Away from intolerance, bigotry, and ignorance.  : )

I don't think such a place really exists.  :( 

Maybe in glimpses.

Well we can create it in here!

Yay Jessie! 

This forum is like a sanctuary. Even if I dont comment I can come here and read and know that some people in the world dont judge others based on differences.

I too,  am looking for that sanctuary where I can breathe and just relax.  But, I have realized that place is in heaven.  And to get there one must look to Jesus Christ who is the author and finisher.  The creator of man and woman and all that is on the earth..  I look forward to the day the Lord comes back to get those that believe and where there will be no more sin, temptations, tears, sorrow and stubbed toes.  Every day I look for the coming of Jesus and know that then there will be peace in my spirit and rest for my soul. 

And to get there one must look to Jesus Christ who is the author and finisher.

Speak for yourself.  Maybe for you, but others follow a different TRUTH.

(Sheesh - is NOTHING sacred anymore?????)

Thanks Deborah, I'll keep that in mind.

I have a close, personal relationship with God and she told me that what makes her really angry is when people try to tell others how to live when they obviously know nothing about them.  She told me that each of us should focus on our own life, and let others do the same.

I think the appropriate places to beat people over the head with your religious views attempt to convert people or discuss religion would be in one of two main places:  the Christianity forum or the religion forum.  Hijacking a thread in order to do so is rude and tacky, and certainly not going have the desired effect.

Rant over, please feel free to continue building your safe haven.  :)

Wow - I haven't heard that kind of religious talk for a few years now....one of the reasons I don't go to the church of my youth.  Now the question is Deborah, since you are a relative newbie to PBS & to the forums is why you felt the need to come to the LGBT forum and post your religious viewpoints?  Are you 'family' or are you actually in a not so subtle way trying to say that being LGBT isn't what your Jesus would want for us.  If you are family, then welcome, but try to respect the fact that not everyone who is a member of PBS in general & a participating member of this forum specifically has the same religious viewpoints as you.

If on the other hand you are trying to say that being LGBT is wrong, then please keep your comments to yourself. 

I'm with you Amanda - back to this being a safe haven for us.  :-)

Aren't these threads open for all who want to respond?  Or have the rules changed?  The title was about wanting a place to relax and breathe, and if what I said was offensive to any-one here,  you may want to look at it again and ask yourself why were you offended.  That is truly how I feel and am entitled not only to feel that way but to speak it forth.

Well Deborah the Religion and Spirituality forum is a couple doors down. This wasnt a religious thread and you basically hijacked it. Since Im agnostic assuming that I or anyone who wouldnt share that opinion is wrong for being offended is like assuming we would all say oh yeah heavens the place where we will have a good life. You are welcome to post whatever you wish as long as it sticks to forum rules but being upset because no one agreed with you is not very realistic. No ones ever going to agree with everything you say.

Deborah wrote:  you may want to look at it again and ask yourself why were you offended.

Um, because the posts you make are hate-filled and messed up?  Just a guess.

You can post whatever you want, but when you attack people for who they are, you cross a line.

I'm offended because you show a complete lack of respect for all of us.

Deborah, I replied to you about this in the thread on the Christian forum titled "These people are so LOST" where you encouraged others to go into the "pagan" forums/threads and spread the word of God.  It's not appropriate and it is rude.  No one is going to the Christian forum trying to spread the word about evolution, stem cell research, gay and lesbian rights, etc.  That is why these forums were created....so that religious topics could stay in the religious forums, politics in the political forums, games in the games forum, etc.  If anybody needs advice regarding religion they will seek it out in the appropriate forums. 

Someone being thankful for having a space to relax has nothing to do with Christianity and being dead, so it is in no way relevant.  Hijacking and twisting threads to suit your purposes is not going to be well recieved. 

Why why why? 

Deborah, maybe your post is bothersome because, no matter where I go as an out and obviously lesbian woman, someone is preaching at me.  Someone is always trying to change my mind or tell me that I'm wrong or that their way is the only way.  Once in a very blue moon, I (and my friends and "family") find a small place where we are just accepted for who we are not who we have sex with.  I don't shove my beliefs down your throat and all I ask is the same courtesy in return.  It never seems to work out that way though.

Thankfully R&R have taken care of the problem.

That is good to know.  :)

Yes, I was very proud of them for not tolerating this kind of boloney.

A safe-haven once again.  Ahhhhh!

YAY!

I was in here a few months ago, then life got in the way (don't you HATE that?) and it's taken me this long to get back...

I like the idea of a safe space and was distressed to see some of the hatred we face in th real world here at PBS - and in our safe space, no less!

So glad to hear it's been handled by R&R -

LGBT blinkies: http://smileyone2002.tripod.com/id39.html

Well folks, posts like Deborah's are why I feel a need to apologize.  While I welcome the opportunity to discuss my belief's with folks, I will do so only at an invitation.  I feel comfortable enough here to say that I am a christian, but I wont use it as a tool to make someone uncomfortable. 

It is annoying when someone calls themselves a christian, takes a few select verses, out of context I might add, and tells other's their religious/spiritual path or lifestyle choice is wrong.  Any zealot can find a few verses, take them out of context, and bang any one of us over the head with it.  Taking the time to locate verses for the sole purpose of telling another they are wrong is shocking to me.  Where do you find that in the bible?  Where does God or Jesus say to search the bible, find verses that apply (per your interpretation) to other people's sins (per your interpretation) and then go tell them they'll be burning in hell?

Listen, David murdered tens of thousands of people, had many wives and had sex with even more women (and maybe men), and he went to church, stripped naked and danced!  Murder, adultry, and by today's standards, "crazy", yet he's the only man in the bible called after God's own heart.  We must stop applying verses meant for people thousands of years ago to us today.  Today, David wouldn't get in the front door of a church, he'd be in jail! 

My Lord is loving.  Loving enough to let you find your own truth.  Loving enough to let you make your own life choices.  (personally I don't find that being gay is a ticket to hell.  Heaven and hell are about choices, if you are a christian, and being GLBTQ is not a choice, it just is who you are, when will science and religion reconcile, but this isn't about my beliefs).  Gay rights is not a religious issue.  It's a fair and just issue.  We are humans, not gay or straight, when it comes to deciding who gets what right or benefit.  Please, please, my fellow christians, stop making gay rights about religion. 

Some of you may have already heard of this site: www.forthebibletellsmeso.org.  Basically it's a documentary about how Christian families learned to accept homosexuality and maintain their Christian beliefs.  One of the families profiled is a woman whose adult daughter came out to her.  With the support of her church, the mother shunned her daughter's lifestyle, eventually causing such a rift between them that they stopped speaking and the daughter comitted suicide.  After that, her parents took a really good hard look at themselves and learned more about homosexuality.  They are now the head of TEACH ministries, and go around the country talking to Christian groups about homosexuality.  In light of recent discussions, I thought this might be interesting.

Amanda,

Thank you for posting the site about "For the Bible Tells me So"  it looks like an outstanding film and I really want to see it.

Like Julie said, not all of us Christians are out to judge and condemn.  I truly believe that Jesus's message was to love and in my opinion it is very unfortunate that some people use the Bible to hate.

I'm refraining from judging and condemning because I think there's nothing to judge.