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I'm a Christian that believes the bible teaches that homosexuality is wrong. Just wanted to state that upfront.
I can't wait to watch this movie. I hope it will at least help a lot of people who don't understand what homosexuals go through. I know that no amount of counseling could make me desire or want or need another female as my lover/spouse. So why do people believe that a gay person could change?
Yes, I agree homosexuals who want to follow Christ should abstain from being in a homosexual relationship. But people, don't you feel for those people?? How would you feel if you were told that in order to follow Christ you would have to give up your relationship with your spouse and live alone the rest of your life, never having love/sex again? If you've been a Christian for many many years, you may be able to do so. But what if it happened as soon as you learned about Christ? Do you honestly think you'd give it all up?
I think there needs to be more understanding and love towards homosexuals. I thank God I am not one, and have compassion for those that are.
I completely agree. As a christian homosexual who has made the decision to be abstinent, it was a very very difficult decision to make and an even more difficult one to carry out. I just put my trust in God that he will help me through.
Also, those of you who are not gay most likely don't understand what growing up gay is like. Not the slightest clue! I don't want to seem angry, but I knew I was gay since I was a child. Growing up in a strict Catholic family in the 60's and 70's was NOT an easy thing to do also. I was not able to tell anyone I was gay. My family, close friends etc.. not only out of fear of being outcast and rejected, but also because of the fact that I didnt completely understand what it meant and why I was this way.
For the longest time I thought that there was something seriously wrong with me and that I was a freak that would go to hell for being attracted to other boys instead of girls. But I learned more about my religion and that the church actually understands what I'm going through. If it wasn't for the church, I would probably have ended it all when I was a teenager. Talk about a traumatic period in my life! You think its bad for normal teens!
So those of you who say its a choice and that its a casual lifestyle choice that should be frowned upon, I just wish you could walk in my shoes when I was growing up or the millions of other gay teens that are scared and confused and thinking that the world would be better off without them.
I think that is why so many gays are turned off to religion, because they are often told by those that don't know what they are talking about that they are going to hell or an abomination to God. But this is not what Christianity teaches, if you really do your homework on the subject. After all God made me who I am and why would I want to change that?
That's what I'm talking about!...Real testimony from those that have been there. It is very refreshing to see it here. I'm not gay, but two of my best buddies are, so I know a little bit about the challenges gays face every day. Hoosier if you are happier now living the straight life, the more power to you, but I don't think most gay people want that, but are content as they are.
All I can say is that I cannot imagine switching sides....
I have no doubt that those wanting to can change all the passages that do condemn homosexuality to mean something entirely different to benefit them. It happens all the time with many other things as well.
The fact does not change that homosexuality is condemned in both the old and new testaments, and from the beginning God intended for a couple to be male and female.
Have you personally done any research on this or are you just repeating what you have been told or "what everybody knows"?
Here's a few questions to start your research if you are truly interested in "what the facts are".
-Are you aware that the word "homosexual" only came into use for the first time in English translations of the Bible in 1946 (Revised Standard Version) and the term "homosexual" was first used in English only as recently as the late 19th century?
-Apart from raping strangers to humnilate them, do you know what the sins of Sodom were and how they are referred to throughout the Bible? (BTW, Raping strangers was a common practice by men in those times to humiliate strangers by treating them like they would women.)
- Do you know what "hospitality" meant to the Hebrews at the time of Abraham?
- Are you aware that the word "sodomite" used in Deuteronomy 23:17 was a mistranslation in the King James Bible? It actually means temple prostitute or cult prostitute?
-Do you know who Molech was and the relevance to Chapters 18 and 20 of Leviticus?
-Have you looked up the meanings of the Greek "malakoi arsenokoitai" used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 6-9?
-Are you aware that the term now used for "homosexuals" in 1 Corinthians 6-9 used to be translated as "masturbators"?
-Can you tell me who Paul was talking about in 1 Romans 26?
There are more, but when you have researched these questions, get back to us about "changing all the passages to mean something entirely different" and "what the facts are".
I struggled with reconciling my faith with my sexuality and it worked out.
I ditched the religion and kept the sexuality.
I feel so bad for those gay people who turn to religion to cure them. There is nothing wrong with you in the first place. I can see why you all would want to put up a front and pretend to be straight. You can lose everything just for being gay and for some people that's just too much to give up. I can understand that and if that's what you need to do to keep from breaking down or suicide than fine, I'd rather you pretend to be straight and alive than kill yourself for being unhappy and unable to live with what you are.
What I hate is how gays can be treated so badly to the point of wanting to kill ourselves or live complete lies because of other peoples ignorance and intolerance. I had a friend who killed himself because he never thought he would be able to live a happy life being gay. I can't say that there were times where I didn't feel the same way.
One day I hope that gays will be treated with respect and that the issue of people's sexuality would just become mundane because no one cares and we all live and let live. Until that day comes people need to be educated that their is nothing wrong with us, there isn't an invisible man in the sky waiting to send you to hell and you can live your life the way you are.
I completely disagree with your perception of the scriptures. That said,
There's nothing in the bible that says tearing your face off is wrong either.
There's nothing in the bible that says eating your children is wrong.... somehow we just know it is... go figure.
godspeed,
freedom
It's not my perception. It's a matter of reading the Bible verses in their context and checking the English translations against the original Hebrew and Greek. If you Choose to perceive that the scriptures condemn homosexuality (which wasn't even a concept in Biblical times),rather than just specific types of homosexual behaviour like rape and temple prostitution etc, then you do so because you want to believe it, not because it's a fact.
Somehow, people just KNEW that it was unnatural for blacks and whites to get married. I mean everyone knew the Bible said so didn't they?
It's not my perception. It's a matter of reading the Bible verses in their context and checking the English translations against the original Hebrew and Greek. If you Choose to perceive that the scriptures condemn homosexuality (which wasn't even a concept in Biblical times),rather than just specific types of homosexual behaviour like rape and temple prostitution etc, then you do so because you want to believe it, not because it's a fact.
Somehow, people just KNEW that it was unnatural for blacks and whites to get married. I mean everyone knew the Bible said so didn't they?
Whatever you WANT to believe about homosexuality in the Bible (nevermind what the author meant when he wrote it), consider the fact that God explicitly condemns adultery/fornication. Additionally, God defined marriage as male/female. However you want to spin it, sex outside of marriage (and 2 men or 2 women can't get married), is wrong in God's eyes.
Whatever you WANT to believe about homosexuality in the Bible (nevermind what the author meant when he wrote it), consider the fact that God explicitly condemns adultery/fornication. Additionally, God defined marriage as male/female. However you want to spin it, sex outside of marriage (and 2 men or 2 women can't get married), is wrong in God's eyes.
Feel free to put whatever silly spin you want on your old books. A growing portion of the population has had enough of feeble attempts to make the scribblings of those primitive men relevant in any way for our lives today. If you are content to live by the wisdom and superstitions of 2000 year old tent dwellers, have at it. The rest of us are going with a more enlightened approach.
If you truly believe something is wrong in your god's eyes, why don't you let him handle it?
Have you personally done any research on this or are you just repeating what you have been told or "what everybody knows"?
Here's a few questions to start your research if you are truly interested in "what the facts are".
-Are you aware that the word "homosexual" only came into use for the first time in English translations of the Bible in 1946 (Revised Standard Version) and the term "homosexual" was first used in English only as recently as the late 19th century?
-Apart from raping strangers to humnilate them, do you know what the sins of Sodom were and how they are referred to throughout the Bible? (BTW, Raping strangers was a common practice by men in those times to humiliate strangers by treating them like they would women.)
- Do you know what "hospitality" meant to the Hebrews at the time of Abraham?
- Are you aware that the word "sodomite" used in Deuteronomy 23:17 was a mistranslation in the King James Bible? It actually means temple prostitute or cult prostitute?
-Do you know who Molech was and the relevance to Chapters 18 and 20 of Leviticus?
-Have you looked up the meanings of the Greek "malakoi arsenokoitai" used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 6-9?
-Are you aware that the term now used for "homosexuals" in 1 Corinthians 6-9 used to be translated as "masturbators"?
-Can you tell me who Paul was talking about in 1 Romans 26?
There are more, but when you have researched these questions, get back to us about "changing all the passages to mean something entirely different" and "what the facts are".
Jaymax, I have studied about this. I have personal reason to WANT to believe homosexuality is ok. I won't be the least bit surprised if my 6 yr old son comes to me one day and tells me he's gay. I dread that day, but just from how he is, I think it may happen. I will tell him how much God and I both love him, and I would REALLY like to tell him that God is ok with it. From what I have studied thus far, that cannot be the case. I will, however, study it again, using your guidelines, and get back with you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kdbrich
Whatever you WANT to believe about homosexuality in the Bible (nevermind what the author meant when he wrote it), consider the fact that God explicitly condemns adultery/fornication. Additionally, God defined marriage as male/female. However you want to spin it, sex outside of marriage (and 2 men or 2 women can't get married), is wrong in God's eyes.
I agree Kdbrich. Jaymax, this is another reason I don't believe homosexuality is ok in God's eyes. How do you reconcile sex outside of marriage, esp when God made marriage to be between male and female?
Feel free to put whatever silly spin you want on your old books. A growing portion of the population has had enough of feeble attempts to make the scribblings of those primitive men relevant in any way for our lives today. If you are content to live by the wisdom and superstitions of 2000 year old tent dwellers, have at it. The rest of us are going with a more enlightened approach.
If you truly believe something is wrong in your god's eyes, why don't you let him handle it?
I'm not the one quoting Bible verses to either condemn or justify it.
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