6-19-2016
Orlando: Has Become A Hot Topic In The Washington Prison System
In the wake of the Orlando tragedy I find myself running into conversation about the killer. On one hand many are convinced he was a cold blooded premeditating murdered. On the other people believe he was obviously homosexual. 
The main conclusion? Most I run into believe he was homosexual and ashamed. That the only way to reconcile himself to his God was to do that...obviously irrational. 
I want to point something out to everyone, not just the LGBT community. In fact, I'm talking directly to religious leaders here: 
Do you see what is happening? Your teaching love, but conditionally. God loves you if....God loves you, no matter what, as long as your not...
You see you can't teach that God loves anything conditionally. Under conditional love we will always violate said condition, its inevitable. God, no matter what title He carries, loves us UNCONDITIONALLY. Do you even know the meaning of that? It means there is NOTHING that can separate us from the love of God. Nothing, not homosexuality, not stupidity, not bigotry or even teaching people to conditionally love. God is heartbroken by us. What we've done as a collective with His Word is twisted and self serving. Which is against everything that God is. It is so sad that a man could be so ashamed of himself that he feels the only way to redeem himself to God is to massacre those that are like him. No God I serve teaches that. Its sickening that pastors and religious leaders are still trying to teach a twelfth commandment that doesn't exist. We were given ten by God and then Jesus came and summed them up, love, love love. Which commandment do I break by being gay, or transgender...or lesbian or bisexual or pansexual or intersex or asexual? As if any of us had a choice to begin with. Any fool can point a finger, but its Gods love that reads our hearts. 
Religious teachers need to get a grip. I have a hard time going to church in prison as a gay man. I walk in the room and I immediately get bombarded with stares and glares. But I think its important to go to these places and force familiarization. Forcing religious leaders to see us as equals. I don't know what the answers are. But this has to stop. Maybe its time I start going to church again?

With Love
Jeff Utnage