Nine Prayers Pending

Eight Maids-A-Gossipin
Seven Hours A-Lazin
Six Tease-and-Lay-Em
Five Golden Things
Four Tangled Hearts
Three Insomniac Men
Two Slaughtered Birds
And A Party in the Pantry

Religion.

Warring factions in the Middle East aside, it has always been a thorny issue.

Especially when it comes to us perverted sinners. In our late adolescence, quite a number of us go through this very issue - trying to reconcile our unswerving faith with our budding alternative sexualities. No easy matter wrestling with such weighty issues especially since the debauched folk of Sodom and Gomorrah ( must have been one helluva party BC! ) seem to crop up every so often.

A lucky handful emerge from the confrontation with renewed faith, often shinier and brighter than ever - but unfortunately the majority usually end up defeated with broken crucifixes - often literally! Some find themselves lost and adrift, torn from the one lifelong anchor they've always depended on, often breaking the hearts of those who care for them all in the name of religion.

No matter what our religious leaders might preach from their pulpit, I doubt that's what Jesus and Muhammad originally intended.


Searching for something to believe?
But let's not mince matters. There is no doubt that Judaeo-Christian doctrines do not approve of homosexuality in any form, although the approach they take might differ - whether they only shake their heads in abject disapproval ( silently consigning the degenerates to the ferocious flames of hell ) or whether they actually turn to the darker side and ruthlessly chain the unfortunate sinners to the burning stake.

So much for hate the sin but love the sinner.

So when a young friend of mine brought up this prickly problem just a few days ago, it did make me reminisce about my own struggles. He couldn't quite reconcile the fact that his strict religious principles practically condemnd half the sinful activities he's been busy indulging in. Couldn't offer much of an advice since I think religion is quite a personal thing ( despite what the officious, self-righteous clergy might think ).

Me, I dealt with such issues a long while ago. And it's fortunate enough for this profligate that I managed to make peace with myself and the Big Fella up there all on my own - without any interfering intermediaries. I didn't even have to turn to other pagan gods such as the Rabbit God.

So what conclusion did I finally come up with? Well yes, I am gay, but whether God actually frowns on fornicating homos and seedy bathhouses, I guess I'll only know for sure when I wave hello at the Pearly Gates at the end. Does anyone know for 100% sure what the Big Fella actually thinks? And anyone who thinks they know better can go fuck themselves. Seriously.

But that's me. What does your God say?