This poem
prompted a number of protest emails when it appeared on both blogs in January
2009. Everyone is, of course entitled to their points of view ...and that
includes yours truly.
Many
religious minded people (by no means all, thank goodness) continue to look upon
gay relationships as unnatural. The world’s religions have a problem with their
gay followers. These people are a disgrace to their religion. While I am not a
religious person, I would have said God is no homophobe even if I were not
gay. Gay Christians, Muslims, Hindus, indeed gay subscribers to whatever Faith should feel reassured not threatened by it.
We are as
nature brings us into the world and that’s that as far as I am concerned. I
take exception to this religion or that using it as an excuse to attack gay men
and women and make them feel unworthy of the religion by which they were
raised. Gay (and straight) men and women from various religions assure me there
is nothing in the Holy Books that should be interpreted as encouraging
hostility towards gay people. For example, the fact that all some Christians
can throw at me for my sexuality is a few lines in Leviticus makes me wonder if
they ever understood the New Testament at all. Leviticus is Old Testament and
it was to correct false impressions of God as related there that Jesus came, preaching
peace and love.
For me,
Jesus was a historical figure whose teachings make a lot of sense. As for the
Bible, I see much of it as the simile and metaphor of life.
We gay
people are not the enemies of the heterosexual majority while many insist on
seeing us as such. Perhaps more Christians, for example, should recall that
Jesus said we should try and love our enemies? The whole point of the Good
Samaritan parable is that Jews and Samaritans were sworn enemies at the time.
Surely, love in this context implies an understanding and respect for each
other’s differences instead of reviling and/or fighting over them?
This poem
is a villanelle.
DOGMA,
SELLING HUMANITY SHORT
If religions
have humanity in common
(where condemning
homosexuality for a sin?)
why no
time for gay men and women?
Why does
prejudice get the come-on
(a common
socio-cultural-religious equation)
if
religions have humanity in common?
Where God
the epitome of compassion
(and all
for mutual respect between everyone)
why no
time for gay men and women?
If
freedom is the right of every person,
why make
of spirituality a dungeon or prison
if
religions have humanity in common?
Where
leaders piously follow the One,
and would
take His or Her flock for their own,
why no
time for gay men and women?
If God is
Love, then long may it shine
upon all
those who ask but its truth be shown;
if
religions have humanity in common,
why no
time for gay men and women?
Copyright
R. N. Taber 2009
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