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It is so very sad that society has forced the gay people to feel they have to "come out" and announce to the world their private sexual preference in order to have any kind of a normal life free from constantly protecting themselves from the hatred and violence of a judgemental few who often claim to be doing what Jesus would do.
Yet many Christian heterosexual say so long as you are married and to the opposite sex that "anything goes" behind closed doors. Yet they seem to know what a gay couple does "behind closed doors" and seem to spend a lot of time discussing and condemning it..
In my family we do not condemn, bash, preach or ignore our gay cousin who is the most giving, the most loving and the gentlest of souls I know of..We love him for many reasons but God loves him more than family can even imagine..
We have no idea the magnitude of love in its purest form. We have no idea of what the depth and breadth of "unconditional love" is..God does not love us "because" we do or don't do something to please him..That is man's very human character that he uses to bring God down to his own flesh and blood level in order to claim he knows the thoughts of God.
Thank you for your post, Miss Blue. We like to think that we have "the receipe" for saving the world, and that if people "just do as I say" that "everything will be okay."
Although I am not gay, I certainly don't feel it within me to condemn others who are. Just as I can't condemn someone for having a passion for fishing or playing video games or cooking.
In the end, God has made us all. The responsability is His, and I think He knows that it is up to Him to change us, if indeed He sees it necessary that we must change. He can change us, and no one else.
Indeed, and not a very successful one as very few have fallen for it.
The really sad thing is that the majority of Christianity for the past 2000 years has believed God created a never ending torture chamber beyond anything humans have ever created, which he had all of humanity born predestined for all because of the sin of one man, and then gave them one way to escape it that he knew maybe 15% or so would ever find; and then calls that justice (takes breath). Now thats "falling for it" on a grand scale. Thank goodness that ES, UR and AN (annihilation?) are being considered again
Matthew 19:
"And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”
What is Jesus saying here?
Speaking of religious celibacy and people with injuries in that area. That's what I tend to think anyway.
Granted in the Indian subcontinent "eunuchs" could refer to "third-gendered" people and homosexuals, but I don't think that's how it worked with Jews. If it did than you could argue Jesus is saying some can make themselves gay/transgendered for the kingdom of heaven and that doesn't make a whole lot of sense even from a pro-gay perspective.
As for the marriage part, divorce and remarriage is forbidden. Or as a Catholic that's what we think it means. Orthodoxy feels that divorce and remarriage can be allowed, but you are to "repent" first. I've heard in traditional Orthodox communities if you marry after a divorce you have to acknowledge your failings in the previous marriage before getting wed.
Matthew 19:
"And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.†The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.†But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.â€
What is Jesus saying here?
Recall that a priest once said during the homily that divorce in the ancient world was entirely different. In most cases if a man divorced his wife, the wife and children would become completely destitute. Apparently, Jesus was condemning the practice of divorce that existed in the ancient world.
Recall that a priest once said during the homily that divorce in the ancient world was entirely different. In most cases if a man divorced his wife, the wife and children would become completely destitute. Apparently, Jesus was condemning the practice of divorce that existed in the ancient world.
I commend you for making a rational argument based on the culture and context in which the scriptures were written. Sadly, the majority of Christianity hasn't learned how to do this yet, and so, irrationally places what has been written 2,000+ years ago for the people of that time and their culture into rules and regulations for people of the 21st century to adhere to...scriptures, I might add, that had completely different meanings and contexts in regard to the people of that time.
Recall that a priest once said during the homily that divorce in the ancient world was entirely different. In most cases if a man divorced his wife, the wife and children would become completely destitute. Apparently, Jesus was condemning the practice of divorce that existed in the ancient world.
How is that entirely different? Sounds pretty much the same as today.
Have you never heard of child support payments or divorce settlements?
Yes, I have heard of them, but they do not make ancient divorce any different from today.
Have you heard of single mothers having to prostitute themselves to feed their kids?
Same thing, same outcome. Sounds like you trying to argue, that today Jesus would approve of divorce?
Last edited by Finn_Jarber; 09-10-2011 at 11:08 AM..
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