Growing up in a religious home meant being taught from day one that marriage is solely supposed to be between a man and a woman. I basically grew up with this idea that anything different was wrong. To most, it probably sounds like I didn’t have much of a choice and that my position on gay marriage was forced on me. Maybe at first it was, but as I grew old enough to understand what the LGBTQ lifestyle was about and why my religion was so against it, I was able to make my own decision.
Mark 10:6-9 says, “But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Because of that verse and my religious beliefs, I choose not to support the LGBTQ lifestyle and do not think they should have the right to legally get married or adopt children.
However, this does not mean that I think it is okay to be disrespectful toward anyone that participates in the LGBTQ lifestyle or anyone that chooses to support it. It just means that I believe the lifestyle they have chosen to be wrong, but that doesn’t make them a horrible person in my eyes. God gave every one of us a free will so that we could choose to live our lives the way we wanted.
Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way.” Being a part of the LGBT lifestyle is a conscious choice; God didn’t create us one way or the other but decided to give us the power to choose. And I have chosen to disagree with their lifestyle, but in a peaceful way.
I don’t think it’s right to cause harm to others by harassing them or saying hateful things. Although, there have been some religious groups that have expressed their disagreement with the LGBTQ lifestyle in hateful ways.
The most well-known example of this would be the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. This church is specifically known for its extreme ideology, especially when it comes to gay people. They hold frequent protests led by their pastor Fred Phelps against this issue. According to their website http://www.godhatefags.com, they hold up signs that say things like “God hates fags,” “fags are nature freaks” and “no special laws for fags.”
On their website, they describe their protests as “peaceful sidewalk demonstrations.” There is nothing peaceful about holding up signs and yelling hateful things. This group is also known for protesting at funerals of dead soldiers for fighting for a country that condones homosexuality.
An article on vice.com reports that the WBC even threatened to picket at the wake of the deadly Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in order “to sing praise to God for the glory of his work in executing his judgment.”
The WBC is a perfect example of a religious denomination that chooses to express their disapproval of the LGBTQ lifestyle in extreme ways. Their ideologies are so extreme that they have even alienated some of their own family members from the church.
About a year ago, two of Phelps’ granddaughters decided to leave the church. “I’m at a complete loss,” said Megan Phelps-Roper in an article on npr.org. “But I do know that I want to do good, to have empathy. Even though we intended to do good [with the picketing], we hurt a lot of people.”
She is right. Her church has hurt many with their reckless disregard for people’s feelings, and the fact that these girls were forced to abandon their family rather than participate in their hateful protests is very disturbing.
Unfortunately, some think that all Christians are like the WBC. An article on vice.com refers to the WBC as “that group of extremist Christians who are famous for vile hate speech.” Yes, they are considered to be Christians, but it is important to note that not all Christians want to spread hate as the WBC does. Some Christians share the belief that the LGBTQ lifestyle is wrong, but most don’t believe that just because someone is gay that God has abandoned them or doesn’t love them.
Because the Bible was written such a long time ago, there is no sure way of determining what everything in it means, which leads to many different interpretations of the Bible. I happen to interpret it very literally, which is why I don’t support the LGBTQ lifestyle.
As a result of all these different interpretations of the Bible, some Christians believe that it is okay to support the LGBTQ lifestyle. “I am for gay marriage,” said UT junior and criminology major Jordyn Queipo. “Love is love, and everyone should have the freedom to love who they want whether it’s a female or male.” Queipo attended a private school where gay marriage was not supported.
Queipo thinks that Christians who use the Bible to scrutinize gay marriage are taking the text too literally.
“The Bible is meant as a guide, but not as something to throw in other people’s faces when they don’t follow everything it says exactly,” Queipo said.
Today more and more religious denominations are becoming accepting of the LGBTQ lifestyle. An article on huffingtonpost.com reported that some smaller Christian denominations have even started to perform gay marriages over the past couple of years.
Being a Christian has nothing to do with your sexual orientation. It goes so much deeper than that. Just because you are a part of the LGBTQ lifestyle doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to be a Christian. Christianity has to do with believing that Jesus died on the cross, and that He is willing to forgive us when we do sin.
Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his love for us in this that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” I believe that God is accepting of everyone no matter what kind of person they are or what they have done in their life. He has this sort of unconditional love for us.
Gay people experience a lot of negativity on a daily basis from the day they choose to be a part of this lifestyle. Even though I don’t agree with the way they choose to live their lives, I would never want to hurt anyone by saying or doing hateful things. Gay or straight, we are all human beings with feelings, and we all deserve to be respected even though we share different opinions on this issue.
Just because your viewpoint is different than someone else’s doesn’t make it okay for you to tear them down and judge them for how they choose to live their life.
Hey Caitlin, do us all a favor and “choose” to be gay so you can set an example for the rest of us. Really, nobody has been able to genuinely choose their sexuality before, except maybe through suppression, which never ends well, so please, show us how.
There are bigger things to be “against” in the world, especially in this day and age. I don’t like seafood, but I’m certainly not going to go out of my way to convince others of the same.
“Gay people experience a lot of negativity on a daily basis from the day they choose to be a part of this lifestyle.”
What the $*%@ ?! You didn’t even indicate this is opinion? Seriously, get educated.
Also, if you take everything so literally, you should pick up some rocks, because you believe you have a responsibility to kill a lot of people with them.
However, don’t kill, because that’s bad too… Wait, what the what?
@Nicole. I don’t hate anyone. I am against discrimination. I accept everyone for who they are–I look beyond the color of their skin, their faith, their beliefs, or their sexuality. It is the heart and soul of the person that matters the most. You are entitled to your opinion about issues you believe in, and you ánd anybody else have every right to express those opinions. Unfortunately,many find it hard to agree on any given topic they are passionate about. Work towards a positive understanding of what is important to you. Spread your message in a compelling rational way. I wish you well.
Interesting, I understand your ignorance and hopefully you understand yours as well when one of your children “chooses the homosexual lifestyle” that he was, you know, BORN with.
Interesting, I understand your ignorance and hopefully you understand yours as well when your one of your children “chooses the homosexual lifestyle” that he was, you know, BORN with.
This article has no place in a supposed pride issue. Sexual preference is not a choice and to think otherwise is extremely insensitive to sexual minorities. There doesn’t have to be an us and a them because we are all humans trying to get by and share this earth.
At Nancy and Caitlin. Would you hate a black person because they chose the lifestyle of being black? No right because thats stupid. A person doesn’t choose to be black nor do they choose to be gay.
You, however are choosing to discriminate on people based on circumstances outside their control.
Shame on UT for even publishing this.
Definition of bigot: one who regards or treats the members of a group with hatred and intolerance. (Source: Merriam Webster Dictionary)
I fail to see such hatred or intolerance in this article, yet some are so quick to dish out hateful and intolerant comments to someone who is being honest about how they feel as a Christian because she happens to have a viewpoint that doesn’t agree with the LGBTQ community. She doesn’t agree with that lifestyle. How is that hateful? This is a passionate issue–don’t spin it to persecute or harass someone’s freedom to express themselves–the same freedom you seek as a member of the LGBTQ community.
First off who is in charge of what goes into this edition titled “Pride”? To take an edition that is supposed to be a celebration and allow such a bigoted article to be published is an example of very poor taste representing of fine university.
Secondly, I can’t believe that in this day and age that we are still calling it a “lifestyle”. Ms. Caitlin, when did you decide to live a “heterosexual” lifestyle? Do you honestly think someone would choose a “lifestyle” where you are hated, discriminated against, beaten and killed by your choice? How would you feel if society decided you could not marry. Next time you have a chance to talk to God face to face ask him or her about his or her decision to have people born homosexual or heterosexual. Until then you are reading a book dictated hundreds of years ago, transcribed by a mortal person (no chance of a mistake there) and translated many times (how many translations have you read that were totally accurate?). So I am sure it is a perfect book. Letting me marry the man I love will not destroy the institution of marriage and the church need not be involved.
Acceptance without hate? You’re not accepting anything, you’re just ignoring the fact that you hate. That’s not the same thing, in my humble opinion.
Im sure Caitlin Malone follows all aspects of the bible so literally, I’m sure she follows:
1. Not eating ham or pork or bacon, or touching a football … Leviticus 11:7-8 “And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.”
2. Never Gossiping.. “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the LORD.”
3. Never working on the Sabbath.. “Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death”
4. Never Wearing blended fabric.. “You are to keep My statutes. You shall not breed together two kinds of your cattle; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together.”
When you choose to follow a thousand year old book so literally, I suggest you read it in its entirety before blindly announcing that you believe in the literal version of it as a backing to take away the rights of others.
I see Caitlin Malone’s article as another ignorant symbol of a majority trying to justify their bigotry using religious excuses. It is fair to publish this kind of ignorant comments, but in the context of a PRIDE issue, it is clearly a slap on the face of all of us who have been bullied, discriminated and have had to pay for our “agenda”.
It is like saying: hey we have a very inclusive school, we love our gays and queers, but here is a reminder of what you will have to experience every day of your lives. In the one and only celebratory issue of our LGBTQI community, there had to be a reminder of WHY is it we need a celebratory support. This issue did what they considered to be fair to everyone and gave a voice to bigotry in our celebration of diversity.
It is easy for someone who has not been bullied, discriminated, or attacked for being a part of a minority to see both sides of the issue, especially in a conservative institution such as UT, where homophobia is rampant at all levels – behind closed doors. If it had been in the context of racial prejudice, an article similar to Ms. Malone’s would have never been published. Do not forget that the same kind of arguments were used to justify segregation and slavery.
The good news is that Ms Malone’s writing skills and rhetoric can be demolished in a few sentences. But people like Ms Malone have plenty of outlets that they saturate with the same misguided conceptions, they are everywhere, whereas the LGBTQI community has very few, especially at UT. Again, we are regarded as foreign species that can co-exist, attacking the sin but not the sinner… Oh dear…
If trying to have a voice promoting the “agenda” for our community, a group that has traditionally been abused, with the highest level of teenage suicides and home rejections, is part of not being respectful to diversity, then spend a week in our shoes and pay the price we have paid, to realize why is it that a polarized approach, without true editorial and cartesian control, is not the way to go. There is nothing to be respected there.
Thank you Minaret for representing all viewpoints. I totally support LGBTQ and I believe everybody is entitled to their opinion. Caitlin Malone’s article represented her opinion, and while her Christian views don’t support the LGBTQ lifestyle, she feels all human beings, gay or straight, deserve to be respected “even though we share different opinions on the issue.” Don’t judge–accept without hate people’s diverse opinions.
Great job and kudos to all the people who contributed to this magazine.
This is a joke, right? You put an entire article about NOT supporting the LGBTQ community in the LGBTQ pride magazine? Way to go, Minaret…