The Truth About Jesus Freaks
As humans, we yearn to please our loved ones, and we take delight in doing so. It is something that we learn almost the moment we are born. Our first "potty" is a joyous occasion; our parents scream with excitement, and we are rewarded with hugs, kisses, and our parent's laughter. It seems that the older we get, and the more we are able to discern what is pleasing to our loved ones, the more apt we are to deceive them in the event that a certain aspect of our life does not agree with their views. In Eric Marcus' essay, Ignorance Is Not Bliss, he expresses sympathy toward gays and lesbians in the military who must abide by the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and contemplates the degree of grief they must experience by describing his misery as a result of hiding his sexuality from his grandmother. Because of the close bond that Marcus shares with his grandmother, hiding the truth from her becomes increasingly difficult because as he states, homosexuality is not something that merely affects his sexual lifestyle; moreover, it influences the decisions he makes, the people he associates with, and topics he chooses to write about as a journalist. Ma
Although Marcus' grandmother is deeply saddened by his revelation, her acceptance, unconditional love, and dismissal of her misconceptions of gays is best illustrated during a dinner following a gay civil rights speech Marcus presents at Lafayette College-she reassures another gay student that telling his parents he was gay was the right thing to do, and she simply says, "Don't underestimate their ability to change. Ultimately, Marcus realizes that the only way to break the barrier between himself and his grandmother is to come out of the closet, even if doing so results in her rejection, or the loss of her love. rcus feels that since he can no longer share those things precious to him with his grandmother, he is building a relationship with her whose very foundation is based on a lie. If there is one thing that we can all learn from Marcus' essay, it is that the truth opens a whole new world of understanding and freedom. I noticed that I started to isolate myself, and the guilt I felt in my heart was excruciating. My sense of isolation was gone, I knew who I was, and I was no longer living in psychological bondage. When Marcus revealed that he was gay, he saved his relationship with his grandmother, and even eliminated her biases toward gays. My friends had no need to tell me how they felt about Christians; yelling obscenities at them told me enough. Marcus experienced this firsthand, and the closeness he shared with his grandmother began to deteriorate. I was invited to attend a Bible study on Wednesdays, so I had to figure out another lie to hide where I really was on those nights. I prayed for God to give me the words that I needed to tell my friends and family my secret, and when I decided to do so, the weight of the world was taken off of my shoulders. My mother was concerned that I was out drinking because I was never home, and my friends wondered why they never heard from me anymore. Although the day I became a Christian was without a doubt the most glorious day of my life, I was petrified of telling my friends and family. " My parents told me that Christians were nothing more than judgmental yuppies whose main purpose was to "recruit" people in to their circle in order to fulfill their malicious lust of controlling others, and at the same time condemn those who refused to revel in such debauchery. Lying, especially to friends and family, create barriers and leads the one perpetuating the lie to believe that acceptance is more important than honesty.
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Acceptance Essays
