Gday Brunski
I did read the post – but didnt find it that interesting…… Sad though.
I´m afraid I wouldn´t say much to Matt…. this is from my Journey…. Raised in Fundamentalist Churches and (after a rocky start and an ¨interesting¨ first boyfriend) – I´m now settled with my second partner for 12 years (next month). Many of the people here have histories where they looked to be saved from Homoesxuality and then they learnt to reconcile the way God made them with their faith. Their stories are compelling because there is a core internal honesty to them which I think shows.
There are a several reasons why I wouldnt say much to Matt.
I don´t know Matt and I dont know his real story and these are purely MY PERSONAL reactions ….
Firstly, although the story is disturbing, Theres something in the writing that says to me there are too many cliches in there for me to find it compelling. There´s something about the writing that suggests its a sales pitch not from the heart. He is saying what he has been taught to say. He saying it because he wants it to be true. However something leaks through which shows that in his heart of hearts – he knows it isnt.
Secondly – this is about year old story (as of when it was written). The bible gives conditions for elders of the church (that we should listen too) and elders are not NEW converts whose story is only a year old. We used to say at church (as a joke) – new converts should be locked up for a few years. The point behind the joke is real though. A year or so is not enough to say anything.
When he has lived this life for a number of years – consistently, with integrity then perhaps it will say something…
However the ¨Ex Ex gay¨ movement is full of people who wrote stories like this and a few years later they leave or are exposed in a Gay Bar.
Matt says ¨I still struggle with homosexual temptations and have to fight the ……. urges on a daily basis¨
The sad thing is he is denying the gifts that God gave him. By your fruits you shall know them. This is not a man at peace with himself. This is a man in a struggle and is trying to validate his struggle. Doesnt make his struggle right.
Nowhere does Jesus condemn homosexuality. He does give us a number of commandments. DO NOT JUDGE OTHERS, LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
And lets look at the verse that Matt closes with
¨For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world¨
It doesnt say – that whoever IS STRAIGHT who believes in him shall not perish. There are no qualifications.
For what its worth – I hope that one day Matt puts self honesty ahead of trying to be what others want him to be.. and then he will have a story that will be from the heart.
Until then – my experience is – he is trying so hard to be something he isnt – he wont listen to anything that doesnt fit that – he just wants others to live the unhappy struggle he is living… So I wouldnt say anything to Matt – until he is willing to accept he is the way he was made.
We all have our own Journey´s – and many of us need to try the path Matt is trying before they can find peace and reconciliation. No path is wrong and sometimes we need to try it. However experience is – that its not the way to Peace or Happiness or Health.
i suspect this isn what you wanted to hear – my apologies – but this is my personal reaction to that blog. Like Mother Hen and Ann Maree – i wonder why you are posting that ? Thats probably more important for you to answer than what to say to Matt..
I´m happy to be what God made me. Ill put my almost two decades of Inner Peace against his 1 year of struggle.
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