'In The Now with Jim Swilley, Episode #28' - GOT TO BE REAL (Part II)

It's quite clear that I was extremely passionate about this subject matter because I had so much to say on this episode, and hardly let any of my auspicious guests get a word in...for that I sincerely apologize to them, and appreciate them being so gracious and patient with me...but in spite of my excessive verbosity on In The Now with Jim Swilley #28, I am very happy with the outcome here, because there were things that needed to be said in this format, and I didn't want to miss the opportunity to say them... what my guests were able to contribute in the short amount of time that they were given was still excellent, and we may revisit this subject at a later date, at which time I will make sure that they all have more time to speak if they'll come back for that...we easily could have made this into a 10-parter, but I do believe that less is more, so we'll leave it at this for now and not second-guess any of it...I can promise you that this one will get a lot of attention and will do a word of good, and I am very proud of it for that reason...ENJOY!

'In The Now with Jim Swilley, Episode #27' - GOT TO BE REAL (Part I)

Here's Episode #27 (Part I), and this one is very special and may be one of the most important things I've done in recent years...as always I want to thank Avery Price Rogers, Charles McFall and especially BJ Bueford for your excellent work behind the cameras...but I REALLY want to thank Tony Howard, Wayne Freeman, Robert Rutherford, Eddie William Sellers and Ken Marshall for your courage, honesty, transparency and integrity, all of which is very evident here in front of the cameras...you didn't have to do this, but I'm so grateful that you did...it really is a new day...can't wait for Part II!

For other videos in the series, please visit youtube.com/bishinthenow

RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH

This little video is in response to those of you who have asked me to expound on this particular passage even more than I did in my book, FIRST THE GOOD NEWS: The Positive Truth About God, the Gospel, and What it Really Means to be Gay*...I hope it brings some clarity, especially to those of you who are young and intimidated by religious authority figures who manipulate the Scriptures for their own prejudiced purposes...the Bible is a wonderful collection of inspired books that can really help you in your life if you know how to "rightly divide" it, as Paul instructed, and my prayer is that some of the things I share here will draw you closer to it in a positive way, and will remove any fear of it that you may have...John said that "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear"...you don't have to be afraid...YOU ARE LOVED!

For further exploration of the Scriptures on this subject, check out other posts on this blog...

 THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE!

(*available at http://www.jimswilleybooks.com and at http://www.amazon.com/jimswilley)

YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFULLY TAUGHT

Click here for 'One On One with Jim Swilley #28'

'You've Got to be Carefully Taught'

Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II 

You've got to be taught

To hate and fear,

You've got to be taught

From year to year,

It's got to be drummed

In your dear little ear

You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid

Of people whose eyes are oddly made,

And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,

You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,

Before you are six or seven or eight,

To hate all the people your relatives hate,

You've got to be carefully taught!

NEUROPLASTICITY

1. 

   I've been reading/studying some about Neuroplasticity, and teaching on it, as I understand it, at METRON...
   
   Neuroplasticity, of course, is the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life...Dr. Joe Dispenza (who I love) talks about it a lot, and I find it fascinating that they/we are learning to rethink brain function, and that we have information available to us on the subject that can improve our lives...

   
   

   Neuroplasticity allows the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment...I like embracing the notion than we can change the way we think, and ultimately change our lives as a result...

   
   

   Since I've been talking about it, a few people have asked me if I think that Neuroplasticity offers us the option of changing our sexual orientation, and my simple answer to that is no...
   
   I know that what they are really asking is if I think you can change from gay to straight, and again, the answer is no...
   
   Homosexuality or same-sex attraction in humans is just a natural part of the biological experience, like left-handedness or having red hair...it doesn't need to be changed...not everyone is meant to be a breeder, and even those of us who are gay and still figured out a way to reproduce are not breeders by orientation...I sired four children, and was gay the whole time because that's how I was born...if I had been celibate my entire life, I would still be gay, just like heterosexuals are still straight, whether or not they ever have sex...
   
   I already wrote a book about this, so I won't repeat myself, but it's pointless to keep bringing up the "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" nonsense, because heterosexuality is simply not the norm for everyone...homosexual behavior in animals is a reality, regardless of how many times you quote Moses or Paul or say that same-sex attraction is abnormal... sexual behavior among non-human species that is interpreted as homosexual or bisexual may include sexual activity, courtship, affection, pair bonding, and parenting among same-sex animal pairs...research indicates that various forms of this are found throughout the animal kingdom...as of 1999, nearly 1,500 species, ranging from primates to gut worms, have been observed engaging in same-sex behaviors...this is well documented in about 500 species...
   
   I've been asked in many interviews if I would choose to be straight if I could, and again, the answer is no...I am who I am, and I embrace all of me, including the fact that I'm gay...I wouldn't be me otherwise...
   
   So I will continue to explore the things that can be changed through Neuroplasticity...I've even experienced some positive changes in myself recently through the "re-fire and re-wire" concept...the brain is an amazing thing...but I will never change the fact that I have blue eyes, am left-handed, have curly hair, and am gay...
   
   And I'm totally good with that...

Michael Sam

These days I rarely make any public comment when yet another celebrity or sports figure comes out.

 

It's not that it doesn't matter to me, or that I'm not totally in favor of everyone embracing their own truth and being who they really are. In fact, I wish that every gay person, regardless of their own life-situation, would just go ahead and get it over with and come out, and then deal with whatever consequences there may be because of it. I think the world would then be a better place, and we as a society could move on to dealing with other things.

Personally, I know that I certainly have no regrets about my own journey to complete authenticity, even though my coming out definitely cost me a lot. The truth makes you free...it doesn't always make life easier for you, but it does make you free, and the freedom that it brings to your life is definitely worth whatever challenges and/or discomfort that it might create for it.

I applaud Michael Sam for being proactive in doing what he just did, especially when he did it, but I just don't, as a rule, say anything these days about such occurrences because I don't want to get corralled into having the same tired, old conversations (about society, morality, family values, biblical interpretation concerning homosexuality, etc.) that inevitably come up when these things happen.

Been there. Done that.

But I do want to make an exception and address this one issue that always seems to arise when a gay person (especially a gay man) comes out, who is either in the military or in professional sports, and that's the issue of the locker room.

I remember when all the public hoopla was going on about the possible and potential repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell", that there was a particular General who was quoted as saying some nonsense to this effect: "Gays should not be allowed in the military because when a man is fighting in a foxhole, he shouldn't have to worry that he is going to be sexually assaulted by another man."

Of course, not long after that the law was repealed anyway, and there has never been any such incident ever reported, but here are some of the things that I would like to have been able to say to that ignorant, homophobic General, just the same:

1. Anyone who is trying to have sex with someone else during active battle in a foxhole has bigger problems than just dealing with DADT!

2. Sexual harassment in the workplace is both immoral and illegal, and should never be tolerated from anyone, regardless of the perpetrator's orientation!

3. Don't stupidly assume that every gay person wants to have sex with everyone of the same gender that they meet, or that they are unable to perform their duties in a professional, responsible manner under any circumstances!

4. Any man who has been trained to be a killing machine, but can't effectively ward off any unwanted sexual advances from another man has no business being on the front lines of battle!



I didn't read a lot today about Michael Sam's coming out, but the 2 or 3 articles about it that I did peruse each said something about the other players possibly being uncomfortable changing clothes in front of, and showering with an openly gay man, and that's what I want to talk about because I'm so tired of this silly notion being expressed.

I mean, really? In 2014 there are people who still think that having sex is all that gay people are about? Do they actually believe that men with SSA are so threatening to heterosexual males that they can't even be trusted with them in a locker room? Do they honestly not know that if they've spent any time in any sports clubhouse or gym changing room or college dorm or military barracks at any time in their lives that they've already been undressing in front of and showering with gay men for years?!

And this whole business of some straight men thinking that they are so physically irresistible that  every gay man wants them, or that no gay man is capable of just doing his job without being sexually compelled to be on the prowl just because he sees another man take his pants off  is archaic thinking, and is both ridiculous and insulting.

I know an openly (young, handsome) gay man who is in the navy, and spends a good bit of time on submarines in very close quarters with other men. I asked him once if his orientation is ever a problem to him or to any of the other men on his ship, and he said, "Are you kidding me? We're too busy just doing our jobs for any of us to think about anything else! Work is work, and then everyone crashes. Period!"

Michael Sam is a good ball player, and has no doubt already spent a considerable amount of time with other men in the locker room. Somehow he has been able to control himself before he came out, and I feel confident that he will be able to control himself now, so settle down, guys. As I understand it, his own team is actually cool with him and with his orientation (which is awesome), but this subject keeps coming up, and it is totally bogus.

And to every straight man who is so afraid that some gay man might actually look at him, I want to say, "Hey, buddy...relax...we already saw you getting out of the shower, and don't worry...we're good...you're quite safe...play ball!"

That's all.

A Letter to a Fundamentalist Homophobe

Dear Fundamentalist,

Please stop sending me passages of Scripture that you think are applicable to my life, in an effort to vent your homophobia upon me, and sit in judgment of me or of things about my life that you couldn't possibly understand. I've read the Bible throughout the entirety of my life, and have studied at length the handful of statements made by Moses and Paul that people like you continually use to try to manipulate people like me, and I understand them in their proper context, so your efforts to rebuke me are in vain.

I am a Christian, and I know that Jesus was completely silent on the subject of sexual orientation, so don't even try to go there with me, because what matters most to me as a follower of Christ is what He said.

Don't tell me about Sodom and Gomorrah, because the weird account in Genesis of those ancient, barbarian people wanting to gang-rape angels ("strange flesh") in the streets has no more relevance to my life than it does to yours. Besides, according to Ezekiel (16:49), the "Sin of Sodom" was arrogance and indifference to the poor.

Read your Bible.

And don't quote me the two statements Moses made in Leviticus about two men lying together. You don't live by Levitical Law, so don't try to impose it upon me, either...unless you also think it's wrong to eat shrimp, lobster and pork, shave, wear blended fabrics...or you stand for a law that says that kids who have bad attitudes should be stoned to death by the elders of the city, or believe that when your wife is on her menstrual cycle she should sleep outside, or that if your daughter is raped you should be able to sell her to the rapist at a reduced price. If you're going to play the Moses card, then play the whole deck!

And please don't cut and paste the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans to me. Whatever rites of pagan temple worship involving prostitute-priests that is described there is no more applicable to me than it is to you. Besides, I do retain God in my knowledge, I am very thankful, I do worship the Creator, and believe that He is the Creator of all things, and I certainly have not been "turned over to a reprobate mind". People like you really like to use that one because it can be so intimidating to people like me, but I assure you that I know I have the Mind of Christ, and my knees bow and my tongue confesses to the glory of God that Jesus Christ is Lord! You should read the rest of the chapter and look at all the kinds of people who are listed there, and you may find that YOU have, in fact, been turned over to a reprobate mind! Then go read the first part of the next chapter and see what it says about the people who judge the people mentioned in the first chapter! You may be surprised.

Paul I know...

And I know what he said to the Corinthians in his first epistle to them (Chapter 6). Don't try to keep me out of heaven with that one because he was talking about who he personally thought would not inherit the kingdom, and it wasn't just people with same-sex attraction. And, by the way, if you're such a devotee of Paul's, then you better have short hair if you're a man, and long hair if you're a woman (and cover your head in church and submit to men), you better be cool with slavery, and you better not get married for any other reason than to keep yourself from burning with lust!

Paul was a great man who was mightily used by God, but even he himself said that some of his words were just his opinion, and not the commandment of the Lord. The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, but it was written by straight men to straight men, and is therefore limited in its scope of understanding of the issues of same-gender loving people.

And don't call me a "dog"...I am a Son of God, and that word (translated into Elizabethan English) was used for any one who was perceived to be "different". And in the last chapter of Revelation, John says that the Spirit and the Bride say "Come" to all who are outside the City of God, including the "dogs"!

And don't cite stupid platitudes to me like "God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve", or tell me that you "Love the sinner, but hate the sin", because I know the Genesis story, and I know that you don't love me, or people like me, you just have a need to mind the business of other people for some reason, or you fear what you don't understand. Perhaps you are dealing with your own sexual orientation issues and need to deflect on people like me. Whatever the case, you're wasting your time in trying to clobber me with the same 5 or 6 Bible verses. I wear the helmet of salvation, and am immune to your silly mind games!

And I've heard it all before.

The bottom line is that you don't own God or Jesus or the Bible or Christianity. He's my God, too, and I am fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. He's my Jesus, too, and He is my Lord. It's my Bible, too, and I love it as much as you do, even though I know that it must be rightly divided, because the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life! I've always been gay because I was born gay, and I am fine with who I am, just as I am ("Can the thing formed say to Him that formed him, Why did you make me thus?"). I am God's workmanship!

How about just minding your own business, and try concentrating on doing what JESUS actually said...and what He didn't say. He didn't say a thing about homosexuality, but He did say a whole lot about walking in LOVE!

Oh, one more thing...King James, the one who authorized the version of the Bible you like to quote so much was an openly gay man.

Just thought you should know.

Sincerely,

A Gay Christian

Just Because He Breathes

CLICK HERE FOR THIS POWERFUL ARTICLE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-robertson/just-because-he-breathes-learning-to-truly-love-our-gay-son_b_3478971.html

NOW HEAR THIS!

My thanks to Jacob Israel for this powerful and provocative interview!

CLICK HERE FOR ENTIRE INTERVIEW:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jacob-israel/2013/06/14/is-god-okay-with-gay

 

A MESSAGE TO GAY TEENS (From Jim Swilley's new book: FIRST, THE GOOD NEWS)

A MESSAGE TO GAY TEENS



Dear One,



You're beautiful, just as you are...and God loves you just the way you are!

NEVER let anyone convince you otherwise!

You are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (which is just an old-fashioned way of saying that God created you perfectly, in every way!)

You are not broken.

You are not inferior.

You are not weird.

You are not a pervert.

You're not abnormal.

You are not less than.

You are not an abomination.

You are not going to hell.

You don't need to be "fixed".

In a word, you're AWESOME...

And you're in good company...

Many important historical figures were gay...



...Plato...

...Alexander the Great...Pope Julius II, to name a few...

Alexander the Great

...so were some of the greatest artists who ever lived, such as...


...Leonardo da Vinci...

'The Last Supper' by Leonardo da Vinci

...and Michelangelo...

'The Creation of Adam' by Michelangelo

...as well as some of the most important composers and musicians of all time, such as...

...Tchaikovsky...

...Leonard Bernstein...

'West Side Story' by Leonard Bernstein

...and Katharine Lee Bates, the woman who wrote 'America the Beautiful'...

(Here's a clip of gay rights opponent, Mitt Romney, singing 'America the Beautfiul' composed by lesbian, Katharine Lee Bates: http://youtu.be/w9v0Yf9wHlQ



And some of our most important writers were gay...people like Walt Whitman, Thomas Mann and James Baldwin...

I could also mention sports figures like Billie Jean King...

...or actors like Raymond Burr...

Raymond Burr, star of 'Perry Mason' and 'Ironside'

...or religious icons, such as King James of England (yes, that one!)...

The list of important historical gay figures goes on and on, but the point of bringing them up is to reinforce the truth that these people undeniably made huge contributions to our culture and society...

...and the world is waiting for you to make your own unique contribution to it!

I hope that you have the love, understanding and support of your family, especially your parents, but even if you don't because of your orientation, let me encourage you to still love and be who you are.

As a gay man, a minister, and a father (and grandfather) myself, allow me to speak to you as a father...always be yourself, and love, accept and respect yourself as the wonderful creation that God brought into this world...your life is very important, and God has a purpose for it!

If your parents support and accept you as you are, then count your blessings...you have amazing parents!

If they don't, then pray the prayer of Jesus for them, Who said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do", and move past it as best you can...don't hate them...hatred will never bring anything good into your life.

They may feel that it is their responsibility to try to change you (even though you are who you are, and always will be!)

They may have limited understanding of the Bible, and think that preaching it to you will change you (even though God knew exactly who you were when He created you!)

They may feel that your orientation is their "fault", and are dealing with a lot of unnecessary guilt over it (even though the overwhelming evidence points to the fact that you were born the way you are!)

They may feel sadness at the idea of you not ever getting married or giving them grandchildren (which, in this day and age, is becoming less and less of an issue for gay people!)

They may be afraid that if you're gay you won't have a good life (which you have to show them is a fallacy by living a good life!)

They may simply be afraid of what they don't understand (in which case, help them understand if you can, and if they're open to it!)...

They may be thinking and feeling all of the above.

Just have compassion on them, and show them that you are happy with yourself. The more the people in your life see that you're OK with you, the more they will relax and just let you be yourself. You know the truth about what it means to have same-sex attraction...that it's not a choice, no matter how much straight people constantly insist that it is...so in this case you have to be the bigger person (which isn't easy when you're the kid and they're the adult(s)!...but it is what it is...so get it together and live your life, and if they accept you, great...and if they don't, find people who will, and love and honor your parents for the simple fact that they are your parents. We all want the approval of our parents, but sometimes we just have to take what we can get, and know that God (our heavenly Parent) approves of us.

And don't let anyone use a few Scriptures, taken out of context, to confuse you or clobber you with. Do your homework...find out what the Bible actually says (and doesn't say). Never let anyone use religion to manipulate you or try to control you. Knowledge is power!


And finally, NEVER, EVER, EVER let some ignorant, homophobic bully rob you of any part of your life!

NEVER, EVER, EVER do anything to hurt yourself, no matter how bad the bullying is!

Push back!

Speak up!

Say something!

Get some help!

Tell somebody what's going on!

Don't shut up until you get the help you need!

Make some noise!

Make a difference!

Bullies are cowards who are drawn to your insecurities like sharks are drawn to blood!

The more comfortable you become with yourself, the more powerful you become, and the less likely you will be a target for homophobes.

You have a responsibility to live the life you were meant to live, so never even consider the possibility of ending that life! If you do, you will break all of our hearts, and you will miss out on so much! Don't do something crazy in a moment of despair! There's always hope!

"If God be for us, who can be against us?!"
(Romans 8:31)

You have a responsibility...a responsibility to help create a new world...one in which bullying is simply a thing of the past.

No matter how overwhelmed or scared you may feel, you have to live! You have to be strong! You have to rise above it!

If you let the bullies win, then all those gay kids (and any other kids who are "different" in any way) who will come along in the future will have to deal with the same nonsense!

Don't just survive for yourself...do it for those kids!

Don't ask for trouble, but at the same time, don't forget that this is your world, too, and no one has the right to tell you how you should live in it!

God believes in you.

I believe in you.

And there's a whole world of people out there who will believe in you, too...don't allow some bonehead to steal your world...your life...

Believe in yourself!

Be the thermostat of your life, not the thermometer...

You can determine the life that you will live...

Your best days are ahead of you...


There really is a new world coming, one in which people can just live their own authentic lives in peace, without the threat of someone always trying to control or change them.


Now that's GOOD NEWS!


I speak a blessing over you, and over your family...and over your future...I pray for good friends...a good support system for you...for your protection...for favor with God and man...for your well-being...for your happiness...that love will be in your life...for healthy relationships...that you will continue to walk in truth, and that that truth will continue to make you free...that God will make Himself real to you, and that you will know and believe from the bottom of your heart that He is love, and that He is good!

"I know what I'm doing.

I have it all planned out— plans to take care of you,
not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for."

(Jeremiah 29:11 - The Message)