Baha'i on Life
Sidebar -
I'm tired of talking about gay issues at church. My life is like a gay
pride parade - it's constantly raining glitter and fabulous. Gay is all
around me and it's wonderful. I wouldn't want it any other way. My life
is amazing. It's just...I know people are still working through this
whole "Is it okay to be gay?" thing and trying to figure out where God
fits in with the issue. But I'm really losing my patience and I'm
starting to get angry. GOD LOVES EVERYONE NOW SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!! Can
we please talk about something other than gayness? Please? PLEASE!!??!!!
Anything. Syria. Gun violence. The afterlife. Mysteries of the
universe. Tacos. A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G.
Gayness follows me. I cannot escape it. Long ago I accepted that I
indeed have magical gay powers and everything I touch turns to gay. So, I
should have known the Baha'i service would eventually start heading
down a gay road...and it did.
Out of nowhere the conversation turned to David's son, who recently
realized he was gay. David was very supportive of his gay son - standing
up for his desire to wear skirts and make-up at school. David's son
felt for some time that he was transgender - living life as a woman in a
man's body - and started expressing himself as such. David beautifully
described how God didn't see gender or biological sex. God only sees our
soul and our souls are without gender or biological sex. It's not your
human body that matters - it's your soul. Up until this point I
appreciated everything David had to say about gender and homosexuality.
Then things got sticky...someone brought up the issue of having sex.
Baha'i's are to refrain from sexual activity until they enter into a
religious marriage - and the only marriages recognized are marriages
between...you guessed it...one man and one women. The Baha'i faith
doesn't exactly condemn gay love. They are big believers in legal
marriage equality and protecting gay rights. And you can totally hold
hands and talk and snuggle and share your deepest darkest secrets with
your same-sex partner, but you can't have sex with him or her. EVER. Not
even oral. Nope. Not okay. If you are gay and you follow the
Baha'i faith you are expected to practice life long chastity.
AND THAT'S WHEN SARAH STEPPED OFF THE BAHA'I BOAT.
WHAT?!?!?!!!!! Does God hate gay people? Cause that seems like lifelong
punishment for being gay...the way God made them to be. What kind of God
does that? Here ya go, here are all these desires and feelings and instincts but DON'T YOU DARE DO ANYTHING WITH THEM OR I WON'T LIKE IT!
Also, if God doesn't see the physical body and only cares about the
soul then why does God care about gay sex or sex at all for that matter?
No really, why does God care if we have sex? WHY? See, I don't think
God cares. Not even a little bit. I think God could give two shits about
where you poke your pickle or who's dusting your closet. I think sex is
a good thing - not a curse, or a punishment or a test of will-power.
It's a great stress reliever - like all natural Xanax. It's a sleep-aid.
It helps you deal with body issues. It can give you energy. It makes
you happy. Maybe God created us with these "feel good places" because
God wants us to...I don't know...feel good?
There was a woman at the service, a gay woman, who talked about how hard
it was to be chaste but she knew this life was only but a blip and
that her devotion would be rewarded in the next life.
This just does not make sense to me. AT ALL. This Earthly life is but a
test for the next one? Baha'i's don't believe in a literal hell or
heaven, but instead gauge heaven and hell by your closeness with God.
So, apparently God is King Candy and having gay sex is like drawing that
horrible gum drop guy when you are half way through with Candyland (the
children's game) and are now even further away from a heavenly ice-
cream palace finish. It helps me if you can explain things in preschool
terms. Candyland exhausts me and I really think God can do better.
After the service the nice man sitting next to me talked about how
having standards is so important. I questioned which standards you are
supposed to follow because lately I've found everyone is claiming
different standards as "God's". He was very understanding and explained
that the great thing about Baha'u'llah is that he was truly a messenger
of God and spoke the truth.
Uh huh. Right. Thanks. Gotta run. I need a drink - which you do not believe in.
This sex loving booze drinking spiritual enthusiast left church and
headed straight to Cherokee street for some authentic Mexican cuisine
and a delicious homemade margarita. I said a quiet prayer for all the
gay people around the world who have been led to believe they shouldn't
live a happy and full and SEXUAL life because of their orientation. I
wish you all many wonderful orgasms and lots and lots of post-coital
snuggles.
I'm so glad I finally made it back to church.
Cheers!
