My husband is Catholic (not devout) and so are my children. At least that is how we raise them. They go to Catholic school and we attend a Catholic church every Sunday. I am an atheist.
To make a long story short we were watching a TV show (glee) where there was a lesbian couple and they kissed. They got called to the principal's office and lesbian talk ensued. Well as soon as my son heard the girls proclaim "we can't kiss because we are lesbians" (or something along those lines) and my son goes "EWWWWW, that's disgusting".
I had a discussion with him about how God wants us to love everyone and it isn't our job, or our right, to judge people or their choices. I also told him how that could hurt people's feelings and that God wouldn't want him to hurt people so he shouldn't say things like that.
My problem is; I don't know how well he received the information I gave him.
He is taught religion on a daily basis and I don't want to confuse him, but I also don't want him to take away (from religion) that homosexuality is disgusting, that we should judge them, or that being homosexual means you are going to hell. How can I get this point across without contradicting what he is taught on a daily basis? Should I just not worry about it right now?
I am so torn. I know they love God and they love their school, as do I, and I think Christianity teaches great moral values. However, equal treatment of homosexuals is a big issue for me.
I am Christian, I go to church, my kids go to church...but I teach my kids to love and/or accept everyone despite their choices and differences....I tell them they may be different than you in one way but you are different from others in another way, everyone's different. In my church though we had a lesbian couple for a while, we don't teach to hate the "sinner" just the sin (Please nobody jump on me for saying sinner, I'm relaying it how it's taught, thank you)
I am Christian, I go to church, my kids go to church...but I teach my kids to love and/or accept everyone despite their choices and differences....I tell them they may be different than you in one way but you are different from others in another way, everyone's different. In my church though we had a lesbian couple for a while, we don't teach to hate the "sinner" just the sin (Please nobody jump on me for saying sinner, I'm relaying it how it's taught, thank you)
That's kind of what I told him. I guess I am just torn because I want him to make his own choices regarding religion but I also don't want him to believe that homosexuality automatically means a one way ticket to hell. I mean, what if he is gay? Will he think that he is going to hell? What will this do to him and his psyche? I have many friends and family who are gay and I don't want him to believe that they are going to hell either.
I personally don't believe homosexuality is a choice, and it is really such a leap to say that people are born gay or straight whenever you think about the fact that some babies are born with their organs on the outside, or what about conjoined twins? It's obvious that if there is a God, that he has and does make mistakes.
Yeah I don't know because I have always said that if my son/daughter turn out to be gay I will love them and support them just as I would if they weren't....I feel like people in my life don't hate me for choices I make, so I myself try, and teach my kids, not to define people that way....I say their character and their inner self is what matters, and that's who they are....
I know what you are saying though and it's such a tough thing to figure out what is best in this area....
How old is your son? Are they teaching him that homosexuality is wrong? I'll be honest, I don't know what the bible says about homosexuality Does it call it a sin? (I'm really out of the loop with religion, I'm sorry for sounding like such a doofus by asking).
How old is your son? Are they teaching him that homosexuality is wrong? I'll be honest, I don't know what the bible says about homosexuality Does it call it a sin? (I'm really out of the loop with religion, I'm sorry for sounding like such a doofus by asking).
Haha I like that, doofus, it does, it talks about man lying with another man in the way he does with a woman being, in the bible's term, and abomination.
How old is your son? Are they teaching him that homosexuality is wrong? I'll be honest, I don't know what the bible says about homosexuality Does it call it a sin? (I'm really out of the loop with religion, I'm sorry for sounding like such a doofus by asking).
He will be 8 shortly. I do not know if they are teaching that outright, I doubt it, but I'm sure the topic comes up what with homosexuality being so prevalent in today's society. You can see it and hear about it on TV, in music, the news, books...etc. As a teacher at a Catholic elementary school I couldn't imagine going into details regarding this topic, so when it is brought up I would guess that they would say something along the lines of 'God teaches that homosexuality is wrong', and then change the subject.
The bible does state that a man shall not lay with another man as he would a woman (or something like that).
My parents are old school religious (Lutheran) and detest homosexuals. It makes me SO mad when they talk to my kids about them being dirty and what not. I've tried to teach tolerance, but between my parents and their peers, my boys seem to have picked up some prejudices along the way. Hopefully, since they're adults now, they'll start thinking more for themselves.
I did notice as they grew up that the boys and their friends were less tolerant than the girls, and my daughter is nowhere near as bad now as the boys. She has a couple of gay friends and doesn't seem to really think much more than if they weren't gay - they're basically just people to her.
Our journey started December 12, 2007. Our marriage started June 20, 2009 Separation taken by Hubs June 28- September 28, 2011 Reconciliation ever since
My parents are old school religious (Lutheran) and detest homosexuals. It makes me SO mad when they talk to my kids about them being dirty and what not. I've tried to teach tolerance, but between my parents and their peers, my boys seem to have picked up some prejudices along the way. Hopefully, since they're adults now, they'll start thinking more for themselves.
I did notice as they grew up that the boys and their friends were less tolerant than the girls, and my daughter is nowhere near as bad now as the boys. She has a couple of gay friends and doesn't seem to really think much more than if they weren't gay - they're basically just people to her.
Thankfully my mom worked in the city for a long time and was constantly doing business with gay men and she thinks they're fun haha which the ones I have known and been friends with in the past are a blast to hang out with. My dad had a little different take on it, but then again most straight males that I know are disgusted by it, but my dad is on board with how I want to teach my kids to love everyone despite sexual preference, color, things like that and he does not say anything in front of my kids about it.
Straight men who are disgusted by what other men do in their private lives are odd to me.
My husband is straight (yay me!) and his best friend was gay. Was because he committed suicide 2 years ago this month ...for being treated badly for being gay.
Such a shame. People care SO MUCH about what other people do/don't do in their private lives. People hate SO MUCH and condemn other people...wtf. Religion is stupid. Yea, I said it. It's stupid because people use it as a wall to hide behind while they spew hatred.
There are gay people in this world. Get over it and live your own life.
Our journey started December 12, 2007. Our marriage started June 20, 2009 Separation taken by Hubs June 28- September 28, 2011 Reconciliation ever since
Yeah but my H is grossed out and all that good stuff by gay people and he doesn't believe in God, so religion isn't the only thing that spews hatred....A lot of guys that I know that are disgusted with it don't believe in God actually.....
**Edit to Add** And I'm not saying my husband hates gay people or anything like that, he so doesn't, just grossed out by 2 men doing the deed...Likes when 2 women do though LOL
My husband is Catholic (not devout) and so are my children. At least that is how we raise them. They go to Catholic school and we attend a Catholic church every Sunday. I am an atheist.
How can I get this point across without contradicting what he is taught on a daily basis? Should I just not worry about it right now?
I am so torn. I know they love God and they love their school, as do I, and I think Christianity teaches great moral values. However, equal treatment of homosexuals is a big issue for me.
Are you a closet Atheist? If not, I don't understand your concern.
If you are openly an atheist, how do you deal with the more immediate problem of their understanding that you are destined to burn in hell forever? You might as well be gay since in their eyes since you are going to the same place.
If you are hiding your atheism then you are effectively living a lie anyways. I suppose you can simply say that you don't believe that particular teaching of the Church and that should not be hard for your children to understand since there are large sections of Catholic theology that most Catholics don't believe.
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Homosexuality vs. Religion 
