Gay people: What is your experience of spirituality?

Do you mean personal beliefs or experiences with people who are religious?

For the former, I personally wasn't all too religious, and identify as agnostic atheist. My family from overseas is part of the Orthodox church and very spiritual, and also very wonderful, loving people. Regardless of my choice, my parents here taught me to respect people's faiths, so long as they are respectful of yours, which is why I don't tolerate "atheists" (more properly "anti-theists") or fundamentalists.

As far as my experiences with other people, they are usually positive, though I've met my share of unenlightened folks from both sides of the fence (religious vs. nonreligious). My best was with a roommate I had during my freshman year. She was Christian, and the nicest person you could ever meet. We had long, polite, philosophical discussions about passages in the bible and various interpretations, and I tried my best to keep my mind open to what she said. Though I can't truly empathize with her (she mentions opening her heart to God and seeing his words, which I haven't personally experienced), I can see where she's coming from. We talked about homosexuality and the faith, and while she doesn't agree with it, she says it's not her place to judge, and that an LGBT person can be religious and loved by God, which is refreshing to hear compared to what the fundies like to spout.

That's my two-cents.

Edit:

""I would have been an atheist even if I was straight. (because of how I was raised and because I have common sense).""

This is what's wrong with the majority of "atheists" today. Many choose it because they think they're "smarter" than religious people, not because it's a personal perspective.

Research atheism, atheistic faiths (if you don't understand what these are, or can't name at least one, you shouldn't be talking down to the intelligence of others), and anti-theism.

I'm in a gay-friendly church (ELCA Lutheran), and there are other gay-friendly churches too (Episcopal, United Church of Chirst, Metropolitan Community Church, also other groups like Unitarian Universalists and Reform Judaism).

I believe very much that Christ was the human embodiment of God's love, and that we all have God's light living in us.

I've had amazing prayer experiences and have received and seen healings and have seen visions too.

The Gay Christian Network is a wonderful group of people who believe in God but who happen to be gay or lesbian. I've met some fine human beings in that community for friendship and mutual support.

I'm not gay, (panromantic asexual here), but for me it went something like this:

Was raised to be a Christian and remained one until maybe about 17. I was a rather hardcore Christian from 14 to 15, at that. Then, at 17-ish, I started having doubts. I spent lots of time thinking about it, debating people, etc, and I gradually lost my faith. Started identifying as an atheist at 19. And that's still where I'm at now, at 22.

Every since I was young, I have always had or strived for a strong relationship with Jesus. I also have found myself being sexually attracted to men. This is how I see it. My relationship with God is important enough to sacrifice my sexual/ physical wants because God does not approve of them. Just as a unmarried person deciding not to have sex until marriage or a married person who decides not to cheat on their spouse. It may be a struggle and I'll be the first to say I'm not perfect, but the sacrifice is worth salvation. That's my opinion.

The souls of the gods are within each and every one - all carry a spark of the Divine Fire, and wield it and its power, at times, to create, and, at others, to destroy.

From the succession of creation and destruction, a new world will be brought forth from the ashes of the one which existed before.

If your talking about a believe in god or some kind of faith, then I'm still trying to figure that out.

Spirituality says it all. Your spirit is your soul, or the magnetic field that makes you vibrant-alive.All is connected: to nourish your soul/brain you need food, animal, people, trees, water, you need all. You see what I mean.

Thanks.

I have no experience of spirituality, well at least not religion. I would have been an atheist even if I was straight. (because of how I was raised and because I have common sense).

my belief is to grow tomato vines from my head, and offering the ripe tomato's to the sun god.