“I just dropped down on my knees and said, ‘God, if you’re really there, and if you really have a plan for me, please remove this from me. Please take this away from me. I just can’t deal with it anymore. It is too painful and torturous to feel this.’ And that’s when He said, ‘David, you need to stop asking me this.’ And that took me aback. I said ‘What do you mean?’ And He said, ‘You can’t change something that I intended. It doesn’t matter how many times you asked me this, I’m not going to change something that I intended for you.’”–Singer, actor and former American Idol contestant David Archuleta, recalling years of struggling with his sexuality because of his devout Mormon upbringing. In an interview with the Dallas Observer, Archuleta recalls the moment he knew God told him to accept his sexuality. The singer is about to embark on a holiday concert tour, and now says he has no problem reconciling his faith with his gayness.
Chrisk
That story just gave me the warm fuzzies. Lol
Good on him though. I’m glad his invisible friend is so good at conversation and totally supports him.
Mister P
I agree. Too many people think the invisible man in the sky hates them.
Erik
The phrase “the invisible man in the sky ” is the equivalent of ‘gay lifestyle choice’. Your decision to use a pejorative phrase reflects your character, nothing more.
ingyaom
Christianity is a “lifestyle choice”; homosexuality is not … but you knew that already.
wikidBSTN
Ever stop to think that everyone is not like you – that people perceive and experience things differently than you do? Not every Christian is a bigot (far from it) – and not every gay person is open-minded and tolerant.
ZzBomb
People who think they talk to “god” and hear its voice in their head need a mental evaluation.
Charlie in Charge
It’s funny, the unwavering certainty of atheists is a lot like the unwavering certainty of fundamentalist Christians. Many people believe they have a relationship with the divine and when that relationship yields positive results (see above story) I think it’s lovely.
Erik
Homophobes insist that GLBTQ people need mental evaluation, and only ‘think’ that they experience love. Atheism is a depraved prejudice, just like homophobia, manifesting in the same vile, self-serving and abusive behavior.
Kangol2
@Erik wrote: “Atheism is a depraved prejudice.” Did you escape from a loony bin or something? Or do you not understand atheism and agnosticism? Probably both.
msfrost
When you pray, you are talking to yourself!!!
Brian
George W. Bush used to say stuff like this a lot. When people asked him about decisions regarding the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, he wouldn’t quote experts or generals. He said god spoke to him. It was a way to avoid taking responsibility. No god was directing him to go to war or to increase troops. It was a lie.
stanhope
Good for him to finally accept himself as he is……my goodness his ass is a bit of heaven
Cam
His coming out announcement was still toeing the “Gay Mormon” party line. Sounds like he’s slowly starting to break away from the cult mindset. Good for him.
SFMike
It’s so nice the voices in his head told him he’s OK and not to harm himself or others. The ravings of cultists are not entertaining or funny, just sad.
Erik
Thanks for demonstrating that atheism is the worst prejudice of all.
Jaquelope
What is sad is that so many fail to understand how God talks to us, and call it a delusion or some other derogatory term. I’m sure that if God appeared to these deniers, in His full Glory, they would still deny His existence and power.
Everyone can believe what they want to, as we all have been given that privilege, but ignoring Him, and denying Him is not, I believe, the way to live your life, or to continue into the next life.
It could be that He HAS spoken to you, but in your chutzpah and listening to the Great Deceiver (who is very subtle in His whisperings, and can speak to us in the same way God can/often does) you deny Him, and damn yourself for all Eternity.
The finite can not fully understand the Infinite.
Mack
@Erik & Jaquelope you believe all the bullshit you want. Because it’s nothing more than bullshit. The “bible” is a book written by MAN, NOT A GOD, with all the prejudices and bigotry of mankind. I’ve learned a long time ago that it’s nothing more than a way to control idiot people and it seems to be working with you.
Openminded
@Mack, Why is it so hard for non believers to allow others to be believers? Even if God is a man made fabrication, it helps keep the masses grounded, somewhat satisfied, and civil to a large degree. Can you imagine the crime and carnage if there were no fear for the afterlife?
Myself, I’ve definitely received many messages and blessings from God. I can’t say I have ever actually had God speak to me, but the messages come across loud and clear. I encourage any Non believer to simply start recognizing any “blessings” aka “good luck or good fortune” and sincerely thank God for them and you will see how your blessings are multiplied. Yeah, trying to be a decent Christian isn’t always easy, but it certainly makes life in general much easier. Even if I’m proven wrong, what have I actually lost?
iveivan
Do you also thank God for your bad luck?
Chrisk
Openminded
Yes. You’re hedging your bets…..just in case. That would explain most of todays Christians in my experience.
Chrisk
Erik
You do realize that everyone is an athiest right? Do you believe in the teachings of Islam or Hinduism? No? Ok infidel.
Openminded
@Ivecian, Actually I always try to find good in the few times I have “bad luck”. A positive state of mind does wonders for how one sees the world. If you think the world only sh*ts on you, all you can see is sh*t.
Phillip
Dear Jaquelope,
It could be that the “voice” you are hearing is nothing more than the delusions you are creating so you can believe in some sort of deity to worship.
I do not believe in deities or need them to make me feel good or explain my existence on this earth or need so that I will be “a good little boy” to make it to a fictional place in the sky so I can be with other hypocrites like yourself who like to pretend you are better than others because you worship a fake god.
Please spare me your condescending platitudes and homilies. I’m at peace without sermons from you believers.
Prinny
Queerty ban Erik and Jaquelope for their homophobia
Openminded
Believing in God does not make you a homophobe. Why is it queer people think that being queer is the only important thing in life?
Prinny
Another bigot
Chrisk
Openminded
One is real while the other isn’t and both have nothing to do with each other so I’m not sure where your argument is.
Openminded
@Chrisk, I didn’t see anything remotely homophobic in their comments so it appears the OP was the one connecting Christians with homophobes.
Fahd
I believe that Mormons especially believe in revelations (communications from God) that occur when one prays on or about a particular topic. I believe it is part of their tradition. For example, I believe that the acceptance of People of Color into Mormonism and their priesthood was a result of a revelation that the elders had when they prayed on the topic.
So, I think it is interesting that he came to accept his sexuality as a result of a communication from God, a “revelation”. I’m not a Mormon, so I might have the revelation thing wrong, but if not, I think what God reveals to one gay Mormon, he may reveal to other gay Mormons and before you know it, it may be God’s will that the Mormon church permits/embraces gay marriage, etc.
gaym50ish
The “revelations” that bring change to the LDS Church are based on practical considerations rather than divine ephiphany. Wilford Woodruff, who was president of the church in the late 1880s, ended the practice of polygamy so that Utah could become a state. And they allowed people of color into the church leadership through another revelation because the church was expanding to the far corners of the world. It became impossible to have white leaders everywhere.
Jon in Canada
Schizophrenia, it’s not always a bad thing.
winemaker
Proven scientific and medical fact: Sexual orientation is determined at birth. This has been argued for years and has been proven and is no longer up for debate or argument . Time for people to face facts, you can’t change your inherent attraction, like waving a magic wand and suddenly you’re straight, it doesn’t work that way. You’re either born gay or straight so conversion therapy is pure BULLSHIT and does more harm than good. Time for gay people to realize the mormon church ( if you could call this cult a ‘church’ ) will never fully accept you for what you are, but you will be ‘permitted’ to remain just as long as you play by the rules, like tithing and living a lie etc. Who in their right mind would live like this? BTW: the mormon church aka ‘the church Jesus Christ of latter day saints’ is not a true Christian church as it wasn’t born out of the Protestant Reformation of the 1500’s and has been determined a cult by the Catholic and Protestant churches. As a practicing gay Catholic man I know God doesn’t make mistakes as he’s infallible ( please no negative comments against organized religion here as we’re in America and allowed to believe as we want to)
Donston
It has not been scientifically proven that sexual orientation is determined by birth. I don’t know why some of y’all like to state things as facts that aren’t factual. There’s still a ton of studies and scientific/psychological debate around sexuality and why certain things occur. And no one has proven that it’s determined by birth.
I suspect sexuality is determined by birth and based mostly on physiology for some. While it’s something that develops over time for others. Sexuality itself has a lot of different factors (rates and types of attractions, arousal, desire, enjoyment, potential paraphiliacs, your general sex drive). There’s also how much sense of gender/gender expressions effect things for people. There’s the fluidity or contradictions some folks experience. There’s also the entirety of the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, comfort, commitment spectrum. So, let’s not be basic and let’s not broad-stroke everyone in order to justify something or prove something. It’s time to move past that.
As far as religion goes, I respect it though it undoubtedly can be a crutch and definitely can be damaging. While I am leery of someone so religious and so caught up in religious acceptance that they claim god told them it was okay to be gay. But it’s ultimately his life, journey and belief system.
Kevan1
@Donston It is scientifically held homosexuality is genetic.
Donston
It hasn’t been proven to be genetic. It’s been theorized to be genetic, not proven. There’s a lot of theories concerning “queerness”, but none have been proven. The closest to being somewhat proven is a small study around how gender dimensions can start to form in the brain at a young age in some people. Also, that it’s more likely for a male to be “queer” if he has older brothers, which can be the result of a lot of different things (hormonal, environmental, experience). But never mind the “gays” who have no older brothers or are only child’s.
At the end of the day, people need to stop desperately looking towards science to justify their dimensions and their lives. Anti-gay/anti-queer don’t give a shit about science. And the science isn’t even really there. Also, in a desperate plea to prove something you end up dismissing a lot of people’s personal experiences and development. People are the way they are for varied reasons. Everyone has their own thing going on and their own journey as far as sexuality, gender, psychology, experience, struggles, the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotional investment, relationship comfort, commitment spectrum. And all of that is okay. We don’t have to keep looking for broad-stroked, basic answers to “prove” or justify something.
Mister P
Religion does not make people more civil.
There is no proof of god and the Bible is fiction.
Jim
If someone needs to say that god told them to accept themselves I’ve no problem with it.
It’s the one that justify their bad behavior by claiming god told them to, that irk me.
cuteguy
Ppl who allegedly “live by the Bible”, always use the Bible as saying that sex between two men is wrong bc the Bible says so. And if you are gay you are to ask for forgiveness even tho that is how God made you. Well the Bible also says that a woman is dirty for 7 days bc of her period. Who don’t these same religious zealots ask for forgiveness for their “dirty periods”? The answer is simple, bc they don’t want to ostracize 50.1 percent of the population. It’s easier to attack a more smaller oppressed group. Bottomline, the Bible is the word of man. Not the word of God. I will ALWAYS believe in God, but once I separated God from cult religions, I was much more at peace
Ronbo
God is time. Over time, all is created and all is lost. Your time on earth is your time to express love … which you seem to know and express. More comments please.
Openminded
@Cuteguy, I totally agree that it is important to realize the difference between God and the Church. Too many people love and believe their church leader more than they do God.
Heywood Jablowme
That’s weird because God told me that Archy should “drop to his knees” and BLOW ME. 🙂
Kevan1
No better than a homophobic jerk spreading hate.
mailliw110
I always thought your screen name was a call for help.
jw8890
Wow some of these comments are just disgusting and hateful
rickywintour
Oh shut up religion bigot and stop trying to force your beliefs on others.
Heywood Jablowme
Good, that’s what we were going for!
Inspector 57
Now there’s a perfect example of a classic religious tactic: “You can’t say that! You can’t disagree with me! You can’t argue with scientific evidence! It’s completely unacceptable because it OFFENDS my religious beliefs!”
Blue.Jacket
Well, well, well… David’s gay. Who didn’t see this coming? God blessed me with a Queer Eye and I just won a lot of bets.
scotty
What kind of stereo works best in hell?
Chrisk
Lame.
Halfnhalf
I don.t understand these attacks on atheists. Either you can prove the existance of God or you can’t. We know what that answer is.
Openminded
I don’t attack athiests but I believe your question can be turned back on you. Prove there isn’t a God.
baggins435
Back in the 70s I came to terms with liking boys. I don’t remember ever hearing anything about gays, so I thought I was the only one. I prayed for years to like girls and nothing happened except I gave up on religion. There was no real angst about it, I just kept it to myself until I got to college. There I learned there were other guys who liked guys, even in the deep South. It was still years later I found out two of my brothers were also gay. I’ve never understood why the Right thinks people choose to be LGBT as I’ve never met a gay person who wanted to be gay, they just accepted that that is the way they are.
Blue.Jacket
Does anyone else wonder if David is asking God to help him by stopping being a homosexual, or if he’s asking for relief concerning his personal angst about simply accepting it? I read “take this away from me. I just can’t deal with it anymore. It is too painful and torturous to feel this.” as both pleading for heterosexuality or stopping the internal conflict of the entire issue. Read the quote and substitute It and This with ‘being gay’ or ‘the decision’. Similarly there is “Please remove this from me.” he asks God, which sounds like either remove being gay or the acknowledgement, questioning and decision to accept it. Like ‘Take the gay desire away or take away the desire to remove it.’ Any thoughts…
kboi808
Dunston, I almost always agree with things you say here as your answers generally are well thought out. They have proven a difference between straight and gay men in the hypothalamus. Those of gay men were similar but different from those of straight men. I agree that nurture can play a part for some, but only in that they may have not discovered themselves up to that point or the desire to suppress who they might be in order to “fit in”.
Donston
That’s another theory that hasn’t been fully proven. A couple of studies showed that there is a brain difference between some gay-presenting men and straight-presenting, but it’s not consistent enough to claim it’s the case for all inherently homosexual bio males. And it’s not consistent enough to use as the sole reason for homosexuality. Furthermore, the argument is that people are “born gay”, not that there is a difference in brain development. No one have proven the “born ‘gay” theory.
I have very little doubt that physiology, genes, hormones and brain development are key parts of orientation. Some people are indeed likely “born ‘gay” or at least have certain genes or hormones that make the development of queerness more likely. The point I’m making is that everyone is different for different reasons. Genes, hormones, environment, experience, psychological development all play different roles in who people are, the dimensions of their sexuality, their ego and mental health, and where they are in the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotional investment, relationship comfort, commitment spectrum. We need to move on from trying to find an easy, broad-stroking answer to everything in order to justify something to people who don’t give a shit.
Al
Such a a difficult argument when religion is being discussed. Fundamentalists argue that the Bible is literally true and a guide, like one of those construction diagrams for an IKEA bookshelf. Their opponents say the Bible is myth. But myth isn’t untrue. Myth is truth clothed in metaphor and legend and poetry (read Song of Solomon – when’s that going to banned?).
But I love this story, it’s just like when Elijah was hiding in a cave (closet?) not sure what to do;
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a]a still small voice.
13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
It’s the still small voice that we need to listen to, not the earthquake and the tornado.
Chrisk
Damn. Do you talk to voices in your head too?
Paulie P
I wonder if it was Bea Arthur….like in that episode of GG….when they are all in bed together and Rose prays outloud and boom….. God talks to her. But it was really Bea….. 🙂
strap2900
Can you imagine if “God” really did answer him,,,he would poop his pants.
Terrycloth
I love the religious nuts. ” It’s Adam and Eve. NOT Adam and Steve ” then I say well, if God dosent like gay people then why did he make so many ? ” And God according you you makes no mistakes how do they explain YOU ??”
ScottOnEarth
Hilarious! When you start having “conversation” with God, you might want to seek help. Organized religion is a toxic joke.