From: James *******
Email: r***********@gmail.com
Comments: Ray,
You should get a gun and shot yourself in the head. Its sick people like you who really need to read the word of God. You should also give back the Dove Awards because you dont deserve the accolades of success.
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From: IHMS
Email: ************@hotmail.com
Comments: I will be praying for you, but until you come to the knowledge of the truth, I will as a matter of principle get rid of all your music.
Christian Author
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From: John ********
Email: **************@yahoo.com
Comments: I am so ashamed of you, not as an artist, because most artists are not good representatvies of Jesus Christ anyways, but as a well known Christian. You cannot look at homosexuality in light of the Bible and say that it is not sin. In Romans and Corinthians, it is mentioned as sin, and is listed as an abomination worth destroying cities in the Old Testament.
I understand if you have a problem, but I believe that you know the difference. Just because a person is addicted to drugs, doesn\'t mean that it is ok. If you\'re addicted to homosexuality, then you need spiritual help. You have done more to destroy Moral values in Christianity than any other person that I have ever heard or seen. For someone to sing the great songs that you sung in the 80\'s and 90\'s, and now to be an open homosexual is a slap in the face to the one that died for you. I am praying that you will repent, and may God have mercy on you.
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From: K M
Email: **************@aol.com
Comments: RAY,
YOU can rationalize all you want about coming out. But, in the end it affect\'s your wife, your children, your mother , your father. Let me know how your family is in 10 years by the decision you made today. Love in Christ, KM
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20 comments:
Wow, it's hard to believe that someone would write such nasty hateful things, and than still claim to be a follower of Christ.
Guess the fruits of the spirit get lost in ones own hatred and insecurities.
That is just sick! What a bunch of hypocrits who tell everyone else how to live but don't realize the conceit they have. When someone condemns another they are saying that they know the answer, they are God - sins of Adam.
Carol, I see you as an inspiration to be the light on the hill, thank you! Those others are just jealous of your Joy
there are no comments, so let me be the first to say....you'll be okay carol! you don't need anyone's approval to pursue what you feel in your heart to be the truth. And even if we're both dead wrong, simply knowing that our hearts are pure, and truly well-intentioned, the lord will let that overshadow and outshine over any small minded and legalistic thinking...the *devils* in the details... loves in the big picture!
I just remembered why I swear too much.
I find it no great surprise there are atheists.
What I am amazed about is how many gay Christians there are and how much they desire, in the face of rejection by "Christians", a faith community.
How can anyone not stand for gay rights?
Thank god there is a movement of young Christians that are accepting, affirming and loving. How lucky for me to know so many of them.
Here is what Jesus says:
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Matt 25 vs 41-46 (NIV)
Well....just because someone is Christian (or Muslim, or Jewish, or...) doesn't mean they are immune from having a mental illness.
When someone claims Christ's love and then immediately engages in violence ("Go shoot yourself," etc), that is NOT a sign of mental health. The demise of logical thought processes is a hallmark of serious cognition issues.
When I see that sort of impaired thinking, I do worry for their immediate families. They must be really hard people with whom to live.
My stomach is in knots. I'm nearly weeping, but I'm at work and must hold back. This is horrible...how is it that those who profess to love Jesus can be filled with such poison and vitriol? Surely it has something to do with fear. But still...is there any excuse?
I'm so sorry you and Ray have to deal with this shit(and that is what it is if that word offends anyone.)
You're very nice for omitting their e-mail addresses. Otherwise, I think some people would probably have some things to say to them directly.
Too bad you don't have as many readers as Dooce. She just started posting her hatemail on Monetizing the Hate (http://dooce.com/hate/), a website covered in ads. That way, when people send her hateful mail, it just creates more money for her!
These comments obviously aren't spoken in "Christian love" and are spoken out of hatred on a view they have never taken time to research or understand.
Thank you, Carol for sharing honestly with your readers the truth and reality of the hatred that so many unfortunately harbor in their hearts. Do they ever read what they write and realize the hatred deep within their own hearts.
Unacceptable and completely inappropriate on every level imaginable. I'm so terribly sorry. Bless you.
- Ruthie
As the soon-to-be-ex-wife of a gay man, I am just sickened by those emails. Those folks are only deluding themselves if they think they are Christian. The scripture from Matthew quoted by Tavdy is one of my favorites and when these hateful people spew their vitriol at you and Ray, they are spewing it at our Lord.
Is it any wonder the largest growing population of believers is the "unchurched?" I count myself amongst those who say "I am spiritual but not religious." I cannot abide by the hypocrisy I've found in some churches. I didn't divorce my husband because he's gay. I did it because he was spiraling out of control down a path of promiscuity and I could not let myself be dragged down with him. I pray he can get help for that problem and learn to live openly and happily as a gay man.
Bless you. Keep your chin up and stay strong. The Lord is on your side.
Hello Carol, just wanted to say that I was one of the people who sent a supportive e-mail to the website and people like this are just wrong in their thinking. Please don't let them get you angry! Jesus was the most rejected man on Earth. Just think, while these letters are certainly hateful, they also give you the opportunity to respond as Jesus would! :) Much love and support to you and your family.
Sadly, I can't say as any of these responses surprise me. Some people are filled with such hate and fear, it's actually quite pitiable.
The thing is, I think it's actually fear of who they believe God is. They have to act this way, or they might be seen as "approving" of what they think God hates. And if that were to happen, then they believe that "God" would hate them. To live with that kind of anti-faith is horrible.
I do hope Ray is also getting at least as many loving and supportive comments as well. As someone who used to spend hours listening to songs like "Thank You For Giving to the Lord" and "Watch the Lamb," I have a great deal of respect for him, myself.
In all fairness, there are many positive and very supportive e-mails that come to the website. I just get tired of not putting up the negative ones, and these just are examples. Plus, then you hear the fundamentalists say, "Well, we don't hate homosexuals. We love them, we just ..." There are many far worse than the ones I shared.
These emails support my theory that the problem isn't in the Bible at all, because there is nothing Christian in their statements. Those who are most virulent in their opposition have found a weapon in some verses in the Bible and they are using them in pretense of Christianity. And to those who are such "defenders" of God: God doesn't need defending. He's God, for heaven's sake.
The problem is a cultural one. Some will never be swayed, and we cannot expend energy on them. Most are simply mirroring the culture they grew up in and have not questioned it. We must give them reason to question. Carol, you already know that won't happen with red-faced screaming. It won't work on us; why would it work on anyone else?
Keep up the good fight. Delete the hatefulness without a second thought. It is not they we are striving to reach. God bless you and your ministry.
You know what I say? I say - God bless you Carol. And bless Ray. I don't listen to Christian music and heard about your site from a dear friend of mine who is a Christian gay man.
It hurts my heart to read such hateful things. I think about the words of some man who attended the recent ELCA conference - he basically said, if I'm going to err in my judgment - I am going to err on the side of grace.
Thank you for carrying this banner, Carol ... know that there are many people out there who love all of God's children. Not just the straight ones. :)
The "love in Christ" is my favorite part. Yeeeeah.
Thanks for your blog Carol. Thanks to Ray for coming out. It helps.
But God says "let he that is without sin among you cast the first stone." That would not be me. I hope you all love me inspite of any sins I may have in my life. I'm guessing the commentors might not. And I am straight married mother of 5 if that is relevant. Sometimes "christians" (in parenthesis because are they really followers of Christ?) are so hateful toward everyone. Carol I haven't even read the rest of your blog yet but before I do I want you to know that there are many who are here to love and support you. And I don't know what is going on with Ray right now, since I haven't read, but my husband of 25 years and I were engaged after one of his concerts.
Awww, do we have to publish the psychos? :( We know they're out there, but they really shouldn't represent us. I have no doubt that most Christians are not so deceived into these ridiculous double standards.
Well sometimes I just can't take the meanness, and I have to show it to make me know I'm not just having a nightmare. Like I said, I don't make it up.
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