The Bible, an excuse for Gay Prejudice?

[onlytruth]

I think God put different people in certain places ...soooo we could love unconditionally.
We are not any better, why do we pick on a certain sin, how many of us cursed the guy that was too slow driving ahead of us.Total love, its something we all will do one day!
Reformer had a dream and used the term "such" people....we are all such people
blessings as we all are being renewed by his spirit :dsunny:

[shawn]

I think God put different people in certain places ...soooo we could love unconditionally.
We are not any better, why do we pick on a certain sin, how many of us cursed the guy that was too slow driving ahead of us.Total love, its something we all will do one day!
Reformer had a dream and used the term "such" people....we are all such people
blessings as we all are being renewed by his spirit :dsunny:

Wonderful.    :HeartThrob:

[shawn]

Great answers folks  :thumbsup:

Tricky subject I know, but one we must not ignore. I don't know the full facts, I don't know whether people are born gay, or whether they actually choose it or whether it is a mix of both. What I do know is that their lifestyle is out of my hands, I place it into the Lords. I know in my heart that I am called to love them, nothing less then that.

I wish there was an easy way to reach out to these people, because I feel spiritually they are the least of us.
Have we ever seen a transgender, or openly gay person walk into the church gladly and boldly? I haven't, and it worries me. They have a spirit just like us, looking, wanting, searching...
Prehaps, when they are weary and they feel they need answers they go looking for them, I wish I could always be there to point in the right direction  :Peace2:

Imo, A church should be seen like a hospital for the sick.  The fact that transgenders, homosexuals, adulterers/adulteresses, addicts, liars, thieves, etc and so on don't feel welcomed in church means the mark set for us as believers has been missed.

[misszoolander]

Shawn, you hit the nail on the head with that one!  :gimmefive:

[ded2daworld]

IMO, there is a difference. Theives, murderers, rapists, drug dealers, etc. are not pushing others to accept their sin as "normal" and not calling it a sin at all. It (so far) is only homosexuals, fornicators, and adulterers that want to be treated as if they are not committing blatant. We can't look away and say, "it's allright, everybody just do whatever is right in your own eyes" or "God will ultimately reconcile with everyone anyway so why not just leave people alone to "do their own thing" and "have their fun"?
If we try to help a drug addict to stop or a smoker to stop or an overeater to stop or a shoplifter to stop, nobody thinks less of us because they know we are trying to help someone that has a problem.
The difference is S-E-X. OH, that's private, that's nobody's business, we aren't hurting anyone...baloney. Our society seems to think we should act as if the wrong are right, which is making us(the right) wrong. Bad is good, good is bad, it's like unto the days of Noah so we know our redemption is near. :Peace2:

[misszoolander]

The problem here Ded, is homosexuals that were not born in a religious family of course don't feel that their "love" is wrong.

Reality for us, it's wrong. Reality for them...it's not.

I agree with you, they actually do not realize they are being sinful, so how do we reach them and help them confront that their "love" is wrong? It's all well and good standing from a distance professing love for them while admitting what they are doing is wrong, but how can we help them?

The whole thing I feel is beyond me, knowing that these people feel like they have no choice...I hate it when gay people automatically think I'm judgmental and going to look down on them once I say I am Christian, how do we turn this around?

[ded2daworld]

As my friend Linus said in our comic strip,"There is no problem to great that it cannot be run away from."
Many is the time I've thought, "they will know the truth and be reconciled one day. They are responsible for their lives"
It's a copout I guess but there are really bigger problems in the world than homosexual behaviour.
(I run away from those too) :sigh:

[lomarah]

This is an EXCELLENT video. It is Steve McVey, the author of "Grace Walk", interviewing a man who was gay and his experience with the Lord. It's 40 minutes but please watch it when you have the time. It details his struggle, his giving up, and God's pulling him back in with His love.

THIS is the dragging love of Christ!!! I was in tears. Beautiful, beautiful testimony, please please watch.

:HeartThrob:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsI4hhm_J2A&feature=youtu.be

[misszoolander]

Please post the video link?  :HeartThrob: :Peace2:

[lomarah]

Ermmmm... LOL sorryyyy!! Will go back and add it to my previous post.

[jabcat]

"What is man that thou art mindful of him."
"Dust you are, to dust you'll return"
Yes we are precious and loved by God, but since we have done absolutely nothing to warrant
or deserve this love, I can't see it.

The bible says the Lamb alone is worthy. The only worth I have is the lamb in me.

:thumbsup:

Amen.

[misszoolander]

There is no good that comes from myself only  :thumbsup:

[reFORMer]

Another thing to keep in mind is that this is not a theocracy.  It's a democracy, where people should be afforded the right to choose their own path not directed by the Bible or our belief system.  It's about equal rights for all races, creeds, and lifestyles.  It is not our job to dictate legislation of morality specifically one that does not harm others.

(Of course, the entire world is a theocracy, but just keep it under your hat for now.  Very few seem to want to think of it that way.)  Morality dictated by the state is unacceptable to good Americans or Christians; but, that is certainly what is happening.  To publicaly call homosexuality a sin is increasingly considered a thought crime, a crime against the state, one for which our children can be taken away from us to be raised by the state instead.  If we do not stand for Christian morality we lose ground to statism.  They are the ones changing the system.  It is exactly because homosexuality does great harm to others we must be allowed to speak in the public square.

[jabcat]

There is no good that comes from myself only  :thumbsup:

Amen.

[reFORMer]

The problem here Ded, is homosexuals that were not born in a religious family of course don't feel that their "love" is wrong.

Reality for us, it's wrong. Reality for them...it's not.

I agree with you, they actually do not realize they are being sinful, so how do we reach them and help them confront that their "love" is wrong? It's all well and good standing from a distance professing love for them while admitting what they are doing is wrong, but how can we help them?

The whole thing I feel is beyond me, knowing that these people feel like they have no choice...I hate it when gay people automatically think I'm judgmental and going to look down on them once I say I am Christian, how do we turn this around?

Homosexuality is not genetic.  If it was, then when the gene was on, there it would be.  If the gene was off, it wouldn't be there.  Instead, there are many gradations between exclusive homosexual and heterosexual practice.  The reality is many degrees of people going both ways and changing from one to the other.  Impossible if it was genetic.

That we do love them and they think the opposite is true of us, goes with the question you posed, "How do we turn this around?"  I'm sure the early Christians in pagan Rome asked that with great fervor as they were regularly being thrown to the lions.  One answer is to make the king a Christian.

[jabcat]

Our dear miss zoo asked the heartfelt question, from the heart of a servant;  "how do we turn it around?"   :HeartThrob:

Homosexuality is not genetic. 

That we do love them and they think the opposite is true of us, goes with the question you posed, "How do we turn this around?"  I'm sure the early Christians in pagan Rome asked that with great fervor as they were regularly being thrown to the lions.  One answer is to make the king a Christian.

Amen.  I don't think we do turn it around.  The world - and parts of the church - don't believe or accept the truth, until the Holy Spirit puts it in our hearts and convicts us of it, making it real.  Until then, even though we're supposed to proclaim it as best we understand - based on Spirit-revealed scripture - I believe many will just continue to reject it.   It will be fixed when Jesus is fully crowned (acknowledged as) King.  Blessings.  Lord Jesus come quickly.

[ded2daworld]

Shawn said, " It is not our job to dictate legislation of morality specifically one that does not harm others."
The problem is IMO, homosexuality is a sin, just like fornication (actually it is fornication also) :Peace2:
Since it IS sin, there is someone being harmed by it. God didn't arbitrarily label things a sin if there was no actual harm to anyone either mentally, physically, or spiritually.

[Lazarus Short]

It is not our job to dictate legislation of morality specifically one that does not harm others.

Actually, it is.  If you are not going to legislate morality, just what ARE you going to legislate?  Every law code, even a secular one, is inescapably based on underlying ideas of proper conduct, ethics, morality.  It will either be yours or someone else's, and there is no getting around it.  The only alternative is every man doing what is right in his own eyes, that is to say, anarchy.

[redhotmagma]

legislating morality doesn't work.  Who's version should we use?  some christians think its immoral to listen to rock and roll music.  should we make it illegal in our theocracy?  Should we make alcohol illegal because some christians think it is wrong to drink?  we tried that, remember what happened?  Look at the war on drugs, look how well thats worked, the war on drugs is a miserable failure.  Now transpose the "illegality" of homosexuality.  Look at the way they act out.  Kind of like the gangsters in prohibition.  Legislating morality will never change the heart.  And again who's version of morality should we use?

My problem with gay marriage is not in gays marrying.  Its in the state having anything to say in the matter in the first place.  If we had no abusive tax system, with its loopholes, ie marriage tax benefits, or insurance benefits then it would just be a matter of their personal relationship.  insurance wouldn't even exist as we know it without our abusive tax system, as it was widely implemented as a tax get around in the first place back in the 50's, its pretax money, how about just cutting taxes and ending insurance and all its regulations and beuracracy. 

This would be a non issue with less laws, not more. 

[CHB]

I think homosexuality is an addiction just like drugs and alcohol can become addictions. I have some fqamily members who are drug addicts and alcoholics, they know I don't approve of this but they also know I love them. Only God can change a person. I believe we should let them know these things are not good for them as well as for society but all the while let them know we love them and God loves them more. To look the other way, or go along and agree with their way of thinking is not helping anyone. Would anyone who had a child who was a drug addict not let them know the way you feel about it and try to get them help? In a loving manner of course.

CHB   

[onlytruth]

The only true freedom is when God gives it, no matter how we try to legislate it or indoctrinate it.Bottom line, we can disagree with the "sin" and yell stop ! stop! but it has to happen in the heart and God will be doing that.
blessings

[ded2daworld]

Reminds me of a job offer I had that offer excellent pay. It was as a hitman. I was going to take the Job but then my wife reminded me that it was against the law to kill other people(at least, AFTER they've been born). I smacked my head, said Oh that's right, Good thing you reminded me because I almost forgot - it was wrong. :doh:

[misszoolander]

Thanks team (we are are'nt we? :gimmefive:) for the great answers.
The best we can do right now is allow The Lord to work in our lives and let his light shine
Through us to help these people, we all know homosexuality is a sin, but I feel not loving our neighbour is a greater sin, so lets spare a prayer for these people and Praise The Lord that because of Jesus, one day they will not have to bear that yoke anymore, thank you Jesus! :dsunny:

[jabcat]

Thanks team (we are are'nt we? :gimmefive:) for the great answers.
The best we can do right now is allow The Lord to work in our lives and let his light shine
Through us to help these people, we all know homosexuality is a sin, but I feel not loving our neighbour is a greater sin, so lets spare a prayer for these people and Praise The Lord that because of Jesus, one day they will not have to bear that yoke anymore, thank you Jesus! :dsunny:

:thumbsup: :dsunny:

[lomarah]

Did anyone watch that video I posted last night? It's sooooooo good and completely demonstrates the love of God and how HE deals with people who have gay lifestyles.