Learning how to break free from America’s religious conformities is not as easy. While watching a recent Podcast on Current TV, I was reminded of the tragic death of Matthew Shepard, who was allegedly murdered for being a homosexual. Even though the two men who murdered Matthew were convicted of the crime, evidence never confirmed if this was the actual reason these men acted out so hatefully and violently. Yet, seeing the photos, personal belongings, as family and friends embraced, shedding tears, erupted emotions inside of me I did not know existed.
Ironically, I was inspired by Romaine Patterson, one of Matthew’s college associates, who prepared the Podcast in an effort to promote her book The Whole World is Watching. Witnessing her tenacity and ambition, empowered me with a zest to succeed. Something I willfully lost, during my extensive time researching biblical scriptures and its many revisions on homosexuals.
When I initially heard about Matthew’s death, I didn’t feel anything. After all, growing up in America, I have learned how to block out such tragedies because such things are a norm. I have even had friends of my own who were murdered for clothes, money, cars, and simply for the color of their skin. So hearing about someone being murdered due to their sexual preference just seemed normal; even though it angered me.
Being raised with a religious background, I was always taught that being gay or a homosexual was a sin. Over the years, I learned to keep my sexual identity hidden. And like so many others, who too feel the same, this state of mind derives from religious up-bringing.
That’s why I was completely distraught after discovering the term homosexual was added to the bible in 1976, and then removed in 2001 and 2006, without any consideration to the many victims who committed suicide or were murdered because of their sexual preference of homosexuality.
As you know, throughout history, many people have died under the false pretenses associated with religious rituals and its beliefs. As a matter of fact, many people were even enslaved due to the scriptures written in the bible. Living in a society that forces religious structure upon its citizens is challenging enough, especially to anyone who desires to live outside of those religious conformities. But to hear of people taking such religious rituals and beliefs to the extreme of murdering someone, the very religious structure that orchestrated such hatred. Then later, to find out that the very term that fueled the flames of hate towards homosexuals, was omitted, completely baffles me.
It troubles me to live in a world that has allowed religious structure to embed so much hatred within our minds and actions, towards one another.
Growing up, I always knew I was gay. Regardless of how much my family and I attended church, or how many bible study classes I took, I knew being gay was something I was suppose to keep hidden. I was very young when I told my parents I was a homosexual. After doing so, I carried the burden of being the black sheep. Simply because, I was taught that being a homosexual was wrong because the bible said so.
