Date: February 12, 2011

Hello, Dean,

     Thanks for writing me now. I'm curious about the description you provide for your website: "Beyond the Shades of Gray is not an 'anti-gay' web site, but a help-ministry that is available to those who personally desire accurate information about their own unwanted homosexual behaviors. The views expressed there (unlike those of the gay rights activists) are not being forced upon anybody." It seems, actually, quite the reverse. The view that marriage is between one man and one woman IS being forced upon many gays today.

     Your response is to say that they're trying to force something on you. Like a slave "forcing liberation" onto their master. It is a figurative use of the word "force," when in reality, it means physical force, as in the prisons, the police, the army, etc.. Either way, whether or not you're "forcing your views" onto people does not mean that your website is or is not "anti-gay." I gave that description, because that is the attitude that predominates throughout all of your written material.

     Consider a website that helps people change their own "unwanted" eating habits. Wouldn't you call that "an anti-bad diet website"? Naturally, it seems logical. Now, you're trying to help people change their own "unwanted" behaviors, but Homosexuality is not a disease or a health risk any more than Heterosexuality. And, being a personal preference, it may be part of someone's culture.

     Now consider that you had a website advocating the same thing, except about helping people "abandon their own unwanted, ethnic-minority culture." You're not "forcing" anything upon anyone, but you're still producing written material that encourages Xenophobia of culture. Why should anyone be encouraged in abandoning a culture or preference just because their society thinks they should? If you believed in tolerance, wouldn't you be doing the opposite, and telling people that they're fine how they are, and that they should learn to love and cherish all of their own inherent characteristics?

     Again, if being gay were unhealthy, you might make an argument. But it's definitely not, so long as the same health considerations are taken as with "straight" sex (protection, disease, etc.). Even the culture of native Africans was considered "unhealthy" because they didn't live in polluted cities and barren wastelands. Do you really think those European slavers had the interests of Africans deep in their heart when throwing chains around their hands and ankles? No, probably not. And, I doubt that any such compassion towards gays would be detected in your message, either.

>>"My friend, while rape may be something that those men did, which is recorded within the biblical passage, rape is certainy not something that God condoned, commanded them to do, or advocated once they had committed the attrocity. Read the whole chapter."

     I cited the whole chapter, not a single verse of it. Moses commanded the rape and murder, after he was told by God to conquer the territory of the non-believers. It seems quite clear, more than anything, that god commanded rape. Psalm 139:7 "God has perfect knowledge of us, and all our thoughts and actions are open before him." God knew, by the commands that he gave to Moses, what Moses was going to do. If God had a problem with it, he probably would have said, "Oh, and by the way, if you find teeming masses of children, don't turn them into rape slaves."

>>"And I'm not sure exactly what your 'fight' is all about, or from where such apparent internal anger comes from within you, but there's a better and much more peaceful (internally and personally peaceful) way for you to live your life, my brother."

     Would you say that the upper classes in the United States are largely Christian or not? And would you say, also, that many of them have investments in Asia, Africa, and South America? And would you also say that many of these factories employ children, that many of them are beaten, and that many are even subject to sexual abuse as a disciplinary measure? Then, you understand, I'm not quoting Moses so much about what was happening a while ago, as a reminder that this is what is happening today, with the blessings of all churches. But why not fight a Capitalist system that eats children like this? Apparently, child-rape doesn't count as "christianity's and capitalism's own, personally-unwanted behavior." Nor do you oppose the slavery that church's draw their tithes upon, because this might violate Ephesians 6:5: "slaves, obey your earthly masters, as you would obey the will of christ."

>>"You should consider giving God a try rather than being so angry at the concept and false perceptions you have of him, because this one is the only life any of us gets to experience. He gave life to us as a gift and he loves us all."

     Imagine kidnapping a human being, tying them to a chair, and then torturing them with a scalpel because they refuse to love you. That would be Jesus Christ right there, even though you don't get quite that image of him. Yet, what else is salvation and hell, except a game about how Jesus is going to torture you forever since you never returned his love? As a human being, you would hear such a description and say, "What a madman!" But as a god, you fall to your knees and say, "Oh what a gift of love!"

     My friend, there are children being raped, killed, ground to dust, men and women exploited, abused, and beaten, and all of this has the blessings of the Christian movement. Meanwhile, you're so busy with "helping people" not being gay, because that's "charity." Perhaps you understand now. Those of us who love justice cannot afford to be calm.