A Gay Humanist Manifesto - Alan Keslian (inspiring books for teens .TXT) 📗

for lesbians and gay men. The environmental consequences of the burgeoning world population may make a different view of how we humans might live in harmony with our planet essential. Where lesbians and gays are free from persecution and oppression, where we have the opportunity to play our part, and to be ourselves, our self-confidence and happiness will grow, and we will be better able to contribute to the future of our species. To be lesbian or gay is, in itself, neither good nor evil. Our actions as individuals are what determine that. We must expect to experience our share of sadness and disappointment. In some places, in some situations, we may find ourselves being treated as a despised minority, but we gay humanists know what is in our hearts and our minds.
After death, the world will carry on without us. It lasted for a long time before we were born. The thought of that earlier period does not distress us; why should the thought of the world continuing without us in the future? Others will be born, some of them very much like us, and we hope they will be happy, after we have ceased to exist. Lesbians and gay men yet to be born will search for happiness and fulfilment as we did. Humanists should be brave, be careful, and be good. We should seek our own happiness and fulfilment, and where we can help others to find theirs. Perhaps we can even hope to leave behind some history, or understanding, or something of worth that will benefit those who come after us.
Appendix

The quotes below, from the King James version of the Bible, and the Koran (one of the less threateningly worded English translations), are a small selection of the many passages urging believers in these religions to cruelty, to accept slavery, making threats of dire consequences for stepping out of line, or imposing bizarre or oppressive beliefs or rules. They are intended as ammunition to refute the condemnation of lesbian and gay love by those who interpret the texts literally. They should not be used to offend people who mean us no harm.

Bible:

Leviticus 1 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

19 Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee. And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.

25 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.
Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.

Psalms 2 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Proverbs 13 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
22 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
23 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
29 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

Jonah 1.15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
2.1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

2 Kings 2 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake. And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. And he went from thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

Matthew 10 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

1.Timothy 2 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

Koran:

2.178 O ye who believe! the law of equality is prescribed to you in cases of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, the woman for the woman. But if any remission is made by the brother of the slain, then grant any reasonable demand, and compensate him with handsome gratitude, this is a concession and a Mercy from your Lord. After this whoever exceeds the limits shall be in grave penalty.

2.221 Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters), until they believe: A slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, even though she allures you. Nor marry (your girls) to unbelievers until they believe: A man slave who believes is better than an unbeliever, even though he allures you. Unbelievers do (but) beckon you to the Fire. But God beckons by His Grace to the Garden (of bliss) and forgiveness, and makes His Signs clear to mankind: That they may celebrate His praise.

3.63 As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony in this world and in the Hereafter, nor will they have anyone to help.
64 Verily God has cursed the Unbelievers and prepared for them a Blazing Fire,
65 To dwell therein for ever: no protector will they find, nor helper.

4.34 Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because God has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what God would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly);
4.35 but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For God is Most High, great (above you all).

4.56 Those who reject our Signs, We shall soon cast into the Fire: as often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the penalty: for God is Exalted in Power, Wise.

4.92 Never should a believer kill a believer; but (If it so happens) by mistake, (Compensation is due): If one (so) kills a believer, it is ordained that he should free a believing slave, and pay compensation to the deceased's family, unless they remit it freely. If the deceased belonged to a people at war with you, and he was a believer, the freeing of a believing slave (Is enough).

5.33 The punishment of those who wage war against God and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter;

9.5 But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

23.12 Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay);
13 Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed;
14 Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be God, the best to create!
15 After that, at length ye will die.

47.15 A parable of the garden which those guarding (against evil) are promised: Therein are rivers of water that does not alter, and rivers of milk the taste whereof does not change, and rivers of drink delicious to those who drink, and rivers of honey clarified and for them therein are all fruits and protection from their Lord. (Are these) like those who abide in the fire and who are made to drink boiling water so it rends their bowels asunder.