A gay Muslim man took to the Question and Answer site Quora to ask advice on what he should do after he was told to find an Imam to perform Ruqyaa (a form of spiritual healing) and to marry a woman… One user even suggested that he start fasting…
“I have been suggested to find an Imam that performs Ruqyaa and to marry a woman. Some people tell me I am going to hell already(I am still virgin), others tell me it is about the act. That I have to suppress my urge, I am afraid to become sexually repressed or having mental issues. I feel so confused.”
Well, users had their fair share of thoughts from the helpful to those ideas that were less than useful. We’re not quite sure how fasting or will help. We’ve shared a few of their thoughts.
Don’t ever seek counselling or therapy.
Don’t marry a woman without telling her you are gay.
Get a visa to another more accepting country.
Ask for forgiveness from Allah for all sin.
Mix with Muslims who are clean, pious, characterful & practice good deeds.
Don’t bother about western and sex free cultures who will induce you to be on this path. This is their way, not a way a Muslim should lead to.
I would recommend you get professional help, in the real world, from a reliable and a valid dependable person, a religious man who knows Islam very well.
Stop following your sex drive. I recommend you start fasting (as it will reduce his sex drive)
Be gay or be a Muslim. There isn’t much of a middle ground unless it comes from a fake Imam.
Continue to be both gay and a Muslim. Seek out other queer Muslims.
Maybe you should think of leaving Islam.
Do you think any of this advice is helpful? What would you suggest?
A leaflet has been distributed in Devon calling on gay people to “control their urges”
CREDIT: Jehovah-s-Witnesses photo.ua
A leaflet distributed by Jehovah’s Witnesses has caused widespread offence after suggesting that gay people should “control their urges.”
The leaflet which is entitled “How to harness your habits” has been described as “anti-gay” after a section of the text told readers that the bible condemns ‘homosexual acts’. The LGBT charity Stonewall called the leaflet “damaging vitriol”.
The leaflet seemingly compares gay people to animals by suggesting that “unlike animals, they can choose not to act on their impulses”.
Passages highlighted by the religious group also quoted,
“A person who has homosexual leanings can control what he allows his mind to dwell on, just as he would control any other wrong desire, including leanings towards anger, adultery or greed.”
In the leaflet Jehovah’s Witnesses distributed to people in North Devon claim that the,
“Bible tells Christians to be respectful of all kinds of people. (1 Peter 2:17) But that does not mean that Christians must accept all kinds of conduct.
“Consider a comparison: Suppose you view smoking as harmful and even repugnant. What if you have a workmate who is a smoker? Would you be considered narrow-minded just because your view of smoking differs from his?
Would the fact that he smokes and you do not smoke automatically mean that you are prejudiced against him?
If your workmate were to demand that you change your view of smoking, would that not make him narrow-minded and intolerant?
The leaflet explained that whilst Jehovah’s Witnesses choose to live by a moral code set forth in the bible and do not approve of actions not set out by the bible as ‘moral’ they will not “mock nor mistreat” people who don’t follow that code.
Meet Dave Tomlinson, the ‘Bad Christian’ on a mission.
CREDIT: (C) Lissy Tomlinson
Dave Tomlinson is a self-styled ‘Bad Christian’ whose church is unapologetically inclusive and whose books reach out to those on the fringes of faith, and even to outsiders. You may recall the media frenzy and raised eyebrows in some circles when he took the funerals of Great Train Robbers Bruce Reynolds and Ronnie Biggs. He’s also a controversial figure to some in the Anglican community for his positive and progressive stance on same-sex relationships and marriage, which he has outlined in two books, How to be a Bad Christian and The Bad Christian’s Manifesto.
Religion and all things gay generally get along about as well as the Wicked Witch of the West and a sudden downpour. That’s why we were fascinated to learn that there’s an Anglican vicar fighting our corner, and taking on his own church in an effort to change attitudes and doctrines.
We spoke to Dave at his church, St Luke’s in Holloway, London. He is genial and calm, which comes after a lifetime of preaching love and acceptance. He speaks with a warm voice that holds traces of a Liverpool accent, but he’s also prepared to stand up for his principles, and he spoke with great passion about how he wants to affect change in the Church of England in favour of celebrating gay unions.
CREDIT: (C) Lissy Tomlinson
We asked him what he thinks conservative Christians’ beef is with homosexuality. “An awful lot it, within the church, but also society as a whole, is fear. Fear of difference. It’s a desperate sign of insecurity in any society that can’t accommodate and live with difference.”
But won’t conservative Christians just quote scripture and claim the argument is closed? “It’s all tied up with a very literal reading of the biblical texts, but the bible is the product of an age that no longer exists,” Dave explains. “I think what we now experience in same-sex relationships probably hardly existed at that time. There’s a very strong argument to say that all of the texts that the bible addresses that you can link to same-sex relationships involve some form of abuse; and not the loving, equal relationships that we have today. Sodom and Gomorrah, where the word ‘sodomy’ comes from is a horrendous story about rape. It would be incredible to think all of the men of the city were gay: it was all about abuse and power.”
With constant threats of schisms in the Anglican Community, we wondered if the arguments about homosexuality will ever show any signs of simmering down. “It’s not surprising that there are arguments in the church: there should be. But sometimes I think we’re having the wrong arguments. How can we still be arguing about same-sex relationships? It’s an argument that’s over now, really, to any sensible people.” We can only agree with Dave, and ask him about his own parishioners. “We’ve a lot of gay people and gay couples in this church, and I can’t for the life of me see any difference between what they experience and aspire to in their lives and relationships and what I do in my life. It’s an absurdity to me and what’s getting my goat at the moment is that we’ve now reached a point where same-sex marriage is accessible, and any church can make the choice to conduct same-sex marriages in their churches: except the Church of England! I’m outraged by that, and it can’t last.”
CREDIT: (C) Lissy Tomlinson
Outrage is one thing, but does Dave think we’ll ever see gay Christians being married in Anglican churches? “Definitely, because ultimately right conquers. It’s just a matter of time.”
We ended our chat feeling upbeat, and we met many of Dave’s parishioners. As we chatted to them, it was clear than in St Luke’s, they’d found a spiritual home. For some, they’d returned after years outside the church. Whatever your religious beliefs (or lack of), through his sermons and writings, Reverend Dave offers something in stark contrast to what the gay community has come to expect, simply by reaching out with a spirit of inclusivity.
You can read more about Dave Tomlinson’s inspirational and spiritual thoughts in How to Be a Bad Christian and The Bad Christian’s Manifesto, which are published by Hodder & Stoughton. Follow Dave on Twitter @goodluker.
The Scottish Catholic Church has indicated that they are keen to tackle homophobia in schools.
The Catholic Church in Scotland have spoken in support of dealing with homophobia in the classroom according to campaign group Time For Inclusive Education (TIE).
TIE have been campaigning to introduce teacher training in Scottish classrooms to deal with and tackle homophobia in schools. The campaign has received the support of a host of cross party politicians; including Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Willie Rennie, co-convener of the Scottish Green Party Patrick Harvie and Conservative MSP Oliver Mundell.
Speaking with the Sunday Herald this weekend, a spokeswoman from the Catholic Church in Scotland responded to the campaign’s calls, stating,
“The Church is working with the Catholic Head Teacher association to ensure that all teachers have adequate knowledge, understanding and training and feel confident in addressing all aspects of relationships education, including LGBTI matters, in an appropriate and sensitive way.”
Last month, party leaders pledged swift action on the group’s calls for LGBTI inclusive education during a parliamentary debate on which steps should be taken to advance equality following the Orlando massacre in June which left 49 dead and 53 others injured.
During the session, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has publicly supported the TIE campaign, restated her pledge to work with the campaigners during her term in government.
She said,
“I don’t want to live in a country, yet alone be First Minister of a country, where any young person has to feel that, somehow, because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, they are subject to judgement or made to feel in any way less than any other individual in our society. I have given a commitment to working with the campaign for inclusive education.”
The candidate, who if successful, will become the unelected leader of the UK, called the laws “divisive” and “absurd” in 2013 and maintained in an interview this morning on ITV that marriage was, “a Christian service that was for men and women who wanted to commit in the eyes of God”.
During her interview Leadsom said,
“I believe the love of same-sex couples is as every bit as valuable that of opposite sex couples – absolutely committed to that. But nevertheless, my own view actually, is that marriage in the biblical sense is very clearly from the many many Christians who wrote to me on this subject – in their opinion – can only be between a man and a woman.”
She said that she would have preferred for civil partnerships to be made available to both gay and heterosexual couples.
She continued,
“I think we’ve muddled the terms of marriage, civil partnership, church etc. I would have liked that to have been clarified.I didn’t really like the legislation – that was the problem. But I absolutely support gay marriage.”
A Christian high school in Wichita, Kansas, with 322 pupils, apparently has the right to expel students attending the school if the school’s management learns that a student has a gay family member.
Attendance to the school requires a mother, a father and the student to sign a contract like form, which outlines the school’s policy on adhering to a “Christ-centred college”.
The school’s policy isn’t available on the school’s website, which appears to be down for maintenance, however a leaked copy of the so-called Statement of Understanding, which a student and their parents must sign before attending the private school, states,
“When the atmosphere or conduct within a particular home is counter to the school’s understand of biblical lifestyle, including the practice or promotion of LGBT lifestyle or alternative gender identity – the school should have the right in its sole discretion, to deny the admission of an applicant or discontinue enrollment of a current student.”
In statement forwarded to the Advocate Faulkner said,
“We leaked this document in order to raise awareness about Trinity’s policies to prospective students and parents who are on the fence about sending their children to Trinity for their academics, and ultimately for the greater good,”
A man who it is claimed had gay sex has been thrown to his death from a building near Aleppo.
CREDIT: Twitter
*Picture warning* This report contains pictures some readers may find distressing.
Islamic State fighters in Syria have claimed the life of yet another man accused of being gay by throwing him off a building in the northern Syrian city of Manbij near Aleppo.
A crowd of men and children watched the sickening moments as the young man was pushed from unfinished building structure in Manbij City.
According to sources ISIS called on the residents to watch as charges of sodomy against the man were read out by the ISIS Sharia Court.
The barefooted young man, who was wearing all black and who was blindfolded, was then stoned by members of the gathered crowd after failing to die from the impact of his fall.
A crowd of around 100 people, with some children with them are seen in the pictures published by the Terror Monitor group. After the man landed at the foot of the building some of the on-lookers, took up rocks to stone the defenceless man to death.
A video from the Jehovah’s Witnesses has suggested that gay people can be changed, by simply quoting bible verses and talking about the paradise that awaits them.
UPDATED: 20:02PM
CREDIT: Jehovah-s-Witnesses photo.ua
The Jehovah’s Witnesses have released a video entitled: Lesson 22: One Man, One Woman, in which a school child is told that gay people can be made to change if you preach bible verses to them, along with telling them about the paradise that awaits them if they stop being gay.
In the video, which looks like it’s been produced as an educational tool for children, a parent tells her daughter that, “people have their own ideas about what is right and what is wrong, but what matters is what Jehovah feels”, after she shares that a fellow classmate drew a picture of her family, with two mums.
The mother goes on to say that,
“He wants us to be happiest and that’s why he invented marriage the way he did.”
The video then goes on to liken homosexuality to taking a forbidden item on to a plane – but in order to gain access to the plane (or paradise) we all have to follow Jehovah’s standards.
The mother then goes on to suggest that people can change – which is why Jehovah’s Witnesses ‘spread his message’.
The video which has been made available to download for free on the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ website, was produced by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York Inc.
The Islamic State have released pictures in which a man is thrown off a roof after being found engaging in gay sex.
CREDIT: Terror Monitor / Twitter
A man has been executed in Iraq after he was found guilty of engaging in gay sex. A crowd of onlookers watched as a group of around six ISIS fighters threw the man off a multi-storey building site in Iraq. The location of the building has not been confirmed, although it is thought it could be in Mosel in the north of the country.
The man, who was wearing a highly visible turquoise jumper and dark trousers was watched by a group of onlookers – who stood at the foot of the building. The crowd included at least ten children.
Unusually for this type of execution, the man was not bound at the feet and hands.
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In the series of pictures released by ISIS, and published by TerrorMonitor.org, one includes a man dressed in black speaking into a microphone who it is believed was reading out the charges facing the man.
Throwing victims off tall buildings is the most common way in which ISIS execute men they find guilty of homosexuality of those who engage in homosexual acts.
ISIS have taken over large portions of Syria and Iraq and it is believe that around 10 million people live under its control.
CREDIT: Terror Monitor / Twitter
Although the death penalty is not law in either Syria or Iraq in Islamic State controlled areas, in which they use Sharia Law as their legal system, gay men face capital punishment.
Dustin Lance Black has admitted that he thought he’d go to hell if he fell in love with another man when he was younger.
CREDIT: DFree-bigstock
Oscar winning writer Dustin Lance Black has spoken out about the fear he felt as a young gay man about falling in love with another man.
He revealed that, growing up in a military Mormon household, he feared he would go to hell, get bashed or killed if he fell in love.
He also opened up about the fear, sadness and suicidal thoughts that he had as a younger man as his church heaped negative messages about homosexuality on him.
“I was about 15 years old when I moved to the Bay area. At that point, for eight or nine years, all I’d had were negative messages from the church about going to hell. From the military environment, it’d been made clear that I was definitely somebody to be excluded and, being from the South, that I would bring shame to my family if any body found out.”
“So I thought if I fell in love, I would go to hell, bring shame to my family, be bashed or be killed. That removes the possibility of love from someone’s entire life and replaces it with shame. As a young kid, you start to contemplate solutions for making this living thing shorter, I certainly did, and I know I’m not alone.
“If you look to the LGBT organisations, they’ll tell you that LGBT young people are four times more likely to attempt suicide, and nine times more likely if they come from an unaccepting environment.”
“There were just no hopeful messages.”
“I’d heard about this guy creating a world where it was possibly to be gay. All of a sudden, I realised I’d never heard one thing like that in my entire upbringing,” he remembers.
“That wasn’t an idea that had existed in Texas in the 1980s. I’d never heard that, I’d just seen Rock Hudson on a stretcher, with the message that being gay will make you sick like this.”
However Dustin was able to find hope in his situation when he learned more about the historic gay iconic figure, Harvey Milk.
“I was very lucky to hear the story of Harvey Milk, it was life-saving for me. I wanted to share it in case it helped others, but the story of one gay man isn’t going to do it.”
“Until recently, Hollywood wasn’t there to support a production of easily accessible hero journeys for LGBT people. I think it’s incredibly important for young people who, as they come of age and might start hearing negative messages about who they are, that they also have a history of their forefathers and foremothers that they can draw inspiration from.”
HuffPost UK is turning Loud & Proud. Over the next fortnight, we’ll be celebrating how gay culture has influenced and, in turn, been embraced by all fields of entertainment, inspiring cinema-goers, TV audiences, music-lovers and wider society with its wit, creativity and power of expression.
The cancelled show was due to take place on Thursday at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi.
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The Canadian singer said couldn’t “in good conscience” perform where “certain people are being denied their civil rights due to their sexual orientation”.
The “Religious Liberty” bill 1523, which will come into affect on the 1st July will allow some private businesses and religious groups to refuse services to LGBT people in accordance with their religious beliefs.
It is the first of it’s kind law which will allow the discrimination of anyone, including single mothers and gay couples, who to offend someone’s “sincerely held religious belief.”
Users of social media have now made calls for other stars,including Dolly Parton, to join Bruce Springsteen in standing up for LGBT rights in North Carolina.
