😯 Truth always comes out in the end. I hope the welcome to church message reaches every GLBT person on Earth. My couple of Twitter’s I hope help a little spread the word. This is MUST LISTEN TO PODCAST. An ocean is made of many drops of water, just as tears of sorry breaks droughts as our Fathers favour reigns.

As found in 1 John 4:8

Those that Loveth NOT – Knoweth NOT GOD, for God IS love.

By just this I see the Closure of the Roman Catholic Church. If the Church has no God then it must Close, Flee even. If Mary or ‘mans words’ are their God, then Anti-Christ be exposed. Why keep preaching Death when Christ, Jesus our King is historically and reality alive and changing hearts, everyday. It just takes our invitation to dialogue with him. Such is Life to Sin in some form or another, Thank God we don’t have to suffer for our mistakes by miss education from those who we trusted most for ALL religions agree, the King of the Jews(INRI) got crucified in our place for He, also being Creator exists In and Out of ‘Earth Time’. Eternity is Today, and as long as this day, is called Today, Our Father Loves YOU as much as He loves me. As he Loved Lot, for Lot at least spent time with Him talking. Though Lot was a pimp before Sodom, would get raped by his daughters while drunk after Sodom… But saved all the same.

I think God then sent his Son so later in history (like now) we don’t have to see cities destroyed by His-InterVention but will use things like HIV to wake up those he loves and doesn’t not want to see self destruct by self sexual harm. Sex, without God, is Death

It is not just the GBLT community in danger here. Look at Gold Coast Indy and the History to the events death. It is the closest to Sodom, apart from the dead sea ruins, that I have ever witnessed. Gold Coast City Churches loving protection continues, in God’s Timing, His will be done. As a shinning example, we can change, anything and everything.

With Love,

christian.i.am

P.S. Bayside Church is going global my heart says they will change the hearts of billions before 2012 passes. One God. One Kingdom. One heart at a time

Hi Orfeo

Thanks for that. I appreciate you taking the time to clarify further. What do you do for a job?

I work for the (national) Attorney-General’s Department.

At the time, I was working in the Human Rights branch, in the section responsible for dealing with (among other things) same-sex discrimination issues. 2007 was when the big report on how Commonwealth laws discriminated against same-sex couples came out.

One of the big unknowns was how many people were affected. Yours truly was involved in TRYING to work the answer to that out!

The irony is we won’t ever get a really accurate answer until the discrimination stops, in all forms.

Hi Orfeo and AVB

Discrimination is so insidious isn’t it? I agree that the full extent will remain hidden until it stops. You’re right though about our testimonies being of help in that regard. Increasingly as GLBTIQ people find the courage to share their stories, public awareness and understanding will grow, and from that a more supportive environment will be facilitated for our community. I’m grateful for the brave souls who have been pioneering with this already, making the way easier for others.

Tony, on your comment above: Yes I’ve had to develop other strengths and supports because of the lack of those and abuse in the church. And after a while, I’ve just gotten used to relying on myself. And then the more years away from the church, the bigger the leap of faith for even considering going back there. And you’re right – the cult experience has widened the gap further. I mean, it wouldn’t be impossible to overcome, but at the very least, extremely challenging.

Ann Maree

there will be two articles in the gay press about this in the next couple of days. I’ll put up the links when they come through.

possibly one of the reasons some people are having problems with the message is that it is difficult to believe that such a thing could actually happen…..especially if you’ve been out of church circles for some years….or come from cultish situation.

I find myself in a position where my nature wants to trust people and yet I find myself unwilling to trust as well its quite confusing. Part of it is letting go of the hurt and also the fiery indignation at my friends being hurt especially since some of them went through far worse than I.

It was very undermining in my past life (thats what it feels like) when I know that whatever I say – they (church leaders) that is will turn it around and make it my problem – this is not specific to churches I know. Now I recognise the value of introspection – its a good and healthy thing in the right balance – but when this pattern is repeated over and over again one begins to lose self esteem as I did. I began to think they are always right and I am always wrong. Not hard to see how this happens and I found myself saying to myself “but I cant be wrong all the time surely?” I had questions, its a part of my nature to be curious and ask.

I am working my way through all this along with other issues too. Its gonna take time. I know a lot of it in my head. I understand why people do the things they do. In hindsight its no surprise that the things happened the way they did in those circumstances – circumstances that were bound to promote abuse. In my view many Pentecostal churches qualified for cult status. The church I was a part of for many years ran a course that ran for a year and was extremely strict on clothing – like women couldnt wear pants or jeans. Students were restricted as to who they could and couldnt see. Families got torn apart by this… and the list goes on.

Dont get me wrong I think it is fantastic that Rob Buckingham has stuck his neck out and put it on the chopping block as it were – that takes courage and I admire him for that. However I was listening to his message with some skepticism – and in being kind to myself I dont blame myself for that – its an understandable reaction. I wanted to believe whole heartedly but I guess I think there is a hidden agenda behind what church leaders do.

Given Pentecostals background, along with all other kinds of fundies too, its not surprising that the people coming out of them for whatever reason have no trust of them, there have been many awful things that have happened for which they ought to be held accountable for – here and now and understand what it is they have done. Maybe I am asking too much but I know that I am not alone in this opinion.

For a long time I wanted nothing to do with Christians but more so the Christian Leaders and I am slowly putting myself into situations where I am in contact with people who are Christian and leaders at that – I have no wish to remain distrustful and I wish to work through the pain to the point of “Father forgive them, they dont know what they do” I am not at that point yet – forgiveness seems well beyond the next star but being able to spend time with Christians is proving to be fruitful – even if I dont agree with everything. I understand thats not required but thats another thing I am working through that I took on in my time as a Pentecostal – we all had to think the same… so its a convoluted path to recovery for me. As I am sure it is for others here on this forum and elsewhere.

okay end of rant *giggles*