#my faith is heavily based in whimsy and wonder

[goodluckclove]

Hi I am feeling a little more normal now and I want to go on and add that if you use the Bible as a way to disparage queerness (I'm limited to speaking about the Bible in this case because it's the form of theology I've done the most research on) you absolutely applying a crazy limited interpretation to a very old text with zero context for translation, vague phrasing, or historical background.

I'm going to go essay mode so if you don't want to hear me talk about religion (Not negatively, but like - go into detail) maybe skip this one.

The Bible, like all religious texts I've looked into, is a very interesting work with some lovely allegories. It's also just insanely old to the point where most of what was once solid rules and doctrines have now been up for debate within the faith as to how they hold up in a modern age. Deuteronomy 22:5 has been interpreted as a direct admonishment towards cross-dressing, but there's also a strong argument for it to have been a way to distinguish Hebrews from other faiths of the time, an extension of previous commandments that directed followers to avoid things like mixing fabrics, or to reinforce gender segregation to uphold the norms of the era.

It's really neat to see how people following the faith have changed their diligence with the text since it was written, and that passage from Deuteronomy is a great example of that It's undeniable by now that a majority of Christ-following people no longer refuse to mix fabrics in their clothes - and for good reason! Before crucifixion and rebirth, Christ (A mixed figure in himself being both man and divine) fulfilled the Laws of Moses, and it looks like since then many preachers believe the new "Law" of God is love and "obedience to faith". Whether you take issue with the relationship of faith and obedience, there is absolutely a precedent for scripture being re-interpreted and revised, either over the course of history or even within the text itself.

The issue I take with people using The Bible as a way to condemn queerness, even under the veil of kindness, is partially that it provides a deeply limited view of what is actually an expansive and pretty beautiful text. In Psalm 139:13-14, for instance, why is it impossible to imagine that part of being "wonderfully made" involves the journey of discovering a meaningful gender identity - something that could allow an individual to follow God's Law through becoming a loving and passionate voice of faith?

Primarily, though, this argument upsets me because time and time again I see it presented in a way that makes any form of faith inaccessible to queer people. And having some sense of a higher power - either through organized religion, alternative spiritual practice, or just a personal ideology - can be incredibly comforting and helpful for a lot of people. But by eagerly dehumanizing someone by reinterpreting core aspects of their identity as sin or a political statement and saying it's a product of your "faith" is - to put it simply - a terrible sell on the concept of believing in anything.

It's also just wild to say it's a choice. Why would anyone choose to follow a "lifestyle" that causes people to treat them like that? That's silly. I purposefully chose they/them pronouns instead of a pronoun I'd prefer because I know the latter would mean a lot of people would feel entitled to have a conversation about it and I don't want to do that, man.

Anyways I'm not Christian but I did make a genuine effort to research and provide a pretty balanced perspective because I do find a lot of value in certain aspects of religion. One of my closest friends on here has a beautiful sense of faith in Christ and we talk about religion a lot - if you're reading this, I hope I described things with some degree of kindness and accuracy.

Uh yeah so maybe practice an actual sense of empathetic openness and curiosity to other people. That's true regardless of faith or lack thereof. It really does make it a lot easier to exchange ideas and learn from each other.

I was going to say something about how the claim of not "agreeing" with queerness is consistently baffling to me because it's on par with claiming you "don't agree with celiac's disease" but then I remembered that I have worked in food service and that person also already exists.