howeird | Ellen Grandstanding (Reply)

Way too many instances of Eleen's video deploring the recent spate of gay teen murders and suicides have been showing up on my friends FB pages.

It is horrible when a teen loses his or her life for any reason. And much worse when the teen is murdered by peers who hate gays enough to kill. And tragic when someone thinks that being outed is something to thrown himself off a bridge for - though I doubt it was more than just the final straw - suicides are rarely over a single issue. Still tragic, though.

But Ellen's video does nothing to help. As an openly gay individual, she will be ignored and maybe even reviled by the people who most need to be reached - the haters.

It is a sad fact that the Bible is crystal clear that homosexuality is a capital crime, and this is taught in all three of the most-practiced religions in America. If you think Jesus was in favor of it, read the book of Matthew, and think again. Jesus says that marriage is between a man and a woman, and it's eternal.
Matthew 19

1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan.
2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"
4 "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,'
5 and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'?
6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
7 "Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
8 Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.
9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
10 The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."
11 Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.
12 For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage[c]because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."

I don't have an answer to the problem of gay bashing. Parents need to play a huge role, I expect teachers already do. But when the basic ideas come from church and synagogue and mosque, it may take a messiah. I don't think Ellen qualifies.

As for teen suicide, self esteem has to come from the inside. The best we can do is be supportive and teach peers to be supportive. Yeah, right, try to get kids to be nice to each other. That will probably take a messiah too.