There are those who like to say that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality. Various verses are cited (out of context) and the verses that people use to show that homosexuality is wrong are explained away. The world wants to change God's words and meanings into something more suitable to its sinful desires. Nevertheless, the truth stands: The Bible condemns homosexuality as a sin. Let's look at what it says.
Lev. 18:22, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination." Lev. 20:13, "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltness is upon them"
1 Cor. 6:9-10, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
Rom. 1:26-28, "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper."
Homosexuality is clearly condemned by the Bible. It goes against the created order of God. He created Adam and then made a woman. This is what God has ordained and it is what is right. Unlike other sins, homosexuality has a severe judgment administered by God Himself. This judgment is simple: They are given over to their passions. That means that their hearts are allowed to be hardened by their sins (Romans 1:18ff). As a result, they can no longer see the error of what they are doing. Without an awareness of their sinfulness, there will be no repentance and trusting in Jesus. Without Jesus, they will have no forgiveness. Without forgiveness, there is no salvation.
What should be the Christian's Response to the Homosexual?
Just because someone is a homosexual does not mean that we cannot love him (or her) or pray for him (her). Homosexuality is a sin and like any other sin, it needs to be dealt with in the only way possible. It needs to be laid at the cross, repented of, and never done again. As a Christian, you should pray for the salvation of the homosexual the same you would any other person in sin. The homosexual is still made in the image of God -- even though he is in grave sin. Therefore, you should show him same dignity as anyone else you come in contact with. However, this does not mean that you are to approve of their sin. Don't compromise your witness for a socially acceptable opinion that is void of godliness.
I do not dispute that the act of intercourse between two people of the same gender is clearly condemned by the Bible, but I think that issues of sexual orientation are a little more complex than who we have sex with.
ReplyDeleteIf someone isn't attracted to people of the opposite gender and is also a Christian, there is almost always this moment of flop-sweat panic, this "what is wrong with me", "why did God make me this way", "am I going to burn in Hell."
I guess what I'm saying is that simply possessing a homosexual orientation isn't so clearly condemned by the Bible, and that is one of the reasons why I am always carefully not to condemn homosexuality as a sin.
SANE--I don't know what to say. I'm speechless in so many ways right now.
ReplyDeleteUhm, okay. So you're right. The bible says homosexuality is wrong. As I said on my blog I accept my fate.
I don't want a God that can't accept that I can love someone of the same gender.
LINDSEY--Hey there. Well, what to say? If the bible condemns intercourse between people of the same gender then I am condemned.
I knew that. In my heart of hearts I knew that.
We can still be friends right?
lesbiansaidwhat, Don't forget that there are many scriptures in the Bible than 90% of the population in this country don't follow anymore. There are a lot of denominations that allow divorced and female ministers. We no longer allow slavery or father daughter incest. So not every peice of scripture is still held true for today by most people.
ReplyDeleteHill. I'm thinking that you're referring to Lot and his daughters? If so, it's not like the scriptures are condoning what they did... And there clearly are prohibitions against father-daughter, mother-son, brother-sister (etc.) incest in the Mosaic law.
ReplyDelete(am not saying this to be argumentative, but for clarification...)
- e2tc
lesbiansaidwhat- nothing changes between us. Nothing.
ReplyDeleteSane- We agree and we disagree. Some people believe that homosexuality was redeemed at the same time Peter had his vision about no men being unclean under the law, and that the cautions in the NT were against men leaving their wives and having adulterous sex offered up to idols, not necessarily homosexuality in general.
Like it or not, good Christian people have a fundamental disagreement on this topic. But that makes them no less Christian that Christians that disagree over women being allowed to teach men, women being able to wear blue jeans, drinking alcohol being okay, using musical instruments in worship, or any other number of denominational differences.
If homosexuality is sin, and a homosexual becomes a Christian, and they in all ways seek to conform to God's will, at some point they will be convicted over their homosexual acts by God. I simply choose to accept them as they come to me, and pray to God for wisdom for the rest.
Lindsey K, I respect your opinions and no we don't have to agree on everything. How boring would that be? But thank you for allowing GOD to be my judge.
ReplyDeleteI disagree that all same sex intercourse is condemned by the bible. I know drunken orgies, temple prostitutes, and such are clearly condemned. But doesn't that translate to heterosexual orgies and prostitution as well?
Those scriptures in no way answer the relationship I have. It is like comparing a hetero person who sleep around with a hetero person in a loving relationship. But still either way, I am not trying to change anyone's mind. Just clarify where I am coming from.
Hill,
ReplyDeleteI've often found my mind boggling when people condemn all homosexuals and lesbians but studiously avoid even a single mention of what I'm going to call "dysfunctional heterosexual behavior."
More and more, it seems to me that homosexuals and lesbians have been made into convenient targets used to divert people away from asking hard, searching questions about what it really is to live as disciples of our Lord and master.
Sadly, there are a lot of hurting people out there who aren't getting the love and help that they need - people of all sexual orientations, I mean, very much including so-called "straight" people. (I've never liked that label much.)
Some of those hurting heterosexuals must be thinking, "if homosexuals and lesbians are such objects of derision and hatred, how on earth am I ever going to be able to mention my problem with [insert description] and expect to be received with any kind of compassion?"
Things should not be that way among followers of Christ, and yet the sad truth is that they are.
How I wish I had a solutions for all of this!
- e2tc (aka spinning)
Sane, you stated "Unlike other sins, homosexuality has a severe judgment administered by God Himself."
ReplyDeleteThis statement bothers me. A lot of your statements bother me, but this one stood out and others have already commented on the general idea of your post, so I'll just move on to this one.
I thought a sin was a sin was a sin? I was raised in the church and was taught to believe that all sins looked the same in Gods eyes. Do you really believe that one person loving someone of the same sex is truly worse than child abuse, murder, rape?
I have to agree with lesbiansaid what. I don't want anything to do with a God that can't accept love, regardless of gender.
But I'm not convinced that's the case. A lot of what's in the bible is up for interpretation. You have your interpretation. Others have theirs. It doesn't make any of it the absolute truth.
e2tc (aka spinning),
ReplyDeleteActually I wasn't referring to Lot and his daughters and I was referring to Mosaic law. It does state that a man can't have sex with a whole number of people because they belonged to another man. Such as the Aunt belonged to his Uncle or Daughter in law belonged to his son. But at least in the translations I have read it doesn't say he can't have sex with his own daughter. He owns her and would be in no way offending the rights of another male. But if I am wrong in this, please let me know the translation and I will look it up. I was using Today's English Version.
I agree that a lot of the "gay" behaviors translate very well to the hetero lifestyle. (if there is such a thing). But then again I know a lot of gay couples who live good lives and witness for God in an amazing way that doesn't send people off screaming into the night fearing condemnation.
hippiemeg, yes there are a lot of translations and books left out of the cannonized Bible. And I believe that it doesn't matter what denomination or doctrine you follow, at some point in time you had to choose it for yourself. I was raised Lutheran, now I am a United Methodists, tomorrow I may be belong to MCC. The religion or denomination doesn't matter. It is the personal relationship with God and Jesus that counts.
And I know God is Okay with me because He told me to not hate what he lovingly created.
Sane, I don't know why I keep feeling the need to respond to your comments/posts. I realize I will never change the way you feel...just as you will never change who I am or convince me that my friends and I are leading a "sinful lifestyle". Having said that, sometimes I can't keep my mouth shut, so here goes...
ReplyDeleteI see you didn't answer my question. Do you honestly believe that same sex relationships are worse than child abuse, rape, murder, incest (I could go on)?
I am less confused about who I am, including my sexual orientation, now than I have been my entire life. It's not up to you to determine who is confused and what someone's sexual orientation is. It would be like me telling you that you're not really a heterosexual, you're just confused by what you've been taught about homosexuality being a sin. If you'd let that go, you'd be able to truly determine who you really are. But I wouldn't say that to you. It's your life. You're the one that has to live it. And I won't defend who I am to you.
As far as Wicca goes...Pagan's don't believe that Satan exists. They cannot be Satanists if they don't believe in the Christian dogma. Paganism was around long before Christianity and Wicca is simply an offshoot of the old religion. I've read the Bible. There are other books out there to read, as well. If you'd like some book suggestions, let me know.
sane, by "dysfunctional heterosexual behavior," I was actually alluding to people who might have problems with fetishes, S&M, pedophilia, etc. etc. but didn't want to drag a whole lot of terms into my reply.
ReplyDeleteThere are few to zero places to go where these problems NOT met with derision and hatred, and I'm talking about the church here.
It should not be so - though those who have struggled (in times past) with alcoholism and drug addiction could reasonably say much the same thing about fearing to share their struggles with fellow Christians - let alone actually being able to go to church and get help and support.
I think we as the church have been criminally off-base in more recent times (1980s-now) in - for the most part - avoiding ministry to those who have HIV and/or full-blown AIDS. (And I'm guilty here, too...)
Hill, I'll need to pull out the concordance and do some double-checking, but I would be truly surprised if there's anything in the OT stating that father-daughter incest is OK! Mother-son incest is clearly condemned in the Mosaic law, for starters... and somehow, God as a loving but just Father seems completely incompatible with the very notion of sexual abuse of one's own child (or children).
Hill: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=3&chapter=18&version=31
ReplyDeleteMeg,
ReplyDeleteYou return because you want to hear the truth.
Sane, if that's how you feel then I won't be back.
ReplyDelete