The true message of religion

A gay man named Waymon tells the story of growing up in a Southern Pentecostal church (they're even to the right of the Southern Baptists). From a very young age he was called a sissy and from the time he came out at 16 he was thrown out of the church and out of his family in the name of religion. Christians? Done with them. He has since reconciled with his family.

Until Waymon and his partner had dinner with Gene Robinson. The partner had put together a conference in which Robinson was a speaker so Waymon was included in the dinner ahead of time. And was surprised by the Christian he encountered.

I was immediately thrown off by his openness and kindness, something I wasn’t expecting from such a deeply religious person. My surprise only grew when I heard him speak.

He spoke with such authority and conviction about religion, God, and the Bible. He seemed to answer all of my questions and concerns about the way religion has been corrupted by extremists. He talked about the true message of religion: acceptance, love, and compassion. He talked about how civil rights, including LGBT equality, was something all religious people should be behind.

Even when he was attacked during the questions session by some crazy, right-wing pastor for “spreading lies about the Bible and Jesus” and “being a disgusting abomination”, he never got angry or reacted negatively back. He simply showed true strength and answered back intelligently and honestly, never stooping to the level of those that attacked him.

Waymon hasn't become a Christian, at least not yet, but he now knows that not all of them hate gays.

That happened more than a year ago and Waymon now poses some questions.

There is an effort now to take our struggle to the churches. Instead of holding the debate in the public square, many are now working to hold the debate in churches. When does this cross the already thin line between church and state? Shouldn't we be trying to separate freedom of religion from tyranny at the ballot box? Or is this the only way we can overcome our struggle, especially in black and Latino communities? Does this strengthen or work against the gay community? Gays have been burned so badly for so long there are many of us who now think of the bible as a book of lies.