Stop "praying the ? away"...
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http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/22/my-faith-how-i-learned-to-stop-praying-away-the-? /?hpt=C2
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By Don Lemon, Special to CNN
"School day, time to get up, sleepy head. School day."
Although she's been gone since 1998, my grandmother's words ring in my head just about every morning of my life. That's how MaMe, as I called her, got me out of bed and off to my Catholic school when I was growing up and in her care.
But before I shuffled my way to the bathroom to begin my morning routine, I had to hit the floor on my knees to pray, just as I had the night before.
It was usually The Lord's Prayer ("Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name...") followed by asking ? to watch and guide me through my day until I returned to the safety of my home that evening.
But MaMe (pronounced MAH-me) didn't know that at a very early age her favorite grandson had begun to pray, silently, that ? would change him from being different, from having crushes on boys, from being more curious about boys than girls.
By age four or five, I was too young to sexualize my infatuations but I knew that everyone else, including my family and friends, would think it was wrong.
Perhaps it was the conversations I overheard from adults around my hometown of Port Allen, Louisiana, who'd mimic ? people, calling them "funny" or "? " or "? ."
Perhaps it was Sunday mornings at our Baptist church, where preachers taught that liking someone of the same sex was a direct and swift path to hell. And that if that person would just turn to the Lord and confess his sin, then ? would change him back into the person He wanted him to be - a person who only had crushes on the opposite sex.
All of which meant that, from a very early age, I began to think I was ? and that I was going to hell. Can you imagine what that feels like for a kid who was just learning to read and perform basic arithmetic? It was awful.
And talk about guilt - I was a Baptist attending Catholic school!
I prayed the silent prayer for ? to change me every chance I got until I started attending college in New York. That's when common sense began to take hold and I realized that no amount of prayer would change me into something that wasn't natural to me.
With my religious upbringing, I'd had the opportunity to study religious doctrine. But I learned from different perspectives, from Catholic Mass on Fridays to Baptist services on Sundays to vacation Bible school in the summer to Bible study with a Jehovah's Witness as a teenager.
As I got older I began to realize that all these people and institutions interpreted the Bible somewhat differently. I had a sort of epiphany: the Bible was about the lessons you learned, not about the events or words.
When I became old enough, intelligent enough and logical enough to discern the difference between metaphor and reality, everything changed. I realized that Jonah living in the belly of a whale was a parable written in the same vein as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. saying that he had "been to the mountaintop."
Neither Jonah nor King had actually been to those places. They were metaphors for lessons for those of us who cared to absorb them.
So many of us, especially in the black community and in churches, tend to think that religious teachings happened word for word as they were written in Scripture. I think that's naïve, even dangerous.
That type of thinking - or non-thinking - keeps many religious people enslaved to beliefs that they haven't truly stepped back from and examined.
That type of thinking causes people who are otherwise good to shun and ostracize young ? people.
It causes people to want to control and change people who aren't like them. And who wants to be like someone else?
Imagine if we had allowed Christian doctrines and teachings that supported slavery, segregation and the subjugation of women to pervade our society all the way up until the current moment. What kind of world would that be?
Instead, we got on our knees, just as I did as a little boy, and prayed that slavery, segregation and the subjugation of women would end. In the United States, at least, those prayers have largely been realized.
I'm no longer the member of any church but I do believe in a higher power.
It's time for us, especially black people, to stop trying to pray the ? away and to get on our knees and start praying that the discrimination of ? people ends.
What we're doing to our young ? people now is child abuse. It's plain old bigotry and hatred. And if African-Americans don't know what that feels like in America, I don't know who does.
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Comments
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its a sin, if u dont wanna believe it, dont be part of the religion, like this man did.
at the same time tho, if one is saying, living a ? lifestyle sends u directly to hell, so does living a criminal lifestyle, or highly sexual lifestyle, or lying to get through ur day.
too much pro-gayness goin on in the straight communities....something 'funny' about this -
Who said he ISN'T apart of the religion? He looks at it differently now...
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well this man must be suffering from whatever the christian man who predicted doomsday was.
the bible clearly states that the union of a man and a woman is what ? intended and anything else is unnatural.
therefore homosexuality or any other 'biblically unnatural' sex act (sleeping around, sex out of marriage, etc) is deemed lustful in the eyes of ? and to ? is to sin.
to live a sinful life without repentance = unsaved
it seems this guy is tying the prejudices blacks dealt with, with the prejudices ? are dealing with. but the bible never said it was a sin to be black. that was pure human hatred. ? shouldnt be hated either, no group should be.
if openly ? ppl decide they wanna go to church every sunday we can call them hypocrites and look at em crazy all we want, but its the same as a thief or a ? going to church every sunday, only diff is no one can see their sins.....just ? -
Remember when Go Figure admitted he would suck a ? if ? commanded him to?
It's in the Forum of Fame now. -
ahhh i see you've taken the ktulu route when you've got nothin intelligent to say.
close thread -
@My_nameaintearl wrote: »Remember when Go Figure admitted he would suck a ? if ? commanded him to?
It's in the Forum of Fame now.
Lmfao...
Say it ain't so -
Go figure... wrote: »well this man must be suffering from whatever the christian man who predicted doomsday was.
Why are you assuming things?the bible clearly states that the union of a man and a woman is what ? intended and anything else is unnatural.
Yes, the bible does state that but it's not all about ? stating ? . People been either straight or ? from the beginning of time, all without the knowledge of this "Christian ? ". ? isn't needed for that, he isn't needed for anything.that was pure human hatred. ? shouldnt be hated either, no group should be.
if openly ? ppl decide they wanna go to church every sunday we can call them hypocrites and look at em crazy all we want, but its the same as a thief or a ? going to church every sunday, only diff is no one can see their sins.....just ?
It's pure human hatred as well when we're speaking about homosexual people. They're treated differently, they're killed, they're beaten, they're humiliated, they're put in a group that's "not normal".
I think that's his point when comparing it to being black, not necessarily that being black is a sin. Hell, they're called "? ", a ? is a bundle of sticks that is used for fuel in a fire. If you're ? , you go to hell = ? . That isn't a "hate term"? It sure is, and it's always used that way. This is why they don't want to come out, due to hate. People ? themselves due to all this ? . Ain't nothing wrong with being ? , because if you're ? that means you were born naturally that way, which means it's normal. Straight people out do ? in numbers, so we will always reproduce, so this has nothing to do with, "if normal was ? we wouldn't be here" type ? . -
Why are you assuming things?
Yes, the bible does state that but it's not all about ? stating ? . People been either straight or ? from the beginning of time, all without the knowledge of this "Christian ? ". ? isn't needed for that, he isn't needed for anything.
It's pure human hatred as well when we're speaking about homosexual people. They're treated differently, they're killed, they're beaten, they're humiliated, they're put in a group that's "not normal".
I think that's his point when comparing it to being black, not necessarily that being black is a sin. Hell, they're called "? ", a ? is a bundle of sticks that is used for fuel in a fire. If you're ? , you go to hell = ? . That isn't a "hate term"? It sure is, and it's always used that way. This is why they don't want to come out, due to hate. People ? themselves due to all this ? . Ain't nothing wrong with being ? , because if you're ? that means you were born naturally that way, which means it's normal. Straight people out do ? in numbers, so we will always reproduce, so this has nothing to do with, "if normal was ? we wouldn't be here" type ? .
yes people are also born into sin, people can be born ? , some choose the lifestyle tho, not really the point tho.
still i think ur missin the point. it is a sin because it is unnatural in ? 's eyes and it is outside of what he has intended for his creation, point blank period.
theres no other way around it if your looking at it from ? 's point of view. thats why i said, if u disagree with it or think that it shouldnt be wrong to be ? , u shouldnt be a christian, bottom line.
at the same time christians who spread hate and violence toward ? are also going against ? 's will, hate and violence is sin. theyre being hypocrites. -
Go figure... wrote: »
at the same time christians who spread hate and violence toward ? are also going against ? 's will, hate and violence is sin. theyre being hypocrites.
No, because the bible ? did the same thing, he destroyed two cities by the names of "? & Gomorrah". There's plenty of evidence from the bible to show the "hate & violence" ? has against humans, all of it on some petty ? . -
yall bring sum proof or shut up with that ? ? . ill ? ur mothers
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No, because the bible ? did the same thing, he destroyed two cities by the names of "? & Gomorrah". There's plenty of evidence from the bible to show the "hate & violence" ? has against humans, all of it on some petty ? .
he didnt destroy em for bein ? . it was the overall sinful nature. i believe they were sacrificing babies as well??? so....read more carefully bruh
http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5702 -
Go figure... wrote: »yall bring sum proof or shut up with that ? ? . ill ? ur mothers
It's in the Forum of Fame, bruh.
http://community.allhiphop.com/showthread.php?105836-Steve-Harvey-takes-an-L-%28along-with-most-of-you-people%29 -
ok show me where i said that, not where KTULU said that i said that
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Go figure... wrote: »ok show me where i said that, not where KTULU said that i said that
You remember saying it, you just won't admit it. Read that thread, kid. -
@My_nameaintearl wrote: »You remember saying it, you just won't admit it. Read that thread, kid.
i encourage anyone to find me stating in those exact words that i would do such a thing. otherwise kiss my ass -
go figure asks for all this evidence.... but where is the evidence that ? exists, or that the book you rely so heavily on and live by wasnt written by a guy with an ulterior motive???? i believe the bible thumpers call it "having faith" right.... so dont ask for evidence or judge others til you can provide the rest of us evidence.... this ? cnn anchor is 100% right... u cant prey the ? away.... people are born ? .... look up homosexuality throughout the animal kingdom.... their is plenty of it at about the same rate that it happens in the human race... if they are just acting off instinct, what makes you think that it is not natural for a % of human being to be ? ???? i think this world needs more tolerance toward ? people.... that is the next, and the hardest group to get equal rights for, because some book i can buy in a store tells ignorant ? not to do so
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Go figure... wrote: »i encourage anyone to find me stating in those exact words that i would do such a thing. otherwise kiss my ass
It's somewhere in the middle of that thread. I started to look for it. You straight up admitted that if ? commanded you to suck a ? , you would not disobey a direct order from your Lord.
No ? . -
@My_nameaintearl wrote: »It's somewhere in the middle of that thread. I started to look for it. You straight up admitted that if ? commanded you to suck a ? , you would not disobey a direct order from your Lord.
No ? .
u and ktulu missed the part where i said ? would not command someone to sin, so therefore i would obey the lords command, given the fact that he would not ask me to perform that act.
i thought ktulu got desperate with that move and people didnt actually take that 8th grade ? seriously. oh well. -
go figure asks for all this evidence.... but where is the evidence that ? exists, or that the book you rely so heavily on and live by wasnt written by a guy with an ulterior motive???? i believe the bible thumpers call it "having faith" right.... so dont ask for evidence or judge others til you can provide the rest of us evidence.... this ? cnn anchor is 100% right... u cant prey the ? away.... people are born ? .... look up homosexuality throughout the animal kingdom.... their is plenty of it at about the same rate that it happens in the human race... if they are just acting off instinct, what makes you think that it is not natural for a % of human being to be ? ???? i think this world needs more tolerance toward ? people.... that is the next, and the hardest group to get equal rights for, because some book i can buy in a store tells ignorant ? not to do so
what proof did i ask for????
i was talkin bout his accusations toward me that he cant nor ever will prove even tho i supposedly typed that ? onto this forum lmao -
Go figure... wrote: »he didnt destroy em for bein ? . it was the overall sinful nature. i believe they were sacrificing babies as well??? so....read more carefully bruh
http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5702
My point was to point out the "Christians" are following in ? 's steps, with hate and violence against ANYTHING sinful. -
go figure asks for all this evidence.... but where is the evidence that ? exists, or that the book you rely so heavily on and live by wasnt written by a guy with an ulterior motive???? i believe the bible thumpers call it "having faith" right.... so dont ask for evidence or judge others til you can provide the rest of us evidence.... this ? cnn anchor is 100% right... u cant prey the ? away.... people are born ? .... look up homosexuality throughout the animal kingdom.... their is plenty of it at about the same rate that it happens in the human race... if they are just acting off instinct, what makes you think that it is not natural for a % of human being to be ? ???? i think this world needs more tolerance toward ? people.... that is the next, and the hardest group to get equal rights for, because some book i can buy in a store tells ignorant ? not to do so
oh, and with this post people are tryna call ME ? ???????
SMH -
My point was to point out the "Christians" are following in ? 's steps, with hate and violence against ANYTHING sinful.
my friend, a good christian knows to turn the other cheek and not to strike your enemies. dr king jr, a CHRISTIAN, is a prime example if christ isnt good enough for u. -
Go figure... wrote: »what proof did i ask for????
i was talkin bout his accusations toward me that he cant nor ever will prove even tho i supposedly typed that ? onto this forum lmao
you are right, i misread you, my mistake....lol -
Go figure... wrote: »oh, and with this post people are tryna call ME ? ???????
SMH
so im ? because i dont care about someone's sexual preference??? im ? because i think everyone should be treated the same??? dont try and switch this on me cause you said you would suck ? 's holy ? -
you are right, i misread you, my mistake....lol
all good, i see ur point tho about the evidence n all that.
dont get me wrong i dont think i have all the answers, no one does, no matter what they beleive in, yet we still have our beliefs.
im just stating what i believe in, not how YOU should believe. and if i feel someone got the game ? up on christianity i throw in my 2 cents.
dont mean another christian wont agree wit me. its all discussion.
