At Odds with Faith

Today I was reading an article about the Mormon
Church in relation to the LGBT community,
and it made me think about some of the
people and experiences I have had in regard
to those of varying faiths interacting with
ideas at odds with their religion.

There was a time that I was calling a dating
line that was more of a phone sex type of line
for many. One of the people I met there was
an Orthodox Jew. A married one. With kids.

It was interesting speaking with him. He told
me how things were in relation to relationships
and his religion, and they were very strict.

It made it impossible for him to have the kind
of dynamic with his wife that would resemble
anything he might flirt with on a line like
the one we met on...and not that he would
necessarily want that, even if it was possible.

Not too surprisingly, the taboo (and his
curiosity) drew him in.

In the time that I have taken calls as an
erotic hypnotist, I have had priests, Mormons,
and those of the Jewish faith call, among others.

In the strictest sense of their religions, there
should never, ever be a reason for any of them
to call a line like what I have, and speak to
someone who does the kind of "work" I do.

In their religion, what they are doing would
be considered wrong, and yet they are doing
what - in some way - feels personally right.

For a long time I have suspected that the best
way to interest someone in something is to
make it taboo. It then has an invisible magnetic
quality that pulls people in.

I suspect certain things will still be of interest
to people, taboo or not, but when cultural devices
(such as religion) say "NO," I think it only
encourages what then gets labelled as "bad" behavior.

In a way, this entry is a complement to the last
blog entry about thinking for oneself. Religion
certainly does not encourage that, however I
suspect that there can be some really wonderful
people in the world without having a religious
background and label. In addition, if you were
to study religions now, you would find that there
are a multitude of choices and beliefs and practices,
even within the same type of label. So who's to say
who's right?

Of course, there are those who would disagree with
what I write here, and I'd say "good for them!"
(as long as they are thinking for themselves, and
the religion isn't doing the talking for them. I
know some may say religion knows best, but that
is a whole other conversation that is probably
best not to get into now as it would likely cloud
the discussion at hand. Suffice it to say, at
the core, I don't necessarily agree that religion
knows best, but how we would best determine a
perspective that would work for everyone is anyone's
guess, and not one faith or person has a lock on
an ultimate answer - yet - as far as I can tell).

I can't say what's best for any one person or any
one culture, but what I can do is ask questions
and present perspectives and observe how people
interact with ideas...and, it may be good to remember
that the same holds true for others. As frustrating
as it may sometimes be, I'd like to
think it is ultimately a good thing.