BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Bible Basics Homosexuality and Christianity

The Bible tells us what God wants, he's very clear.

We are not God and what is sin is not up for debate. It is not a debate because God has already told us what is sin and how to get into heaven. Anyone who thinks they know better than God about how to get into his house is delusional.

Unlike today's soceity God holds us accountable for our actions and the consequenses are clearly stated. As any child we can choose to do what we want or what our Father wants. Our Father only has our best interest at heart and knows more than we do. Yet as rebellious children we continue to defy him, debate with him, and tell him we know better.

I realize that this particular sin is being used by hate mongers to attack a certain set of people. These actions are not of God and will be judged accordingly as well. For it is a sin to hate your fellow man.

Just a thought: The worst sin we can do is use the name of the Lord in vain. Yet I don't see anyone out there condeming people or picketing against it.

A very good point, this is what annoys me about most people attacking homosexuality; they fail to apply the same standards to practices/behaviours that are deemed to be equally or more wrong by the bible.

One point I will raise against Carennedy's last post though is that what we know about the God's rule come from the bible, which has been translated by many different generations and cultures and the message you take from it will more often than not depend on how you approach it. For a very good (and pertinent) example of this see http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_bibh.htm#ngpa , which discuses different translations of Leviticus 18:22.

How can you be sure that the message you take fromt he bible is the one god intended, especially if it is different from others who have read the same text as you?

that brings??? if the bible only condemes men for homo acts because women are inferior and therefore its ok for them, and women are no longer concerted inferior to men, then shouldnt it be ok for any one to have a commetted relationship with anyone because now we are equal? Or would this mean men have fallin to the inferior place equal to women? so we what? no one has sex with no one and we live purdishly everafter in the land of superiority!!! good times!!! lol just thought yall needed a laugh!!!

Thanks Battlekitten for posting this link. It clarifies my earlier points made regarding translations.

We need to be very careful in saying what God does and does not say. If indeed the God of the Bible exists, those of us who want to please him may well be doing him a great injustice!

Thank you!

Patience.

Our pastor pointed out to us, in one of his sermons, that all of the "shalt nots, and thou shalt (s)" would be largely ornamental is those of us that are already Christians spent more of our time spreading the Word about Jesus Christ, and spent less of our time trying to be the morals police.

When a person truly accepts the Lord into his/her life and heart, then there is this overwhelming feeling of wanting to do "right". I'm not saying Christians are flawless (beleive me, I've still got plenty of flaws to take before the Lord come judgement day! <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue2.gif" alt="" /> ). But usually within about ten seconds, or less, of doing something wrong - I realize it, and don't feel at peace until I've rectified it.

So, if as Christians, we are right about homosexuality being wrong - then the better bet would be to try to lead these people to Christ - and let them make the decision of whether it is an appropriate lifestyle. Because, other the God Himself, I think only the people involved are the ones who have the right to make that kind of judgement.

I know I certainly don't - I don't have the wisdom of Solomon, I don't even have the wisdom of my great-grandmother! <img src="/images/graemlins/heart.gif" alt="" />

One of the things that I've learned from my walk as a Christian is that Christians are flawed people. We're not perfect, just saved.There aren't any of us who can stand up and declare what is right or wrong for anyone else. Even though it states that TO GOD homosexuality is an abomination, it is in GOD'S perfect view, not mine. I always recall what Jesus taught, to look at my own life and only judge myself according to God's Word; to focus not on the splinter in my brothers eye, but the plank in my own. I am only responsible for my own life. The ONLY responsiblity I have to others is to tell them about the forgiveness and grace available to them through a relationship with Christ. I demonstrate that saving grace by utilizing it in my approach to others. I'm not called to shun or judge another based on the sins in their lives. I have my own sins to worry about. Love the sinner hate the sin doesn't mean that a whole section of people are off limits to myl ove and compassion based solely on their sins. If that was the case I could never leave my house and I could never lobve myself.

I think God's Word in the Bible and in my heart are the most compelling words ever read. They make me think, they make me change, they make me delve deeper into my own heart than I have ever gone before. I always end up at love. God is love and that love knows no boundaries. He may not be able to be in the presence of my sins, but His love never leaves me and I can always turn around.

I am new to the forum and find the conversation regarding homosexuality and Christianity interesting.

Why do you guys think God destroyed Sodom with fire and brimstone?

You tell me, find me a quote that tells you that God destroyed these cities because of the sin of homosexuality. To give you a start it should be around Genesis 19, although you might be looking for some time.

QUOTES ARE FROM THE NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

The cities were destroyed because they were not even 10 innocent people in them.

The Lord told Abraham in Genesis 18:20 that, "I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are extremely evil, and that everything they do is wicked."

Abraham bartered with the Lord to save the city if he found 10 innocent people.

While there the Lord was eating at Lots house when "All the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. They souted to Lot,"Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out so we can have sex with them. Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him. 'Please, my brothers,' he begged 'don't do such a wicked thing. Look I have two virgin daughters. Do with them as you wish, but leave these men alone, for they are under my protection.'

At this point Lot is forcably removed from the city and the city is destroyed.

It wasn't destroyed just because the men wanted to have sex with the men but because they did such sinful things. The city was so full of sin that God destroyed it.

Throughout the Old Testement Prophets accused the Isrealites that God viewed them as worse then Sodom and Gomorah, not because they were all homosexuals but because they were sinful and only cared about themselves.

Homosexuality was one of many of the sins of Sodom and Gomorah not the only sin.

Selfishness is the basis of all sin in the world. We are born selfish, anyone with a newborn recognizes this. It is our choices to be selfless and sacrificial that are sinless. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty selfish most of the time.

Whilst I agree with most of what you have written, I would like to point out that the direct translation of Genesis 19:5 is 'bring them out so that we may know them'. Although the word 'know' is often used in the bible to mean a sexual act, in this case the translation comes from the hebrew word 'yadha', which is used meaning 'to engage in coitus with' 10 times in the bible but is used to mean 'to become acquainted with 924 times in the bible. If you were a betting person, that would be 100-1 odds that the translation should mean to become acquianted with. Of course you could argue that it is about the context of the passage and is meaning to imply that the men of the city are sinful, in which case I would like to refer you to a section of text from here:

Lot was a ger, a sojourner, a resident alien in Sodom. He had certain civic obligations in return for the protection which the city offered him, and there are indications that he was unpopular in the city. He did not have a right to open his house to foreigners, and the citizens of Sodom were merely demanding to see the credentials of these two foreigners, that is, to "know" whence they came and their intentions. Lot had to refuse, however, because he himself was under the obligations of the Jewish code of hospitality to his guests. He offered the Sodomites his daughters as the first appeasement that came to his mind, not as a heterosexual substitute for a homosexual demand. The cities were they destroyed for not recognizing the obligations of hospitality, and the whole story is a moral allegory on the dire effects of inhospitality.

I hope I don't appear aggressive Carrennedy, I agree with the rest of what you said and I have always found your comments to be balanced and fair; I believe that you are the kind of Christian that more should aspire to be. I just wanted to point out to those that do use the story of sodom and gomorrah as anti-gay rhetoric that actually there's more evidence against that fact that the two cities were destroyed because of the sin of homosexuality than there is for.