I have been simultaneously horrified, saddened, and enraged at the spate of suicides in the last month by teenagers and young adults who were bullied for being, or being perceived to be, gay. Billy Lucas, 15, hung himself on September 9 from the rafters of a barn. Seth Walsh, 13, hung himself on September 19 from a tree in his backyard. Tyler Clementi, 18, jumped off the George Washington bridge on September 22. Asher Brown, 13, shot himself in the head on September 23.
As an openly gay minister, theologian, and seminary professor, these suicides have brought back vivid memories of being bullied myself in junior high school. I remember being taunted so badly at the bus stop on Helen Drive that I no longer wanted to go to school. I remember being kicked out of my tent at Cutter Scout Reservation, with my possessions thrown in the dirt, and spending the rest of the night under a picnic table. I remember spending my recesses and lunch breaks in the Taylor Intermediate School library, which was a place of refuge for me, thanks to Mr. Rand, the kind-hearted librarian.
I believe this recent string of suicides by LGBT young people is, at root, a religious problem. For me, there is a clear and indisputable link between these horrible deaths and the rhetoric espoused by anti-gay Christians who continually condemn lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as sinners worthy of divine punishment. Where else do you think the bullies learn their behavior? No matter how well intentioned, anti-gay Christians need to understand that their nonstop rhetoric of sin and punishment creates a toxic environment that views LGBT people as less than fully human and thus deserving of socially or religiously sanctioned violence -- including self-inflicted violence.
A number of LGBT people of faith and our allies have started to do something about this problem. Rev. Stephen Sprinkle, an associate professor of practical theology and director of field education and supervised ministry at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas, has uploaded a YouTube video called "It Gets Better." Rev. Sprinkle talks about his own experiences as a closeted gay high school student 40 years ago in a religious setting and gives hope to isolated LGBT youth around the world. Rev. Sprinkle also attended the funeral of Asher Brown and wrote a recent article about it in the Dallas Voice.
Rev. Cody Sanders, a Baptist minister and doctoral student at Brite Divinity School, has written an excellent opinion piece called "Why Anti-Gay Bullying Is a Theological Issue." He writes about his own journey from sadness to anger in reading about these deaths, and he challenges all ministers, church communities, and people of faith who remain in "comfortable silence about sexuality" to speak out against this bullying. As Rev. Sanders puts it so well, the longer we wait, the more young people will die. I am proud to have met Rev. Sanders this past summer at the Human Rights Campaign Summer Institute for Religious and Theological Study.
The Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, the moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches, the LGBT-affirming denomination in which I am ordained, has issued a call to action for the ending of bullying and harassment against LGBT teens. For Rev. Elder Wilson, "spiritual comfort is not enough." She urges all people of faith to do something to help stop this bullying, whether it is visiting a local school, teaching a Sunday School class, or talking to the young people in our own lives.
Harvard Divinity School is sponsoring an upcoming panel discussion on "Queer Youth and Religious Debates Over Sexuality" with LGBT religious leaders, activists, and thinkers such as Rev. Harry Knox, Rev. Irene Monroe, and Dr. Mark Jordan. My own institution, Episcopal Divinity School, is sponsoring an upcoming panel discussion, "The Gender Continuum," on the critical importance of religious institutions and people of faith being engaged about issues of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Finally, my friend Shay, who calls himself the "Anarchist Reverend," is fellow seminary graduate from Union Theological Seminary in New York. Shay is on the ordination path and self-identifies as a trans man. He has a wonderful blog about Christianity and trans issues, and he has started a campaign for LGBT religious leaders to speak out about their experiences on YouTube as part of the "It Gets Better Project" started by the gay syndicated columnist Dan Savage. Shay has recorded his first-ever vlog, which can be found here.
Regardless of one's view about sexual ethics, family values, or same-sex marriage, I believe that encouraging or contributing to violence against LGBT people, either directly or indirectly, is the true sin against nature and creation. The steps that the above LGBT religious leaders and allies are taking to stop the bullying and harassment of LGBT youth affirm the truth that God is love and that we are all created in God's image and likeness.
I challenge all people involved with anti-gay faith-based groups to practice what they preach and condemn all forms of violence, self-inflicted or otherwise, against LGBT people. They can no longer remain silent and wash their hands of responsibility, as Pontius Pilate did with Jesus of Nazareth, in the face of the growing number of deaths of LGBT young people. Regardless of what these groups may believe about sin, they need to speak out against this violence. That, to me, is what it truly means to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself.
St. Paul writes in his First Letter to the Corinthians that the great theological virtues are faith, hope, and love. We must give faith to our LGBT young people that things will get better, no matter how bleak things may seem right now. We must give them hope that there are others out there who care about them. And we must give them love by speaking out and acting forcefully against LGBT violence in all its forms.
Follow Rev. Patrick S. Cheng, Ph.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/patrickscheng
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Go back to your scriptures . Go back to your Gospels. Please read the original teachings of Jesus .
The USA is a great country with a GNP of a mutli trillions of dollars . Its per capita income exceeds of $ 20000/- . But despite their prosperity , the Americans are not happy . I recall the wordings of Paul Samuelson in one of the issues of ‘Newsweek’ of autumn 1967 that if wealth can bring happiness , the people of USA would be the happiest people of the world . I also recall my dialogue with the Christian priest in Geneva . I the Christians claim that their religion was the best .I said how come the American youth is following Rev. Moon or the Hindu Maharishi , who have nothing to give .The American priest replied that the youth in the West was not satisfied with their religion . I asked him to repeat what he had said then. I said if that was case ,you must accept Islam.
On the other Pakistan and Pakistanis are poor . In July-August floods played havoc with the country’s economy . But there was not a single suicide case . Because the people of Pakistan have faith in God (Muslims’ Allah).
This seems unlikely, as such a thing would not be reported for the shame it brings upon the family -- this is also true in the United States.
But I take your meaning; happiness is a state of mind that associates with service and purpose, and faith in the future.
Some of the worst offenders are the Roman Catholic bullies in purple, the Catholic bishops, who are teaching a doctrine of hatred. While, at the same time, giving support and comfort to crazed criminals and other mentally unbalanced creatures to perform outrageous acts against gays and lesbians.
The Catholic people in the pews need to reject these bishops and eject them from their thrones and pulpits.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michele-somerville/catholic-church-homophobia_b_750254.html
It's time for pro-gay religious leaders to stand up on the truly public platform of TV and call out the homophobic hypocrites for what they are.
Start with the belated "I condemn the actions of Uganda' (wink-wink, nudge-nudge) from Rick Warren.
I think that the way to really make change is through education. For example, when you show homophobes that many animals also exhibit homosexuality, they seldom accept it. But it is very easy to disabuse them of their lack of knowledge... and although they will seldom change their minds right then and there... I think it slowly can change them.
Just cause someone claims you're wrong, don't exist, and make a choice about where your attractions lie.
This is teen bullying over LGBT issues: what you seem to keep missing here is that the bullying people to near death starts long before people *do* any of these 'sins' of yours.
It's not a *moralistic* argument to say that homosexuality exists in other animals: that only means that the assertions of religious people that claim homosexuality is 'chosen' are factually *wrong.* It means that the basis of most religious claims that gay people are 'choosing to be sinners,' (My Gods, man, especially children who may not even *be* LGBT or have so much as had their first kiss get beaten and harassed.)
You don't have to 'like' sex you don't want, but you also *don't* get to make these claims about people just cause they have or seem to have a different orientation.
Why *should* people 'choose' to pretend to be straight, deny themselves love and affection and instead try and punish themselves into deceiving themselves and others about who they love? Cause you 'don't like' them?' Cause you have some weak rationalizations of 'divine stigmas' based on what ain't true?
'LGBT people can choose our mates.
Anti-gay people blame the victims of the actual bullies and injustices and claim it's 'free speech' to support the bullying and to *demand LGBTQ kids don't hear anything *but* the bullying and anti-gay dogma.* They don't want 'free speech,' they want the *only* speech. And they ain't telling the truth.
Or remembering this is *children,* here, and young adults in high school... Remember that a lot of the victims aren't *even* gay, or haven't *even* had any relationships, certainly not before the bashing starts. Like what they say *about* gay people, when they say someone *is* gay, it doesn't even have to be *true,* you know. Since when do bullies fact-check?
It's not like there are a lot of people in the world saying "gee, I'd really love to be kind and compassionate toward homosexuals, but gosh darn the luck, there's that one line from Leviticus, so I guess I need to taunt and torment them...o woe is me."
Cuz can't help but notice they have no problem eating shellfish and they don't call agribusiness an abomination if they mix crops in the same field.
Part of it seems to be that they find themselves in a community and culture. All humans want to belong. Well, the community is lead by a preacher claiming homosexuality is a sin based on Leviticus and the community is homophobic as well. One becoming homophobic follows. It's a form of group think. And they ignore the part about shellfish because enjoying shrimp is also part of the culture.
They may adopt other reasons to hate, like Nazism or Communism. But no doubt that is also under ideology and group think that discourages critical thinking.
I much agree with Ernie. We should encourage them to think critically. The lack of critical thinking related to their religious beliefs is a worrisome part of the problem.
Well, they are people and they aren't going to change so you need to identify a more practical solution (in my opinion; whether you do or not is entirely up to you).
It is horrifying indeed.......and some of the "poisoned....ideologies" are represented on this very thread. Hard to believe! It behooves us all to speak up, speak out, and do whatever we can in our little corners of the world to make a difference!
{{fanned}}
Karl Marx proposed removing all children immediately from parents and raising them in state institutions. I'm not sure this would eliminate bullying. Another approach would be to cull all "outliers" and ensure that all children were identical as to size, weight, I.Q., and every other factor used by bullies to taunt each other. A third option is simply to not put children in groups. A fourth option, found more in religious private schools, imposes strict discipline and regimen where opportunity for bullying is pretty well eliminated.
How many of these bullies are getting the message that it's open season on *anybody* they can call 'gay?'
This is outrageous and it starts right with the religious dogmas that the pols and bullies use for their own ends. Vociferously, and frankly, crazily.
Meanwhile, we're dealing with their homophobia and watching these tragedies when this is *supposed* to be a time of hope and change and things getting *better.* What are the kids supposed to think?
It makes me furious: the Christian Right and GOP don't even want LGBT kids to even *be exposed* to non-negative mention of people like themselves, and if we adults who've been through it, the same people calling bullying 'free speech' claim it's 'Gay recruitment' and try to break up even the kids Gay-Straight Alliances.
These are hopes that politicians may smash in their bid for theocratic power, (or 'lower taxes,' ) or crassly exploit by promising and never delivering, but they are hopes that keep kids going. One day being free. That it in fact gets better.
It's one thing to be kind of locked in a box with your tormentors, ....the thought that it's going to be the same *outside* that box can become unbearable. As this should make clear.
I stand with you!
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"...religion...is...false." Post Comment
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I have two gay friends who are quite vocal about their negative views on traditional sex, but I know they don't hate me.
They sure tease me a lot, though. Harumph.
And I think you're confusing your justifications *for* this hate with something that matters when your words and social abuse ostracise kids and lead them to despair and death.
Faved, since I am a fast fan!
Google the thousands of Christian Organizations out there and do a search on their site for Homosexuality. Focus on the Family, on of the biggest contributers to evangelical Christians personal lives, would be a good place for you to start.
I can tell you as a life-long Catholic who goes to church not just over the weekend but over the week that I've never heard homosexuality preached as a topic. I've heard everything on Christ, Christ's love, etc., and even a few bits on why abortion is wrong. But that's about it. I think you're cherry-picking the few evangelical/fundamentalist groups out there and saying, "See! Christianity is hateful!" It just doesn't work that way.