Photo From: forthebibletellsmeso.org
After going to the first LGBT presentation I was inspired to push my knowledge and furthering my thinking about how diverse issues would challenge me as a teacher. So, I thought going to the second presentation would be beneficial but I was unaware how much more I would learn. I sat with a group of students who were all in the same TE 250 class along with two professors. We watched three segments of the video "For the BIBLE tells me so" and after each segment discussed. I was taken back by the students at my table, their faith was all very strong which added something to our discussion. We talked about how these families in the video dealt with the diversity within their families, we talked about our families, and how we were similar and different. I was first surprised that my family was quite liberal compared to the families that the students at my table had come from. My parents are very open and seem to have respect for issues of GLBT. My dad's old buisness partner was openly gay and although my dad would talk about how he was learning about this lifestyle in which he wasn't accostomed to, it never seemed that he thought it was wrong. Anyhow the families in the video all had different situations as well as different perspectives. What I was most interested in was what the Bible says. I was shocked to find out that individuals read and believe that gay people should be put to death. Although it does read in the Bible that being gay is an abomination, the Bible also says that wearing wool and linen together is an abomination, eating pork, as well as shrimp. We discussed how things are taken literally by certain people, I wonder whether those individuals have ever ate pork or shrimp? We discussed how during this time, these thoughts that being gay was wrong was part of the idea that the nation needed to grow, procreation. I also thought it was interesting, one of the girls at my table said, we have to remember that this is a work of God, taken by man and then translated. The instance of the video I found most disturbing was when they showed the hurtful things individuals who consider themselves GLBT have faced and continue to face. One picture was of a phrase written on the sidewalk, it read "Slaughter the Gays". It made me sick. I could not imagine walking down the sidewalk and reading something like this, especially if it was directed towards me. I was taken back by the extreme hatred these people making these comments had. I feel sad both for the individuals who believe that God is accepting of this hatred as well as for the individuals who have to deal with this hatred daily. One individual in the video talked about how t is human nature to look for an "outsider". One father on the video spoke of unconditional love, loving his children no matter what. I think this is so important not only for parents but for educators, we must love every student unconditionally. I thought this seminar was wonderful and I think more individuals need to be made aware of the issues going on around us.