Christians why do you preach "Love one another as I have loved you" but you scorn gays and lesbians?
358669
because they pick and choose portions of the Bible they will accept and reject.  They still take homosexuality as a sin, even though scientifically nowadays it is considered to be genetic and not a choice an adult makes.\n  There are sections in the Bible stating you cannot wear clothes of more than two fabrics, yet I doubt that is considered morally wrong anymore.  Menstruating women were considered unclean, I would like to see them get on their high horse and try making that legally binding.\n   Homosexuals are determined at conception or at least very soon after,  They contribute as much to society through taxation and work skills as any heterosexual person, they have the same vital organs, the same thought capacity and the same social and moral obligations as any one else.  Therefore they are equal to the rest of society
1098675
i think that you are totally right. liking someone of the same sex isnt a sin. god loves everyone and it doesnt specifictly say any where in the bible that gays and lesbians and going to hell. no one knows for sure. i thin kyou should turn the other cheak when someone tries to tell you that you are sinning because of what kind of person you are interested in! if god didnt want people to like other people of the same sex than why did he make htem that way? it think you should be you and not listen to anyone who puts you down! dont ever change because of something some one says to you!
798287
I am told by gays that it is discrimination but it's not.  They think we hate them.  I don't know any Christian that hates them.  We believe the bible and the bible says they're life style is wrong, that no homosexual will inherit eternal life.  We all have our own sins we have to bring before the Lord.  It's no worse than any other sin.  But how can God forgive them of it and heal them if they insist it isn't sin?  If your attitude is loving even though you don't accept what they do, then you are right with God.  The rest isn't yours to deal with,  it's theirs.  God bless you for having such a kind heart.
768544
A hate-spewing bigot is what you want everyone to aspire to be?  Shame on you.  It's embarrassing that either of you have the gall to call yourselves "christians."\n\nWhy not try tolerance, peace and understanding, and treating others as you would like to be treated, just like that guy said - oh what was his name - oh yeah, JESUS.
967875
Joanna,\nYou ask a genuinely thoughtful and, I think, respectful question.  You deserve a likewise, respectful answer.  I don't know your age, so I can't determine how much experience you may have talking about or hearing different views on the subject of   people's sexual orientation.  I've had many years of listening to the rantings of religious conservatives (granted, usually through the media) who have at various times claimed that: gays deserved AIDS as it is God's punishment for immoral behavior; gays and lesbians should not be allowed to teach school, providing a negative role model for kids; homosexuality is sinfully perverted, no different than pedophilia, or any number of other criminal behaviors; public signs of affection between same sex partners is somehow more disgusting and socially aberrant than straight PDA's; etc, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseum.\n\nIf gay people and those who know, love and support them and their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness have a hard time having a "talk" with religious conservatives (Christian or otherwise) it may be because there often seems to be a condescending, 'holier than thou' attitude to these discussions.  We're told that "I love homosexuals, but hate their lifestyle", or "God made us all equal, but we must overcome our urges to sin"!  Ugh, it's depressing, frustrating and frankly insulting coming from someone who isn't gay and hasn't lived through the threats, intimidation and sometimes physical violence perpetrated on gay people.\n\nWe sometimes feel like the 'last acceptable minority' to single out to disparage and scapegoat.  Sorry, Joanna, but you asked the question, and I want you to know the answer from my perspective.  I'm a spiritual person, who believes deeply in my connection to God, the divine, and it's awfully offensive to have to hear people with no greater moral compass than I, and often I think, much less, offer pronouncements on my soul's fate.\n\nThat you've "never heard anyone say 'I HATE gays'...", doesn't sound very convincing to me, I'm afraid.  It does speak volumes about 'how' we hear what we hear, and what we 'want' to hear at times.  Trust me, it's being said, in many ways subtle, sometimes with sweet, sweet kind tones.....but make no mistake about it, the intention IS there.\n\nI wish we could have had this discussion in person; I certainly don't mean to offend you, and I hope I don't come across that way, but I do emphatically want to stress that when you, or anyone talks to a gay person about their life, lifestyle, etc. you are treading on something so fundamental, so private, and so much about who they are as a person, that you can't help but stir their deepest feelings.
880326
Some people place an inordinate focus on a handful of passages from the Bible (which, as far as literature goes, is terribly overrated) that condemn homosexual behavior as an "abomination."\n\nBecause the Bible is full of contradictory nonsense, what people often do is they pick and choose which parts they will listen to. Like the part about stoning one's children to death if they talk back to you - no one really pays attention to that, or to the passage about how eating shrimp and lobster is an abomination. That would just be too inconvenient.\n\nSo when people already don't like gay people - which is what they pick up from this wonderfully homophobic culture of ours - all they have to do is flip open the Bible and find the passage in Leviticus that agrees with them, and then they can feel perfectly justified in their bigotry. Indeed, they often begin to force this hatred upon others, such as with that awful Fred Phelps and his grotesque little cult in Kansas.\n\nHere's the thing, though: if people do not choose to be gay, but in fact are born that way, what would that say about God? And what would that say about the Bible?\n\nReligious people will either plug their ears or run fleeing from anything that threatens their dearly-head beliefs. It's how they organize their entire thought process about the world and the other people in it, after all. So there is no way they could ever acknowledge that the Bible is mistaken, because God doesn't make mistakes. And if being gay is a mistake, then it must be because people choose to be that way.\n\nBut I look at it like this: those who take the Bible as the inerrant and literal word of God are choosing to be ignorant. Which is also why they continue to think the Earth is only 6,000 years old, was created in six days, and Adam rode a pterodactyl to work.\n\nGive me gay over stupid any day. Cheers!
707696
I think there are a lot of Christians who have been taught to hate themselves and their God given sexual orientation, and it hurts not only them, but their families.  I pray constantly that God will free people from the bondage of lies that keep them closeted.  Someday, homphobia will seem as outdated as racism, and probably take twice as long to shake off.
1057836
I cant believe what i am seeing..gay,lesbian or whatever..arent these people giving love and receiving love in return?..do you really believe that showing love is a sin?..does it matter to whom it is given or received?..Its still love..They are not hurting or murdering anyone..I think god should be what you feel in your own heart..and not strictly what is written in a book..and in my own heart.. he wouldnt think it a sin for two people to love each other..no matter what their sex..  i also believe that the interpretation of the bible should change as peoples attitudes change..we are not as narrow minded today on homosexuality as when the bible was first written
134739
for the same reason they feel strongly about ANY of their beliefs, people usually want to share what they feel strongly about because their trying to make the world a better place. \nask yourself if thats why you feel so passionatley about this?\n\nalso, when people truly do not understand something from your perspective, have not been able to see it from your perspective, or share your hearts passion, they will tell you you are wrong.\n There are Christians that do believe that scripture has been interpreted unfairly for those who truly and deeply love someone of the same gender, focusing only on the act of gay sex, and not the love. After all if God is love, how can my love for another woman be wrong? And WHY wont Jesus come back and say, Not what i meant people!\nIf you believe in Jesus or are a Christian, just pray about it, to him personally, you arent going to change the world, but you may find a myriad of answers in your heart this way.\nThere is something ide like you to read however with an open mind, see if it makes any sense at all, you may learn a bit more about yourself, or why others believe what they believe.\n\nAttatched is the link, just click on the blue below,
1123532
I am not against homosexuals (gays or lesbians). I am against their sexual sins. There is no where in the Bible that condomes homosexual or beastiality relationships. God did not make men to have children together nor did he make women to have children by themselves.\n\nI know and love many people that are living a homosexual lifestyle. They know I do not condone their lifestyle but I will not turn my back on them as friends because they live in sin.\n\nI am hetero and far from perfect. I try not to sin either but I do. That's why I am thankful for the redeeming blood of the Cross and the forgiveness given me by God. \n\nI will not condemn a sinner because I could have been the condemned without my personal relationship with Jesus. (By the way, I have to ask for forgiveness almost every day for sins I commit).\n\nThe scripture says, "judge not unless you be judged for whatever judgement you meet out it shall be given you"
213839
Christians do not hate gays.  They just cannot agree with the lifestyle, which are two different things.  For instance, I am a person and heterosexual.  Two things that can be separated, just like people can separate politics and religion.  So, I know someone will say well "I am gay, so you hate me."  I would reply, "No. You are a human, and I do not like your sexual preference."  As far as people hating Christians, many people have many different reasons.  The biggest reason is that people are afraid to give up themselves for a reason bigger than themselves and they are afraid of those who do.  Some Christians are not great examples of what way to react to homosexuals, or other things.  But they freak out, out of fear that their way of life is being threated.  Just like the homosexuals do.  Just look at the responses here so far, they are reactionary.
1044096
There's an important distinction that people like you don't grasp. Me and people like me don't dislike gay people. We think they are God's children just like anyone else. What we are against is homosexual acts. Just like we don't dislike adultorers, we just dislike the action they chose to go forward with. It's the old adage - love the sinner, hate the sin. I've known gay people, and I'm fine with them - some of them are extremely kind and generous. But what I am against is if the act out on their tendancy. We all have weaknesses, some are prone to alcoholism, but it doesn't mean that it's ok for them to drink alcohol. Some are prone to drugs, but....you get the picture. It may seem cruel to some to count homosexual acts as sins, but I didn't make the rules, I just trust that God knows what is right and what isn't.
794932
First chapter of Romans in the New Testament talks about homosexuality, as in 1 Corinthians.  \nYou know, God intended one man and one woman.  But you know also what?\n\nGod loves you, anyway.  \n\nGranted, He detests homosexuality, but He sure loves the homosexual.\n\nYou are very angry.  Why?     I know that before I came to the Lord, if someone tried to talk to me about it, I would get angry. But, then I took the step.  \n\nI'm not angry anymore.
1018589
I think Christians attack homosexuals in our society more frequently than other people who do things against the scriptures is because right now in our country, this is hte most controversial issue.  The church is just doing what the rest of the country is.  They'r etaking the most profound issue and discussing it.  You just don't like what they're saying.  Just because they say homosexual behavior is sinful, that doesn't mean they hate you.  A lot of poeple call themselves Christians, and don't even know the 10 commandments.  You can't let those people get to you.  Real Christians don't hate sinners because they know that they are sinners as well.  All sins are the same.  You say you are a Christian gay, which means you probably don't feel that homosexuality is a sin.  That will definately make you look at the church's responses with a bias.  Dude, i can love you, but that won't mean im gonna think ur right.  just like a guy can rob a jc pennys and kill the clerk.. i can love him but i'm not gonna say what he did was write.  those are all equal sins.. homosexuality, theft, murder.  its all sin.  buut.. u'll prolly ignore everything i said because ur not gonna wanna hear it.
1186795
AMEN SISTER!!!!\nI'm not a religious guru myself, and I'm very tired of the gay bashing, but I do recall many people saying that if you hate upon others or something like that, that that's a sin as well...i'm not sure I don't read the Bible...\n\nI get really offended with this bullshizzle about that i'm going to hell because i'm a lesbian...well you know what? The people whom are trying to convert are the real sinners, and God does love all of his children...\n\nSo again, Thank you for the psudo question...
201990
Whether one is born gay, or whether it is a personal choice, no one has the right to condemn a person because of it.  If there were such people as true Christians, then they would follow  God's advice and  Not judge, lest they be judged themselves. Leave the judging to God.  And one who does pass judgement on gays, then, they certainly are not Christian.
830693
The worst Gay bashers are often fighting themselves hardest ... and it's all because we use God against one another instead of for Love.  Blech.