I don't know if you guys know about Ted Haggard..who he is or what he did...he use to be my pastor..but his story lately has got me thinking. What do you guys think about being gay and how God views that. I know He loves the people still, but hates the sin. But we all sin. We all have things about us that God rather us not have. I have a very dear friend who is living the gay lifestyle and she still claims to be a christian. I wonder what God thinks of that? I know it's a struggle for her, I can only imagine what kind of struggle that is. So hard I am sure. I know that being gay is not right...I guess it's just a confusing subject for me. I don't agree with being gay but I just wonder what you guys think. What you think God thinks..that sort of thing.
posted by Maria Purviance at
11:15 AM
10 Comments:
God created us in His image. God is not gay. Therefore, I believe that those whp claim to be "born this way" are full of malarky. It's a choice. And it's a very wrong one. He speaks so much on sexual immorality in the Bible that I feel like He really hates this sin in particular. I don't believe you are a Christian if you are Gay. Christian means "little Christ" and Christ was/is not homosexual.
right, but how do you think God veiws people who say they are a christian and gay. those people are oviously really confused so i just wonder how he views them
Definitely not as Christians...is Ted claiming to be gay now?
no, he's not..he is claiming he went through an intense three week thing and now he is straight.
anyway, struggling with being gay is no worse than lying or stealing...it says all sins are equal. so does that mean that God looks at us when we sin and says we aren't christian? i agree with you that being gay and saying you're a christian is not right. but i just can't help but think is it any worse than other sins..sins that we commit.
Interesting topic. I believe people are born with sinful tendencies - homosexual tendencies included. However I do not believe that people are 'born gay' in the sense that our society discusses it. Along the same lines, your tendencies do not determine who you are, and are not an excuse to live a certain lifestyle that does not line up to God's word. My own personality draws me towards addiction, which in the past has meant years and years of drug and alcohol abuse. However, I chose to fight against my tendencies in order to live a less destructive life that also lines up according to God's plan.
I believe that society and many Christian groups and individuals have shunned, offended, and judged this group of people in a very offensive and un-Christ-like way. This angers me and I believe it angers God to see his 'children' (those claiming to be) behave out of fear and condemnation instead of love.
I have had many people in my life who have either struggled with or openly admit they live a gay lifestyle. I am not afraid of this, or them - but chose to love them for who God made them to be, whether they see that person or not. I don't think that homosexuals feel welcome in most of the Christian community, and I don't blame them. Standing on the corner with a bull horn and telling people they are going to hell for their sin is not the proper way to show Christ to people. I think we (the Christian community as a whole) have shunned them. I do think there is a way to accept people without accepting their sin.
From my perspective God's word is clear regarding sin and in this case specifically homosexuality. My own sin is no less than this sin.
To answer your question Maria, I think it saddens God when people chose to live a lifestyle he has clearing spoken against while at the same time claiming to be his true and faithful follower. His love is great for us even in our own confusion. As much as his heart breaks for the lost and confused I believe that he will spit them (out for choosing to be luke warm) and will not know them.
Many would disagree with me - on both sides of the fence. That's okay; this is a complex topic with lots of history and opinions attached to it.
kristi, i agree with you that christians treat homosexuals very badly. we should love the people. just like you said..there are ways to love the person and not the sin.
i have never thought about the fact that people can be born with the homosexual tendency...that kind of makes sense. but i do not feel that people are born gay. i guess i think that is just an excuse to make them feel better about what they are doing?
i know that God is very sad when He sees people living this lifestyle...and expecially when they claim to be christians as well. and i guess if they claim to be christians then they should know what the Bible says about being gay..just like we should know what the Bible says about all sin. therefore, they are held accountable for their lifestyle. but where do you think God's grace comes into play? because we all sin, and He can't turn us all away. it just seems that would be way too cruel. what if a person is gay, truely believes with all their heart that God thinks that's okay, and lives their whole life being gay and serving God in other ways. it just seems there should be some grace for those people too. i guess that is what i am trying to say.
i'm not going to be very popular on this forum with my opinion, but it's one more to think about.
i think we're all really good at trying to stuff God into a neat theology box. God is so much bigger and mysterious than we can ever imagine or give Him credit for. i don't think being a homosexual negates a relationship with Christ or holds one from heaven.
(and yes, i think people are born gay. and i think it futile to pray out or therapeutize out the homosexuality.)
jess, thanks for your opition. i do agree with you that we put God into a box way too much. I guess we will never know the true answers to these kinds of questions until we actually meet Him. That kind of sucks cuz i have so many questions. my views about homosexuality being wrong are my thoughts from what i have gathered from reading the Bible. but like i said before..i don't think that sin is any greater than things you or i might do.
about people being born gay..i just find it so hard to think that someone could be. but i can't look at any baby and think they are born into any kind of sin. but i do know we are born into sin. it's also confusing because you see people that are definately way the opposite way of what they are..like guys being really feminine..and you hear of people talking about how they have always wanted to be a boy when they are a girl or visa versa...and that's all so wild to me..nothing i could comprehend...and so weird that God would ever make someone that way...which i don't think he does..i think satan just knows who can easily fall into that sin and he tempts them with it. just like he use to tempt me so much with drinking and drugs. he knows what works for what people and he uses it.
Hi all, there is a prof at Asbury who has talked about the Ted Haggard situation, and I think his 3 posts on the issue are also worth reading.
1) http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2006/11/looking-haggard-ted-steps-aside.html
2) http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2006/11/haggard-resigns-in-disgrace.html
3) http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2006/11/evangelicals-in-post-haggard-post.html
I think it's ironic how homosexuality dates back to the Greek age when it was common for men of middle age to wed and still retain a young male lover. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is the way to go, all I'm saying is why is homosexuality so wrong now? I see the bible as a book that has a lot in common with the game Telephone. If you don't know how the game goes, it starts with a large circle of people where one person whispers a story or phrase to the person on their left and the phrase or story is spread person to person around the circle. At the end the last person stands up and says the story outloud. As you can imagine a whole lot of the story has been altered with new additions and deletions. The bible, although perhaps god inspired, has gone through many hands and i think we should take that into consideration before we insist we know that "he speaks so much on sexual immorality on the bible". God does not speak to us in the bible, man simply assumed he heard and if man is flawed enough to sin as you say and be homosexual, how can we trust man at all with the word of god? But at the end of the day, I respect all opinions no matter how hateful (eh hem, jadon & amberly's mommy cough cough). I for one never wish to teach my kids any form of hate, tolerance above all is what i believe god attempts to spread. Besides, "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction." - Blaise Pascal
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