Sunday, June 12, 2005

How Does it Feel to Give Up?

Twenty years ago I wrote a song called "Are you Saved?" that began:

This time of night, it could go either way.
Go looking for God, or try to get laid.

The chorus:

Are you saved? Are you saved?
How does it feel to give up?
Are you saved? Are you saved?
Could you recommend
Someone to your friend?

Thanks to majikthise for the insight, I could have been writing about Love in Action.

"The mission of Love in Action is to communicate a message of hope and to impart courage to a world facing homosexuality and its subsequent issues. We believe that finding freedom in Jesus Christ is God's love in action."

It turns out one of the "subsequent issues" is shame about having gay loved ones, and one of them is a kid named Zack who has been sent by his parents to an LIA re-education camp called Refuge. He could be living there for two years, until he straightens out.

Before he went under, Zack posted the rules of the Refuge.

After reading through the regulations, I am starting to gain a deeper understading of the gay life style and how it comes about:

• The clients may not wear Abercrombie and Fitch or Calvin Klein brand clothing, undergarments, or accessories.

• Absolutely no journaling or keeping a diary ... unless directed or approved by staff.

• Refuge clients may only read materials approved by staff.

• No television viewing, going to movies, or reading/watching/listening to secular media of any kind... This includes listening to classical or instrumental music that is not expressly Christian (Beethoven, Bach, etc. are not considered Christian).

• Refuge clients may not enter any restuarants with bars, even when accompanied by a parent or guardian.

• Refuge clients must be accompanied by a parent during any trip to a public restroom.

• No access to malls of any kind.

• Clients are not allowed to visit any video, music or media stores that are not expressly Christian, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian.

• Refuge clients are allowed a one-time 15-minute maximum closed bathroom door time for shower/grooming purposes. The only other closed-door alone time allowed is for using the restroom.

• Refuge clients must keep their bedroom doors open at all times, day or night.

• Proper bedclothes must be worn during nighttime sleeping hours. Appropriate bedclothes include full pajamas (tops and bottoms) or a pair of non-underwear-type shorts and a T-shirt. Nightgowns are not allowed.

• Be honest, authentic, and real.

I'm sure it's for their own good.

The regs are interspersed with scriptural authority, including this, um, excerpt:

Psalm 133:1-3: 1 See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, That ran down on the beard, Even Aaron's beard; That came down on the edge of his robes; 3 Like the dew of Hermon, That comes down on the hills of Zion: For there Yahweh gives the blessing, Even life forevermore.

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