Enoch

Hi everyone! I hope you all are well and having an awesome day. Those of you that know me will attest that I am a man of many opinions and not shy about sharing them. However, the recent past finds me trying to be more selective in my trips to the soap box to render a diatribe. I believe I have been somewhat successful in this endeavor, at least until now. I have never been accused of being a gay activist and I don't think of myself as one now, either. What has happened now to change my passive attitude you may ask, quite simply, I'm fed up. I'm sick and tired of some in Church Leadership blaming the woes and the decay of America only on the GLBT community. I readily submit that every element of society has bad apples. People none of us would bring home to meet our families or our dogs, for that matter, includes some members of the GLBT community. But I can not subscribe to the Church party line on this subject. I understand the reasoning behind the pulpit assassination attempts on the GLBT community- it's a easy minority to sling hate at without repercussion from the thither, not yet, anyways. I'm hopeful that that will change. It's really a shame that pastors will target the GLBT community as the cause of so many problems that we face. While there are liars, cheats, thieves, murderers, back stabbers, and idolaters that fills their pews every service. I'm not saying that there aren't real Christians who leads Christ-like lives that attends those same services; because I believe there are. What I am saying is that those disgraceful preachers are allowing their need for dollars over-shadow their calling of God's love. You see, I believe that God is the God of love. He created us to have someone to love him as He loves us. He gave all of us free will so we can return his love. For without free will, there can't be love. I won't go into the the verses from the Bible that are thrown about against gays, nor will I answer them with the responses that most people are now familiar with. I think most sane thinking people understands that one must consider the context and the times that the writers of what we call the Bible, lived. I've been taught, as I think most have, that the books in the Bible were inspired by God, not dictated. Therefore, the writers' life experiences and the intellectual thinking of the times influenced what they wrote. For an example, in the New Testament, Paul speaks out about a man laying down with another man like with a women, as being wrong. What you aren't told is that the Great Greek intellectual thinking of the times, which was widely accepted, was that any sex whose purpose wasn't for procreation was animalistic and beneath us as human beings. Paul, being raised Greek, was well aware of this point of view and was clearly influenced by it, as evidenced by some of his other thoughts. To me what is important is what each writer in the New Testament all agree on, God is Love, God sent His Son to us, and Jesus did willingly suffer and died for us all. If that isn't love, I don't know what is. What I do know is if every Shepherd of his flock stuck to this theme, this world would be a lot better off. Jesus left two(2) commandments, and both dealt with LOVE. Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as you love yourself. As I see it, if God IS love, and I believe he is, and I love another man, there can be nothing wrong with that love, for God is love. I must be clear on this point, I do mean love, not lust. However, even in stating that, I must say that this is just my opinion. In those two commandments hang the ten. I believe gays(GLBT) can be good Christians and go to Heaven. When I think of the preachers that preach hate and damnation (not all of them do and in fact probably most don't) I'm reminded of Matthew chapter 7, verses 15-27. I'm sorry, but this is something I needed to get off my chest. I hope I haven't offended anyone, but I do hope I have caused some enlightenment and provoked some thought.

It is what it is. Nothing anyone else says can make what to me is trash, art; nor what is art to me, trash. I believe that to be true for everyone. If I'm not mistaken, this debate, or expression of opinions, has been ongoing for thousands of years. To me, it comes down to individual taste. I have no problem others liking, worshiping work as art, that I wouldn't waste my time contemplating. As they say, to each their own. As for the main topic of this thread, I don't know enough to form an opinion beyond I tend to lump this guys attempt at art to placing a cross in a jar of urine- tasteless.

Again, Thanks everyone!

Thank you guys! I must admit that you have brought the first smile in a while with this.

It's been five days since her passing and I have yet to have a heavy cry. I know it's in me, but for some reason I'm holding it back. Everywhere I look I see something that remains me of her. Some memory of the past. I keep expecting to hear her voice or see her walking down the hall. But all there is is silence. The house seems so empty now, even when dad is here. Friends stop by, but there's little comfort in their visits. I miss my mom and best friend.

Chris is always sharing helpful ideas and information. More people should listen to this wise young man. I do more and more everyday.

Fire could easily become the story driving character(?). I'm loving it Wayne!

I don't speak a lick of German, nor can I read and understand much of it. However, I do read English pretty well and look forward to seeing more of GFD in English. Congrats on the story going global, in another language!

You could be right, I can be a bad bad Billy. I had forgotten about that thing I did that one time. But if I appologize, I could make things worse, because I wouldn't want to "P" too much about it. So maybe, I should just apologize?

I have to agree with everything Graeme has said on this matter and the comment that "life is too short" to be concerned about any of this.

After reading most, if not all of Dom's writing here on GA, and after reading through all that has been said here, from the beginning of his absence and ending with Mattie's warm heart-felt comments, I personally respect him as an awesome author whose talents were clearly maturing. I would love to read new work by him and feel I wouldn't be disappointed. However, like they say, it is what it is. I will take from the information given by Jim, that Dom is well and is enjoying a good life that doesn't, at this time, include time for writing; but that he may take up writing again sometime in the future, if life permits him to do so. Like Krista said, "The fact that we're still talking about Dom's extreme hiatus so many years down the road should be praise for the work that he has.". That says it all concerning how good of a story teller he is.

I enjoyed this chapter and looked forward to the coming chapters as well. It'll be interesting to find out what the items are that were ordered.

Thanks Maarten! Things have been taxing the last few months with several issues coming up, so there haven't been as many chapters written this past year. Sorry Hopefully, things will turn for the better soon. Thanks for the review!

Congratulations to all the winners!

We did somewhat until Obamacare came along. Most of us still advocate the free market, hence, the move to overturn Obamacare. Nowhere else in the world can someone be wheeled into an ER with an heart-attack and receive the kind of care they can here in the US, with or without insurance. That's the problem with Obamacare, a lot of people see it as a fix to the system when in reality it's only demands you have health insurance or pay an additional tax and has nothing whatsoever to do with health care. We already have, IMHO, the best health care in the world. We need to be able to buy insurance across state lines (real competition) and have some type of tort reform.

I agree 100%

I don't believe I've done this before but, Let the Music Play by C James is a book written on the talent level of Tom Clancy, back when he wrote his books. I highly recommend this book to any who loves a good thriller with gay characters and written in a non-porn way. Let The Music Play

Always be true to yourself. Generally speaking, I am. I am who I am and I don't try to be anyone else. I do however keep my private life, private. I don't feel a need to broadcast to the world who I love and may sleep with. It's no one's business. Period. Like Chris, I don't see this as a GLBT only issue. My friends come in all shape and sizes, interests, and beliefs, unlike the author of the article linked above. And I've seen my straight friends struggle with this issue as well. I just wish that people took less time worrying over and dreaming for the things they don't have and took a little more time to see the things they do have in their lives. I'm not saying to not dream of a better life. There's nothing wrong with that at all. But the thing is, you don't need more money than anyone else, the most things, or be the best looking to be happy. Happiness begins within. There's no one else in the world like you. That makes you special. Be happy with who are and celebrate your uniqueness. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with similarities with others and with staying in shape, looking nice, or having goals. Just don't let those things become your life and have life itself pass you by.

How could you know what I meant when I don't know what I meant?

Now that I think about, you did leave me any, did you?

I want pizza!

Wayne, as always, you tell a story in the most wonderful way. Thank you for an awesome story. Well done my friend!

WOW!!! I'm a huge Tom Clancy fan and I've read every book he has authored and co-authored. This piece of work ranks along side with his work. A masterful job in every way. I surly hope you published this work, because I can see "Let The Music Play" making the New York Times' best seller list. Awesome Job!!!

I can't wait to read the next chapter

Didn't I ask you to the pizza party a while back?