Need some helpful advice...

[LateBloomer]

You know what Ken?

I'm a practicing Catholic. And I had (have?) my issues with "The Church".

I respect the history, the legacy, the heritage, all of that from Pope Benedict to St. Peter.

But fundamentally, no matter how much gold leaf, incense and purple velvet they use, the Church is still a collection of MEN.

And since they're just men, they're sinners too. They make mistakes; they misinterpret things; they use their power for selfish purposes.

NONE OF THAT invalidates what Christ taught.

Focus on His teachings. Find men you can trust but you should always feel free to call bullshit on what is taught by people in positions of power.

I'm proud to be Catholic.
But I take the good with the bad because ANY MAN can be wrong.

[Rainbowmum]

Ken , There is a huge difference between Jesus and Christ.
Christ is a manipulation weapon used by the church to make you conform to their doctrine.

Jesus lived as a man , he knows firsthand how difficult it is to be human.
He gave us a new commandment "Love each other as I have loved you."
At no time did he add except for the gay population.

I am not disrespecting the church after all they are only human.

[Ken051]

My parents know my friend who came out in high school is gay, I think....but I know they don't approve of gay people. Gaybashing, no I have had a guy at work who started making fun of 2 gay men. I turned to the guy and said to him "You got a problem with them"(apparently I looked tough, because anyone who knows me knows I am a fluffy teddy bear) he shrunk and said "No". I hate it in general when people get picked on and teased cause they are different in some way. BTW love the C.S. Lewis quote that is a power quote DarkDaisuke.
LateBloomer I do understand that men make mistakes but I am still learning about the Catholic church and its doctrine. Coming from the Christian church I do believe in what Jesus has taught us like what Rainbowmum quoted "Love each other like I loved you" I feel like where I am at now with my faith is that I am still growing that I have to learn to accept that the Bible has been changed.

[LateBloomer]

LateBloomer I do understand that men make mistakes but I am still learning about the Catholic church and its doctrine. Coming from the Christian church I do believe in what Jesus has taught us like what Rainbowmum quoted "Love each other like I loved you" I feel like where I am at now with my faith is that I am still growing that I have to learn to accept that the Bible has been changed.

Ok, but it gets even more complicated than that, right?



It's not just a problem with "editing" per se, but INTERPRETATION.

Does editing affect our interpretation? Yeah! You bet.

But let's just take one very simple and basic idea from the Bible: The Garden of Eden.

Should we take that story in a literal sense and believe that with enough research we could one day find a geographic spot on Earth known as the Garden of Eden?

Or, should we consider the garden (lower case g) a metaphor posed to us in order to teach a lesson?

See the difference? It's not just a question of outright manipulation (editing) of content (this gets cut out; this gets pasted on). But what of the larger stories and how were they MEANT to be taught?

The stories are lovely (most of them), but I don't believe they were meant to be taken literally for the most part.

[Ken051]

Ok, but it gets even more complicated than that, right?



It's not just a problem with "editing" per se, but INTERPRETATION.

Does editing affect our interpretation? Yeah! You bet.

But let's just take one very simple and basic idea from the Bible: The Garden of Eden.

Should we take that story in a literal sense and believe that with enough research we could one day find a geographic spot on Earth known as the Garden of Eden?

Or, should we consider the garden (lower case g) a metaphor posed to us in order to teach a lesson?

See the difference? It's not just a question of outright manipulation (editing) of content (this gets cut out; this gets pasted on). But what of the larger stories and how were they MEANT to be taught?

The stories are lovely (most of them), but I don't believe they were meant to be taken literally for the most part.

You know I never thought of the Bible that way.....hmm interesting Thank you for pointing this out

[JRiver]

Hi, Ken!

It is good that you have as much understanding about "masks" as you do at such a young age.

Take it from this middle aged guy: Nothing is more important in life than being yourself, being true, being authentic. Doing so is risky, but worth it. Courage!

[pellaz]

... I guess what I am trying to ask is what should I do, I want to date men and explore my feelings. But I dont want my family to know period, or until I am really sure of how I feel ...

i can see your desire to not let your family know till your out to your self. so turn off the where is my iPhone app and meet up with that person from your m4m profile. nothing stopping you except your self.

[Bowyn Aerrow]

Latebloomer makes a very valid point here.

Interpretation of the bible. Doctrine, slaying people for oh 2000 years.

[Ken051]

i can see your desire to not let your family know till your out to your self. so turn off the where is my iPhone app and meet up with that person from your m4m profile. nothing stopping you except your self.

I am a Droid user and as it stands i can make myself appear to be anywhere in the world I want(by some magical hackery). Also what is a m4m profile? I have been contemplating saying screw it and go for it while i am still in my home town but fear is a paralytic so until i get over that fear of my family finding out, im stuck.

[Gizzie]

Welcome to GS
I agree with the fellow posters here that your sexuality and religion does not have to conflict at all.

Sexuality and religious beliefs may constitute or effect your identity, but that is not "you".
A person can like you without being interested in your religion or sexuality, and I know so because in Japan, we never discuss religion or sexuality to other people.


Like suggested earlier, I think its time for you to do some serious "ME" studying.
Your parents and family can introduce you to a certain way of life, but you are always free to find your own way. Good luck, and have fun