Wrong or right, I can't just stop loving someone. Love can't be "overcome". If you're married or if you have a close family member, try to imagine the religion you grew up in, believed in, suddenly telling you, "You're not allowed to love that person anymore. Get on your knees, repent of this sin, and start praying and fasting until it's completely out of your system." Now of course, for someone in a heterosexual relationship, that probably won't ever happen, but imagine for just one moment if the tables were turned and it was your love life under fire. If you were being condemned for being in love with that special person that makes you feel complete and whole, and that you couldn't imagine living life without. How would you feel? I double dog dare you to put yourself in my and countless others positions.

I understand fully what the Word of God says, but the fact still remains the same; I'm not going to deny the person I love, whether they be a man or a woman. And I'm not going to renounce God either. I'm still going to love him and worship him and praise him for the rest of my life. He's done too much for me not to. He's my God, my Father, and he placed a big Love in me, and I'm gonna share that love with whomever he places in my life.

So I suppose we should bring back slavery too… since that's explicitly allowed in "God's Law"

Personally I'm glad that cultures have changed to allow the social behavior of banning slavery. Too bad your God is too much of a curmudgeon to agree.

Just as clearly stated in the Bible, we find all references that mention marriage to be between a man and a woman (opposite sexes). There are no exceptions.

Therefore, it is very simple to conclude that homosexual acts are considered wrong in God's sight but heterosexual relationships have His approval and blessings – in the confines of marriage only. It really does not take a Biblical scholar or any super-intelligent person to see this is the basic truth according to the Bible, whether we want to accept it or not. Just read the verses for yourself. Gen. 19:1-8; Lev. 18:22, 20:13; I Tim. 1:8-11; Rom. 1:14-32; I Cor. 6:9-10. I know people who have studied these passages in the original languages and admit they cannot find any alternative meaning to these passages.

Just because "times change" and cultures change to accept certain social behaviors and laws, does not mean that God changes His moral laws to accommodate us. He allowed six references in His Word that state homosexuality is sinful. I might add – it is listed among other sins indicating it is no worse than any other sin. However, like the other sins, it needs to be brought to God in repentance and then dealt with daily just like any other temptation. With prayer and hiding the Word of God in our hearts, we can resist and overcome the temptation of any sinful act. It is not easy, but it is definitely possible!

Again, I truly believe anyone who tries to over-analyze this subject is just trying to put a spin on what is very clearly stated in God's Word. You either believe it or not. That is up to you, but I would not make that decision lightly.

(For reference): From your opening post you say: "Oh, well. I’m no theologian. I’m just a Christian who, like any Christian, seeks only to better understand and more wholly affiliate myself with the glorious love of God. Which of course is a process that sometimes naturally raises a question or two. And what does one do with a question, but ask it?"

You say in a following comment: "But of course I also understand why any Christian would want to think twice before determining that the male progenitor of Christ was involved in a homosexual love affair. I am in every last way sympathetic with any and all endeavors to, at every moment, better understand all of God’s will and ways. I couldn’t call myself a Christian if I cared about anything as much as I do discerning God’s will."

What would you believe your Jesus say to those two men from your opening post?

Whoud he bless them for having a deeply loving relationship?

Would he damn them for having a deeply loving relationship?

Would he demand they never spend eternity together as a couple? (If he let them into heaven that is.)

Would he send them to hell if the dont agree?

Just what would your Jesus demand of them?

Just curious…

Walk in Beauty,

Julia

Sadly, not focusing on sin in nonbelievers is counterintuitive to my years of “love the sinner, hate the sin” training. Yet I’m finding out that, ironically, it’s hard to truly love someone when I see them as a “sinner” instead of just a person (the whole point of “I’m OK–You’re Not” of course). It’s funny how that works. I’m trying very hard to overcome that bad thinking.

“If the “someone else” you are referring to is someone we don’t know or who is simply trying to change us for selfish reasons, then I would agree with you.”

Yes, that was part of my point, but unstated. Friends advising friends, or even pastors advising pastors are a bit different than approaching strangers and ‘ confronting’ them with their sins. Aside from displaying a lack of grace, there is the added danger that our own (often unconscious) ‘sins’ are hanging out there (particularly that lack of grace) for all to see- which tends to make us look like hypocrites. And why should anyone heed a hypocrite?

That being said, I think that rather than focus on the poor behavior (or sins) of people we might find it more productive to hold up and celebrate their good behavior. In the schools we are moving away from techniques of ‘behavior management’ that tend to shine the light on those students who are falling short and instead are celebrating those moments in which students (any and all students) are deserving of praise. Very innovative, sort of like the ‘gold’ stars my elementary school teacher would give us years ago. People respond better to encouragement.

So instead of busting homosexual’s chops for what we see as their sin, essentially telling them they have no place in a community of Christians, wouldn’t it make more sense to encourage them in their faith?