Write a Comment
5 Comments
Hi Paul, Sorry, I missed you at the memorial, as I was busy attending to the late arrival of the caterer in setting up for the reception. Well, two out of three positive posts on your reflections isn't a bad start. Loved the cartoon. Take care, Jonathan
My belief is that God will judge and punish gay men that commit this sinful act. Being Gay, lots of sex and becoming HIV positive. I could have stayed in my small town and got married and denied my homosexuality. Fighting this temptation would have made my soul automatically wiser along with wisdom of life. Living life in a more peaceful existence is what eventually ascends it into heaven. My belief is that I will be reborn like all other sinners who acknowledges the error of his/her way. Those that don't acknowledge wonderments of their soul. Transgression of the soul into sin because of desires of our souls. The soul gains nothing but regret, hence the belief of spending and an eternity in Hell. I am proud of being Gay man and all that comes with accepting the gift of sin. Learning to love yourself, others, and HIV positive along with sometimes not conforming to what is considered normal. My soul now much wiser. The Lord knows if I could have resisted the temptation of the sin he tempted and set into my soul at birth I would have. Being gay and acting on the impulse and the mortal sin that that sends us to Hell. because they do not acknowledge they have a everlasting soul. I believe the only way to avoid this pitfall of hell, you acknowledge your sinful ways, along with the wisdom the soul gained. The human soul is the image of God, not our human bodies that we temporarily reside in. .
You give me a reason to think a little today... I feel we create our reality individually. For some, this includes a belief in god. The word, "god," is so big that we fail to give merit to the word that generally precedes it in a sentence, that being "believe." Using a belief system is a crucial crutch that supports our egos, and more importantly the clinging to the notion of a permanent self. Deathbed acceptance of god, or more importantly life after death, I suspect is more a result of clinging to life and the fear of it ending. Belief that our existence will continue gives comfort in a time of need. A friend once said that dying is something we do alone. I agree that no matter how many people are around us when the time comes, it's still a journey we ultimately make by ourselves. It's impossible to comprehend a person's individual journey, but rather witnessing it is the greatest honor, I think. The biggest gift for me being non-theist is never having to ask questions for which I do not have an answer. What happens when I die? In this case, yes, ignorance is bliss! Nothing happens ... I suspect it's just over ... but what a wonderful surprise if I'm wrong.
I really liked what I have just read about Marty and you and his sister witnessing what Marty spoke about God. I liked how you challenged the reader to look through different lenses and how all are perspectives cannot be the same. Like you said who knows if Marty had a true spiritual experience or if it was other things(meds) that caused this. I remember last year when my friend Timmy passed...before he passed he kept seeing white snow flakes on the ground, following that he asked me twice if he could go...I was so honored and at the same time sad, didn't want to let go. Ya know you hear about these things happening at the end but this is the first time out of so may of my friends who have died since the 80's that someone asked me, if it was ok to go. I know he wanted to make sure I would call his mom and his sister and as I promised I still do. I am tearing up right now. I feel so numb..I remember Marty although I never met him in person...and remember so many of the old school activist that inspired me earlier on during my infection. It's been 24 years of living with HIV/AIDS. Sure I'm here..I am a survivor..but the pain the loss , the sadness, the images of the different ways that people passed on is burnt into my soul forever. There are not enough activist today and I think most are sell outs..ok maybe I'm generalizing, but I believe that people like Marty and others who fought the fight and went against the flow and challenged up and coming activist..need to learn through his eyes, mine and others. I was infected at the age of 19, half my life now. My perspective differs greatly and often do take a contrary position as well. But ya know it gets tiring trying to convince others in this fight to learn from where we were in the past, where we are now and where are we going..why reinvent the wheel..I hope we can bridge the gap between the now generation and a generation that saw so much death, so much death, too many, at even too early of an age. Thanks for your words..it touched me.
sambo
Hi paul, I am an African coming from the country Zambia which is a christian nation.I would like to inform you that Jesus is real and the father God is real and whatever you saw at marty's death bed is real and true that he foresaw were he was going. You need to get this in your head that God created you from dust and after you die your flesh returns back to dust and the very moment you take your last breath and die;your soul comes out of your body and goes either to Hell or Heaven and that is according how lived your life then Judgement awaits you till Jesus comes and destroys Satan and hands over the keys to the Father for Judgement,by then those who were dead will rise up from their flesh ready to face Judgement. You need to understand that your soul burns in hell if you never accepted Jesus christ as your Lord and personal saviour and if you were pretending to accept Jesus christ as your lord and personal Saviour but did not obey his commands or live as a christian should. Do not be deceived my friend JASON above you just posted a comment about loving being gay,just remember how God destroyed Sodom And Gommorah(the gay people)read leviticus 18:22 I am a christian who has had a divine visitation by Jesus Christ,i have seen jesus the way he used to look in the physical and also he has visited me in the spirit form of his face like the sun and eyes like fire just it is written in the book of Revelation in the Bible. I was also in the world and loving the things of the world but my God and my Lord jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit saved me from the law of sin and death. If i were you guys i would ran somethere like a church and confess my sins and accept Jesus christ in my life and let him take control of my life.
April 15, 2009