I thought I’d continue to kick-start this 5th year of my gay-interest blog and 6th year of my general blog with another new poem; this post appears on both blogs.
During the last weeks of 2011, I met someone who confessed to having once been a ‘Bible thumping evangelical pr**k.’ (His words, not mine.) ‘Once, I’d have seen you as a child of the Devil for being gay..?’ he added with a wry smile.
‘So what happened to change your mind? I asked. His reply both floored me and lifted my spirits at the same time.
‘I found God,’ he said simply and quietly, his voice ringing with conviction.
So there is hope for much of Africa yet, and other parts of the world that need to get real about gay people as well as facing up to other appalling anachronisms that shame humanity; for example, what passes for an ‘honour killing’ among some communities is nothing short of cold-blooded murder in any civilised society.
On the subject of civilised (on the whole, at least) society, I agree with those who insist there is no room for Sharia law in it either. I trust those British Muslims pressing for aspects of it to be written into British law will be disappointed. [Or I, for one, will emigrate.] Fortunately, they appear to be in a minority...so far. On the other hand, it is very disturbing to read about cases reported in the British press in recent years that suggest some British courts have dealt incredibly leniently with young Muslims guilty of serious hate crime; especially in areas like Tower Hamlets in London where the population is predominantly Muslim.
Among British Muslims I know, none support Sharia law. Alas, it is often those who shout the loudest and claim to represent a conveniently ‘silent’ majority who eventually get their own way. Take evangelical pastors and their counterparts misrepresenting other religions, for example; their direct incitement to hate crime against people like me just for our being gay can only be described as moral if not spiritual corruption.
As I have said on my blogs before, I am no racist or Islamophobe. However, I am sick and tired of being called either or both if I have cause to reprimand someone simply for their bad behaviour. Unless there are mitigating circumstances, such as mental illness, bad behaviour is bad behaviour regardless of the offender's socio-cultural-religious persuasion. While what may be considered bad behaviour in one country may not in another, the behaviour of some people of various ethnic origins here in the UK would not be tolerated in their country of family origin...so why should the likes of me say nothing for fear of being called racist or whatever?
Is it not high time the more moderate if not liberal-minded ‘silent majority’ found its voice world-wide?
CELEBRATING CONVERSION
I used to see the world
as blank pages I needed to fill
with lessons in life
taken from its Holy Books
so fewer sceptics
would rush to turn their backs
on God’s will,
but celebrate His (or Hers?)
all their lives
I used to see the world
as blank pages I needed to fill
with anger and rage
at this world’s, oh, so sorry state,
often feeding on hate,
fallen way short of the peace
with one another
endorsed by centuries-old
Creation myths
I used to see the world
as blank pages I needed to fill
for those to see
the vile errors of their ways,
such as those
who endorse homosexuality,
reject righteousness
for selfishness and a parody
of happiness
I used to see a world God
looks down on with great sadness
and infinite pity
until Earth Mother showed me
we human beings
need to make our own history,
let nature write its pages
as it will, celebrate the flowering
of each individual
Bigotry’s ungodly song and dance
but celebrates its arrogance
Copyright R. N. Taber 2012
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