Five Steps to Rediscovering Spirituality as an LGBT Person

[rug]

Nick Literski
Posted: 10/23/2015 5:20 pm EDT
Updated: 1=/23/2015 5:59 pm EDT

Despite recent civil rights advances, religion remains challenging territory for LGBT Americans. In fact, a 2013 Pew Research poll indicated that 48% of LGBT adults are religiously unaffiliated, compared to 20% of the general population. Being religiously unaffiliated, however, doesn't mean not being spiritual. In my practice as a spiritual guide, many LGBT adults have told me how they want to reconnect with spirituality, but they're uncertain about how they can do so.

I understand that feeling, because I've been there. I spent 26 years as part of a demanding, fundamentalist, anti-LGBT religious community. When I finally had the courage to come out as gay at the age of 39, I resigned my membership in that church and began to rebuild my life. I had strong feelings about how my religious tradition had impacted me. I wasn't sure anymore what I thought about God. Was I an atheist? An agnostic? Something else? I tried to explore other religious traditions, but I couldn't connect with them. It took me about four years before I could begin to pay serious attention to my spirituality again.

As I've researched, interviewed, and worked directly with LGBT adults, I've learned that some concrete steps can help us recover from the negative aspects of our religious pasts and discover an affirming, sustaining spirituality.

1. Allow yourself to grieve. Whether you were expelled or left on your own, you experienced a loss when you separated from your formative religious tradition. You may have lost family, friends, and a community where you once felt belonging. You may have lost a faith that you had invested years of your life following. Even though a part of you is probably relieved, you may experience feelings of grief and loss. Give yourself permission to experience those feelings, and eventually they will give way to healing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nick-literski/five-steps-to-rediscoveri_b_8373220.html

[Yorktown]

1. The word spirituality (like the word religion) is a vague suitcase

Words like this have such a broad spectrum of interpretation they become meaningless.

Which pretty much makes this article useless.

[rug]

2. It's big of you to denigrate this man's experiences with his sexuality and his spirituality.

Par for the course.

[Yorktown]

3. My posts are 100% supportive of gay rights. Better luck next time with your innuendoes.

And a nice way to sidestep my key contention: that the word 'spirituality' is vacuous.

btw, one very factual post of mine gor unsuccesfully alerted upon.

Any idea who might have tried that bit of skulduggery?

[rug]

4. "useless" is your word not my innuendo.

Nice way to describe his recounting of his experience.

The only thing I've noticed about yor posts is that they are 100% anti-religious and you attempt to denigrate any opinion and any person, gay or not, who rejects that.

[Yorktown]

5. I stick to debunking ideologies. You try to make everything personal and contentious.

I did not denigrate the individual who wrote the article, and I defy you to prove otherwise.

I just mentioned the author wrote a whole article on a word which is ill defined: spirituality.


What is spirituality?

It's probably not to be found in the dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church,

an ideological outfit which decreed thousands as 'saints' based on stories which are obvious fairytales.

[rug]

6. Instead of "debunking ideologies" you only reveal the paucity of your own.

I'm sad to say there is more information and substantive argument on reddit than in your posts, smileys notwithstanding.

[Yorktown]

7. Words, words, words.

I'm sad to say there is more information and substantive argument on reddit than in your posts,

Your only interest is in debating techniques, one sidestepping step away from issues at a time.

Your ears are closed to arguments highlighting the glaring inconsticencies of religions.

Your only refuge is the walls of your high self esteem from which you heap abuse on other debaters.

May I suggest you try debating with a wall? It might resonate your points to your satisfaction.

[rug]

8. The organ at issue is not the ear but the nose which is assaullted by bullshit.

I would not characterize your posts as a "debate".

[Yorktown]

9. I do not have any regard for the utterances you view as arguments either.

But I, at least, make the effort to back up what I say with facts and quotes.

While you only resort to cliché debating 'tricks'.

Let's let the readers decide.

[rug]

10. In that case,

[Yorktown]

11. Yes, right. My facts, your absence thereof; let's call it a draw.

[rug]

12. Yor facts have as much to do with reality as 4chan does with intelligence.

[Yorktown]

13. Oh! You now are a judge of intelligence too?

Damn, you're such a fine polymath.

My mistake for not spotting it earlier..

[rug]

14. In your case, yes. I am a captive of evidence.

[Yorktown]

15. You and evidence? A chance encounter today?

Congrats.

[rug]

16. The only chance enconter I've had so far today is with Jabberwockey.

Although usernames increase or decrease those chances.

[Yorktown]

17. Twas brillig, and the slithy Popes did gyre and gimble in the wahhabican

Yes, I know that poem.

very inspirational.

Spirituality inducing.

[Warren Stupidity]

18. !. just walk out the door jack.

[rug]

19. That song only mentions five ways,

You can reach this man at the link. Tell him you want him to listen to Simon and Garfunkel. I'm sure he'll appreciate it.