How do you reconcile homosexuality and Christianity?

[Anonymous]

I describe myself as a biblical Christian. I think homosexuality is wrong. But I'm also more of an extremist, I don't think woman should work, go to school, vote. My religion accepts what I don't. But I can't change my religion, I can only do my best. So I focus on doing my best not my religions best.

[Anonymous]

God gave me a brain and a heart and I use them both when I read the Bible. My brain tells me that it's not necessary (or even possible) to take the Bible literally and my heart tells me that being gay isn't a sin but homophobia sure as heck is. Thank you, God, for these Thy gifts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

what? Some people are born sociopaths. Would God say to the sociopath that it's ok to murder people because that's just how you were born? Or to the addict because they were born with an addictive personality that it's ok to fulfill their addiction because they were born with it?

We are all born with sin. We are supposed to try to overcome our sinful nature through Jesus. We all fail, everyday, in that endeavor, but we are not supposed to just succumb to it because we are born sinful.

Equating murder with love that two people willingly share is just ridiculous. There is no equivalence. There is no one hurt when two men or two women share a life together as partners. What, exactly, is the sin of love? Murdering someone = bad. An addict hurting herself = bad. Two people falling in love = where is the evil in that?

Just why do people get so worked up over sex? Where are all the people calling out the rich? Lust for money is a sin according tho the bible but how many people are out there to enact laws to suppress the worship of luxury?

I don't think Jesus said a word about sex but he did say this:

Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.…" (Matthew 19:21-23)

How many anti-gay posters are willing to sell all your posessions to give to the poor?

1. this thread is about homosexuality and the bible, not about greed, lust, jealousy, etc.. If it were, yes, we'd talk about all those greedy, crooked Wall Street people and politicians

2. I am stating that everyone is born with sin, and just because God allowed one to be created with a specific sinful nature, it doesn't mean he condones succumbing to that sinful nature. I wasn't equating the act of murder with the act of homosexuality. It was simply an example of how God allows people to be born with certain sinful natures.

Why does God allow babies/children to suffer? Why did God create Satan? If God is omniscient He should've known Satan was going to fall, right? Why did God create imperfect human beings if he knew they were going to disobey him? I don't have the answers. But, I know that Satan is evil, and Adam and Eve committed the original sin. And then Jesus came to redeem us from that original sin. This still doesn't mean that it's ok to commit a sin, no matter the sin.

Not the PP you're talking to, but

1. I think she's saying that you're missing and/or ignoring the obvious things in the gospels and focusing on things that aren't there, sadly. Jesus talked a lot about giving away your wealth, but he said nothing about sex. So why do conservatives get so worked up about sex?

2. Again, that's your definition of "sin." But many of us on this thread, and outside it, think you're bringing to the definition something that isn't demonstrably there. We don't find the scriptural evidence, looking at both the Old and New Testaments comprehensively and in context, to be persuasive. We think you're bringing your own biases to your definition of "sin".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I describe myself as a biblical Christian. I think homosexuality is wrong. But I'm also more of an extremist, I don't think woman should work, go to school, vote. My religion accepts what I don't. But I can't change my religion, I can only do my best. So I focus on doing my best not my religions best.

Where do you live? I'm guessing it's not in the DMV area.

[Anonymous]

But why exactly is homosexuality a sin? Someone please answer that with more than "because god says so." Give a logical reason that two people of the same sex in a loving relationship with one another is a situation a loving god would find abominable.

And if it's just about procreation then postmenopausal women shouldn't be having sex either. Or infertile people. Or people who don't want children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But why exactly is homosexuality a sin? Someone please answer that with more than "because god says so." Give a logical reason that two people of the same sex in a loving relationship with one another is a situation a loving god would find abominable.

And if it's just about procreation then postmenopausal women shouldn't be having sex either. Or infertile people. Or people who don't want children.

+1. And if you do fall back on "because God says so," please point to something more convincing than you've shown so far. It's hard to get past the fact that Jesus didn't talk about it, and no amount of "I think homosexuality is as bad as bestiality, so Jesus must have thought the same thing as me" is ever going to be logical or persuasive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I describe myself as a biblical Christian. I think homosexuality is wrong. But I'm also more of an extremist, I don't think woman should work, go to school, vote. My religion accepts what I don't. But I can't change my religion, I can only do my best. So I focus on doing my best not my religions best.

Where do you live? I'm guessing it's not in the DMV area.

Nova

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But why exactly is homosexuality a sin? Someone please answer that with more than "because god says so." Give a logical reason that two people of the same sex in a loving relationship with one another is a situation a loving god would find abominable.

And if it's just about procreation then postmenopausal women shouldn't be having sex either. Or infertile people. Or people who don't want children.

+1. And if you do fall back on "because God says so," please point to something more convincing than you've shown so far. It's hard to get past the fact that Jesus didn't talk about it, and no amount of "I think homosexuality is as bad as bestiality, so Jesus must have thought the same thing as me" is ever going to be logical or persuasive.

I ask the same question- why is it bad? However, homosexuality was regarded as immoral in the Old Testament, and in addition St. Paul wrote about it. The historical church would not have accepted homosexuality- it is just not part of the moral fabric of Christianity up until this point. I find it hard to dismiss this. I was looking for historical explanations, or maybe some information that was missing for me, but most people are just dismissing that part of the Bible. If you can just dismiss parts of the Bible you disagree with, why bother with it at all? This isn't coming from a place of animus towards gay people. I really do not care whether someone is gay, I am just interested in the question because my church has taken a very hard position on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But why exactly is homosexuality a sin? Someone please answer that with more than "because god says so." Give a logical reason that two people of the same sex in a loving relationship with one another is a situation a loving god would find abominable.

And if it's just about procreation then postmenopausal women shouldn't be having sex either. Or infertile people. Or people who don't want children.

+1. And if you do fall back on "because God says so," please point to something more convincing than you've shown so far. It's hard to get past the fact that Jesus didn't talk about it, and no amount of "I think homosexuality is as bad as bestiality, so Jesus must have thought the same thing as me" is ever going to be logical or persuasive.

I ask the same question- why is it bad? However, homosexuality was regarded as immoral in the Old Testament, and in addition St. Paul wrote about it. The historical church would not have accepted homosexuality- it is just not part of the moral fabric of Christianity up until this point. I find it hard to dismiss this. I was looking for historical explanations, or maybe some information that was missing for me, but most people are just dismissing that part of the Bible. If you can just dismiss parts of the Bible you disagree with, why bother with it at all? This isn't coming from a place of animus towards gay people. I really do not care whether someone is gay, I am just interested in the question because my church has taken a very hard position on it.

Nobody here is simply dismissing parts of the Bible for convenience. That's a false accusation. In the case of Leviticus, Jesus did the dismissing for us, so we're simply following his lead (why aren't you?). In the case of Paul, the man called hinself a disciple, so it's baffling that you want to make him into a prophet who speaks for God and whose every word should be taken literally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But why exactly is homosexuality a sin? Someone please answer that with more than "because god says so." Give a logical reason that two people of the same sex in a loving relationship with one another is a situation a loving god would find abominable.

And if it's just about procreation then postmenopausal women shouldn't be having sex either. Or infertile people. Or people who don't want children.

+1. And if you do fall back on "because God says so," please point to something more convincing than you've shown so far. It's hard to get past the fact that Jesus didn't talk about it, and no amount of "I think homosexuality is as bad as bestiality, so Jesus must have thought the same thing as me" is ever going to be logical or persuasive.

I ask the same question- why is it bad? However, homosexuality was regarded as immoral in the Old Testament, and in addition St. Paul wrote about it. The historical church would not have accepted homosexuality- it is just not part of the moral fabric of Christianity up until this point. I find it hard to dismiss this. I was looking for historical explanations, or maybe some information that was missing for me, but most people are just dismissing that part of the Bible. If you can just dismiss parts of the Bible you disagree with, why bother with it at all? This isn't coming from a place of animus towards gay people. I really do not care whether someone is gay, I am just interested in the question because my church has taken a very hard position on it.

Nobody here is simply dismissing parts of the Bible for convenience. That's a false accusation. In the case of Leviticus, Jesus did the dismissing for us, so we're simply following his lead (why aren't you?). In the case of Paul, the man called hinself a disciple, so it's baffling that you want to make him into a prophet who speaks for God and whose every word should be taken literally.

Ok, this is my issue. I don't understand why a "disciple" would not be taken literally. Aren't the disciples the ones who bore witness to Jesus and told us everything Jesus said to begin with? Christianity was built upon Paul's work. This casual "he wasn't a prophet" is just not an argument, as far as I can tell. He wrote half the New Testament. The entire New Testament should be taken at its word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:God gave me a brain and a heart and I use them both when I read the Bible. My brain tells me that it's not necessary (or even possible) to take the Bible literally and my heart tells me that being gay isn't a sin but homophobia sure as heck is. Thank you, God, for these Thy gifts.

+1000000

[Anonymous]

My good Catholic, Republican mom gave us a lot of good advice on things like this. Our church's music director owned a floral shop and lived with another man. My teenaged sister asked about him and whether he was "queer". Mom asked her is she thought God made him that way and whether she thought he was living his life the right way. Done.

Since then, I've never seen any conflict between Christianity and homosexuality. There are a lot of actual, substantial problems in the world that I feel God wants us to work on. Homosexuality is not on the list.

[Anonymous]

I believe homosexuality is a sin, just as I believe fornication is a sin. Jesus in his earthly ministry didn't directly discuss homosexuality, but a follower of Christ would be hard-pressed to make the case that Christ condones sex outside marriage. And it's already been showing in previous posts that Christ upheld God's (and Christ's, too, since Jesus is God) plan for marriage as between a man and a woman, because God created them that way.

But here's something to consider. Even IF you don't count gays' (or anyone's) sexual sins against them, they're STILL in need of a savior, as are we all. Sexual sins aren't our only sins. We all must come before Christ and confess that we're sinners and accept His offer of forgiveness. It's just that if you truly do that from an honest heart, the Holy Spirit will convict you of the sin in your life, and you won't be able to live the same life you lived before you came to Christ. Christians still sin. I still sin. But when I do, I feel much differently about it than before I became a Christian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I describe myself as a biblical Christian. I think homosexuality is wrong. But I'm also more of an extremist, I don't think woman should work, go to school, vote. My religion accepts what I don't. But I can't change my religion, I can only do my best. So I focus on doing my best not my religions best.

Where do you live? I'm guessing it's not in the DMV area.

Nova

I was going to guess VA, I know quite a few people in VA that think this way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You just ignore what the Bible says like every other progressive Christian.

Show me where Jesus says homosexuality is a sin.... You can't.

NP but Sodom and Gomorrah.

I was the pp who believes two parent families are a blessing and that Jesus would love gays too.

How do we know that the Sodom and Gomorrah sin was homosexuality? Is that ever explicitely written?

I don't know if we do. Sodomy comes from sodom, but straight folks can commit it, too!