Posted on 07/12/2014 2:07:09 PM PDT by NYer
The story behind a case that made headlines a few months back, from The New York Times:
Father and son had always been close, from the moment Tim Schaefer was born, six weeks premature, with blood poisoning, a weak heart and lungs, and a doctor who thought he would not make it through the night.
His father, the Rev. Frank Schaefer, a United Methodist minister, thought of his eldest son as a miracle child, saved by some combination of medicine and prayer, saved for something special.
We couldnt even touch him; he was in an incubator, and we had to reach in with latex gloves through those holes in the sides, Mr. Schaefer said. I begged God to please save his life.
Their bond was such that, years later, facing a choice between upholding his churchs teaching and affirming his sons sexual orientation, Frank chose to endanger his own career by officiating at his sons same-sex wedding. The actions that followed a rebellion in his congregation, a church trial, a defrocking and then, last month,a reinstatement have made the Schaefers symbols of the conundrum facing much of American Christianity: How does religious doctrine on homosexuality respond to the longings for spirituality and community from congregants and family members who are gay?
In a series of recent interviews, by telephone and in Washington, where they attended a gay pride event with President Obama at the White House, father and son described their separate and shared crises of love and faith, which began in 2001 when Tim, then in high school, acknowledged to his parents that he was gay.
Frank, now 52, had grown up in a conservative Baptist church in West Germany, believing homosexuality was a sin, but had quietly become more accepting. Tim, now 30, had grown up in his fathers conservative United Methodist church in Pennsylvania, becoming depressed and contemplating throwing himself off the roof of a parsonage when he realized he was gay.
I would pray at night, God, get me through this phase, make me normal, but as time went on, it was not changing, the younger Schaefer said. I didnt want to be gay, and I didnt want to go to hell.
FYI, ping!
In a sane world, his reinstatement would have been the end of that congregation
He's been doing my nails for almost 20 years.
My nails for these two weeks are red, white and blue in "star bursts."
Amen to that.
I’m weeping.
but today the UMC is one of the first to let the fag flag fly. One reason I’m no longer a member.
Interesting anecdote: All of my homosexual students were abused as children except one. He was mauled by a dog when he was young, and was also born with a heart condition that means he now lives with a defibrillator in his heart. This man was severely traumatized at the earliest of ages. It’s almost like homosexuality is a mental disorder as a result of trauma.
Eh...where’s mom? Such a silly-willy question, I know.
“Interesting anecdote: All of my homosexual students were abused as children except one. He was mauled by a dog when he was young, and was also born with a heart condition that means he now lives with a defibrillator in his heart. This man was severely traumatized at the earliest of ages. Its almost like homosexuality is a mental disorder as a result of trauma.”
I’ve often wondered how many were abused as children. Most homosexual activists will not admit to it, because they want everyone to believe they were born that way.
I still remember the story of “Little Boy Blue” whose body was found on a road on Christmas Eve. He was abused by his father and his father’s friends for many years.
becoming depressed and contemplating throwing himself off the roof of a parsonage when he realized he was gay
mental problems and Gay fixed it , LOL D’oh
Maybe just me, but the expressions on their faces are very telling.
The son looks like the devil, laughing; the father looks beaten, not joyful.
Am I wrong?
Wow .. I have never had a manicure or a pedicure.
You know, you’re right! And your tagline is right too
I’ve had aquaintance of several gay ‘friends’ through church in the past. All of them really desired to get out of the lifestyle but the pull of temptation was so great none of them ever were successful. Of course there are those who do overcome the gay lifestyle but they are few. Must be an intense addiction to break.
THEN, my dear, you haven't lived.
I go to my "club" for the pedicure. I used to REFUSE even the idea. Then, I finally had one and oooooooooooooooooooooo, was it nice.
My natural fingernails are weak, thin, soft and breakable. My girlfriend bit her nails but one day she showed up with GORGEOUS nails. I stared..."Huh? How...?"
The answer: acrylic nails.
He's been doing my nails a LONG time with NO ill effects whatsoever. I just have GORGEOUS acrylic nails--ALL the time.
Get a manicure someday. If you HATE it, tell the manicurist: "I don't like this. Stop." She/he will stop. Then, you get up and leave the shop.
Ditto with the pedicure.
Never hurts to try. Remember, if you hate it, tell him/her to stop.
Many businessmen get the super simple manicure, no color. no polish. It doesn't hurt THEM to have decent nails. Their hands are always front and center so their fingernails might as well be neat and tidy.
Maybe just me, but the expressions on their faces are very telling.
The son looks like the devil, laughing; the father looks beaten, not joyful.
Am I wrong?
I thought the same thing myself. Queers are looking more openly and sinisterly queer. The buzz cut hair and the stubbly facial hair along with a generally evil looking sneering stare is becoming the badge of the in your face queer brigade.
The son is bald, it’s trendy these days for bald or balding men to adopt that look. I do the same look, especially on weekends when I don’t shave. Nothing sinister about it. The Father does look haggard.
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