Though the Bible is actually mum about Jesus having a sexual life or desires in any sense (whether with Mary Magdalene or any of the Apostles for example), I still say good for Elton John for speaking out, and to Nikolaj for the thoughtful letter. I applaud how you’ve been able to come to terms with being both gay and Christian.
Religion, when you take out the negativity (the judging and finger pointing, the intolerance, the righteousness, etc.) can be a good and positive force in people’s lives, and it’s sad when folks who do find comfort in their faith have to reject it, because of the notion that you can’t be gay and devotedly religious at the same time. To me, it’s not God Allah, Jehovah, Jesus, or whatever name He/She/It goes by that’s rejecting you, but the all too human religious authority figures.
A few years ago, Sister Helen Prejean (the nun who wrote ‘Dead Man Walking’, and who was played by Susan Sarandon in the movie version) came to my university to give a talk. The presentation was about prisoners’ rights, but she went off topic a bit, and she asked the audience a question – if Jesus was on earth today, to whom might He particularly want to minister to? I think everybody expected her to say wrongly convicted prisoners, drug adducts, victims of war or domestic violence, abused kids, disadvantaged visible minorities etc., etc. Her answer, surprisingly enough was gay people.
Not in the sense that queer people are the biggest sinners around and needed salvation, but that they are terribly oppressed and discriminated against, so much that Jesus, in Sister Helen’s opinion, would particularly want to embrace and give comfort to.
I always thought that was cool coming from a nun, and from someone from a religious background (traditional Catholicism) which is not known for embracing homosexuality.
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