Gay and Christian - a contradiction?

Base: Cafe Coming Out Forum
Re: Cant wait to go! (part two) (Unknown)
Re: Don't wait too long! And Be Careful! (Unknown)
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 16:28:06 GMT
From: Unknown (German)

Thanks for sharing your story - I found it very interesting and encouraging! Reading the stories people share here makes you realize all the suffering, the pain and desperation every gay man has gone through. (I can't really say whether it's the same for women.) One thing you mentioned I found especially interesting: Christianity. I realized that I was gay when I was 15 and came out to my parents and friends with 16. I was very involved at church (sunday school) and the local YMCA at that stage (I was living back home in Germany), and ran into a lot of problems. I was kicked out of the YMCA and two former friends challenged me being a teacher for a boys' group in Sunday school. Luckily, the pastor and church board were quite liberal and I was 'allowed' to stay. Later, when I was a student at University in Germany, I led a double life: Out to some of my close friends, but closeted to my 'brothers' in the student's fraternity I belonged to. Naturally, nothing you see in Falcon-videos really happened in our fraternity. It was a homoerotic atmosphere sometimes, but 98% of my 'brothers' there were straight. Yes, I did sleep with two brothers who were also gay, but they later left the fraternity - not entirely voluntarily. But I did go to a local gay blue movie house and had sex in their darkroom; then I returned to an evening of singing and drinking at our frat house. This double life continued when I got a scholarship for one year of post-graduate research in Durban, South Africa. I lived on campus and immediately, about one week after I arrived from Europe, got in touch with the local residence fellowship-group of born-again Christians. I soon became an integral part of that group and went to their meetings as well as to church, the Church of the Nazarene, twice a week. I really believed and was baptized for a second time. I wanted to be part of that group and I was impressed by the deep faith and devotion they showed. At the same time, they said that the bible disapproved of homosexuality. And even though I knew and felt that was wrong, I didn't speak up but stayed closeted. For the whole year I stayed in South Africa I never slept with anybody. Today I'm out, in a stable relationship and happy. But I am not part of a local church, and my boyfriend doesn't share my faith. I start to wonder whether I'll ever find a group of gay born-again Christians - or if that's a contradiction in terms.

1. I don't think Christianity and Homosexuality are contradictory (Unknown)

2. Gay and Religion - a contradiction? Yes. (Unknown)

1. I'm sorry, but I still think that homosexuality and Christianity are compatible (Unknown)

-> Amen! Christians can be gay and vice-versa (Unknown)

-> Whatever - we'll see who the joke is on when we're dead. (Unknown)

-> I sure hope is not too late before you realize the joke is on you. (Unknown)

3. Christianity and homosexuality are compatible! (Unknown)

1. I sure hope is not too late before you realize the joke is on you. (Unknown)

4. Whatever - we'll see who the joke is on when we're dead (Unknown)

5. The joke is on you (Unknown)