BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Bible Basics Homosexuality and Christianity

Isn't love love, no matter between whom it is shared?

That is my definition of Love.

There is no question in my mind that those who scribed the new Testament certainly did know of homosexuality....
It was widely practised, especially by the Greeks and Romans, and the Greeks considerd it the purest of Loves - over and above heterosexual love.
For educated scribes to not have known about it, beggars belief.
It would be more credible to suppose perhaps, that these scholars may themselves have practised homosexuality, and this would neither be unusual nor frowned upon in those times....when you consider that some of the most creative minds in History were homosexuals, this should not be viewed with either horror or derision.
I do not state this to be either argumentative or controversial. I am merely putting forward a distinct possibility.

I'm inclined to believe that too, I was just trying to put across the point that the ommision of homosexuality in the New Testament (as far as I am aware) shouldn't necessarily be read as evidence for homosexuals being 'unfogivable' in the eyes of jesus (forgive me if this isn't exactly what you meant Carrenedy I'm paraphrasing for the sake of keeping things less complicated)

I will re-post what I said earlier on this subject:

"How are you going to feel when you stand before the Lord and every action, every thought that you ever did or had will be played on a big screen for you to see. amadeus1220 07/21/06

I will be too busy proclaiming the glory of the Lord to feel shame. Shame and judgement are lies of the devil. How can one claim to be cleansed through grace if they still feel shame or cast judgement? Are we not met where we are with the love of Christ? Did he not die for all? Even in the middle of our filth? Are Christians "perfect" people? Or are we sinners that are accepted and loved through the blood of Christ Jesus shed on the cross? Where is our faith? How are we like Jesus if we are shunning those we deem as unworthy? Are we not also unworthy? Is it not written "God is Love"? All love? Or is it only the love we think is "God's love"? Who are we to determine what God thinks? Are we now more intellegent that God himself? Has he determined us as the judgers of our brothers and sisters? Or is it written that Only One will Judge, the Son of God Jesus Christ. I don't think thats me or you or anyone else... there is only one Jesus.

Soooooo

What would Jesus do? Who does Jesus love? Who are Jesus' friends? Who needs him most?

Two guys go off on a hike. One guy decides to go into the woods and the other decides to follow the road. Which one needs the flashlight more?

When did Christians become God? I know I'm not. I'm not even close. So who do I think I am to determine who God loves? "07/22/06

Dear Jenna,
I think your signature quote says it all, and I repeat it here:

JESUS DOESN'T HOLD UP A STANDARD, HE HOLDS UP A MIRROR AND SAYS REFLECT ME!

Patience.

Thats it! Thats it! Exactly!! Amen!! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I second that AMEN! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

My comment needs to be put back into context it was more of a response to what Loveapple posted:



When I read what she wrote about Jesus and his diciples I responded by posting:



It is what I wrote that everyone seems to feel so offended by and not what loveapple wrote. I didn't mean to offend, I was only responding to what I found an unsound, unfounded, and malicious claim on Jesus.

Carennedy,

I see her comment as more of an unfounded off hand throw about claim to attempt to support loveapple's stand in favor of the homosexual lifestyle. I was not offended by it at all, it's not a new idea coming from within the homosexual community at all. From what I understand love apple is not homosexual, but she supports the freedom to live whatever lifestyle a person wants to live. I guess that includes murderers, rapists, pedophiles...etc. I mean, freedom for one group to knowingly continue in sin is freedom for all groups.

I don't condemn the homosexual community, because a community is made up of people, and people aren't perfect. But in keeping with the tale of the adulterous woman found in the gospel of John, I feel that i am called more to love than to judge. Only Jesus can forgive sin. Only Jesus can convict of sin. So, my job is to love those who are in bondage to the homosexual lifestyle. In particular, the promiscuity, the immorality and the decadence. However, i have to state clearly that this doesn't mean I support these kinds of preferences in a heterosexual life style either.

Your comments weren't offensive at all period. In fact, they were welcome. It's OK to defend someone you love.

I just have to come back into this debate and make some very important points regarding the previous post.

"From what I understand love apple is not homosexual, but she supports the freedom to live whatever lifestyle a person wants to live. I guess that includes murderers, rapists, pedophiles...etc. I mean, freedom for one group to knowingly continue in sin is freedom for all groups."


Really! You people get upset when someone refers to fundamentalists as 'fundies' yet you lump people like myself and Battlekitten in with murderers, rapists and pedophiles!! EXCUSE ME!!

This is EXCEEDINGLY offensive to me because I suffered terribly at the hands of pedophiles. HETEROSEXUAL PEDOPHILES!

Murderers, rapists and pedophiles take from others what is sacred. They rob them, no, they TEAR from them their self respect, their innocnece, their freedom, their emotional stability and they destroy lives. Ordinary good living homosexuals do none of these things.

"So, my job is to love those who are in bondage to the homosexual lifestyle."

What makes you believe that we are in 'bondage'? If I am in bondage to my homosexuality, then you too are in bondage to your heterosexuality! If my sexuality is a sin, then so is yours. Sexuality itself is then a sin, because our sexuality is just as natural as yours to us. We don't see yours as a sin, and we don't tell you constantly, (or at all for that matter,) that it is, so why can't you grant us the same respect?

Personally, I'm sick to death of hearing how 'sinful' my sexual orientation is. I'm almost 68 years old and I've been hearing this sort of thing for at least 47 years. This kind of 'teaching' and attitude from the Christian Religion drove me away from it once and for all in 1977. I won't be going back. I prefer to believe there is NO God than to believe in, and be spending eternity with one like that!

And further more, if the Jesus I believe in and love, as a prophet of love, would also expect me to repent of my sexuality, then I reject him also. Frankly, I don't care whether he was heterosexual or homosexual. I judge people by how they LOVE, and not by their sexuality. What I consider important is how they LIVE their sexuality - in a pure life, or in promiscuity and degradation. And the same rules apply equally to both homosexuals and heterosexuals.

I know many of you will say that it isn't a sin for me unless I choose to enter into an intimate relationship, and that if I remain celibate, it isn't a sin. Well, I think under those circumstances that no heterosexual should perform a sexual act either, for any other reason than to have children if that's the case, because it would be obvious that it is the sex act itself which is a sin, and not the sexual orientation.

A great saint of the Christian Church once said: "Why all this focus on sin and the devil? We should be focusing on God, and love".