How do homosexuals reconcile religion with who they are?
961137
the same way adulters do!  if you recall in the new testament an adulterous woman was thrown at the foot of Jesus and they told him she was caught in the act and the law says to stone her because it was a capital crime back then but he said 'if you have not sinned you may cast the first stone'
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  Someday, homphobia will seem as outdated as racism, and probably take twice as long to shake off.
227078
If he was true to himself, he would seek those who will try to help him, rather than destroy him.  If he was in an environment where someone is going to tell him he is wrong at every turn, it will have a tremendous effect on him.  He needs  to be around people who are going to respect his decisions and not judge him accordingly.  Faith is a struggle with someone who is gay/lesbian.  To have someone constantly tell you you are wrong, different,going to hell...etc.  because of who you are and who you love is not a very christian environment in the first place.  If his church is pressuring him to change who he is because the church itself think it's wrong...then yes, he needs to find an environment who will help him seek answers, not hinder him regardless of religious affiliation.   Being gay is a struggle in itself...and very hard!  To have the very institution that is supposed to be about love, goodness, and forgiveness turn away during someone's time of need regardless of what their opinion is on the subject isn't a place that person needs to be in associated with.
585442
Homosexual orientation can be 'changed' yes, but not happily. it would be like choosing to live as a bum when you can live comfortable. its denying who you are.\nsome homosexuals force themselves to change orientation due to religious views (ie they're told they will go to hell if they dont leave their life of sin) and instead focus on the 'grace of god' to give them the strength to deal with the aformentioned living as a bum...\n\nReligion is a choice, but faith is not. you can change your religion if you discover another fits more securly with what you believe as a person, but you cant so easily change your actual beliefs.\n\ni think neither is easy to change.
407356
yea; the gays who want tolerance refuse to give it to those of their own who wanna' change. Talk about 2 faced!!\nThere are ex-gay groups for nearly every religious choice...muslim, jewish, christian, catholic, presbyterian, mormons...\nThere are support websites & weekend conferences & books on how to change, too. Guess it's not a genetic predisposition; eh?
251329
People don't understand that their is physical gender and then there is brain gender. Sometimes they just don't match up. As far as waiting til the christians get here, you can be a christian and still not have a problem with transsexuals, gays, or lesbians. Live and let live. Be who it is that you are in your heart.
761720
Hmm. Wicca, Buddhism I think... hmm. Can't think of any others right off the top of my head. Unitarian Universalism, too...\n\nAh, here's a link that explains this issue with the major religions. \n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_and_religion
835267
why would a homosexual want to be a christian anyway. why would anybody try to fit into a place that doesn't want to accept them.
1001823
The answer is in your fourth word of your first sentence; GOD. It is a religous issue. I love gays, and I happen not to be religous!Ask religous people if they like gays? I would bet not that many people would say "I do".\nGays are great. I am sorry what gays have to go through, it is strange that people would care if you have sex with a guy or a girl. NONE OF THERE BUS. I am streight, by the way.
714311
I do not think its an apt comparison. There are homosexual celibates and homosexual virgins. If I woke up and wasn't homosexual, I would feel I had lost part of my identity and wouldn't know who I was.
454819
what you are seeing in response to homosexuals is not Christian. As another person answered, Jesus ate with, associated with, and worked with the people who needed the help he had to offer the most- in other words, he showed those who needed it- love. Christianity has become so corrupted by man, that those who "hate" in God's name have become much more common than those who follow God's word- and that word is "love thy neighbor as thyself" it is acceptable to God to hate the sin, but one must love the sinner- and that isn't what "churches" are about anymore.
141330
The simple answer is "No."\n\nNow the complex answer.\nToo many people confuse true Christianity with a religion.  Religion has rules, "we vs. them" types of mentalities, and tends to try and conquer other people who think or believe differently.  Not all religions are "religious" according to this type of definition.  According to this we could easily cast the homosexuality movement as a religion, athiesm as a religion, even Democrats and Republicans as a religion.\n\nTrue Christianity is a relationship.  A relationship between you and God.  The Bible exists to help you understand how God want the relationship to work, what you are responsible for, and what He is responsible for.  As with any good relationship there are great benefits with Christianity.  Also, there are certain things you can do that will cause strife and pain to the relationship.  The last component to this relationship is God wants to help you - just like you want to help your best friends.  He tells you of things to avoid to help you live a better life and make good decisions.  God is NOT a bully, is NOT a genie to do your bidding (although too many Christians treat him this way), and will not control your life.  It's all based on FREE WILL.
751713
YES YES YES!! THANK YOU! Someone actually put two and two together and figured this out!\n\nThe whole concept of religion is contradictory.  My favourite example is where the bible supposively says to love all of his childrem, but then goes on to contradict itself by saying except for gays, except for lesbians, so on and so forth.\n\nPeople are always all "Oh, God is a loving God who forgives all out sins...BUT WILL SMITE THE SINNERS!!"  Contradiction.\n\nPerhaps God has bi-polar disorder.\n\n\nYou made my day.
654044
They believe they are doing acts of freedom and passion. But morally, they are doing something that is wrong. I am not against a homosexual person; I am, however, against their acts of immorality.\n\nAs in the Bible, love the sinner but hate the sin. I can love the person but hate what they do in their life.
866226
One way or the other, he'll find out he is wrong.\nLike most homosexuals, one line of defense is to accuse the peace loving, concerned christian of hate.\n\nThey have to maintain the division somehow to justify their immoral life style.
319197
There are a few sites out there (Google ex-gay movement). They claim to work by using faith based "treatments" but most ex-gays go back to homosexuality years after the treatment, so they don't work in most cases. The best thing you should do is learn to accept yourself because this type of change rarely works and many experts of mental health, including the American Psychological Association, believe these treatments are very detrimental to a patients mental health. In other words, if you decide to go through with this, be careful.
1082366
I will agree that many go off of hear-say!\n\nmany people judge other religions off there own, because they are mutually exclusive.\n\nFor example, Jesus says he is the only way to a right relationship with God, so the others must be excluded.\n\nChristianity says God came to man for salvation, most other religions say your works gain you favor with God, again it can't be both!\n\nAs for half truths, people like to be God and choose what they like from religions. \n\nSome like the salvation of Christianity , but don't like that God disassociates himself with homosexuality. So they take the Love aspects of God, but dismiss the Just aspects of God!