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Sunday, February 19, 2012

A Post About Homosexuality

Homosexuality. 

It's a word banned in typical Christian conversation; and if this frowned-upon word somehow sneaks into a church sermon or Christian dialogue, it's expressed with distaste, disgust and repulsion. 

For example. I went to my grandparent's church this morning, and the sermon happened to be on marriage. The pastor discussed the biblical view on marriage and divorce, and homosexuality was also mentioned. I was shocked by what I heard the pastor say about homosexuality. This pastor, standing up there before hundreds of Christian individuals, completely bashed homosexuality and anyone that was homosexual. 

He said that God loathed anyone that was homosexual, that He could neither forgive nor love a homosexual person, and that homosexuality was an "abomination unforgivable by man and God." 

I sat there, and I was shocked and pretty angry as well. I don't know what your specific beliefs are, but I'm going to tell you mine. I believe that God did specify marriage between a man and a woman, but I also believe that God stressed not standing in judgement about other people. I believe that God loves EVERYONE, regardless of sexual orientation. I believe that God forgives EVERYONE, regardless of sexual orientation. 

I'm not here to discuss whether or not homosexuality is a sin. I'm here to discuss Christians' reaction to homosexuality, the world's reaction to homosexuality. 

I'm not gay, nor would I ever be gay. BUT I don't believe it is my place to sit here and be like "Oh my gosh, gay people are soooo evil and they are for sure going to hell and God hates them and they're horrible people!" I don't believe anyone has any right to have that attitude towards homosexuals.

To me, when Christians sit there, and preach that God loves everyone and we should love everyone, one minute, and then turn around and say "Homosexuals are going to burn in Hell", is extremely hypocritical and reminds me of the Pharisees so detested in Jesus's day. 

So basically, this is what we're doing. We are condemning people publicly because of who they love, when there's a good chance they can't help who they love. One homosexual individual put it this way, "It doesn't feel like biology, it feels like love."

How can Christians be like that? How can we do that? God loves homosexuals just the same as heterosexuals. I firmly believe that.

Did you know that gay and lesbian youth are three times more likely to try to commit suicide than straight youth? Did you know that at one nationwide camp of homosexual youth, 84% of the participants reported being verbally harrassed and bullied because of their sexual orientation?

We are killing kids. That's what that pastor was doing when he stood up there and bashed homosexuals. That's what kids are doing to other kids by using words such as "fag," "dyke," and "gay" to describe one another. 

As Christians, we need to take a stand. We need to treat homosexuals with the same love and forgiveness that we treat everyone else. They are a minority in the United States, they are a group that has been through incredible persecution, they are people that have been bullied, made fun of, rejected, hated, but still have the courage to be honest about their sexuality. 

STOP bashing homosexuals. STOP shuddering whenever you here the word. STOP treating them like sub-humans, like sinners. Because guess what?! We ALL have sinned. Heterosexuals are NO better than homosexuals. So get off your high horse, stop judging, and start living your faith. 

I'm not saying you have to go turn gay or anything. I'm just saying you have to be loving toward them. Act like Jesus toward them; God knows they need it. 

I'm going to leave you with this video...watch it, think about it, and think about your attitude toward homosexuals. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdkNn3Ei-Lg

12 replies:

[Lauren] said...

THANK YOU, BEKAH. I think this sums up what I believe really, really well. I never could understand how Christians could claim to love everyone as God loves us, yet treat homosexuals in the way that they do. I remember last year, when I thought I was bisexual, I published about it on my blog, and I got around 35 comments telling me what a sin I was committing, and how much God will hate me for what I was doing. As if being confused about who I was wasn't enough, now I had the Blogger community against me as well? It didn't seem right. I'm glad we have similar beliefs.

-Lauren

P.S. I hope otherwise you're doing well! :)

Hannah Phillips said...

AMEN! Bekah I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for a post like this. I have the same exact views: God loves everyone, period.

-hannah

Mary said...

Yes! Thank you! I'm personally against homosexuality, but I find no reason to treat them differently or hate them when I believe I'm no less a sinner than they are.

Autumn said...

You summed up what I believe here

"I'm not gay, nor would I ever be gay. BUT I don't believe it is my place to sit here and be like "Oh my gosh, gay people are soooo evil and they are for sure going to hell and God hates them and they're horrible people!" I don't believe anyone has any right to have that attitude towards homosexuals." I'm trying to love everyone like Jesus.
~
Autumn

Stephanie said...

I agree with you mostly.

Yes, God definitely loves and forgives homosexuals. They are not going to hell because of being homosexual, just as we aren't going to hell for lying, stealing, cheating, dishonoring our parents, etc.

I do think that some people are born more likely to be attracted to their same sex. Similarly, some people are born with a tendency to cheat on their spouses or lie or want to hurt people. Yes, they were born that way. Does that make it okay? No. God never said doing the right thing would be easy. He just promised to help us.

I think that homosexuality is wrong. However, I don't think it's any worse than other sins. It's something for the individual and God to work out together.

Christians have no right to hate and judge homosexuals. We're all sinners, just the same, and what we need to do is HELP one another, not write each other off as unforgivable heathens.

~Stephanie

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU so much for this! I've been so frustrated hearing all this bashing from pastors and religious friends and some bloggers. Amen to this!

-kinga

Katherine Alice said...

Dear Bekah,

Now please read the whole of this comment, I may not be popular but God says that populatity isnt everything.

I agree with part of your post that we are to love all men equal! No matter what they are doing.

BUT if you read Genesis you will find that God destroyed two cities by the names of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness and it specifically names homosexuality as part of this.

Again BUT! God also says that He sent His ONLY Son, that while we were YET sinners Christ died for the ungodly. This means that God does love us, all of US, but He says that we must turn away from our sins and follow Him.

To sum up, God hates the sin ( Eg. homosexuality), Loves the sinner (sent His only son), But the sinner will die an eternal death if they do not accpet Jesus Christ as their Saviour and turn away from their sin.

It is very simple.

Thank you for reading.

Katherine

Bekah said...

Great comment, Katherine! Thank you for your insight. Thank you everyone for commenting!

Josie said...

Thank you so much for posting this Bekah! I feel the same way about homosexuality and it is so refreshing to hear what you have said when our culture is being bombarded with messages from our culture who say "homosexuality is normal and ok" and from churches that say "homosexuals are wrong and are digusting creatures".
But having the balance of loving the sinner but hating the sin is challenging at times!
Once agian, thank you for posting this! :)
-Josie

Anonymous said...

I think you should ask this pastor what he was trying to say, because I refuse to believe that a Godly person that was sent to preach his word would hate people for their homosexuality. Like Katherine said, God hates the sin not the sinner.

Bekah said...

Thanks for your input Anonymous!

Abigail Lockhart said...

Thanks, Bekah :) I totally agree

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