Spring Benevolence

Photography by Melanie Goacher

Today, in the Northern Hemisphere, is the first day of Spring. Celebrated in festivals across the globe the season of rebirth and renewal conjures up images of newborn, skipping lambs and fields blossoming with colourful flora that were deprived the Sun in the Winter months.

However despite the images of  rejuvenation that that pervade the season they appear bleak against the current suffering of Humanity. As fellow humans it is only right that we help alleviate such suffering, after all:

“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal” - Albert Pike

It's comforting to see that such a sentiment still rings true even in the face of economic adversity: Comic Relief, a UK charity event organised every two years that aids development projects in the UK and across Africa, accomplished an on-the-night total of £74,360,207, breaking all previous records. However it's important to realise that your benevolence dosen't need to be limited to one night and donations can be made continually. So if you haven't donated yet or want to donate in the future I urge you to aim your charity here: https://donate.comicrelief.com/donation/.

I'm sure you are also aware of the crises facing the citizens of Japan from the March 11th earthquake,so to help its recovery donations can be made here: http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html, or alternatively here if you're in the UK: http://www.redcross.org.uk/Donate-Now/Make-a-single-donation/Japan-Tsunami-Appeal. 

In this season of rejuvenation it's important that we keep in mind the less fortunate and get in the spirit of the season, and help life flourish. So before you settle down to watch the new series of The Only Way Is Essex please help. I leave you with this quote the next time you're unsure on what to spend your money on: 

“Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want.” - Anna Lappe.

On Transgender

When I was younger, and more naive, I saw little difference between an individual who dressed as a woman, and someone who was a woman but in a man’s body. I remember my first trip to a gay club for a uni’ mate’s birthday and seeing a drag queen; at the time I was unsettled, however now I don’t bat an eye. Of course a drag queen is someone who dresses up for occasion and is completely different from someone who is transgender. Between then and now I have gone on my own journey of discovery, and struggled with the realisation of my own identity.

However as much as I struggled with my own personal acceptance I can’t imagine what it is to feel like to be born as the wrong sex.

Recently I was forwarded this video:

                                                             

The Bible and Homosexuality: Genesis 19: 4-14

The place homosexuality has in Christianity has been a controversial topic for generations, a debate amplified by the many different Christian denominations and various interpretations of the Bible. I come from an evangelical background; a movement which believes in the literal interpretation of scripture and relates closely to, although not exactly the same as, fundamentalism. I believe this take on such an old and influential book is ignorant to the significant finer details; disregarding the importance of historical context, author’s bias etc. Such a literal focus on the words of ancient men undoubtedly has had, and will continue to have, a considerable impact on the unanimity of modern humanity.

These posts attempt to summarise my research into a 'bite-size' pieces and show how important it is to look beyond words written over a millennia ago. Previously I looked at one of the most popular passages used to illustrate Biblical damnation of homosexuality; this post will look at one of the most popular passages exemplified as why homosexuality is detested by God and thus should be considered a sin.

The passage dwells on the punishment of the ancient Canaanite cities of Sodom and Gomorrah from verses 1-19, however due to the size of the passage the quote below focuses on verses that suggest homosexuality is condemned by God. In the previous verses (1-3) God sent two angels to Sodom who met Lot at the city gates, Lot then pressed them to stay at his house. All quotes below are from the English Standard Version.

Future Fear, Future Plans

Photography by Nick Clark.

‘Nervous’ is undoubtedly how I, and many others, felt today. I didn't sleep well. My heart beat furiously. The only thing that calmed me down was the copious amount of drinks I had beforehand. Today was when my entire year got feedback on their dissertation; a year’s worth of research amounting to 25% of the final grade something that obviously holds some significant sway on the quality of my degree.

Of course I could still build upon the foundations set by a bad mark, but it would hinder my progress greatly. A better dissertation would mean a better degree, a better degree would help me to prove myself more qualified for a job and escape the country.

Seeing as ‘escaping the country’ is the name of my blog I probably owe some explanation. 

The Bible and Homosexuality: Leviticus 18:22 & 20:18

For the majority of my life I've believed that if you were gay you were condemned to hell. This toxic thought was nurtured in my mind by the evangelical church I attended in my small hometown. They weren't bad people but I believe their literal take and belief of an inerrant scripture lent them a restricted perspective on life. Due to the small size of my town I was never exposed to the bigger, multicultural world that lay outside and, being a churchgoer since I can remember, I let myself be spoon-fed these ideas. Sure, I read the Bible but I never properly studied it.

When I was older I started to properly read the bible by reading a wider range of interpretations, placing each passage in its historical context and weighing the author’s bias. It started as an honest attempt to be better follower but it ended up completely revolutionising my view of Christianity. What scares me the most is that it took so long to have this epiphany.

The Christian/Gay debate has been raging for years, and by no means have I finished developing my understanding. Here I attempt to address the issue passage by passage, summarising my understanding in a bitesize post. Of course these debates are not limited to Christianity, but the majority of my research has been focused on the Bible. All quotes below are from the English Standard Version.

This post will look at one of the passages most used against homosexuality: