One of my favourite quotes was made by the late Erma Bombeck, “Guilt is the gift that keeps on giving.” With a Catholic mom and a Baptist father and as a young adult becoming a Salvationist, I know guilt – and yes, it is the gift that keeps on giving.
In my early 30s when it became clear to me that I could not adhere to the heterosexual imperative our society demands, I stepped away from the church. Why hang around someplace where you know that they would run you out just for being who you are?
In the ensuing years, I have had to find my own sense of spirituality but have often thought of all the young people, still within their churches, questioning their sexuality. I’ve read that suicide rates for young people who question their sexuality are much higher than the average and I often wonder if this is not because of the guilt and shame which is inflicted by fundamental and mainstream religions.
This past week while perusing the titles at the video store I came across this title: For The Bible Tells Me So. If you are a young person reading this who is struggling with your sexuality or a parent whose child has just revealed her/his sexuality, or anyone who has struggled with reconciling your faith with your sexuality, run to your video store and rent this film.