Disclaimer: If you don't want to listen to me talk about religion, please bypass this. Feel free to click away from my page instead of leaving a comment, if it's something you don't like. I respect your opinion on the matter-- but I would also like to request that you respect mine.

For the last few years, I've been a practicing Odinist. For those of you who know the religion, it's got a lot of "For glory! For Odin! For fighting and the pleasure of life" in it. I've been struggling in trying to figure out of this was the right choice for me. I feel strong ties to the gods-- my namesake, especially. But it hasn't felt 100% right. Though I don't think that anything ever will, just because of the kind of person I am.

Someone dear to me pointed out recently that when it comes down to the line, my first reaction is to pray to the Christian God. In thinking about it, I don't think I've ever completely left that religion. What pushed me away from it was something very bad that happened in the church. It's taken me many, many years to realize that it's not God that did that. He didn't say "I want this bad thing to happen to this good person.". A -person- did it. Of their own will. Of their own volition. Since then, I assocaited Bad Things with Christianity. But in recent contemplation, I've realized: with that religion, with that God, I feel at home. I feel safe.

I thought, too, though-- but does God want someone who's transgender, bisexual and who enjoys a very unique outlook on sex? I think He does. If God didn't want me to be the person that I am- if He didn't want me to face these challenges and to be true to myself through them... He wouldn't have made me like this. I know that the person that I am presents more challenges in the Christian faith-- but past the opinions of man, past the political ideals of people who have affiliation with the church, I think that God loves me for me. For who I am under everything that I struggle through and with.

If you've read this far, you've probably seen this next part coming. I'm officially going back to Christianity. Yes, it's a strange move for me to take. But it feels right. I hope to be one of the Christians who's tolerant and kind, and who loves people for who they are and not what they do. I don't think that that part of me will ever change-- looking down on people for who they love, or who they feel they are isn't my way. And in regards to the 'Christian standpoint', as my very Christian sister, Ziri, said to me: "When it comes down to it, Jesus just doesn't want us to hate. Don't hate, and look to him. It's the worst paraphrasing EVER, but it's accurate."

And I agree.

Thanks for reading!

© G. Loki Cornelow

Note: I know that Loki doesn't have his spots in this picture; I may or may not add them later-- technically, he doesn't -have- to have them, according to his character design, since he can change then around. Maybe he's just so content that he didn't feel he needed them at the moment? ^^;