Note to readers: Don’t be afraid to comment on this story. I know that for at least some of you, you want to appear as “neutral” — believing that it will keep you above criticism and being labeled. So go ahead and comment, even if you do not agree with me.
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From Charlene E. Cothran:
“Over the past 29 years of my life I have been an aggressive, creative and strategic supporter of gay and lesbian issues. I’ve organized and participated in countless marches and various lobbying efforts in the fight for equal treatment of gay men and lesbians. I have kept current on the issues and made financial contributions to those organizations doing work about which I was most passionate.As the publisher of a 13 year old periodical which targets Black gays and lesbians, I have had the opportunity to publicly address thousands, influencing closeted people to ‘come out’ and stand up for them selves, which is particularly difficult in the African-American community.
But now, I must come out of the closet again. I have recently experienced the power of change that came over me once I completely surrendered to the teachings of Jesus Christ. As a believer of the word of God, I fully accept and have always known that same-sex relationships are not what God intended for us.
I don’t expect that this message will be widely received, quite the contrary. But, I do know that there is someone, possibly reading this very article, who is tired and unhappy living this way. Someone, in your heart of hearts, is searching for a way out, but you just can’t seem to break free on your own. I am speaking to my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters who want real peace; the kind you’ve heard about, sung about, read about. It is simpler than you think to acquire it and there is no condemnation once you’ve entered it.” (more…)
As expected, some of the same members of the group that pleads to the world to accept them at face value is having a hard time accepting Cothran’s claim here. As I have mentioned on this site in the past, I have met and known of quite a few individuals who have abandoned their claim that they were “born that way”, yet about 90% of the time in forums where I have mentioned this their testimonies are marked as false without giving it a fair hearing. Here you have a woman who has not only been a homosexual for 29 years, but also…
“…organized and participated in countless marches and various lobbying efforts in the fight for equal treatment of gay men and lesbians. I have kept current on the issues and made financial contributions to those organizations doing work about which I was most passionate. (more)
So far, the comments that I have been reading online has ranged from the claim that she was never really gay to the possibility that she has “converted” for the money. Here is what Cothran had to say on that:
“As for support from black churches, we have been and continue to be avoided by them financially. Any support given usually comes in the form of an ad, here and there, but these ads are few and far between. We have sought support from professional black clergy associations in New Jersey, but have not gotten a single official or unofficial, public or private endorsement to date.†(source)
If you continue to read the article directly above, you will see that dispite mentioning this piece of information, the author STILL maintains that she is doing it for the money without providing any evidence to back her claims.
If this is your first time hearing of this story, don’t be surprised. This is a huge contrast to the shock waves that were sent throughout mainstream media when Rev. Willie Wilson voiced his criticisms about the homosexual lifestyle.
If you want to know MY POV on this issue, check out the following postings I have written over the last couple of years.
Would you do business with homosexuals?
Asking for what you don’t want
Homosexuality and the black church
Sphere: Related Content
33 Comments
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What a bombshell on Gays and their legion of Apologists. This puts yet another kink in their armor of rationlization that Gay life is a genetic trait.
I’m proud of her for the having the courage to stand by her convictions and choose morality over disgrace. It shows that God can help us all change our behavior if we really desire it.
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Amen. May God bless you on your journey.
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Amen, how wonderful!! I have traveled that exact road my friend.. it’s hard but He is with us, God Bless You Always!
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Actually, I have given up the heterosexual lifestyle in favour of gardening. As a ropey old guy sliding towards the grave, I simply don’t have the offers, or for that matter the inclination, anymore. Where’s the surprise?
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Get a hobby John…get a hobby. And while you at it read the book of John in the Bible, if you’re “sliding towards the grave” you don’t want to go without knowing where you’re going to spend eternity.
Oh! and nothing suprises me anymore…
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Best Wishes to Charlene, who is no longer politically correct. May God Bless you! There is more to life than sexuality although sex is a wonderful gift from God. Read Theology of the Body.
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I followed the link and read Charlene’s entire article, which urges us to follow ALL of the Old Testament without question. To save my soul, I have decided to stop eating pork and hope that you will too (Leviticus 11:7 and 11:11).
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No judgements here. Everyone has the right to think and feel as they want- I might suggest you may want to read the New book my the black Bishop Carlton Pearson called the Gospel of Inclusion. It has very good insights.
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Rev,
Please take a stand for something. Because right now that Rev. in front of your name does nothing for the gospel you claim to represent.
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Dblack said: “What a bombshell on Gays and their legion of Apologists. This puts yet another kink in their armor of rationlization that Gay life is a genetic trait.”
The scientific evidence continues to grow supporting the FACT that many homosexuals are so inclined by genetics.
Denial changes nothing.
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Dear Charlene,
You’re an idiot and an opportunist. Maybe if you weren’t solicitng donations your column or stance could have some ounce of validity. But, as your focus is obviously Greed (why Sodom was destroyed) you come across looking like nothing but a closed minded uneducated (meaning not having advanced degrees in anything) fool. Anyone on here agreeing with her statements should first take a good long look at their educational path and amount that they have traveled. “Be careful what you learn because it is then what you know”. Also keep in mind that if one group is marginalized we are all marginalized.
I hope you are able to have the resources to be educated and travel in order to see the errors or your ways. I also hope that St. Peter allows you through the gates even though you spend your days chastising a group of Gods people. Your stance is hate and greed, not love.
All the best to you and yours
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WOW, how sad, Lets see what happens when he marries a women and has children, then realizes HE IS STILL GAY! You can deny it all you want, but if you are GAY, you are going to be GAY for the rest of your life, and nobody, not even you, can change that.
…And you religious people are ignorant and stupid.
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The unfortunate thing about this debate is that being gay is seen as so black and white. People should be allowed to change their preference throughout their lives without censure, because “sexual preference” can be so complex to begin with. One can like one man but not another, one woman but not another, and no one has quite figured out what exactly guides our preferences. I’ve heard stories about straight men who have suddenly desired a man as they aged, and similar stories about gay people who have wanted to know what it’s like to be with someone of a different sex. When your desires can be maddeningly personal and impossible to predict even when you want something “normal”, it can make more sense to see sexuality and partner prefrences as fluid, rather than two camps someone is either in or out of.
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That sounds a lot like “If it feels good, do it.”
Have we not learned anything from history when such an ideology was embraced?
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Yes, Virginia, there is also an Easter bunny, a tooth fairy and Christ-like Christian. Your fearful diatribe (for that matter, the whole religion gig — See: “Religilous”) serves as classic example of literary fundamentalism. Or gullibility, some might say. What about mythology don’t you get? What about life on life’s terms frightens you? And further, what possible significance or relevance could the sexual orientation of others have for you? Don’t be afraid to use your common sense, and please, stay out of other folks’ bedrooms. Tacky, tacky.
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Charlene:
It, warms my heart to know that one more person has come to know our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ. You’ve, found the only available key to eternal life & peace beyond human understanding.
To all, those people here, that have chosen to heap verbal abuse upon Charlene for speaking about her experiences. From, all I’ve have seen. She’s, done it out of love and not hate. A, true Christian will love the sinner but hate the sin. So, is it right? If, Charlene offers something to you out of love. To return that love with hateful words? Of course not. It’s wrong, even from a non-religious perspective. This is still a free country where you have the choice to read her articles or not. And, in the same respect Charlene has exercised her right to free speech & choice to live her life the way that she wants to, within accepted norms. If, you choose to comment. Say, what you want. But, keep it respectful! She did.
I, wish you all the best in the future Charlene. May, God bless you!
Bob
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Are you all whacked out of your minds? This is the craziest thing I think I’ve ever seen on the internet? The letter? Or whatever that is and switching from being gay because of god? I got news. God is a faggot. Historically men used each other for sexual gratification and women for breeding. If you are denying yourself that’s basically the only thing you are. A lousy breeder.
Well your kids suck and will end up gay. How bout that.
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I speak with Jesus every day, and I’m pretty sure he knows that I’m gay. In fact, he knew it long before I did. I struggled to be heterosexual because that was what was “accepted.” But I couldn’t cut the mustard even with women I thought I was in love with. I DID love some of them (and still do). But my body just won’t respond sexually.
I reject much of “the gay life” that is publicized. It’s garish and offensive. But there are many of us who live quietly and love fully. My partner and I have been together now for 22 years.
I’ve accepted Jesus as my savior. So has my partner. And to those who say that can’t be true if you don’t obey the writings of the bible, let me tell you MY take on this. The bible you refer to as your “be all and end all” was written by men CLAIMING they were writing the word of God. They were sort of like Congress passing a huge stimulus package, without letting anyone read it before maaking it law. I’m sure they felt in their hearts that they were writing “the word of God” and, of course, it was from a heterosexual’s perspective.
A good and merciful God will look no less kindly on me because of my acknowledging the way He made me. But those of YOU who would judge me will, in turn, be judged. To those of you who can live your lives accepting me for who I am, I’ll see you in Heaven. For those of you (both gay and straight) who can’t accept another person for the content of their character rather than the color of their skin or sexual orientation, I’m sorry and sad to be the hearer of bad news, but I think you will be judged more harshly than me.
God bless ALL of you WITHOUT EXCEPTION. Those of you who cannot do the same miss the message of Jesus completely and have no right to be preaching values to others. Yet I will pray even harder for your fotgiveness.
Garrison
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I speak with Jesus every day, and I’m pretty sure he knows that I’m gay.
Does he speak back? And if so, what does he say?
The Bible is a good start on what he has already said.
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Why can’t people stop taking the bible so literally?
The point of it and all the other religious writings and beliefs all around the world are to help us lead better lives, to be better people. For every age and culture.
We are all created the way we are for a reason. It is above us all to comprehend why. All we know is that the main goal of all religions is love and happiness. The sooner we understand that and stop looking at the finer points the better off we’ll be.
It doesn’t matter if you eat pork, wear a condom, drive on Sunday, have a gay relationship. None of these imposed rules matter!
Be a good person and love with all you heart regardless of what ‘type’ of person you meet and you will find yourself going to whatever heaven it is you believe in.
As simple as that.
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Garrison is the only heartening one here. The only thing I am sure about is that God is. People who claim to know the will of God for your life are blasphemous and anthropomorphic. They may be well meaning, but those who say that God can’t love, forgive, accept Gay people unless they change first don’t have much faith in God’s omnipotence.
The example Christ sets is one of unconditional love and compassion. God’s laws are against behaviors that harm other people; His laws are not pedantic customs and cultures because Jesus offers a new covenant that makes faith its only condition. You do not have to have a watered-down faith to be both a Christian and gay, and it’s because I don’t believe any commandment or example says that being gay is a sin, and I’ve scoured and searched for that distinction. Being gay does not hurt people. The condemnation of gay people hurts people, especially because it attempts to keep them away from God.
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Control,you think you can control what is natural? Good luck, don’t get caught in public bathrooms or the retreats of the rich and famous who love little boys. Those that hide are the ones that are crimminals.
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To all of you out there who think that same-sex relationships are contrary to God’s plan: please review the Books of 1st Samuel (David and Johnathan), Ruth (Ruth and Naomi), and the Gospels especially the Gospel According to John (Jesus and Lazarus) (Jesus and John the Beloved Disciple). If you all still believe that same-sex relationships are contrary to His Plan, then may I suggest you convert to Islam.
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Ed-M,
None of the passages of scriptures you mention say nothing about a sexual relationship.
None of them.
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Great response Emily!!! I believe that Jesus was and is about love. All other interpretations are our own agenda. So many times we box God…that which we believe to be the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega. . . I believe if God created it, than who am I to judge. I believe that God sees and knows us inside and out. He understands the spirit of people in ways that we seldom understand, because we are too bent the labels. From all I’ve read in the Bible, Jesus was about love – the hatred and hurt we create by judging people who cause no harm to others should not be based on scripture.
Peace, Light and Love. . . CordieB.
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Duane,
Leave it to you to boil everything about love and romance down to sex. You really need to educate yourself by talking to some gay men. Who happen to be black (or the same race as you).
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I think it’s sad that everyone jumps on the “gay” bus when someone comes out of the closet. They stand up and applaud someone for that choice.
But if someone decided that they don’t want to be in that lifestyle anymore, and chooses to walk a different walk, they are called names, judged and scrutinized.
There is such a twisted standard to your “tolerance” and “openness”.
It isn’t tolerant or open by any means. There is an agenda, and if it has anything to do with anything that contains the words of “ex gay”, Jesus, Bible, or Christianity, it is completely not tolerated.
Make up your minds people! Are you accepting and tolerant or judgmental and intolerant? If you are, than be accepting and tolerant to ALL! Whether a person decides to stay gay or not, what does it matter? What a person decides to believe, and their relationship with God is none of YOUR business!
Your stance of being pro-gay, and anti-Christ shouts intolerant and close minded to me! It is just the opposite!
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Wouldn’t it be nice if God existed?
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Wow! Take a step back everyone. Charlene can choose to be or believe in whatever she wants and she can change what that is as many times as she wants. What is not ‘Christian’ is that as part of her change, epiphany or whatever it is, she is condemning another group. i.e. “I fully accept and have always known that same-sex relationships are not what God intended for us”. Where is the tolerant and openness in that statement? It seems the current definition of Christianity is: “I will embrace you and be open and tolerant of you ONLY if you believe and support EXACTLY what I believe in and are willing to denounce all others.” Hypocrites all?
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I’ve been in alternative subcultures for most of the past 10 years. I have been around LGBT people, and I have read some of their literature, including magazines and websites. And frankly I don’t think THEY know what they believe about themselves. They don’t come out and say so where homophobes might read it, but they don’t actually believe sexual orientation is as hardwired and “natural” as they want you to think it is.
Trust me on this. I have seen it. I’ve even read articles in feminist magazines on whether a lesbian who decides she likes men after all is really still a lesbian. At least in one case the author decided these women *are* still lesbians, because it’s more about the attitude and the political stance than the attraction. Say again???
I’ve also met “bisexual” women who claim to be attracted to both sexes but in practice, get hooked up with men and spend all their spare time mooning after women–known lesbians, mind you–who they will never actually get up the courage to ask out on a date. It got me wondering whether they really liked women or just said they did because it turned their men on.
Even transgendered are not off the hook. I’ve heard of women who became “men” because they couldn’t stand other women (look up Ariel Gore on this one, she’s written about it), and that “man” who gave birth a while back (2008?) seems to have “changed gender” so that “he” could marry “his” girlfriend. I’m not 100 percent sure on that one, I only saw it mentioned on one or two websites, but I wouldn’t put it past that group. They will tell you with a straight face that hormones and body parts don’t make the gender BUT they’re damn sure going to change their gender anyway, with hormones for sure and with surgery if they can ever afford it. I don’t get it, I gave up asking because even asking them about this stuff gets you labeled intolerant. It takes less effort to be labeled intolerant for just not giving a damn.
Now I think that in a nation of 300 million from such diverse backgrounds and cultures, our government needs to be secular because that is the neutral position. As such I think there should be a way for gay people who are bound and determined they’re gonna be gay, to form legal partnerships and the like. (I do not believe gay people should be allowed to adopt, though I wouldn’t split up families already formed that way, because I think the way adoption in this country is done is a violation of human rights, so I don’t care what orientation you are, you’ve got no business doing it.) But that doesn’t mean I think it’s wrong for private citizens to have opinions about LGBT people even if those opinions aren’t popular.
And you know something, I’m not a Christian but I’m getting kind of nauseated by all these “inclusive” types who think a religion doesn’t have to stand for anything or mean anything and that if you have rules that say “do this” and “don’t do that,” it makes you evil and intolerant. Every traditional human culture since time began has had rules about what is OK and not OK. Now we are supposed to force people to associate who would not do so naturally, and to throw out any rules that might make anyone upset even if there are very good reasons for having them. It’s ridiculous.
Even if God never forbade homosexual behavior and never wanted to kill gay people (and good luck with that–I can flip through the Old Testament and find several examples where He in fact did both), one problem with the LGBT community is that they make it very difficult to know where you stand if you want to seek a relationship with someone that goes beyond superficial discussion of the weather. I will readily concede feminism does the same thing, although I consider myself a feminist and always will. Somehow the baby got thrown out with the bathwater and I’m not sure how to get it back.
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As someone who has known Charlene personally, I don’t condemn her for wherever she is on her journey to wholeness. Her path is not mine to define. I don’t agree with her – but I understand where she is because I know bits of her history. I wish her well on her journey even though I disagree whole heartedly with what she is doing, but as I said, her path is not mine to define. I wonder if all of you will be giving her the same level of support in ten years if she announces again that she is and has always been perfect exactly as God made her, a woman that loves women.
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Are you supporting her now? Because all you have said here is that you disagree, but understand.
That’s not support. That’s simply agreeing to disagree.
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I hope and pray that you will live and walk in the light of Christ! I used to think Christianity was nothing more than a belief system or good works or attending some ‘church’ service once a week; but the Lord got a hold of me and saved me. He showed me my sin and began to reveal to me His Holiness and His word. Praise be only to the Lord Jesus Christ for in Him is rest, life, peace and unexplainable joy! I pray many will find the true, deep down joy, only found in Christ, as I have!
God bless,
Jeremy Strang
http://www.time2stand.net
http://www.urgencytorise.com