Question:
I am ashamed of myself all the time. Some people say that we have to accept homosexuality but I know that there are ways to be normal just like God made us. This homosexual issue is causing me to be shy and not wanting to go out. I am shy about talking to guys. Mostly, this is depressing me a lot because I know that this is not the real me. Please help me. Tell me anything to do and I’ll do it
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Answer:
According to both the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association, homosexuality is not considered to be abnormal. In fact, it is considered unethical to attempt to change someone from homosexuality to heterosexuality. In addition, it is now known that, in the animal kingdom, in the wild, homosexuality exists and is more common than previously believed.
Please understand, all of this represents a scientific point of view and has nothing to do with religious beliefs.
However, I can state with certainty that there are Ministers and Priests who are openly admit that they are homosexual and continue to hold their positions. In many of these cases, the congregations are largely made up of men and women who are gay.
It is a terrible thing to know hate yourself for having a sexual, racial or religious orientation. No one chooses their race or ethnicity just as no one chooses their sexual orientation.
In my opinion, your task is to enter psychotherapy and learn to accept yourself for being gay rather than hating and rejecting your self. Self rejection and self hatred have everything to do with depression. If you are a gay person you need to know that there is nothing wrong with it.
It is true that religious belief and practice can be very comforting to people. However, it can also be very guilt provoking and even result in violence, as we see today, around the world, as Muslims attack other Muslims for having different Islamic beliefs. We also are witness to Muslim, Jew, Christian and Catholic peoples at one anothers throats for their different beliefs.
My hope is that you will keep your faith but use it in positive ways to accept yourself, gain comfort and accept differences in other peoples.
So, my recommendation is for you to enter psychotherapy and learn to accept yourself. This represents my honest opinion and from a humanistic point of view in which I accept religion but not when its teachings hurt people. Like all good things, religion needs to be utilized in ways that are positive. Really, how do we know what God really wants and intends. After all, people are all created by the same force. However, as for the bible, that is something I will not get into.
Again, my advice is for you to learn to love yourself.
Best of Luck
