Gay Pride and the God Delusion

Now you all know by now that I'm not a big fan of gay pride. I don't like walking through the streets of a city announcing that I'm gay while I wear something ridiculous. It's a day when we ask to be taken seriously and look like a really weird mob. And, it's a day when we ask people to treat us as equals and go out of way to look different.

I know not everyone agrees with me, but that's okay - we're all entitled to our opinions.

I would be more comfortable if we called it something like mardi gras, and we took to the streets inviting anyone who wanted to have fun (or wear a boa in public). Pride has a political connotation, and I'm not sure I like that. If we wanted to organise a real political protest then lets do that - let's demand seriously that we want something, seriously... like the 75 000 who recently marched in Washington as part of the National Equality March. That's good stuff... me running through the streets with hotpants telling people I'm gay... not so fruitful. Pride was important. Now we need to re-invent it.... C'mon South Africa... let's lead the way!

That all said, I did go to Zoo Lake afterwards and have a few drinks with the boys, and a few girls who looked like boys, and a few boys who looked like girls, and a few girls who used to be boys.... it was pretty festive. Over 15 000 gay people (and those that love them) in a park being festive. I loved that... and proof that our secret efforts to convert people to the evil ways of deviance are working. Next year we hope for 20 000, depends if we can get to first year university students before our enemies, the rugby teams, get to them first.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnyyywaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy...

On a totally different note... I told you all that I'm reading The God Delusion. I'm just over halfway and so far I am finding it totally stimulating. I have not made a decision about his theories, but I have to say that its a lot more rational than I anticipated.

I must admit that I am attracted to his ideas. A recent reader left a rather scathing response to one of my posts and it was one of the first times that I really got angry and wanted to respond with swearwords and insults. Because that's what I felt the reader's response deserved. He/she took a lot of what I said and changed the context and rebuttled with scripture to mere portions of scripture that I had used - not reading it in full context. The reader felt that he/she "could not allow" me to deceive myself any longer. And once again, I was told that Jesus was there for me freely, if only I would accept his grace.... and change.

Please, new readers, if you read my blog please go back to my initial story of how I did all you asked... I am not prepared to step back on the wheel.

And while the majority of Christians have been supportive - I've found that it is really those who are prepared to not see the Bible as fundamentalist book, written by the hand of God, and totally relevant to today. I have believed in the Bible most of my life, but like I do not believe that the communion afer"becomes" the body of Christ, I do not believe that the Bible is perfect and completely relevant to today. Examples like verses missing (Mark 15:28) because they were lost in translation show that there is room for error. The reality is that even amongst Christians we are divided in our views becasue we are divided in what we really believe in scripture. What is symbolic, what is real? What is based on the times (like being stoned to death for being rude to your parents) and what is not? All I know is that we don't all have it worked out. And those that do are probably desperately afraid of not being right so avoid the questions.

I could go on forever but I don't want to get into massive theological debate... that's not the point of my blog. It's about a regular guy trying to live his life as best he can. And I'm thinking that my entire worldview is in the process of being reshaped... maybe you want to add your thoughts to help me on my way...