Where to draw the line

If I'm to love my neighbour as myself, it is clear to me that there are several important points to consider.  First, I must learn to love myself unconditionally as it is not possible to love others until I've accomplished that level of love.  Then I can look outside of myself to express that love to others.  If I fail to love myself, then I'm only capable of expressing my current condition to others.  For me, prior to 2001, that was a whole lot of anger, contempt, hatred and a host of other ugly feelings.  Now, as I'm beginning to love myself unconditionally, no matter the state or condition of my vessel, I find myself more and more capable of loving others unconditionally.

It does not say to love our neighbour only if the individual meets specific specifications.  Love is love.  No 'if', 'and' or 'but' about it!

So what happens when we look towards people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, two-spirited, genderqueer, agender, cross-dressing, neutrois, asexual, pansexual, polyamorous, or even just kinky? There seems to be a lot of debate raging about the rights and privileges of people, discrimination, right to marry, receive benefits from the state, obtaining legal status or acknowledgements, etc.  There is multiple problems with these debates that I feel compelled to point out.  

Physical vs Spiritual

Most people make the argument that the human body has only two sexes, male and female.  What they fail to recognize is that we are not physical beings but rather spiritual beings in command of a physical vessel.  So while the physical vessel may have two options, Spirit is what is in command.  If we recognize this, then the implications become very complex all of a sudden.  I believe we are here to learn how to have healthy relationships.  If individuals want to explore those relationships despite the vessel that they command, then who is in a position to argue with that desire or intent?  As long as there is no violence, force or coercion then there is nothing that needs to be spoken about or confronted.  

Bishop John Shelby Spong said it best in his book 'Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism' when he wrote:

 The Word of God in Scripture confronts me with the revelation that  all human beings are created in God’s image and reflect God’s holiness.  All human beings means all human beings … all human beings.  Men and women, homosexual persons and heterosexual persons, all races,  nationalities, and persons of any ethnic background, all communists and  capitalists, rich and poor, old and young, religious and nonreligious,  Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and Hindus, atheists and agnostics  – all persons reflect the holiness of God, for all are made in God’s  image. How can I enslave, segregate, denigrate, oppress, violate, or victimize one who bears the image of the Holy One? How can one worship the source of being, the great “I AM”, except by having the  courage to be the self God created each of us to be? The Christian is the one called so deeply into life, into love, and into being that he or she can say with a Christlike integrity, I AM!   

Fictional vs Physical/Spiritual

The biggest challenge that I see is that people fight for membership within a society that is bias, discriminatory and purely fictional.  When African American people were freed from slavery, they fought for the right to vote.  So did women, indigenous and other groups of people.  Many groups of people fought for the right to get married, receive benefits like employment insurance, health care or pensions.  

In order for these groups to gain acceptance into this 'old mans club' they banned together to apply pressure to gain acceptance.  In doing so they became feudal serfs of the system too and solidified their slavery to the system.

Now that we are starting to comprehend these relationships, some people are starting to recognize just how dangerous, violent and coercive this 'society' really is and are opting out!  I am part of that group.  The state claims a monopoly on coercion and force.  That means that if somebody does not like what somebody else is doing, they petition the state to engage in that coercion and force to remedy the situation.  We don't lynch people in the streets any more.  Instead we get the state to do it. Democracy is mob rule and we all know how well mobs behave!  It is still violent!  

If we draw the line in the sand, between peace and violence, we are confronted with our own relationship and how to express that peacefully with others.  For me, I found comfort in that line as it is simple and clear.  If somebody wants to love another, despite the condition or status of their vessel, who am I to intervene or rebuke them.  However, if they engage in violence, then they will hear from me.  

Those who lack the physical, mental, emotional or spiritual maturity to consent

There is one thing that I must make really clear.  If the individual does not have the mental or emotional maturity to consent to a relationship, then they need our help.  Children, elderly and mentally disabled individuals are examples of this group.  Pedophilia is not a sexual orientation.  It is an excuse to engage in violence against those who are vulnerable and not in a position to consent.  So how do we know when these vulnerable people are ready to make their own decisions?

In the past, communities were involved in raising the children.  Ceremonies were created to help the community and the individual recognize when that threshold had been crossed.  We don't engage in these 'rights of passage' ceremonies any more and I think we should return to them.  Much like an individual getting a black belt in a martial art, that is a sign of an adult.  I've trained with 12 year old adults and 60 year old children.  

What about scripture?

Scripture may not condone homosexual acts, but it also does not condone hatred or violence either.  It is not our place to force our will upon other people.  Speak out for or against it if you must as we all have freedom of speech, but we should not be engage in hatred, violence, coercion, murder or any other act that violates what love is all about.   In the end, we are all spiritual beings exploring that relationship to the fullest.  I am in no position to dictate how people explore who they are with the exception that if they cross the line, they will hear from me.  But I refuse to engage in violence to make my point.  That is not my job!

The problem with the state

What I see happening is that the power consolidation with the state is almost complete and the feudal serfs have succumbed to the spell of the fictional construct.  That means that if anybody wants to change anything, they must get permission from their parent (state) as they are still children.  The state has taken up the duty to govern the children and deemed them all vulnerable and needing protection.  The global elite have taken over and started to dismantle the moral and ethical standards of the state to the point where peoples lives are in jeopardy. 

 

The problem with the state is that they can re-define words or terms to manipulate and control the line in the sand.  If we are not consciously aware of what they are attempting to do, then we fall for their wizardry as they speak with forked tongues.  

What they are trying to do is define 'mature minor' in a way where the individual is mature enough to make decisions about their vessel, behaviour or relationships without having to pass through the community ceremony that proves the individual is able and willing to govern themselves.  they are usurping the power and authority of the parent and standing as the new parent.  

The state is the worst parent on the planet and should never hold that level of authority within our lives.  If we want to explore our relationships, we need to do it outside the jurisdiction of the state.  I know that people fought long and hard for their rights when in actual fact they had the right all along.  What they fought long and hard for was a privilege within the state.  We always had the right to marry one another, trade, live and do all things we need to explore our relationships.  We walked away from all of it so that we can trade it in for slavery and privileges instead.  

Time to surrender the privileges and return to the land so that we can exercise our rights as they were granted to us by Creator.  That is the line I speak about, the line between violence (state) and love (Creator).  When we accomplish that, then we can love one another unconditionally and work towards ending all levels of discrimination.