Gays struggle in evangelical Christian world

The Seattle Times ^ | 07/28/2003 | Janet I. Tu

[2nd Amendment]

right on! couldn't agree more! We laugh when we hear a city has set up a gay high school and the most popular shows on TV feature perversion. We are, indeed, in the last days of the Laodicean church.

[BenR2]

What is next???

Strippers for the Savior?
Bestiality Believers?
Praising Polygamists?

/////
I like Pickpocket Promise Keepers

[LiteKeeper]

It is like the Bible study I heard of where everyone is nude, saying they have overcome the shame of the Garden, and that they are above all of that stuff.

Yeah, sure!

[B-Chan]

Now, hold on just a minute. Homosexuals can be Christians. The fact that someone (for whatever reason) is afflicted with a disordered desire for same-sex relations does not make them incapable of believing in the saving grace of Christ. One might just as well say that an alcoholic cannot be a Christian because he or she craves booze.

Homosexual desires are not in and of themselves sinful, any more than a drunk's desire for liquor is in an of itself a sin. Sin requires a conscious choice, an act of will. It is only when one chooses to give in to disordered desires and willfully commits acts contrary to the natural law that one alienates his- or herself from God. A homosexual can't help his or her desire for sodomy any more than an alcoholic can stop craving alcohol -- but in both cases it is giving in to that desire that constitutes sin, not the desire itself.

With this in mind, is the the duty of every Christian to treat his or her homosexual fellow-believers with charity and compassion. The best way to do that is by loving them, by being there for them, and by encouraging them to make the right choice and avoid acting upon their disordered desires. An alcoholic can choose to drink his or her or her life away, or choose to assume his or her burden and forego all drink for the sake of the Lord. A homosexual can choose to commit sodomy, or choose to take up his or her own cross and remain celibate for life, joining his or her suffering with that of Christ on Calvary's Cross. In such instances, loving support, encouragement, and prayer can make all the difference in determining the choice the suffering person makes. As Christians, we should encourage those of us who suffer from such disordered desires to "fight the good fight" and bear their crosses bravely. Condemnation, namecalling, and a lack of sympathy will only drive these poor people into the arms of the Enemy. The Lord's judgement of those who through their lack of charity cause their fellow Christians to stumble into Hell will be swift and sure.

Sodomy and drunkenness are both sins. While we should never cease to call these actions sins, we should always recognize that we ourselves are not immune to disordered desires -- for food, for money, for sex -- and are thus in no position to judge the eternal destiny of anyone else.

[Jorge]

"What brought about my change (of perspective) was seeing how destructive the ex-gay ethos was to people's lives," said Marks, 51, who is gay. "For all the devotion people made to coming to our ministry, the sacrifices they made, the effort they made to overcome — the long-term result was that nothing changed, and it brought about a crisis of faith for them. In that crisis, some lost their faith entirely."

Oh..I get it.

If we continue to struggle with any sort of sin, or temptation to sin...we have two choices;
1. Either decide that Biblical Christianity is wrong.
or...
2. Redefine the basis tenents of Biblical morality to fit our personal preferences.

Incredible!

What a phoney self-centered approach to the Christian faith "gay Christians" have settled for.

[billbears]

The fact that someone (for whatever reason) is afflicted with a disordered desire for same-sex relations does not make them incapable of believing in the saving grace of Christ.

I agree with you, it doesn't. However if they act on these desires, as it seems the article presents, I can't see how they are saying that they are living in the light of Christ instead of living in sin

[B-Chan]

A homosexual Christian who gives in to his or her disordered desires and commits the sin of sodomy is still a Christian, but he or she is no longer in a state of grace and has committed a mortal sin. Unless the person in question sincerely confesses his or her sin, solemnly resolves never to commit that sin again, and performs their penance with a contrite heart, that person may not receive the Sacraments and is in danger of eternal damnation.

I look at is as being akin to adultery. A man or woman who commits adultery can still believe in the resurrection and Deity of Jesus Christ, and can thus still be a Christian, but his or her failure to live up to that belief and repent of his or her sin may very well end up damning him or her to Hell.

The Evangelicals in this story are sadly misguided. If they think they can "sin boldly" (as Luther advised) and count on God to simply cover their sins up like snow on a pile of manure (Luther again), they are deluding themselves. If they think they can somehow twist the Scriptures to say what they want them to say, they are sadly mistaken. This is why our Lord left us the Church -- to prevent people from twisting the Scriptures to fit their agendas. As the sole and Christ-ordained authoritative source of Christian teaching, the Church stands as a bulwark of Truth against those to whom "scripture alone" means "anything goes".

[Kay Soze]

I joined an Equestrian Club.

I don’t have or even care for horses.

So I ride my motorcycle at the equestrian events.

What right do the horse riders have to say that my riding a motorcycle at equestrian events is wrong?

Am I not also a fellow equestrian?