A SEVERE BLOW TO HUMAN RIGHTS IN INDIA

On July 2nd 2009, Gay rights activists in India hailed the first progressive law that uplifted the reign of oppression and terror that was prevalent in the lives of LGBT Indians. From that day a lot of progress was made on this issue. Movies in India started to portray a few gay more gay people without the stereotypical effeminate displays in their aspects. Bollywood has become a little more gay friendly. Pride parades all over India has maximized the visibility of gay people in India. 
Today, all this progress made, cease of exist. The shocking blow to human rights, a day after World human rights day, when the Supreme court of India upheld the section 377 that criminalized gay sex between consensual adults was put back in law. It was very unbelievable for many of the Indian citizens to have a country, that has progressed a lot in the last 5 years, suddenly turn back time on 5% of its citizens.
The issue of Section 377 is NOT a political one, Its not even a matter of religious right winged hypocritical extremists having their bigoted beliefs. Its about putting 2 adults in jail for loving each other. The verdict came at around 10:30 am December 11th 2013. Inside the newly stained and disgraced court, activists broke down in tears when they heard that they are back where they started. The verdict was largely condemned by many political figures, youth icons and movie stars in India. Hours after the verdict, Twitter was overflowing with tweets that showed outright condemnation to the medieval judgement.
Just in a day, 50 million people were labeled as criminals. Young gay kids living in villages will now be forced to enter into sham marriages and marriages of convenience. Openly gay people will find it hard to get a job or being admitted in school or colleges. Even at a time, when the catholic church of Mumbai was near to approach liberalism, the people of the law acted in disgrace to dishonor human integrity. 
The law states that "Any carnal intercourse contrary to nature will be punished by a term of maximum 10 years". Even though this law is often used to target homosexual community, In a wider context, this law makes heterosexual oral sex, heterosexual anal sex and use of condoms illegal. Even in some context, it would seem that people older than 50 years of age, engaging in sexual acts can be punished by this law. Even though convictions are a huge possibility, the vital point at this stage is Harassment, Blackmail and torture by the police against the homosexual community. The Archdiocese of Delhi welcomed this law but continued by saying that the church should show compassion to homosexuals. So lemme ask these hypocritical self-righteous bigots: WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE TERM "COMPASSION"? Did the compassion was shown when so many people are now living in fear of prejudice? Is your compassion lies when these people are now thinking of taking their lives? or your compassion lies when innocent kids are molested in your churches across the world?
This event which sent shockwaves across the world, is now being looked on by many politicians. The BJP India (Equivalent to the American Tea Party) is highly regressive on this issue with its religion driven values n laws. The President of the Congress party, also showed support towards the LGBT community. However, Now the question is- what we are to do in the mean time? Wait for another gay teen to take his own life or wait for two women to be put in prison for engaging in same sex acts? This day has brought darkness on India. We have come back right we started- in 1860.
I dont know what will be my fate! Whether I will be forced to put a couple of aspirins and end my life or will I beaten by the police for refusing to give them bribe? I really dont know. But one thing I do know is that a single injustice done against the LGBT community now, is sorely on the hands of India. I couldnt be any more disgraced being a part of this country.  Today the only abuse I find to be more disgusting above anything is to be called an INDIAN.

Can I support gay rights as a Christian?

Today the majority of the anti-gay conservatives who are spreading as well as exporting homophobia in their country and to other countries call themselves Evangelical Christians. Their belief doesnt end on the point that marriage is between a man and a woman, but they believe that Gay people are sinners who are doomed to be burnt in hell for eternity. They do not allow for any protection for LGBT rights or any rights of them to have a family. If asked for their reasons, They cite verses from Leviticus, Romans and Corinthians that seems to condemn gay people, when the clobber passages are read allowed.

Truth is that, even though the Bible is almost silent on gay people, it says very little against gay people or same sex love. Whether its the vengeful story of Sodom and Gomorrah, or the ancient jewish codes of Leviticus or the New Testament- gay sex is rarely spoken against in these verses. In Sodom and Gomorrah, the incident of INHOSPITALITY , ADULTERY AND GREED as was written in Ezekiel, was later re-interpreted as evidence that God hates gays. The Book of Leviticus that states twice that gay people are sinners and should be put to death. Even though in hebrew the passage appears something else completely, This verse was too mis-interpreted as a verse against gay people. Fundamentalists have attached anti-gay lies with these verses, changing the meaning of these passages completing and filling them with hatred and as a Divine message that approves segregation.

Unfortunately, these hypocrites are completely unknown of the truth of the law give to Christians by Christ, not only manage to destroy the world with their hate but they destroy the very fiber of Christianity. A belief that stood only for compassion and love, now turned as a way to persecute innocent lives by entangling them in false accusations and making them look like sinners by the true pharisees.

Romans 13:10- "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."- Suffice to say, that LOVE is the law of Christ. There is no greater commandment in the Bible by Christ other than love. So, if 2 people are sharing this love, should their love be rejected only for the fact that they are of the same sex? Matthew 7:1- “Do not judge, or you too will be judged."- A verse said by Christ himself reads that we have sinned just like the rest. So who are we to condemn others to hell? Unless and until you have the keys to the pearly gates, You should never tell anyone who can go in and who cant. 

What Christianity is NOT!

What Christianity is NOT!
Charasmatic and fundamentalist Christians today in America and around the world are moving forward with their personal ignorance and bigotry against their own neighbors, while labeling it as God's will. Whether talking about Gay rights, Right to choose or the status of immigrants, Fundamentalists have a huge card to play in these cases. Majority of Mainstream Christians have been blinded by their personal disdain against the people, they think are different from them, and hence are bashed by "clobber passages" from the Bible. These hypocrites are a lot less concerned with what the gospel says and with what they feel that God says. 

But as Jesus says in Matthew 6:24- "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." So, it clearly says that one cannot hear both Christ's message of peace and the personal disdain for peace at the same time. People, who claim themselves to be as loving and compassionate as Christ but feel the need to take away every bit of happiness from people, how can they actually be Christians? 

The New Testament, which is the only record of the life of Jesus Christ, tells of many stories where Christ condemned self-righteous hypocrite religious leaders who were believers of empty rituals then of acceptance. Jesus's ministry was dedicated to the broken, the sinners, the outcast-ed, without a single word of condemnation against them. Instead of shouting on inhumane and degrading judgments on the people he preached to, he commanded them to love one another. 

But 2000 years later, people are still trying to interpret the scriptures in their own way, keeping their bigotry and ignorance to make the way in the passages. Churches that beg for donations but donate a few to the hungry and homeless, certainly have gone on the wrong side of "Traditional Christian beliefs". In a world where people call themselves as Servants of God and yet continue to support Hate for the minorities, Greed and idolization of Money, That world doesnt belong to the righteous, but to the pharisees.