Welcome to the first in the weekend series of “The Best of Erik,” where I pull posts from the archives. Newbies who haven’t had time to go through the archives will enjoy these, and you veterans will also have fun with these refreshers. I’ll try to post them both Saturday and Sunday, but it’ll depend on how busy my editor keeps me and how crazy my life is. Let me know if there are any particular topics you want me to post.

Me: Okay, next question. Someone wants to know if gays go to heaven. I know they do, but they want to hear it from you, Baby. Also, many people want to know why some choose to be gay.

Erik (laughing): I think it’d be funny if you wrote, “Yes, gays go to heaven but heterosexuals don’t! They go to hell!!

Me: Oh my god, how funny! Yeah!

Erik: Up theirs! Sexual orientation—

Me: Oh, “up theirs” was probably not the appropriate choice or words, Erik.

Jamie and Erik laugh.

Me: Sorry. Go ahead.

Erik: Make sure you put down that sexual orientation has no bearing on spiritual beliefs.

Me: Of course not.

Erik: That’s like saying vegetarians don’t get to go to heaven because they’re not eating all the right foods!

Me: Uh huh.

Erik: And it’s also saying you believe in this one religion, but it doesn’t stop in heaven; it stops somewhere else.

Jamie laughs.

Erik: God is a non-judging god. God embraces all. In fact, if God—

Me: Because we ARE all God. I mean, there’s nothing separate from God, so—

Erik: That’s right! That goes back to the description of God being omnipresent and omni-being and—

Jamie: Omni-fish, what? Omni-fishing?

Me (joking): Omni-fishing. He fishes everywhere. Salt water, fresh water, he doesn’t care. Hell yeah! God’s a fisherman!

Jamie laughs.

Me: No, I know he means omniscient, but why do people choose to be gay? My gay friends seem to be more spiritual than most. They seem more highly evolved. I don’t know if it has to do with what they’ve had to go through, like their struggles or if it’s that they choose that life to teach unconditional love and acceptance.

Erik: Well, you can boil most of it down to two reasons. All the details I’ve already talked about before. One, is that they’re really made that way. They come in that way.

(If you do a search  on this site for “Gays”, you’ll find other entries in the blog)

Me: Okay. I’ll take another look at those posts. I think they were pretty early on in the blog.

(Pause)

Me: Okay, go on, Sweetie.

Erik: They come in with the attraction for their same sex. Some of them say it’s DNA made or chemically made in the body and, whatever—they come in that way. And then there are some that, when they’re here, they’re undecided. Then they learn what they like and they have to stand up for it. I’m talking on a soul level, not a biological level.

Me: Okay.

Erik: So it can be a learned behavior that fits their need. But you’re right, Mom! They have more of a sense of spirituality, because of the struggles they do go through.

Me: Yeah. (pause) I do think that some come in as such highly evolved beings, and they struggle with HIV and AIDS and discrimination and everything to teach others. Maybe?

Erik: I agree. Some make a sacrifice to teach the collective. You’re also gonna find more of a population of bisexuals. People aren’t as verbal about it, though.

Me: Um hmm.

Erik: But when you boil down the definition of living, it’s to LOVE ALL.

Me: Exactly. Wow, I get chills hearing that. It’s so true.

Erik: You’re gonna hear about more people “cross-dating,” and it’s not a fad. This will be the opening of people’s hearts and understanding—that you look for love; you don’t look for the wrapper.

Me: Oh my god, yeah. It’s like Brokeback Mountain was a real eye-opener for me, because I felt it portrayed the love between two souls—not between two guys—but between two loving souls. True love. And I think there’s a really wonderful message in that.

Erik: Agreed.

Me: So why do some people seem asexual?

(Pause)

Me: Is it because they come from a different place, or—

Erik (laughing): Or do they just draw up into themselves and their extremities die?!

Me (chuckling): Yeah! There we go!

Erik: That’s really how it looks, energetically!

Me: Really?

Erik: Most of that is abuse.

Me (sadly): Awwww Like Michael Jackson? He seemed so asexual to me, you know?

Erik: Yes. And often those who are asexual are labeled as gay or lesbian.

Me: Huh?

Erik: Yeah, cuz they don’t see the typical macho or the typical feminine.

Me: Yeah. So they just assume they’re gay or lesbian?

Erik: Exactly. But a lot of that is abuse, um, a history of abuse, and the self-loathing that results. It’s hard to love someone sexually or otherwise when you hate yourself.

Me: Aw, poor little M.J. My heart aches for what he’s been through.