http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
Although I am not a religious person, I respect the beliefs of others. As for God, I am not exactly closed minded on the subject, but take what I feel as a strong sense of spirituality from nature, not religion. I grew up with religion and it did nothing for me except except torment me by making me feel a freak because I am gay. Nature makes me feel good about myself, so - rightly or wrongly - I will stick with nature. I am no atheist, though, and maybe nature and what we call God are the same...who knows?
A friend for whom religion is a huge part of his life and personal identity once asked me if I thought religion was 'big enough' to accept a gay person. I lent him a DVD called 'Rock Haven' about a young Christian struggling to reconcile his religion with being gay. It is a beautiful film.
Religion should never be confused with spirituality. The latter is by far the stronger and its pull by far the greater. When it comes to making the right choices, especially in matters of the heart, there is no place for misplaced guilt of the kind often imposed by those who profess to have our best interests at heart, but only according to some socio-cultural-religious criteria that is even more misplaced.
Christian, Muslim, whatever...we are as we are born, and if we believe in a God that is helping to shape body, mind and spirit then how can anyone believe he or she deserves rejection for this same God's shaping that part of us that happens to be gay. I don't, never have, and never will. Yes, there is an integral part of me that cannot relate to any religious dogma or ideology, but that has nothing to do with my being gay.
Where religion and love are seen to be at loggerheads, love is rarely if ever to blame.
PHILANTHROPISTS
The sky was grey, sea even greyer
as we walked on a beach one summer
excavating layer upon layer
of mixed feelings for one another;
we were in love, on that we agree,
but you saw your relationship with God
under threat and a greater need
for that than nurturing love’s seed
‘God is love, ‘I put it to you in tears,
touching on a wisdom beyond my years,
desperate to allay your worst fears,
sensing I was losing you to The Others;
I tried to convince you with a kiss
that no benign God would begrudge us
a peace of mind and happiness
sullied by secrecy for anxious centuries
I saw your fearful glance at a cloud,
its rage bearing down as if speaking aloud
what others in that ugly crowd
were silently praying to some bigot God;
suddenly, the sun came out to play,
slowly but surely chased the clouds away
as white horses in a sea no longer grey
reared as if saluting us, though we be gay
You saw it as a sign of God’s philanthropy
as I thanked Earth Mother for rescuing me
Copyright R. N. Taber 1966; 2010; 2017
]Note: An earlier version of this poem appears in On the Battlefields of Love by R. N Taber, Assembly Books, 2010.]
Although I am not a religious person, I respect the beliefs of others. As for God, I am not exactly closed minded on the subject, but take what I feel as a strong sense of spirituality from nature, not religion. I grew up with religion and it did nothing for me except except torment me by making me feel a freak because I am gay. Nature makes me feel good about myself, so - rightly or wrongly - I will stick with nature. I am no atheist, though, and maybe nature and what we call God are the same...who knows?
A friend for whom religion is a huge part of his life and personal identity once asked me if I thought religion was 'big enough' to accept a gay person. I lent him a DVD called 'Rock Haven' about a young Christian struggling to reconcile his religion with being gay. It is a beautiful film.
Religion should never be confused with spirituality. The latter is by far the stronger and its pull by far the greater. When it comes to making the right choices, especially in matters of the heart, there is no place for misplaced guilt of the kind often imposed by those who profess to have our best interests at heart, but only according to some socio-cultural-religious criteria that is even more misplaced.
Christian, Muslim, whatever...we are as we are born, and if we believe in a God that is helping to shape body, mind and spirit then how can anyone believe he or she deserves rejection for this same God's shaping that part of us that happens to be gay. I don't, never have, and never will. Yes, there is an integral part of me that cannot relate to any religious dogma or ideology, but that has nothing to do with my being gay.
Where religion and love are seen to be at loggerheads, love is rarely if ever to blame.
PHILANTHROPISTS
The sky was grey, sea even greyer
as we walked on a beach one summer
excavating layer upon layer
of mixed feelings for one another;
we were in love, on that we agree,
but you saw your relationship with God
under threat and a greater need
for that than nurturing love’s seed
‘God is love, ‘I put it to you in tears,
touching on a wisdom beyond my years,
desperate to allay your worst fears,
sensing I was losing you to The Others;
I tried to convince you with a kiss
that no benign God would begrudge us
a peace of mind and happiness
sullied by secrecy for anxious centuries
I saw your fearful glance at a cloud,
its rage bearing down as if speaking aloud
what others in that ugly crowd
were silently praying to some bigot God;
suddenly, the sun came out to play,
slowly but surely chased the clouds away
as white horses in a sea no longer grey
reared as if saluting us, though we be gay
You saw it as a sign of God’s philanthropy
as I thanked Earth Mother for rescuing me
Copyright R. N. Taber 1966; 2010; 2017
]Note: An earlier version of this poem appears in On the Battlefields of Love by R. N Taber, Assembly Books, 2010.]
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