In a message dated 1/13/01 8:09:52 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
<< As I said in my original post, you certainly are entitled to your religious
beliefs. And likewise, Clark. What I found offensive, telling, and
frightening, about your bringing homosexuality into the discussion is just
the fact that you felt compelled to do so. >>
all the reasons you cite later to reject bush are fine by me. my ONLY issue
with this whole thread can be expressed in the following sentence:
it is as wrong to judge a man for his spirituality as it is to judge him for
his sexuality.
clark cited bush's faith in jesus as a reason why he distrusts him suggesting
he is given to magic and myth. i reject that.
the reason why i suggest the book to you has to do with this man's
philosophy. he posits that prejudice against homosexuals began in the
synagogs and churches of the judeo christian tradition. at the same time, he
recognizes his own spirituality which is as intrinsic to his personality as
is his sexuality. finally, he cites the basic premise of chiristianity which
is that love transcends law and in that simple message will evolve the
resolution of all prejudice.
i am not an evangelist. at the same time, i feel that i have tried to share
my experience in this threat about my spirituality in response to clark's
indictment and in doing that, my experience was not heard over the wounds of
prejudice. and what i read is reaction to right wingers and fundamentalists
and conservatives and so on and so forth.
i don't know that i fit in any of those windows, stephen. but i do know i'm
a spiritual man and my spirituality is as real and piercing and meaningful as
my sexuality. it is not a belief. my spirituality is an experience. it is
who i am. and i have been told twice now on this thread that i am wrong
about that. and i feel like a gay man now, being told his reality is wrong
and being forced into a category of judgement into which i don't fit. and
that is why i raised the sexuality issue.
but i will put it to rest now.
patrick
