Hi: Introductions and questions

[BloodyRose3000]

Hi, I'm 22, from NYC, and I have a very deep background in Catholicism. I was born into it, and then as I grew I ended up becoming very devoutly Catholic on my own terms (as opposed to it being pushed on me), which was great for a long time. However, I started having problems once puberty hit and I knew that I was gay. Being a good catholic, I never acted on it (despite offers) and am in theory still chaste today, but going through years of thinking that God hates and is disgusted by you for something you can't help and haven't even really acted upon was spiritually and psychologically damaging. I ended up minoring in theology to try to help figure things out, and I'm glad that I did because those classes were really a Godsend: 1) Showing how the bible was made exposed how influenced it was by man And 2) It helped me realize that God doesn't hate me, even if I have sins.

There was a point in time about a year ago where I was content in my religion, but I've never been able to figure out a way to say that it was okay to be gay and Christian, and I didn't want to never be able to experience love, and with time I stopped believing in God all together and started having an existential crisis that originally made me depressed, and eventually just made me feel apathetic to everything.

Despite this, I still felt a desperate need for spirituality, so I started studying different religions (paganism/Buddhism/Islam etc) just for the sake of finding something that would start a spark. However, I really didn't find any kinship with any of those religions. Then one day I was listening to the jazz composer Alice Coltrane (wife of legend John Coltrane) who was very much influenced by Hinduism (her songs are all about faith, and have names like Shiva-Loka, Hare Krishna, etc) so I started studying Hinduism and was amazed and inspired by aspects of the belief, and felt like I had a weight off my back for the first time in a long time.

However, I still don't really know a LOT about Hinduism per se, I don't really know if one can be gay and Hindu, and despite believing in aspects of it, I still believe in a Christian God/Jesus to an extent, and would have a difficult time ever praying to any other concept of what God could be. So, I'd probably never really be a good hindu, but I'm still interested in learning more.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam BR: Welcome. There are a lot of people here on HDF struggling with similar issues, so if nothing else, this may be a place to find online camaraderie.

Regarding being gay, it's been discussed on here at length, but I don't know exactly where. Unlike some other faiths, there are several viewpoints, the main one being tolerance and love for all.

Aum Namasivaya

[Arjuni]

Namast�, BR,

This website may be helpful to you, and of course the friendship and wisdom of the many wonderful folks on HDF. Welcome!

Indraneela
===
Oṁ Indrāya Namaḥ.
Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.

[Jainarayan]

Namaste BloodyRose.

I was Roman Catholic too for much of my life and I know exactly what you are talking about. To my knowledge Hinduism has nothing to say theologically against any form of sexuality, though it holds the life stage of householder in high regard. Though afaik there is nothing to say that two men or two women cannot form a household, even with children and grandchildren and be good Hindus!

It is only culturally, in my understanding, that some Hindus frown upon it. That's a legacy of the puritanism of the British and Muslim occupation of India over the centuries. Hinduism stresses love of God and devotion to Him or Her (depending on your beliefs), which by default shows love for all creatures and persons. In the Bhagavad Gita 12.13-15, Lord Krishna says:

"One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor* and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me—such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me. He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me."

*[someone who believes he has special rights or entitlements]

I think right there those verses sum it up. The important thing is that we fix our minds on God(dess) and not on other people, except to do good for them. now, if everyone followed that, the world would be a happier place.

[Obelisk]

Namaste and welcome to HDF, Rose!

As has been well explained by our esteemed members above, there are many diverse opinions and philosophies in Hindu Dharma. Personally, I have never read any explicit opposition to homosexuality in our dharmic texts, and the idea of God hating a person for being gay is definitely incompatible with Hinduism. If we look at it from the POV of the Advaita (non-dual) philosophy, our Self has no gender, and neither does the true form of God. Love, devotion and tolerance are stressed above everything else.

Best wishes!

[charitra]

Namste and welcome. Tritiya Prakriti (google gives many sites and I pasted some below) or Third Gender was mentioned in hindu scriptures and of note is that it was never condemned (unlike in their abrahamic counterparts). Third gender, a generic term applied to what is now known as LGBT individuals, lived along side the heterosexuals without any organized, religious or other persecution for centuries. As a matter of fact transgenders were known for their profession as performers during weddings and the like.

Vedopanishads and Gita are sacred to all hindus; these texts guide one in ones journey towards ones own self realization and oneness with Brahman. There are many western hindus on this very forum. Good luck.[/font]

[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']http://www.ask.com/web?q=thritiya+prakriti&o=100000031&l=dis&qsrc=2871&gct=bar[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/hinduism-dir/70170-vedic-scriptures-tritiya-prakriti.html[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif'][/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']http://galva108.org/[/font]
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']http://mphawaii.tripod.com/Religion/tritiya-prakriti.htm[/font]