Losing your religion

A religious person tells a gay person, "God hates homosexuality."

The gay person thinks, "I was born this way. Why does God hate me? This isn't my fault. How can a "just" God hate me for something He made me?"

He says to the religious person, "That can't be right. I never chose to be this way. I was born gay."

The religious person says, "Nobody was born gay. You made a choice, and you're responsibile for it."

The God of the Bible is not going to punish someone for having a vulnerability (whenever it occurred) to what He deems as sinful behavior. He will, however, judge each man, woman, and child for acquiescing to temptation, even if only in their own minds.

I try to clarify the difference between orientation and action because I think it's Scripturally and spiritually relevant, and also because I think there are a number of people out there who don't know there's a difference.

 

I agree with you to a point. Where I differ is that I think no one is born a homosexual. I think they make choices and follow a path that eventually leads there. I do not think they make a conscious decision to become gay but they do make choice that lead to that end.

 

Sort of. In His sermon on the mount (Matthew 5 & 6, if anyone's interested), Jesus declared that sin is not limited to physical manifestation. He said hate is just as bad as murder, lust is just as bad as adultery, and so on. That being said, there's still a significant difference between having a desire, and indulging or entertaining that desire. James 1:13-15 is probably the best explanation of the process from desire to temptation to sin I've seen.

 

What if a "moral" law does protect the rights of some individuals?

 

Nor do I. According to the American Psychiactric Association, sexual orientation isn't established until around age 2 or 3. So according to their findings, no one is born homosexual, nor are they born heterosexual. At the same time, if a person's environment leads to establishment of homosexual orientation at that age, it's hardly a personal choice.

 

I understand what Fred is saying. It seems so many christians are more interested in pointing out your sins and condemning you than showing you love and understanding. And the way they go about it it sure doesn't make you want to be like them.

 

i'll bet you and i have sex in very similar ways. why am i condemned but you aren't?

 

Agreed. I heard a Christian woman say at a conference recently, "The 'hating the sin' part we've got down -- it's the 'loving the sinner' part we suck at."

Just another reason I'm "fighting the stereotype".

 

I know HB you seem to be the exception. That's why I respect you so much.

 

Good question. God defined acceptable sex as being within the confines of heterosexual marriage, but I haven't seen a crystal clear dissertation as to why.

The only legitimate reasons I can think of are that somehow, sex within those parameters either paints a specific picture He wants the participants to see, or there is an experience He wants the participants to have that cannot be experienced any other way. Or both.

God's ideal for sex isn't just procreation, and isn't just physical pleasure. There are added emotional and spiritual dimensions to it that are factored in as well.