Homosexuality is despised in many religions, but while we are moving towards a generation where a little acceptance is seen towards the LGBTQIA+ community in all religions, we can not ignore all that has happened in the past. The song 'Take me to church' is a representation of exactly that. While the story represented in the video had been inspired from what was happening in Russia at that time, the same kind of behavior towards the community was witnessed all around the world.
While this song being a chartbuster and it is highly possible that you have already heard about this song at least once, but my intention with this review is to expose to you what this song represents to me and why is it still valid in todays time. While I am against no religion, I just truly believe that in a world of humanity, it is important to accept people for who they are rather than judging and despairing them for them choosing to be their real self.
Disclaimer: In the article below I may try and make some biblical references which might feel offensive in nature, if you are even a little offended you may switch to any other article of ours, thanks for your kindness and patience.
Through the song 'Take me to church' the band 'Hozier' tries and expresses their grief towards the wrong doings of the church in the early 80s in Russia. While studies have proven that gender and sexual orientation is a spectrum, in the past this wasn't the case. While there was a lack of information, people being intimate with the same sex was highly condemned and these people were considered sick. This belief was inculcated to various biblical references which portrayed homosexuality as a 'mortal sin', but this cannot be blamed because according to the bible even 'sex' is considered as a sin, from which comes the reference 'from Sin you are born'.
The music video gives us a real visual of how difficult it was for gay men to love each other as if by mistake if the church found out about their relationship, how drastic steps they took to find a resort to the situation. This included breaking into their house, manhandling their family members and even to an extend where they would physically damage or sometimes kill them for loving someone of their same gender.
The song on the other hand has a saga to tell of his own, as the song condemns the mindset of the church as if someone has sex with the opposite gender they will be accepted in heaven, if otherwise they will go to hell. They also bravely mention that the church claims that the people from the LGBTQIA+ community are 'Born Sick', but despite of retaliating, the song accepts the allegation that "I was born sick, but I love it, Command me to be well, amen". through which he directly challenges got saying that he does not wish to change just because he can be what society considers normal ending with 'Let your will be done'
Now coming on my perspective of Christians being against homosexuality, how can they be in such a disarray when they claim to be a follower of Jesus. Now with the little knowledge and understanding in have about the bible, I was always taught that there was difference between the time before Jesus was born and before he came to the world. As in the earlier times god was very strict in nature and when he had send down the 10 commandments with mosses, he expected that everyone should follow it and if not done so, there would be famines and destructions brought by him as punishments.
In 'Leviticus' god also speaks to mosses as he claims homosexuality as an abolishment and people who are caught doing so should be killed and their blood will be on them, further to that he mentions some of the other taboo subjects giving the similar judgement of killing them as well.
While there were hundreds of rules and regulations mentioned in 'Leviticus' alone, there are very few rules which are still followed till date understanding that it is not humanly possible or right to do so, as it speaks about killing women who commit adulatory and men who cheat with their neighbors wife etc.
What changed after the birth of Jesus Christ was that, he completely revolutionized the Christian fate as he saw that it was simply not right to follow the previously set rules by his father as he was a forgiving god. He not only preached about this in his parables but also showed it to the world through his actions like; from saving a life of a proustite to having a disciple with a feminine attributes, he accepted all with an open heart.
While he died for our sins, we still lack in understanding his true teachings and still follow the old testaments leaving his learning behind. To everyone who has reached till here, let me remind you that Jesus Christ in one of his parables gave a short-cut to follow all the commandments he said 'Love god with all your soul, all your mind and all your heart and he further said that love your neighbor as you love yourself and if you do so, you will be welcomed in the kingdom of god!