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The Bible certainly says we are to judge our fellow Christians. And even not associate with them if they continue in sin!
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church[b] whom you are to judge? 13 God judges[c] those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
1 Corinthians 5:9-12
This is why the idea of a Christian homosexual just doesn't work.
You have a point. But if one is going to practice this, they also have to be ready to turn away anyone that calls themselves Christians if they are greedy (those who care more about their money than helping the poor), an idolater (someone who loves and trusts in things more than God), a reviler, a drunkard, and a swindler. Are you prepared to take a stand against all those you associate with that do those things too?
Are you willing to turn away all your Christian friends you know that do those things? Is this really what God wants from us in this day and age?
And let's hope that will blow your mind enough that you'll shut up.
My God is the same God who makes kosher law, and then calls Peter to break it. Who welcomes sinners and tax collectors into the feast. Because a banquet is called for you and your enemies. And you are invited to eat. You are welcomed into the gates with the very people you think don't deserve to be there.
You realize, of course, that kosher law is binding on a Jew under the Mosaic Law. Peter didn't break the law, as it had been fulfilled.
Having said that, God didn't tell Peter he had license to murder, steal, fornicate, etc. Peter still recognized that Jesus affirmed the teachings of the OT in regards to morality (Matthew 5).
Yes--gay people are certainly welcome to come to Christ. I welcome a homosexual into my church. But just as I will call the adulterous woman to repentance, I will also call a homosexual to repentance.
If I'm understanding you correctly, you're saying that people viewing you or homosexuals or anyone else as a sinner causes you/them to feel like an outcast and to be tempted to either cut themselves off from others, or to give themselves permission to indulge what others call a sin in a way that isn't healthy.
Am I reading you right?
I think that's very insightful and I wish we could all see each other this way:
That we could see each other (and ourselves) with the understanding that we all have something to offer, regardless of (or maybe because of) our differences and/or what some people think of as our flaws.
More or less. Growing up trans, yes, I could see the choice deal (because I can pin it down to a specific incident in my childhood). But the "choice" I had was hiding it in the closet, which made me feel distinctly worthless and depressed, indulging in it (which felt cheap, like I was making it into a sex fetish), and seriously giving thought to how to look at this in a healthy way. I decided that part of transsexual surgery felt like mutilating my body. And I do appear to be either hetero or bi, as I definitely like girls. So making myself be a woman just for matching my gender identity, didn't seem like the right answer for me. So I thought and thought on it, and realized that I'm probably genderfluid. I thought about what the right way to proceed could be, and actually went through a few churches before I came to my answer.
The first seemed be welcoming, but was preaching a number of stuff that suggested that they were heavy into fundamentalism. I was in a different place, and trying to reconcile this with what I felt, trying to find acceptance and be happy with being trans. They meanwhile, were telling me that I couldn't use the women's room because it made people uncomfortable (guess what, it makes men even more uncomfortable). We had one sermon that was about marriage and how LGBT should divorce because their marriage was a sham. Yes, seriously they said that. I obviously walked out midservice.
Let's back up a day or two. I was on Facebook. This friend was talking to me, and I was telling them about how I was feeling guilt and confusion. And suddenly, I felt like I was talking to Jesus. On Facebook. Because I don't know how to post it without showing her name, I can't rightly prove it, but I felt warm, and comforted, and sorta at peace. Like it didn't matter what they thought of me, it was what I thought of me that counted. So then I tried another church. I tried Unity Church, but the people there seemed to be a weird aloof vibe too it, almost like the people were too into their own stuff to care about the world. I went to an Episcopal church that I'd later realized I'd seen at Pride. Unfortunately, while this was kinda good, it was like I was spending all my time and energy on this, and not really getting a job. So while the church was nice, my apartment was getting sold.
I moved back home, and have alternated between two churches. While there, I've gotten work as a librarian. It seems like helping people made me feel whole. Wholer than I'd felt both by hiding who I was, and by indulging in it.
So, being saved? Not as important as feeling like you matter.
How can a murderer do the work of God? Probably not. But plenty of people have tried (vigilantes and the like). The point, I guess, is that we have sins. And we have gifts. Sometimes (not always, maybe but sometimes) it's a matter of finding the virtue in the vice. The point of this passage is not to go become a sinner. But to recognize you already are one even if yours isn't on that list, and to welcome other people no matter what.
You realize, of course, that kosher law is binding on a Jew under the Mosaic Law. Peter didn't break the law, as it had been fulfilled.
Having said that, God didn't tell Peter he had license to murder, steal, fornicate, etc. Peter still recognized that Jesus affirmed the teachings of the OT in regards to morality (Matthew 5).
Yes--gay people are certainly welcome to come to Christ. I welcome a homosexual into my church. But just as I will call the adulterous woman to repentance, I will also call a homosexual to repentance.
At least you're open about your ignorance and bigotry.
Then why are you on this forum? I've lost track of how many times you've declared your fellow posters sinners ..... yet here you are associating with the sinners. Including the LGBTQ members of CD.
God will be displeased.
I'm only here to share my opinions on controversial topics. I don't recall ever directly saying someone was a sinner either because I don't regard this forum as real life. If people do, they need to get out more and stop taking it so seriously.
I'm only here to share my opinions on controversial topics. I don't recall ever directly saying someone was a sinner either because I don't regard this forum as real life. If people do, they need to get out more and stop taking it so seriously.
Some of us aren't playing pretend, jeffy.
And don't think you haven't revealed your true nature with every post.
We all see what you and Viz and the other blinkered fundamentalists are at your core: Small people. Small in mind. Small in knowledge. Small in empathy.
And quite worthy of your ultimate (and sooner than you think) extinction as a viable branch of Christianity.
Light travels at a speed of 670 million miles an hour.
The known universe is 91 billion light years across.
This universe contains approximately 100 to 200 billion galaxies.
An average galaxy contains about 200 to 300 billion stars .
And yet Christian fundamentalists think the God they believed created this universe is worried about the sexual lives of homosexuals and unmarried people here on Earth , and that he made a tribe of backward and warlike nomads his chosen and preferred people that wrote books on how the world is supposed to live their lives.
I'm only here to share my opinions on controversial topics. I don't recall ever directly saying someone was a sinner either because I don't regard this forum as real life.
Ummm...... You've not only made dozens of posts in which you've called gays sinners..... you've said they're going to hell. You have also responded to posts by telling people they are sinning.
Your "opinions" are straight from the Fundamentalist Handbook. As is your sudden loss of memory when called out.
God has said differently. It doesn't surprise me though, to see you say otherwise.
My god said that gays are ok with her. And my god is better than your god.
So there.
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