God vs. Gay? Quotes

“Yes, eros and agape are different, but the stifling of the former leads to a distortion of the latter.”
― Jay Michaelson, God vs. Gay?: The Religious Case for Equality

“For me, religion comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.”
― Jay Michaelson, God vs. Gay?: The Religious Case for Equality

“Love of other people may take many forms, from brotherly love between members of a faith community to the love that inspires us to mete out justice fairly, clothe the naked, and feed the hungry. When an earthquake strikes, it is an act of love to give of our time and resources to those who are suffering. When injustice takes place, it is an act of love to shout in protest. And when a population is vilified, subjugated, and despised; when the members of that group are mischaracterized and slandered; when selective teachings of religious faith are used as cudgels—then the mandate to love compels us to learn more, engage more, and finally to stand up for those who have been wronged.”
― Jay Michaelson, God vs. Gay?: The Religious Case for Equality

“Sexuality is not just sex; sexuality is at the essence of who we are as human beings. In the words of theologian James B. Nelson, “sexuality always involves much more than what we do with our genitals. More fundamentally, it is who we are as body-selves who experience the emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual need for intimate communion, both creaturely and divine.”8 To hate an essential part of a person is to hate the person.”
― Jay Michaelson, God vs. Gay?: The Religious Case for Equality

“What some folks don’t understand about the closet is that it’s not just a set of walls around sexual behavior. It’s a net of lies that affects absolutely everything in one’s life: how you dress, who you befriend, how you walk, how you talk. And how you love.”
― Jay Michaelson, God vs. Gay?: The Religious Case for Equality