It really confuses me when I hear about a gay Christain. When I point out that their religion says they will burn in hell, I am told that God loves them no matter what and they will go to heaven. I do not undestand this picking and choosing of biblical verses, although that is what most people do. So, can any gay people tell me how they justify partaking in a religion who so openly hates them? (I am not a Christain)
215957
Well according to the Old Testament, God hates a lot of people and a lot of people are going to hell.  Off the top of my head, people who eat shrimp, bankers, rich people, women who don't take rituatl baths after their period, people who are judgemental or arrogant, people born into other religions.  We don't prevent them from becoming Christians.  \n\nJesus said there were only two new commandments : Love God and Love Thy Neighbor.  So do you buy into all the old laws or just follow what Jesus said?  What about Paul?  Does his word carry the same weight as that of Jesus?  What about when Jesus and Paul disagree, which happens a lot?  Who do you side with?\n\nMost gay Christians believe that as long as you obey the words of Jesus himself, that is all that is really important.  The old testament, paul, all that stuff is extra and since a lot of it contradicts Jesus himself, its really not as valid as the word of the actual son of God.  The words of Christ himself are what was important, and Christ never said anything bad about the homos.  It depends on how you set up your Christianity... do you follow Jesus or Paul?  Do you try to follow them both?  \n\nOddly enough, there is almost nothing in the Bible about lesbianism, and none in the new testament.  It really is just gay male sexuality that is troublesome.  So Biblically, you can be a lesbian and a Christian with no contradiciton because Paul declared that Christ brought a new covenant that invalidates most of the old testament.
389156
Okay, look.  Once in biblical times, adulteresses were stoned to death.  Ever wonder why it doesn't happen as frequently now?  We learned tolerance and compassion from God, and learn that "ye who is without sin, cast the first stone".\n\nAt one time, to sustain a delicate population, homosexuality was punished in a similar way.  But with over population, not so much the same deal.  \n\nPromiscuity, on the other hand, gay or straight, is not what God had planned for us, either.\n\nSo forgive yourself already.  HE already has.
632915
Don't listen to those dumb bigots.  Not all religions or even all Christian denominations believe being gay is a sin.  After all, as long as you are following your true nature it shouldn't matter since God made you that way.\nThe whole "being gay is evil" thing is, as far as I can tell, based solely on ONE passage from a part of the Bible that is full of rules we don't follow anymore.  The truth is that the religion is just an excuse to be intolerant; the real reason is that people are afraid of those who are different from them.\n\nOh, and another note: can you believe these people??  Some of them I have to shake my head and go, Are they for real? because they're so ridiculous.  As someone else noted, we're all sinners, and as most religions agree all sins are equal so it shouldn't matter, they're just as much a sinner as you.  Besides, it's no one's place to judge except for God.
309531
Christians do not hate gays well true Christians don't. True Christians know that being gay is wrong because the bible speaks against it, in fact being gay is a abomination unto God. God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve And no one is born gay being gay is a spirit a spirit that isn't of God and all the gays that keep coming out showing themselves is the bible fulfilling itself the bible says that in the last days men shall become lovers of themselves meaning changing the natural use of a man and a woman. A true Christian wouldn't hate anyone no matter who they are or how they look and dress, although there are certain so called Christians that like to point their finger at how a certain person looks or wear their cloths and many brings up a persons past right to their face which is wrong too they foget that no one is perfect even the strongest believer makes mistakes but mistakes help us to be wiser and the best knowledge comes by experience. But being gay is wrong satan will attack a persons mind to try and make them think they are gay and many gives in to it. A lot of gays hate Christians because some Christians are not afraid to tell them that being gay is wrong. And the true Christian that do that are not saying to judge or point a finger it's because they love them so much that they don't want to see them die lost.
159499
Is God hostile towards homosexuals...\n\nI CORINTHIANS 6:9,10\n   9    Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, \n   10    Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.\n\n I TIMOTHY 1:9,10\n   9    Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,\n   10    For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;\n\nJUDE 1:7\n    Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.\n \nSee also...\nGenesis 18-19 \n\nLeviticus 18:22 and 20:13 \n\nDeuteronomy 23:17-18 \n\nJudges 19 \n\nI Kings 14:24 and 15:12 \n\nRomans 1:26 \n\n God does not hate the homosexual. He hates the DEEDS of the homosexuals.\n Neither does a real Christian hate anyone...but sin is what we hate. Lust of the flesh is what we hate.\nAnything that is contrary to God, is what we hate...but not the person.\n \nTo know more click here...\nhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/bibletruths_forbelievers/
249126
I am a Christian and I believe that God loves ALL people and that yes, Gays will go to Heaven. It doesn't matter what their sexual preference is. As long as they are good people they will find themselves in Heaven when they die.
10376
Well, I didn't have to open the above link to know what it would say.\n\nYour question was extremely eloquent, and very valid to question these things.\n\nIn all fairness, I gave up on religion (at least my religion, catholicism, anyways), as I did not agree with many of their outdated views. They continue to ban homosexuality, rating it as a sin, and continue not to allow women priests.\n\nBeing gay myself, I know, as you know yourself, that this is how you are made. This is who you are. No amount of praying or trying to be anything else is ever going to change that.\n\nDeep down, I think we all know that this is how God made us. Infedelity, murder, greed, all easy to see how they are sins - they are perpetrated and can be redeemed... but wanting to be in loving relationships with members of your own sex - I could never understand how sinful that is.\n\nI know this is how I always was, I know that there is a lot of good I do in my life, and I try to lead a good and honest one, by being kind to my fellow human beings, respecting them, and overall trying to do some good.  The fact that I want to spend my life with a man instead of a woman - well I am positive that if I'm going to hell, it won't be because of this - how can it possibly? \n\nThe people on this earth who say we will go to hell, have not personally died and witnessed where straight and gay people go after they die. Hence they have no authority to tell us what will happen to us in an afterlife, and your guess is as good as theirs.\n\nAt least you know this is who you are - do not fight it, live a good and happy life, try to do good and live a moral life - one that you will be happy and fulfilled with, not one you will be miserable in and struggle to overcome something that is not overcomable. And know that while some will think you are sinning, there are others who are sure you are not. Its all opinion anyway.\n\nNo quoting bibles guys, the law of the bible is more strict than what is being practiced now anyway - statements such as slavery being acceptable are clearly wrong in this day and age, so why can people selectively discard these statements but hold onto its thoughts about homosexuality?\n\nToo many youths are depressed and sometimes comitting suicide due to society's inacceptance to gays. This has got to end. It's been a long time coming.
340871
ToLiveIsToExplore,\nIt true, and I am glad that you noticed. The Laws of before were to illustrate different things, especially having to do with Christ in His relationship to sin, and the human relationship to God. You put way too much down that I want to go through right now, so I'll keep it short, (I'm moving right now).\n\nHomosexuality is not a special sin. It is covered by the blood of Jesus just like any other. So people don't go to Hell for being Gay, rather they go to hell for not trusting God through Jesus Christ.\n\nSo if you are Gay, be Gay and trust God to fulfill His promises. So the focus isn't on sinning, it's about trusting God.\n\nWhy do some Christians bring it up all the time? Because they are not taught the truth. They believe that certain people are worse sinners than they are. And that's a bad attitude. Their pastors are sinning everytime that message is brought by them to the congregation.
658357
It's true that most gay people aren't religious.  It's probably becaue religion is used to put down homosexuality...which is wrong.  People misuse their religions all of the time as an excuse to hate.\n\nI'm gay and I am not into any type of organized religion.  However, I possess strong faith and belief in what I feel is right.
622463
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God hates gays and lesbians. There are a couple of passages that  plainly speak let uagainst homosexuality, however.\nThe famous story of Sodom and Gomorrah is told in Genesis 18 and 19. The cities were burned because of lustfulness of every type, including homosexuality. As you read you discover that the men of Sodom were so corrupt they wanted to have sex not with Lot's daughters, but with his guests, who happened to be two holy angels in the guise of men!\nThe men even tried to break the door down before the angels made them blind.\nRomans 1 speaks strongly against certain sins, including this one: "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature (themselves) more than the Creator.... FOR THIS CAUSE God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet."\nLest we think God is unfair, we read right at the start of Romans chapter 2 that Christians are not to judge sinners, since they were sinners too! You see, a Christian, in part, is a sinner who has repented of sin and been forgiven for it. ("Repentance" connotes "turning away from" sin.)\n\nRegarding abortion: Sometimes the Bible states things explicitly, sometimes it gives us a guiding principle. The main debate about whether abortion is murder has to do with whether the "fetus" is a person. Here is what Psalm 139 (one of my favorites) says: "For thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...My frame was not hidden from Thee, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. Thine eyes have seen my UNFORMED substance; And in Thy book they were all written, The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them."\nThe whole Psalm is about how God sees and understands us whereever we are. The last verse quoted says that there is a plan for each person even before s/he is born. Wow!\nGod does not hate sinners. That is what Jesus came to show us. That is why He came to take the punishment for ALL our sins. The biblical view of people is not a hateful one. And God does not play favorites-see Romans 2:11.This is what He tells Christians: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. And do not pass judgment and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you shall not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned." Luke 6:36-37\nIs it a hateful thing to let a small child know that fire will hurt him? Neither is it hateful to call sin "sin" if a person wants to know.\nI hope all this helps. Blessings. Buttercup\nThese topics are important and I'm happy to discuss them further with anyone through messaging here or on 360.
51186
Absolutely not!  If God didn't want people to be gay he wouldn't have made them that way.  No where in the bible does it say that homosexuality is wrong.  And even if they did, the bible was written by people.  It's just been interpreted that why by a bunch of homophoblic individuals (i.e. closet gays) who can't bear to see other people actually be happy.  God made you gay, and trying to change that has got to be worse than sleeping with men!  I mean, if you try to change you you are isn't that basically saying that God screwed up?  Don't try to change who you are.  If there is a heaven, you'll get in.\n\nIt's not unnatural or unhealthy to be gay.  People have been engaging in sexual relations with others of the same gender for all of recorded history.  Many primates engage in homosexual relations.  There's even a species of fruit-fly that does it.  At some point someone decided it was wrong, but it's not.  It's perfectly natural.  Do whatever feels right and don't worry about what other people think, or what other people tell you God will think.\n\nEdit: I was just reading mckenziecalhoun's post, and it made me think.  This isn't entirely relevent (or really at all relevent), but when I think about it, it seems to me that people who think they're going to Hell generally actually won't.  I'm basing that on the idea that if you repent for your sins you won't go to Hell.  My understand of repent is that you have to sincerely feel bad.  If you believe you're going to Hell, you believe you did something bad.  It's one thing if you lightheartedly reason it out and determine you're going to Hell, but if you actually believe it, I think that constitutes remorse.
354300
When your fellow christians are condemning you for being gay you should point out that none of them are living by the word of God either. I'm pretty sure God frowns on divorce, adultery, and a lot of other stuff that christians do all the time. According to God's word you're not even supposed to work on the sabbath, but they're not trying to ammend the constitution to enforce that rule, are they? They are using their religion as a moral cloak to hide their homophobia. Doesn't it seem strange that they crusade against homosexuality, but have nothing to say about any of the other sins people commit daily. Why do you want to be a part of all this nonsense anyway? Find your own path.
493397
Dear Bill, I would Like to explain why a person goes to hell and Howwe can escape the consequences of hell. I would like to ask you a few questions.............\n\nHave you ever lied (even once--fibs, white lies, etc.)? Ever stolen (anything--the value is irrelevant)? Jesus said, "Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery already with her in his heart." Have you ever looked with lust? If you have said "Yes" to these three questions, by your own admission, you are a lying, thieving, adulterer at heart; and we’ve only looked at three of the Ten Commandments. Nothing you’ve ever done is hid from His holy eyes. Will you be innocent or guilty on the Day of Judgment? Listen to your conscience. You know that you will be guilty, and therefore end up in Hell. That’s not God’s will. He provided a way for you and I to be forgiven. \nHe sent His Son to take our punishment: "God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." He was bruised for our iniquities. Jesus then rose from the dead and defeated death. \nYour own so-called “goodness” can’t get you into heaven any more than mine could.  Jesus is the only way to Heaven. He is the "Door," the only "mediator." There is salvation in no other name, and if you will repent (turn from sin) and place your faith and trust in jesus, God will forgive you of your sins and grant you eternal life. A person dosent go to Hell because they are foolish, but raher because they have trasgressed the Law. Please, turn from sin and trust in the savior today.\nGod Bless\nWDJD
622952
I thought your reply to her was great! I know it can be frustrating when you see such intolerance towards gays, but violence is not the answer. Such people really missed the, "Judge not, or you too will be judged" lesson in Sunday school. (That's Matthew 7:1, the NIV translation.) About pride: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. --Proverbs 16:18\n\nSuch people are like mosquitoes--bothersome and they will feed off you if you let them. Just put on your bug spray and you'll be fine. ; )
589330
You seem to be asking two questions, then hint at a third. The first, "Why do they (some people who have a solid faith), insist on pushing it onto others?"\n\nWhen I see "faith" I immediately think "religious faith," and when some of those who have a solid religious faith insist on pushing it onto others, they are likely to be evangelical, which charges them with spreading the Word. For others, their faith has so changed their lives that, evangelical or not, they cannot contain their happiness and must share with others.\n\nAs you elaborate your question you ask a second and hint at a third: "We don't judge them for their beliefs - so why do they judge others?" What you see as "judging" to them may be seen as having accepted the Truth. That Truth is so obvious it can be blinding in its clarity and all the more mystifying that others can't, don't or refuse to see it. That in turn, couples with a sense of urgency to save the rest of us.\n\nAnd then, "While I am not gay, it seems to be the gay community that recieve the most 'telling offs'." This seems to go into a different territory. The gay community receiving the most 'telling offs' may be from those who are anti-gay and/or homophobic; or simply ignorant and/or immature.
259588
A LITTLE HARSH, BUT TRUE.\n\nAMEN BROTHER!\n\nALL THE PEOPLE THAT GAVE HATEFUL ANSWERS ABOUT JUDGING ETC.\n\nTHIS PERSON IS NOT JUDGING, ONLY INTERPRETING WHAT THEY READ IN THE BIBLE.\n\nSHOW ME WHERE IN THE BIBLE IT SAID IT WAS OK FOR A MAN TO STICK IS WEE WEE IN ANOTHER MANS POO POO AND A WOMAN TO LICK ANOTHER WOMEN'S WEE WEE?\n\nIT STRICTLY FORBIDS IT AND SINCE THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD, AND OF THE LORD, THEN HOW IS THIS PERSON GUILTY OF JUDGING?\n\nGROW UP YOU PEOPLE, SEE THE LIGHT AND REPENT.\n\nYOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING IT A SIN, AND YOU KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES FOR IT.  YOUR OWN GUILT MAKES YOU LASH OUT AT GOOD PEOPLE, PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO HELP YOU AND SHOW YOU THE ROAD TO EVERLASTING LIFE ANS SALVATION.\n\nDON'T TURN AWAY FOR THE LORD, YOU ARE HIS CHILD AND HE WILL PROTECT YOU.  CONFESS YOUR SINS AND YOU WILL BE FORGIVEN.\n\nGO IN PEACE, LOVE AND KINDNESS FOR EACH OTHER, GAY, STRAIGHT, BI, ETC.....\n\nWE ALL HAVE SIN, BUT SOME TRY TO LIVE RIGHT, AND GAY IS NOT LIVING RIGHT.
193517
it's a sin, allright.\nbut in no aspect whatsoever that it is a greater sin.\nYou are right, judging people, liars, adulterers, thieves, gossippers, murderes, and so on are equal sinners as homosexuals (who practice the lifestyles).\n\nChurch who treates homosexuals badly are the misguided one.\nThey are basically the same like the pharisees during the  bible times.\n\nI believe if Jesus to walk the earth today, he would hang out in the midst of homosexuals (delivering them from bondage) -just like he walked in the past (among tax collectors, prostitutes, and so on).\n\nPerhaps, the reason why YOU are put in that kind of church is to testify Jesus' love by reminding them (the congregation and the pastors) the bible truth. That they should treated the homosexuals like human being.\nRemind them that they should hate the sins, not the sinners.