I am going out on a limb in making another post about homosexuality. A couple of weeks ago when I did this, some people took issue with my remarks and some agreed. I am not seeking to have people agree with me and I respect every one's opinions. I do think whatever our views, we need to present them in Christlike language and intent, and not an attack mode. I was recently reading a well known preacher's blog and the topic was politics. I could not believe the way that Christians were treating one another, over 200 people responded and most were not kind. We all have opinions and it is as it should be, but we must be able to state them in a way that honors God and shows love to one another. That being said, I am saddened once again, this time for Clay Aiken to publicly admit that he is a homosexual. I know we suspected it because he has always been evasive, but I for one held out hope that it was not so.
First of all let me ask why it is that "gay" is the common term we use now for homosexuality? I personally think it is to help sanitize it. So what new terms can we come up with for a murderer, an adulterer, a liar, a thief? As I said in my earlier post our call is to love all sinners, but it does not mean we are accepting of the sin.
I Cor 6:8-10 "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." God makes it pretty clear I think.
I have to be honest and admit I struggle with people I have liked who claim to be homosexual. I actually like Ellen's show and enjoy her humor. I know she is generous with her monies. I went to Clay's concert when he came to Dallas because I enjoy his voice and his music. There are other homosexuals that I have enjoyed their acting, singing, or whatever. If I go ahead and watch their shows, movies or listen to their music is that okay? I just asked Steve this a couple of days ago. How about movies or T.V. shows where heterosexuals portray homosexual characters? Should I be watching those?
Here is what Paul says:
I Corinthians 5:8-12 "I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you."
I think the verses are saying it is going to be hard for us to get away from associating with homosexuals as long as we live in this world. However, if someone is claiming to be a brother or sister in Christ and is claiming to be sexually immoral then we are to not associate with that person. Thus, I don't think you can claim as Clay does to be a "born again Christian" and be a homosexual. There are over 15 different scriptures about sexual immorality. Would you define immorality as just relations before marriage or outside of marriage? I don't think so. Read Leviticus 18, one scripture after another about sexual immorality: fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, men and women with animals, son-in-laws with mother-in- laws, siblings, sister-in-laws, brothers-in-laws and on and on it goes. So if homosexuality is okay, where do we draw the line with all these others?
Another problem I have with Clay Aiken is that he had a child with his 50 year old manager. Granted they are saying it was through invitro but if this lady is his best friend and who he wants to be the mother of his child, and they will share living quarters, does it make sense to anyone else why they could not be married and just not have sexual relations?? Can homosexuals remain celibate?
I don't have all the answers just continue to question to how we got to this place?
What is my responsibility as a follower of Christ? I continue to beseech God to show me His way.
4 comments:
I understand that there are verses in the Bible that specifically state that homosexuality is wrong. Here's what I do not understand: You (based on these verses) compare homosexuality to murder, thievery, lying, and adultery. I can see logical reasons behind murder, etc. being labeled a sin. I can see what God wouldn't want us to commit these sins. They hurt people. There are victims that suffer specifically as a result of these sins. The only suffering caused by homosexuality is that of traditional, excessively conservative people who "hurt" because they think someone is sinning. Therefore, if it wasn't considered a sin, it wouldn't hurt anyone. Unlike murder, which would still hurt. Or adultery, which would still hurt. There is no other pain caused by two people of the same sex loving each other.
To me, this puts homosexuality in a whole different category. And despite growing up in a church, no one has ever been able to explain to me why being gay is a sin. The only explanation is "because it says in the Bible." Every other sin has an additional explanation. And for me to condemn someone or their actions, I need to know a logical reason why he or she is wrong.
Dear Anonymous,
I hope you have returned here and read my answer to your post. First of all I would like to say that I am not condemning anyone because only God has that right not me. Secondly, if you don't use the Bible as your truth then anyone can do anything they want by your definition as long as they are not hurting someone else.
But I think homosexuality does hurt other's, what about it being one of the causes of Aids? Not to mention it is destroying families. Usually God's ways are not to make things more difficult but to protect us. He knew that homosexuality leads to sexual practices that are unclean and can cause disease.
Here are just two of many other scriptures where God says something about a practice that would not harm anyone else, but He still says it is wrong, not just wrong but detestable.
Deuteronomy 22:5
"A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this."
Proverbs 6:16
"There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes,a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes,feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." Do haughty eyes hurt anyone else? Yet it says God hates them.
I am not sure what you mean by "every other sin has an additional explanation." Additional explanation from man's perspective or God's perspective? I did not make the comparison between homosexuals and murderers, or thieves, God did. The verse I used also lists drunkards, if you drink in your own home to excess and get drunk but are not hurting anyone else, is that okay too? Either we take the Bible for what it says or we don't and if we don't what does that say to God? Not sure this all makes sense in writing, if you would like to reveal yourself and call me, I would be happy to talk with you. May God bless you as you continue to see His ways and His truth, and then give you courage to stand for it, which does not require condemning anyone just speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)
Lynn, I too don't like that "they" call themselves GAY. Once upon a time gay was a word that had a good meaning and mothers even named their little girls Gay. It's too bad that a perverted group of sinners have taken away such a once beautiful word. I still think they should be referred to as queers.
Anonymous #2,
Somehow I have difficulty hearing Jesus call homosexuals "queers" which would be rather inflaming. I think he would just refer to them as what they are homosexuals.
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