire that comes from the depths of my being to share this great news of Jesus’ love, hope, forgiveness and a plan that makes sense, in a senseless world.
From : an interlocutor, continued
Date : 19 July 2011.
I do want to aplogoze if what I said made you think I was judging you. I was simply saying that if I wanted to, I could, but never have. And when I read what Gary wrote, it made me almost sick to my stomach. See, I want you to understand something, I am a human. I have every organ you do. Because I do not think like you, or believe what you do doesnt make us different. The fact that I dont find myself the least bit attracted to any man, and yes, Ive tried numerous times. I am who I was born to be. Like I say, if it was a choice…Id chose to be hetrosexual. However, this “god” in which you speak of is the one who chose to give me life, to create me. And he says he made everyone equal. I have no questions I want answered, especially from someone who doesnt understand science. Or history. What was before Christianity? And are you saying that if you’re buddist, or a hindu, or you believe in another god because that’s the way you were raised and when you do die, god is gonna send you to hell just because you never knew he existed? How do you believe in something that is in no way scientifically proven or isn’t in our history books?? I told you, if there is a god, I have just as many questions for him.
Miracles do happen, and I am aware that at one point you were in a bad state of mind. I have always loved you Vickie. … And I have always wished you never felt like you had to leave [USA] to have a better life. Life is what you make it. If you want something bad enough, if you truly want it, you will have it. And now in my late 20s Ive finally realized a lot about life. And I live my life the way I choose. Cause who really knows whats out there. We could all be aliens from another planet that got stranded here 5,000 years ago and weren’t smart enough to find our way back home. The government is corrupt. They know more than we ever will. Im just saying, I was upset Gary put that opinion on his website. Granted it’s free speech but its also discriminatory. And what people would even consider him a friend for saying such [referring to friends in Chicago]?
… People act like Im sick or something. Like just because I am a lesbian it means I wanna sleep with every woman I come across. I do not push this life on anyone, or wish it for anyone. You dont know the trials and tribulations Ive endured because Christianity condemns me.
… I dont want to offend you for what you believe in. Everyone has to have some kinda faith. But to see Gary say everything he does, is not right. Its offensive. Homosexuals do not offend him. Why offend us? Why make us out to sound like horny animals or something? We are people. I am a hard working citizen. I have a full time job, go to full time college, have my own house, my own car, lots of friends, gay or straight. I have a fiance who I plan on marrying. A 15 month old daughter that comes with that marriage. How I chose to have sex, is my business. Before Christianity it was common to be gay. Part of my culture is Native American. And they favored homosexuals more. They say that god thought they were special so gave them two spirits. Meaning gay men have feminine qualities while gay women have masculine. And the Romans, the gladitors, they were gay. Priests that worship god molest little children. Happens everyday, not just priests either. What kind of god creates someone like that? Someone who murders? Someone who steals? The devil right? The one who lives in the firey pits of hell? Thats what I mean by science.
Dont you think god will [be] mad at Gary for judging people as well. Giving his own perspective of what the bible means? Nobody really knows why it was written. I dont know, I am sorry. I just feel as strongly against it as you do towards it. But no matter what, I do love you. I do think about you often. I miss you. Sometimes I wish you could be here. … Dont think I dont love you but to see that on that website made my blood boil. I deal with enough **** from other people then I have my [omitted] posting blogs about anti homosexuality. …
From : Our response
Date : 16 August 2011.
… About Gary’s article, you might take another look and see that it is a critique from a designer’s point of view. What would you do if you saw your neighbors driving their car backwards down the street and creating a health hazard in so doing? Well, you would make known your critique in the most compassionate way imaginable. That’s what Gary did.
From : an interlocutor, continued
Date : 17 August 2011.
I was aware of what your web page consisted of. After only reading the link about homosexuality, and talking to you, i went back and read everything, and my heart did pour out for you and your family. I was also aware of Garys encounters with law prior to you leaving the country [USA].
…I’m not sure if in previous emails i told you where i stand with god. Let me explain. I believe that science proves history. It goes way deeper than that for me though. I believe if there is a god, the god in which you believe in, then he will love and accept me no matter what. As I explained, i am no criminal. I do nothing wrong. im a hard worker. dedicated to education and i love my family and friends. and i also agree with your opinions about the US government and military. It is corrupt. The Sept 11th attack was the US [inside operation]. There is science that proves that. The Waco incident in which you stated again, was the government attacking their own people. youtube is amazing. I saw the footage of waco after reading about Gary’s experiences and i was in complete awe, and im not sure why it even surprises me. There are things about the world we live in that we may never find out, so i stay open-minded.
… And i understand Garys article better now. I’m sorry i over reacted. but you both have to understand the critisim I’ve endured because of my sexual orientation. and then to have [omitted] feel that way, sort of hurt. makes me feel like thats how he feels about me, and thats not true. But i have opinions as well. It’s our right. I think, besides the homosexuality factor and my views and opinions towards religion, that we have a lot in common. … and i love you very much and miss you.
From : Our response
Date : 6 September 2011.
…As to believing in God, I also remember a time when I wasn’t sure whether I believed in God. I wanted to, but it was hard to believe in something I couldn’t see. Then I heard someone say: “Just tell God that you don’t know how to believe in him. Don’t you suppose that if there really is an all-powerful, all-mighty God that he can make himself real to you. So ask him to make himself real to you and when he does, don’t resist him, because he does love you.” I can’t explain beyond that, but I began to see him and his creative power at work everywhere, and found him changing me from the inside out.
As to science, unfortunately, I see that most modern-day scientists belittle people who say they believe in a God that the scientists can’t prove with the scientific method, yet even their most beloved theory, the Big Bang, is impossible to see with our eyes, and in fact is easy to disprove through a scientific study of the facts of the awesomeness of the universe. Nonetheless, it is taught as though it was fact to captive audiences of children throughout the world, and the lie of macro-evolution also. I remember being shown pictures of apes that were supposed to be my great-great-great, etc. grandparents, when I was in school.
“Now the Big Bang schools in the Western nations are producing fruit after their own kind in the form of an out-of-control youth who are creating a big bang in society and a menace to our civilization.”
Adolescents are acting like wild animals trying to survive in a dangerous, hostile, “survival-of-the-fittest” jungle, just like they were taught.
Think how ludicrous it would sound if an alien came to Earth and found no people anywhere, but he discovered an intricate Swiss wrist watch with all the computerized functions and decided that it must have created itself over billions of years of evolution. Look at the intricacies of our universe, the eyeball, the brain, the variety of amazing plants and wildlife, the exact, predictable and synchronized cycle of the Moon and planets, all being impossible to come into existence from some random chaotic bunch of blown up rocks, or primordial material. We can see that there is an intelligent design, and it’s sad and criminal when children are stripped of their natural, built-in ability to believe in God their Creator and to respond to his love. …
