Hmm... quite the debatable topic. Denying people the right to marry whoever they choose is like denying someone the right to free speech- it's against the Constitution and every decent thing America stands for. If a couple is married, wouldn't there be lest risk of STD's spreading around? Wouldn't there be more adoptions since gay couples cannot physically have children? Times are changing, if anybody hasn't noticed. We have the first colored president, we can clone humans, and we can bring a people back from death. All of these may have nothing to do with gay marriage at first, but they really do. Does the government honestly think they can hold back gay marriage rights for much longer? Does Congress need to pop in a Celine Dion CD and read The Notebook to remind themselves with what the term "love" means? Why would you deny anyone the right to love someone? What if you wanted to marry your boyfriend or girlfriend and you were denied, just because you were gay? Gay marriage should be legalized.
I agree with Kaila completely. Who are we to put a limit on who a man or woman can marry? Love is love. A man does not necessarily love his wife more than man might love his husband simply because they are different genders. The only reason people might be against gay marriage is the Bible is against it. However, times are changing, and the ways of a 2000 year old book are just not up-to-date anymore. (2000 is a round estimate; I do not wish to be scrutinized for this number.) Some may also say that if they really love each other, they don't need marriage. However, I believe that when you truly love someone you want to feel as close to them as possible, and what better way to become closer than to become one. In addition, only a mere 4 percent of the population is gay. Why not let that 4% be happy; will letting them marry really harm the other 95 percent? Gay marriage should be legalized.
I agree with both previous comments. They make excellent points. When I read this post I laughed because it was just this morning when a few of the girls from english were talking about homosexuality, and someone said, "It's 2009, everyone is gay!" =D Anyway, gay marriage should be legal. According to a recent update in a Chicago Times survey, one in every five adults had a homosexual experience or feeling of attraction to the same sex since adolescence. These people confessed to an impulse, or fleeting feeling, not a decision. Why would someone choose to be homosexual only to look forward to being ousted by society, looked down upon, and given restricted rights? I believe whole-heartedly that homosexuality is NOT wrong and that gays should have the same rights as straight people in many areas. Homosexuality is indeed biological (meaning you’re born that way). Our sexuality is determined on an emotional and physical continuum. So if people are born with more or less attraction to the same sex, is it our place to tell them otherwise? No! They will love who they want to love, so we might as well allow them to be together. Not only do gay men and women have to suffer from the wrath of our society and government, but they are pushed away based on religious standards too. Most religions teach us that homosexuality is wrong. However, they also teach us to love and accept everyone. So what are we to do? We might as well accept them for who they are. Many people are anti-homosexual for religious reasons. These individuals need to realize one does not have to believe something in order to support it. Like stated, we are living in a changing society. Its time to accept things that aren't usually viewed as the norm. Discriminateing against homosexuals, and denying them their rights, does not make us a "united nation." Love has no gender. Homosexuality isn't wrong. It's time our society stopped being so judgemental.
A legal marriage permits those couples to share health/life insurance policies, allows them to adopt children, and places the spouce next of kin so that they are able to make decisions in a medical emergency, etc. Gay marriage should be legalized!
Yes. I chose this topic because it is something I support and believe in with all of my heart. Thinking it is wrong for two people of the same gender to be married is like saying it is wrong for two people of different races to marry. People once thought that but they eventually got over their judgemental views and got on with it. If you're in love and want to get married why not allow someone that choice. No one on earth is allowed to say that gay couples can't truly love each other and marriage is for love. Because we let people who hate eachother marry the other and get divorced 6 months later, but many aren't as upset by that as much as they are with letting people who might have a real chance at love try. I support in everything that was said above and everything they say. The only reasons given for gay couples to not marry is because of the Bible. But aren't church and government suppose to be separated?
Matthew 19:4 Have you not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them MALE and FEMALE. 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What GOD has joined together, let no man seperate. -Jesus Christ
Kaila, you need to think about how dangerous cloning and bringing people back from the dead really is. People should not be messing with life and death.
Natasha, It's 2009, I'm not gay.
Brooke, 100%-4%=96%, and be careful what you say about a 6000 year old book which this country was founded on.
Makenzie, marriage is not a affair of state. It is a religious union. A religious union first recorded in the Bible and created by God.
If mariage is not going to be about the holy binding of 2 people, it is not really mariage. It is an abomination and a farce.
Any biological problem that may cause homosexual feelings is an affect of the curse which was put on humans by God when we first sinned.(Adam and Eve and the fruit and God's curse upon humans. Genesis 3:1-21)
Yes religions tell us we should love others and that homosexuality is wrong. It says to love the person, not the sin. Loving sin is very dangerous.
I'm sorry if I offend anybody, but I was asked for my beliefs, and that is what I am delivering. I would find it unfair for anyone to tell me that I went too far, or anything of the such, because no matter who you are to me, I'm sure you've all said something to me that offends ME and contradicts MY beliefs.My first point is that marriage has come to have religious significance. Weddings seem like they can be more focused on God than the celebration of love. That's what a wedding is for, that's why people shell out thousands of dollars for them every day. Love is beautiful, and there is no need to mask that fact with "God this", and "God that". Marriages are about two people being together forever, and two people can do that, no matter what the law says. Hating gays isn't going to stop it. Gays hate people who are against them, which makes perfect sense. Typically, it is the Christian who does so, or someone under the belief that "marriage is between a man and a woman". That's really only the "rule" because the Bible says so. Christians hate gays, gays hate Christians, MOST OF THE TIME. But gays aren't going to stop religion, and religion is not going to stop gays.
Andrew, just because the Bible says a man should be with a woman, it doesn't mean the whole country has to abide by that belief.
I'm not completely sure, but I really do think that a significant reason for the English coming to America was for freedom of religion.
Also, a main reason why gay marriage is not legal is because it contradicts the Christian faith.
Hmm. So. I hear this alot, "Gay marriage is un-American." NO. WRONG. Actually, it would be un-American, and a complete contradiction on some of what our country was founded on, by saying that gays can't be married because it's against the Bible. Forbidding someone from doing something, simply because the Bible says so, should be against the LAW.
Law over-rules religion. It's called separation of church and state. It's separated for a reason,
And Andrew, what is THIS?! : "If mariage is not going to be about the holy binding of 2 people, it is not really mariage. It is an abomination and a farce."
Love isn't holy? Holy - adj - "Regarded with or worthy of worship or veneration; revered"
And what is reverence, you say? "A feeling of profound awe and respect and often love"
EVERYONE LOVES LOVE! The act of being in love is loved. Why do you think romance novels sell so well? So if you say love is not "holy", then you are wrong, by definition.
I think the word "Christian" is probably more like what you were looking for.
And, by the way, people were married before the Bible existed. I think you're trying to say that marriage is about God, which is wrong. Marriage is about the uniting of two people who are in love.
Even if it is "wrong" to some people, why would anyone want a God who tells you can and cannot love certain people? You can't help who you fall in love with. I know that if I fell in love with a member of my own gender, it wouldn't matter to me. Love is spiritual, love is about the FEELING.
Any God that I know of has no right to give me the ability to love somebody, and yet tell me that it is wrong. That would be like giving the pony to the little girl who's always wanted one, and telling her she can't look at it, think about it, touch it, ride it, have any association with it, physically or mentally.
Christian homosexuals. Yes, it does happen, who cares what anyone says, or how it "contradicts itself". So here's what God does to them.
"You COOOOOOOOOOOOULD love this person, but I forbid you to. I'm handing them to you, they're absolutely perfect, but they're the same gender as you. You can't love them. I forbid you, or you will go to hell."
OH, and this one is my favorite!!! "You're gay, you're a sinner, you're going to hell!"
I thought God forgave you for your sins. Even if you prayed to him to make you not be gay, you're still going to be gay. God isn't going to change that. He MADE us, right? So he obviously made you gay. Apparently, everything is up to God, so why make us have flaws if we have to fix them? Are we even capable of fixing such flaws? I thought you had to ask God to fix them for you.
So gay marriage isn't legal I guess, which is a bunch of poop. I don't care what anybody says, period. Love is love. No matter who you are or where you're from. Who is the government to tell us who we can and can't be with? What the heck is that? If they were gay, it'd be different. However, I think our government is full of homophobes.
Anyway, no offense.. I like all of you guys. but honestly, is it necassary to bright God into EVERYTHING?!?!?!?? Church and state are supposed to be separated, but .... ehhh. Seriously though, i'm so sick of looking at this blog post everything single week and seeing something written about God. Who cares? I believe in God [i'm different then you're uhmm stereotypical uhhhh "Christian"] but it's not needed.
Love is love, The end. Who is anybody to tell us we can't be with the person who makes us the happiest? Who will be there through whatever. The one that will take your side even when you're wrong. Everyone deserves to be happy and GAY MARRIAGE SHOULD BE LEGAL.
"I thought God forgave you for your sins. Even if you prayed to him to make you not be gay, you're still going to be gay. God isn't going to change that. He MADE us, right? So he obviously made you gay."
This simple thing makes me question. Why would a God create you with a flaw that he considers a sin? Andrew: You blame biological "problems" such as homosexual being at blame because of the curse. However, GOD MADE US...apparently. So, I don't think it's very fair that he's punishing certain, modern individuals with homosexuality. He, through today's religion, is damning someone for a "problem" He created within them. If God intended love and marriage to be between a man and woman, HE should have created them with those desires. Instead, HE apparently creates people with mixed emotions that they CAN'T control. It's not their choice. Again I'll mention that it is biological. For those Christians who believe it's a choice... Why would someone CHOOSE to be hated by most religions and society? Why would someone choose to not fit in? Why would someone choose a difficult lifestyle with restricted rights? They wouldn't. They were born differently. And Andrew... If someone is born with that "problem", created by a God who "loves them"...they shouln't be punished by that same God. That only creates contradictions leading to a flawed God.
Emily, you obviously are missing the point that humans have NO answers. How did we get here? Why are we even here? What is the purpose for life?
We don't know. But a "satisfying" answer, to some, is GOD.
God "made" us. We are here to serve God. And the purpose for life, well, there is really none, because the only enforced point is to be forgiven for your sins and then you can go to Heaven.
What is the point of life if all you are supposed to do is make sure you get into Heaven? I really don't think the Bible specifies what else you are supposed to do.
It's supposed to hold all of the answers, the questions that man has asked for thousands of years, but all it HONESTLY does is tell you how to live your life, what not to do, and to make sure you get into Heaven.
I am sorry if I have offended you. My goal was not to offend but to state truth (which does have a tendency to offend people, sadly).
1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because GOD IS LOVE.
Yes, people were married before the Bible was written. The first married people being Adam and Eve, and marriage being consecrated by God.
God is not a mask for love, God is love completely unmasked.
The main reason for the English to come to America was because of one mans views on the Bible. King James wanted everybody to view the Bible his way, the pilgrims didn't see things his way and were heavily persecuted for it. That is why the English came to America.
Most of our laws were based off the laws given by God to Moses in Exodus, and detailed in Leviticus. These are much, much more than the general 10 commandments.
Your definition of holiness uses reverence, and your definition of reverence uses love. So you yourself have made the point that love is holy. (And you said," So if you say love is NOT "holy", then you are wrong, by definition.")
Holy is the word I was looking for and I used it because it is the perfect word. Christian is a person who has trusted that Jesus Christ is the son of God, took the punishment for the sins of everyone who accepts this truth, and rose again as a sign that God has accepted the punishment as paid in full. If you believe that Christian is the right word, then you have just said that to love you have to be Christian, which is not so. God gives everyone the gift of love even if they do not choose to follow him.
Being loved is not an act, loving is.
Romance novels sell so well because people who read them can't find real love themselves.
What you also need to understand is that God gives everyone a choice. You can choose to trust in Him or not. You can choose deny Him or not. Yes, you can choose to sin or not. People who make the decision to be homosexual( and it is a choice) are choosing to sin.
Most importantly, you have put words into the Bible that are not there. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that all sinners go to Hell. If it did that is all it would need to say and all the rest would be unnecessary.
It does say that if you choose to accept the fact that when Jesus died as a punishment for your sin, you were forgiven, that you are free from any punishment that would have been given to you if Jesus did not take it. But if you do not accept this gift that God has sent because he LOVES you, and because he wants to have a relationship with you, then you're sins are not forgiven and you must pay the price for them( which God says is separation from him for eternity, or Hell).
God made us, but did not make us gay. Satan (who was made by God as an angel made all that is considered sin. But he became conceited and tried to overthrow God. Satan's power is incomparable to God's and he was sent to a place of his own where he will eventually be locked in for eternity and tortured along with the rest of the people who denied the gift God has sent.)You need to read Genesis 3 and it should be clear to you why people are gay. But I will give you a gist of it here. Adam and Eve sinned. Because of their sin, God had to separate them from him. Without God, evil can spread, and it did. That is why all that is wrong in this world is in this world. One of the things that is wrong in this world is homosexuality. But don't worry. God has said the best is yet to come. He will return to take all who have accepted his gift. Then he will give Satan a short reign before he finally destroys him and sends him to hell forever.
God is incapable of flaws. It is humans who have decided to be flawed. And God CAN fix those flaws, and WILL if you let him.
None of it is a joke.
God is supposed to be included in everything.
The happiest person, the truly happiest person, has God. He is there through whatever. He loves you even when you're wrong.
God doesn't damn people and he did not create any flaws. People damn themselves when they deny God's truth.
I don't know if you have noticed, but people who decide to believe the truth and become Christians seem to be hated. But we choose to be anyway. We know that it will be worth it in the end. That is why we choose to be different. We were born with human nature, but we can control it because we have help from God.
If you will read the Bible and study it, then you will understand it and be able to use it. Then you will see that it cannot, does not, and is unable to contradict itself. The Bible is the word of God, who is perfect in all ways, and therefore cannot contradict himself.
God is the most satisfying answer because he is the only answer. He is satisfying because people who trust him know that he knows why we are here. That is all we need to know. If it were for us to know, we would know it.
My first name: Glenn, is derived from my Dad's old best friend who lived in Florida. Glenn was a former gay who came to know Christ and saw it was in fact wrong. So saying that you will still be gay is ridiculous. He has a wife and two kids now. Otherwise, Iknow it's too late but I kind of chose to not respond to this blog for the sheer fact that the majority of our class supports such a ridiculous thing. My only blood related Aunt is gay and I love her. I do not hate gays, I love gays just not their homosexuality. I cannot debate this topic with a religious argument because people will say it is just religion and it is a free country and such. The Bible is Uber old... big deal. Human beings haven't changed in principal. I believe it is wrong and an abomination to marriage but that is as far as I will go to say it. I do not think we should be intolerant to gays, but rather show them the correct way to live by actions, not hate. For the most part, yes, I object onthe grounds of my religious standing. However, gay marriages are not good for children who need a balance of female and male role models. Since my Dad has left, I have been more influenced by females and more tunderstand them than males. You must have a balance. I agree that Love is Love, but i also believe Love can be misconceived as to how powerful and what type of love.
Ohhh my... Andrew, so sorry that I insist on fighting you. People don't hate Christians because they "know the truth and are happy." They hate Christians because the majority are hypcritical. They defend their God with such things as this. They stand up against homosexuals for religious reasons. However, I have read quite a bit of the Bible and I can use it too... Almost everything leads to a sin. If you cut your hair...sin. You wear make up: sin. So if you're so opposed to homosexuality because its a sin, STOP CUTTING YOUR HAIR! God doesn't like it...
I'm not one to bash Christians. I attend church on a regular basis and read the Bible almost daily. However, I will confess that most Christians are hypocritical. Most also play the "God Card" as an excuse for the unanswered, or in search of a "secure" answer. Why did this happen? God. Sin? Our separation from God? How is that so? God. Creation? God. Christians who know God are happ: Of course! They feel fulfilled because they can answer anything with "God's will" or "God's grace" or God's plan" or just "God did it." I believe anyone would be content with the idea of their questions so easily being an answered with an invisible creator who loves them no matter what they do. Satisfaction, security, and fulfillment are all created with the answer simply being: God. This is an illegitiment, optimistic sense of happiness though.
Austin: I went to TcTc January '09. Tennessee Christian Teen Convention is exactly what it says: a christian convention for teens in Gatlinburg. In between sessions, they have "classes" where you go to listen to a speaker on a certain subject. I went to the class called "Is Gay Okay?". It was wonderful. A man, strong in his faith, far on his walk with God, gave his testimony. He is a gay man. He grew up always feeling different from the other boys. They wanted to play with trucks, he reached for the dolls. Growing up, the other boys would discuss the "hot girls" and he never found interest in them. He didn't want to be gay. He didn't want to be different. He lived like he was straight. He lived the way he was expected to live, however, it never felt right. He grew up a Christian, and loved God. He says he apologizes daily for having the feelings he does. Even through his life struggle, he seeks to be God and believes to have a close relationship with him. How can God blame this poor man who has given his life to God in spite of the confused feelings he lives with? This is a desperate man. If God is not to blame, and Satan/ ancient humanity is (as Andrew said), can our all-loving God really tell this man he's wrong? Said man works for a homosexual help oraganization/hotline. He helps teens sort out their homosexual thoughts and feelings. He hopes that they can recieve more fulfillment than he could. A boy he worked with told him that as a child his step father would repetedly sexually abuse him. He grew up scared, and unable to trust. He also had mixed emotions when it came to sex preference. He was attracted to girls, but in a way felt attracted or obligated to males as well. This was a result of the male to male intercourse he was influenced by at a young age. Even after the man helped the boy find God, he was still confused. Is the little boy to blame? Should this boy and this man, who God loves, burn in hell? I don't feel as if they did anything wrong or committed any great sin. They didn't do anything worth an eternity of torture.
Hypothetical situation time. Say you like chicken and you don't like beef. Chicken represents girls, beef represents boys.
You can't decide what you like. Your choices of food are there as soon as you are born.
Have you ever noticed your mom or dad say "oh, you are so much like your dad/mom"? It's because most of your preferences are innate.
Just like being gay is. Just like being straight is.
Yes, in some cases, there is a choice. For example, if someone used to be made sick by eating cheese, they probably will not eat cheese anymore. That is a choice. Just like some people have been hurt by dating one gender, so they do not date that gender. That doesn't mean they have to stop dating, period. That would be like the first person saying they are never eating again just because cheese used to make them sick. There are other options for them to eat. Just like there is another option for them to date.
But if you REALLY like cheese, or REALLY liked a specific gender, no matter how sick it made you, you would still choose it over anything else, if it makes you happy.
God creates everyone innocent. Why on earth would he create something he considers an abomination? Why would he give a child so innocent and loving and pure a curse that will follow them through life? Maybe I'm just acting like the oh-so-evil all-loving hippies when I say this, but why can't people just love one another? Why can't people accept others? jesus supposdedly did. God supposedly does. But if he's creating a person with a curse, something to hate, then obviously God isn't love. God is hate. Hate is a flaw. God is flawed. Maybe I'm just naive with my optimistic look out on life, but it is inconcievable to me how someone could feel so much distaste for a person simply for loving another. All they are doing is loving. You could meet the nicest man ever; give sto the poor, helps charites, children, etc. yet the second you find out he's a homosexual he's an evil sinner? Some people feel ten times stronger on these opinions that you guys [Andrew/Benson] and will go as far as killing another. But it was in the name of God. So it's alright. Wouldn't you guys say that is going too far? Yet you stand under the same basis as them. It's under the name of God. so it's alright. You think they're right, so did they. Who's to say that they're not? Who's to say you're not? Who's to say I'm not? No one is. Because no one knows. So stop whining and complaining and making people suffer with your harsh criticism and just stop hating and accept people for who they are.
...Oh and one more thing. Truly think about this. Is is all gay people you are so opposed to? or just gay males? Because when two attractive females got together how many people do you see opposing? Surely the number decreases. If you come up with any excuses for this reason. Aren't you "sinning" too?
Corrections:You think you're right, so did they. Who's to say that they're not? Who's to say you're not? Who's to say I'm not? No one is. Because no one knows. So stop whining and complaining and making people suffer with your harsh criticism and just stop hating and accept people for who they are.
"...Oh and one more thing. Truly think about this. Is is all gay people you are so opposed to? or just gay males? Because when two attractive females got together how many people do you see opposing? Surely the number decreases. If you come up with any excuses for this reason. Aren't you "sinning" too?"
Kenzie this is a beautiful point. The majority of homo-phobes are males. Yet they suddenly accept homosexuality when its two "hot girls hooking up."
HYPOCRITES!!
=)
I agree with the simple "hippie" ways. What wrong with just loving and accepting? NOTHING. Apparently God created diversity and variety. SO STOP SHUNNING PEOPLE WHO AREN'T THE SAME AS YOU! We all know who that was directed to.
I have to say, we have the most heated debate on here that I've ever seen. Andrew, I have to say, I do agree with some of your points and I respect your religious views. Truthfully, it all depends on your perspective of "marriage". In my household, I'm not attracted to the symbol of the word, simply because it means nothing to me. My parents divorced before I could even walk, and so far, every relationship I have seen (my aunt, my mother, my sister...) has fallen apart because of lies and distrust. The concept of marriage is not as important to me as love, which overpowers marriage any day in my opinion. Think about arranged marriages, where the couple doesn't even know the other. Is there love in that relationship? Maybe after some time, but not right away. Yes, marriage is "holy" and what-not, but in a society that allows people to marry in dingy Las Vegas casinos by a fat impersonator of Elvis, and then divorce three days later... wouldn't you say that the idea of marriage isn't as fancy and regal as it was before? But if you do believe in marriage whole-heartedly, and you meet your "soulmate" and all that gooey-lovey-dovey stuff, wouldn't you want to be with them forever? "Until death do you part"? It isn't as if gay people feel differently about marriage. Some aren't in it for the money or just to have a ring around that famous left finger. Some actually want to be with their loved one, the same as heterosexual couples do. Being homosexual doesn't change your view on love anymore than being straight does.
And I have mention that Kenzie's post was totally hippie-licious and I wanted to go listen to the Beatles after reading it. ;)
I'm absolutely sick of people taking Leviticus 18.22 out of context. If all of America is forced to follow that rule, then everything else FOLLOWING in chapter 19 should be illegal, too.
"God spoke to Moses: 'Speak to the congregation of Israel. Tell them, Be hold because I, GOD, your God, am holy.' 'Every one of you must respect his mother and father. Keep my Sabbaths. I am God, your God. Don't take up with no-god idols. Don't make gods of cast metal. I am God, your God. When you sacrifice a Peace-Offering to God, do it as you've been taught so it is acceptable. Eat it on the day you sacrifice it and the day following. Whatever is left until the third day is polluted meat and not acceptable. Whoever eats it will be held responsible because he has violated what is hold to God. That person will be cut off from his people.'"
It also says that last line at the end of chapter 18, which mostly talks about sex crimes that are unholy, mostly just don't have sex with animals, don't have sex with family members, don't have sex with another man. So if gays are to be "cut off from his people", then so are people who eat 3 day old leftovers? What if you don't have a choice but to? Some people are starving. They have to eat old food. God can't say, 'you can't eat', just because you don't have any other food. Just like he can't say 'you can't love', just because you don't like the gender he tells you to like.
Continuing on, starting at Leviticus 19.11 "Don't lie. Don't steal. Don't deceive anyone. Don't swear falsely using my name, violating the name of your God. I am God. Don't exploit your friend or rob him. Don't hold back the wages of a hired hand overnight. Don't curse the deaf; don't put a stumbling block in front of the blind; fear your God. I am God. Don't pervert justice. Don't show favoritism to either the poor or the great. Judge on the basis of what is right. Don't spread gossip and rumors. Don't just stand by when your neighbor's life is in danger. I am God. Don't secretly hate your neighbor. If you have something against him, get it out into the open; otherwise, you are an accomplice in his guilt. Don't seek revenge of carry a grudge against any of your people. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am God. Keep my decrees. Don't mate two different kind of animals. Don't plant your fields with two kinds of seed. Don't wear clothes woven of two kinds of material. If a man has sex with a slave girl who is engaged to another man but has not yet been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be an investigation. But they aren't to be put to death because she wasn't free. The man must bring a Compensation-Offering to God at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, a ram of compensation. The priest will perform the ritual of atonement for him before God with the ram of compensation for the sin he has committed. Then he will stand forgiven of the sin he committed. When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, don't eat the fruit for three years. Consider it inedible. By the fourth year its fruit is holy, an offering of praise to God. Beginning in the fifth year you can eat its fruit; you'll have richer harvests this way. I am God, your God. Don't eat meat with blood in it. Don't practice divination or sorcery. Don't cut the hair on the sides of your head or trim your beard. Don't gash your bodies on behalf of the dead. Don't tattoo yourselves. I am God. Don't violate your daughter by making her a whore. The whole country would soon become a brothel, filled with sordid sex. Keep my Sabbaths and revere my Sanctuary: I am God. Don't dabble in the occult or traffic with mediums; you'll pollute your souls. I am God, your God. Show respect to the aged; honor the presence of an elder; fear your God. I am God. When a foreigner lives with you in your land, don't take advantage of him. Treat the foreigner the same as a native. Love him like one of your own. Remember that you were once foreigners in Egypt. I am God, your God. Don't cheat when measuring length, weight, or quantity. Use honest scales and weights and measures. I am God, your God. I brought you out of Egypt. Keep all my decrees and all my laws. Yes, do them. I am God.
If you really think you can quote the Bible and say THIS is wrong, and then go against something it says in the next chapter.
Because Andrew, last time I checked, you DO shave. And well, according to the Bible, that is WRONG.
Something to add to Bekkas post. Aren't all sins held equal in Gods eyes. Because if then shouldn't we be seeing bands of christians with signs that say 'GOD HATES BARBERS' outside a barbershop? Do we? No. People are predjucide. Come to that realization. It isn't because God says so. It's because people are predjudice.
Wow,you really want to get into this? I do not think Gays will burn in hell. I never said such a thing. If i ever did, i was mistaken or just joking. Every sin is equal whether it is stealing a cookie, cheating on a spouse, or killing thousands of people. I can't see one definite and finite argument except discrediting the christian replies. You four girls are teaming up to get your point across and try to embarrass others. Lesbian relationships are equal as gays. Yes, most males think a couple of good looking girls hooking up is attractive but that is hormonal and yes hypocritical, but still wrong. The whole thing is morals and personal preference. The world is full of hypocrites, get over it please.And considering who I am talking to, Gay marriage is against the NATURAL order of things, simple biology, against evolution if you will argue that Christian views are void. If being gay was natural, humanity would end and the species would cease to exist. As organisms who just evolved into existence, we thrive my passing on genes and to cease doing so defeats the purpose of being here. Of course I do not predict that EVERYONE will turn gay all of the sudden and humanity will end, I know how you liberals love to twist words to throw them back at the speaker. You crucify people who use Christianity as an argument yet you speak of right and wrong?ethics? let love work? those are all the same baseless arguments just as void as a religious argument
If two men or two women can marry, what about a man and a pig? a man and his sister? brother? DADDY!!!!? where does it end? The same thing goes for socialized medicine. Yeah, everyone gets benefits at first. Well do you smoke? if so, the government can decide you don't get healthcare. Do you enjoy the occasional drink? or do you race cars? Once you give someone power to make such a decision, they can dictate anything related to that decision from that point forward.
Austin, we are NOT teaming up at all. We just have the same beliefs. Just because we agree, doesn't mean we're trying to embarass you. Yes, we're going to be upset because you're telling us that if we don't believe something, we're wrong.
YOU ARE NOT GOD, YOU DO NOT KNOW. Nobody knows, and I have EVERY right to be upset when people are trying to convince me to believe what they believe.
"I know how you liberals love to twist words to throw them back at the speaker. You crucify people who use Christianity as an argument yet you speak of right and wrong?"
If we're going there, then 'you Christians' always like to repeat yourself and not really make any points, so seriously? You don't know. Christians act like they do know and try to shove it in everyone's face, just so they can have something to feel good about. Don't pull that "I just KNOW God is there" thing. It is illogical. Completely and totally illogical.
"God is there when no one else is" ?!?!?!?!
Christianity makes absolutely no sense to me. It seems like excuse after excuse after excuse for natural human behavior.
Question: [for Austin] How does giving people the right to marry give them the ability to take over the world? That makes no sense. How does giving someone the right to marry another have to do anything with taking over the world. I feel that was slightly dramatic.
And above I was not saying that EVERYONE who is a christian believes that gay people deserve to burn in hell. I'm saying that people who say that stand under the very basis you stand on. So I quote myself:
"You think you're right, so did they. Who's to say that they're not? Who's to say you're not? Who's to say I'm not? No one is. Because no one knows."
I am not teaming up with anyone but myself. All I'm asking is why can't people accept others. When I brought up the bible/Christianity/God/etc. it was because I don't believe that any of that is why people are against homosexuals. I think people are predjudice. That's all I truly believe it is.
wow..Im sorry I got Involved in all this so late. anyway... First of all I would like to say there is a difference in acceptance of people and condoning their behavior. I do not believe in gay marriage, however I absolutely do not agree with ostracizing those who are homosexuals. If you are friends with someone who is gay or actually ever gave forth effort to have a conversation with them you would know that they are the nicest most accepting of most all humans. All they have to give is love and that’s because all they are searching for is love. Based on my Christian beliefs I do not CONDONE gay marriage (and no simply not just because the Bible tells me so). Obviously the Bible and the Christian faith has been the foundation of most arguments through out this blog, however I believe it has been seriously misconstrued. If you were familiar with Bible you would know that Jesus was the last person to ignore the outcast. He surrounds himself with the most despicable, ridiculed, unaccepted people of his time. He showed love to lepers, the blind, prostitutes, and the handicapped because those are the ones who needed it most. So put Jesus in our present time, do you think he would mistreat and not accept homosexuals? Absolutely not! As a Christian (and I say this to all my fellow Christians as well) the last thing we should do is treat homosexuals with harsh and cruel words and actions. Christians were not put on this earth to play the "I am more holier than thou" game, because when it boils down to it we are all sinners, and in God's eyes all sins are equal. I choose to follow the example set by Savior, Jesus Christ, and that is to love, accept, and forgive everyone...
Despite what most of you believe not every Christian is a raving hypocrite. We make mistakes just like you and just like everybody else. So please forgive those who do stumble (cause I know I do). …And that whole not bringing God into everything is a little difficult seeing as how He is everything. If He wasn’t you wouldn’t have brought Him up, and He wouldn’t be mentioned in every single post. Share the love =)
I just really want to get this point across so Im going to repeat myself... Jesus accepted all in order to save all. As a Chritian we are supposed to SHARE our fatith ( yes not enforce, share!) There is only so much we can do and the rest is left to the Holy Spirit, and you're right Rebeka it's not logic, it's FAITH, wich is stronger than reason. So like I said before I follow my savior, and as He did with ease I wili do with difficulty, which is to love, accept, and forgive everyone..
So this one is for Andrew and Austin, ask yourself W.W.J.D, would He accept or reject?
Seeing as I was already on Blogger updating my own blog, I thought about checking this. Allison brought up a great point: "Jesus was the last person to ignore the outcast. He surrounds himself with the most despicable, ridiculed, unaccepted people of his time." To put it bluntly: GOD. LOVES. EVERYBODY. He loves you, He loves me, He loves my cat, He loves the bagger at the grocery store, and He even loves Obama (yes, Benson, even Obama). Just like every other hot topic these days (abortion, evolution, etc), legalizing gay marriage will definitely take some time for the world to fully understand.
Allison you have the best way with words EVER. I loved your post. I am awful with words but everything I wanted to say you put way better. All I feel we should do is love one another. I whole heartedly believe in everything you just said.
^^ Thankyou for being the calmest in this entire conversation.
"Jesus was the last person to ignore the outcast. He surrounds himself with the most despicable, ridiculed, unaccepted people of his time." I love this and my mother tells me this everyday. :)
Andrew I would like to apologize. Last night i did'nt read your blog in full because it was pretty much a small novel. Now, however I did read it and I believe that you expressed the christian faith in a very nice way. I loved when you said "you love the person not the sin. loving sin is dangerous." So true, that goes back to what I said about accepting that person but not condoning their behavior.
I wanna take more time to reply to this when I have time.
For now though I have one thing to say...
"GOD. LOVES. EVERYBODY. He loves you, He loves me, He loves my cat, He loves the bagger at the grocery store, and He even loves Obama (yes, Benson, even Obama)."
John 15:19 " If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."
People hate Christians because we live for something more that what this world has to offer. If there is nothing after this life, what would we be here for. What would the point be to even be alive? I believe that there is more to life. If there is nothing more than this life we hold so dearly, and fight so hard to keep as long as we can has no point. This world, which is under the control of Satan, is the cause of all the pain in this world. Christians deny the dark of the world and seek the light. We are chosen by God, becaus we chose God.
You are once again missinterpreting words. There is only one unforgiveable sin. Luke 12:10," And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is denying God's gift. If a person has blasphemed the Holy Spirit before, but later accepts the gift, they are completely forgiven. Nowhere in the Bible does it say if you have ever sinned no mattere what you say, do, or believe, you are going to Hell. It does say if you deny the gift, then your sins are not forgiven and you are going to Hell.
The boy with an abusive father is a victim of the curse. Abuse is a sin. That boy was afected by the sin. Sin is not of God. Sin is of Satan, who God gave power in the wold to in the curse. Sin is equal. No sin is greater than another. The Bible says this. All sin has the same punishment. No, the man and the boy didn't commit a great sin. They commited sin. The man who is a christian surely does not believe that homosexuality is right, or else he wouldn't apologize daily. If he has accepted the gift of God's son as the ultimate sacrifice, then he is forgiven of all his sins. You failed to mention whether or not the boy is a Christian, but if he is he is also forgiven for any sin he has, or ever will commit.
I find it redundant that the argument over choice vs biology has kept coming up. I have stated my argument on it.
God made the race innocent. But begining of the race had free will. They chose sin. God did not intend for them to do so. Because they chose sin, their traits of human nature were inherited into the next generation, and the next, and the next, and so on and here we are.
I am a sinner. I know this. I also know that God has forgiven me and will forgive anyone who wants to be. I do not hate other sinners, neither does God. But I do, as God does, hate sin. That is where you people have misread me and have said I hate everyone but myself because they are sinners. I do not hate homosexuals, but I do believe what they are doing is wrong. I believe some of the things I do are wrong. No matter how hard someone tries to steer clear of sin, because we are human, we fall into it either way.
People who kill others in the name of God are fooling themselves. I do not believe it is for me to judge anyone. That is God's job exclusively. There are people who misinterpret the Bible so rediculously that they defeat the purpose of reading it. That is part of human nature.
On the topic of Lesbians, it disgusts me as much as Gay men do. I dont want to say too much about it because I think I may be more grossed out by it than of gay men.
I dont believe I have criticised anybody. I have just stated what I know and believe.
You are right. Nothing is wrong with love and acceptance. God accepts everyone who trusts him.I have shunned nobody. I feel shunned, and that makes me sad. And I am also sad if I have made any of you feel shunned.
Kaila, I sympathize with you. My God-parents are in the middle of a divorce and I am enraged at them both. Divorce makes me sick.
Rebeka, I never used Leviticus 18. I have used Matthew 19, Genesis 3, 1 John 4, John 15, and Luke 10. Natasha used it. You need to read the whole Bible to be able to accuratley interpret it.
And this blog is on opinion of gay marriage, not my grooming habits.
This is the last thing I am going to say. If you read nothing I have written, please read this.
This is what the Bible says about man rejecting God.
Romans 1," 24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Also:
Galations 5," 19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
If homosexuality is unnatural, then why does this trait persist through countless generations of humans and remain a consistent fraction of the population?
Perhaps human evolution is a tad more complex than simply individual reproductive success.
Simplistic greed and breed explanations for human behavior are really just rationalizations for adults behaving like adolescents.
Perhaps also, both the Ayn Rand's and Harvey Milk's among us contribute to our survival as a species.
I appreciate Andy's comments, but I pray that he is wrong.
No Bible is the literal word of God. Men wrote these words; men translated and edited these words as languages evolved. So all Christians are to a degree at the mercy of these clerks of God.
Myself, I lean towards the Beatles' interpretation.
[Andy quote] Romans 1:27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
[King James] Romans 1:27 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 recompence of their error which was meet.
[New American] Romans 1:27 and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity.
***
"Shameful things" being the key phrase. Is sex "shameful"? When it is a betrayal of a spouse, yes. Is a love-based homosexual monogamous relationship "shameful"? This Bible does not say. In fact it warns against such judgments.
Tread lightly when quoting scripture to argue absolutes. The "natural use of the woman" seems a tad un-Christian when taken literally, doesn't it?
41 comments:
Hmm... quite the debatable topic.
Denying people the right to marry whoever they choose is like denying someone the right to free speech- it's against the Constitution and every decent thing America stands for. If a couple is married, wouldn't there be lest risk of STD's spreading around? Wouldn't there be more adoptions since gay couples cannot physically have children? Times are changing, if anybody hasn't noticed. We have the first colored president, we can clone humans, and we can bring a people back from death. All of these may have nothing to do with gay marriage at first, but they really do.
Does the government honestly think they can hold back gay marriage rights for much longer? Does Congress need to pop in a Celine Dion CD and read The Notebook to remind themselves with what the term "love" means?
Why would you deny anyone the right to love someone? What if you wanted to marry your boyfriend or girlfriend and you were denied, just because you were gay? Gay marriage should be legalized.
I agree with Kaila completely. Who are we to put a limit on who a man or woman can marry? Love is love. A man does not necessarily love his wife more than man might love his husband simply because they are different genders. The only reason people might be against gay marriage is the Bible is against it. However, times are changing, and the ways of a 2000 year old book are just not up-to-date anymore. (2000 is a round estimate; I do not wish to be scrutinized for this number.) Some may also say that if they really love each other, they don't need marriage. However, I believe that when you truly love someone you want to feel as close to them as possible, and what better way to become closer than to become one. In addition, only a mere 4 percent of the population is gay. Why not let that 4% be happy; will letting them marry really harm the other 95 percent? Gay marriage should be legalized.
I agree with both previous comments. They make excellent points.
When I read this post I laughed because it was just this morning when a few of the girls from english were talking about homosexuality, and someone said, "It's 2009, everyone is gay!"
=D
Anyway, gay marriage should be legal.
According to a recent update in a Chicago Times survey, one in every five adults had a homosexual experience or feeling of attraction to the same sex since adolescence. These people confessed to an impulse, or fleeting feeling, not a decision. Why would someone choose to be homosexual only to look forward to being ousted by society, looked down upon, and given restricted rights? I believe whole-heartedly that homosexuality is NOT wrong and that gays should have the same rights as straight people in many areas. Homosexuality is indeed biological (meaning you’re born that way). Our sexuality is determined on an emotional and physical continuum. So if people are born with more or less attraction to the same sex, is it our place to tell them otherwise? No! They will love who they want to love, so we might as well allow them to be together.
Not only do gay men and women have to suffer from the wrath of our society and government, but they are pushed away based on religious standards too. Most religions teach us that homosexuality is wrong. However, they also teach us to love and accept everyone. So what are we to do? We might as well accept them for who they are. Many people are anti-homosexual for religious reasons. These individuals need to realize one does not have to believe something in order to support it.
Like stated, we are living in a changing society. Its time to accept things that aren't usually viewed as the norm. Discriminateing against homosexuals, and denying them their rights, does not make us a "united nation."
Love has no gender.
Homosexuality isn't wrong.
It's time our society stopped being so judgemental.
A legal marriage permits those couples to share health/life insurance policies, allows them to adopt children, and places the spouce next of kin so that they are able to make decisions in a medical emergency, etc.
Gay marriage should be legalized!
Yes. I chose this topic because it is something I support and believe in with all of my heart. Thinking it is wrong for two people of the same gender to be married is like saying it is wrong for two people of different races to marry. People once thought that but they eventually got over their judgemental views and got on with it. If you're in love and want to get married why not allow someone that choice. No one on earth is allowed to say that gay couples can't truly love each other and marriage is for love. Because we let people who hate eachother marry the other and get divorced 6 months later, but many aren't as upset by that as much as they are with letting people who might have a real chance at love try. I support in everything that was said above and everything they say. The only reasons given for gay couples to not marry is because of the Bible. But aren't church and government suppose to be separated?
I whole heartedly believe in gay marriage.
Matthew 19:4 Have you not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them MALE and FEMALE. 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What GOD has joined together, let no man seperate.
-Jesus Christ
MALE AND FEMALE!
1MAN+1WOMAN=Mariage
Kaila, you need to think about how dangerous cloning and bringing people back from the dead really is. People should not be messing with life and death.
Natasha, It's 2009, I'm not gay.
Brooke, 100%-4%=96%, and be careful what you say about a 6000 year old book which this country was founded on.
Makenzie, marriage is not a affair of state. It is a religious union. A religious union first recorded in the Bible and created by God.
If mariage is not going to be about the holy binding of 2 people, it is not really mariage. It is an abomination and a farce.
Sorry, but I have more to say,
Any biological problem that may cause homosexual feelings is an affect of the curse which was put on humans by God when we first sinned.(Adam and Eve and the fruit and God's curse upon humans.
Genesis 3:1-21)
Yes religions tell us we should love others and that homosexuality is wrong. It says to love the person, not the sin. Loving sin is very dangerous.
I'm sorry if I offend anybody, but I was asked for my beliefs, and that is what I am delivering. I would find it unfair for anyone to tell me that I went too far, or anything of the such, because no matter who you are to me, I'm sure you've all said something to me that offends ME and contradicts MY beliefs.My first point is that marriage has come to have religious significance. Weddings seem like they can be more focused on God than the celebration of love. That's what a wedding is for, that's why people shell out thousands of dollars for them every day. Love is beautiful, and there is no need to mask that fact with "God this", and "God that". Marriages are about two people being together forever, and two people can do that, no matter what the law says. Hating gays isn't going to stop it.
Gays hate people who are against them, which makes perfect sense. Typically, it is the Christian who does so, or someone under the belief that "marriage is between a man and a woman". That's really only the "rule" because the Bible says so.
Christians hate gays, gays hate Christians, MOST OF THE TIME. But gays aren't going to stop religion, and religion is not going to stop gays.
Andrew, just because the Bible says a man should be with a woman, it doesn't mean the whole country has to abide by that belief.
I'm not completely sure, but I really do think that a significant reason for the English coming to America was for freedom of religion.
Also, a main reason why gay marriage is not legal is because it contradicts the Christian faith.
Hmm.
So.
I hear this alot, "Gay marriage is un-American."
NO. WRONG. Actually, it would be un-American, and a complete contradiction on some of what our country was founded on, by saying that gays can't be married because it's against the Bible.
Forbidding someone from doing something, simply because the Bible says so, should be against the LAW.
Law over-rules religion.
It's called separation of church and state. It's separated for a reason,
And Andrew, what is THIS?! :
"If mariage is not going to be about the holy binding of 2 people, it is not really mariage. It is an abomination and a farce."
Love isn't holy?
Holy - adj - "Regarded with or worthy of worship or veneration; revered"
And what is reverence, you say? "A feeling of profound awe and respect and often love"
EVERYONE LOVES LOVE!
The act of being in love is loved. Why do you think romance novels sell so well? So if you say love is not "holy", then you are wrong, by definition.
I think the word "Christian" is probably more like what you were looking for.
And, by the way, people were married before the Bible existed. I think you're trying to say that marriage is about God, which is wrong. Marriage is about the uniting of two people who are in love.
Even if it is "wrong" to some people, why would anyone want a God who tells you can and cannot love certain people? You can't help who you fall in love with.
I know that if I fell in love with a member of my own gender, it wouldn't matter to me. Love is spiritual, love is about the FEELING.
Any God that I know of has no right to give me the ability to love somebody, and yet tell me that it is wrong. That would be like giving the pony to the little girl who's always wanted one, and telling her she can't look at it, think about it, touch it, ride it, have any association with it, physically or mentally.
Christian homosexuals. Yes, it does happen, who cares what anyone says, or how it "contradicts itself". So here's what God does to them.
"You COOOOOOOOOOOOULD love this person, but I forbid you to. I'm handing them to you, they're absolutely perfect, but they're the same gender as you. You can't love them. I forbid you, or you will go to hell."
OH, and this one is my favorite!!!
"You're gay, you're a sinner, you're going to hell!"
I thought God forgave you for your sins. Even if you prayed to him to make you not be gay, you're still going to be gay. God isn't going to change that. He MADE us, right? So he obviously made you gay.
Apparently, everything is up to God, so why make us have flaws if we have to fix them? Are we even capable of fixing such flaws? I thought you had to ask God to fix them for you.
It's all a joke.
I have to stop now. :]
I believe that gay marriage is that persons choice. It would be unconstitutional to denay them thier rights.
So gay marriage isn't legal I guess, which is a bunch of poop.
I don't care what anybody says, period.
Love is love. No matter who you are or where you're from.
Who is the government to tell us who we can and can't be with? What the heck is that?
If they were gay, it'd be different. However, I think our government is full of homophobes.
Anyway, no offense.. I like all of you guys.
but honestly, is it necassary to bright God into EVERYTHING?!?!?!??
Church and state are supposed to be separated, but .... ehhh.
Seriously though, i'm so sick of looking at this blog post everything single week and seeing something written about God. Who cares? I believe in God [i'm different then you're uhmm stereotypical uhhhh "Christian"] but it's not needed.
Love is love, The end.
Who is anybody to tell us we can't be with the person who makes us the happiest? Who will be there through whatever. The one that will take your side even when you're wrong.
Everyone deserves to be happy and GAY MARRIAGE SHOULD BE LEGAL.
"I thought God forgave you for your sins. Even if you prayed to him to make you not be gay, you're still going to be gay. God isn't going to change that. He MADE us, right? So he obviously made you gay."
This simple thing makes me question.
Why would a God create you with a flaw that he considers a sin?
Andrew: You blame biological "problems" such as homosexual being at blame because of the curse. However, GOD MADE US...apparently. So, I don't think it's very fair that he's punishing certain, modern individuals with homosexuality. He, through today's religion, is damning someone for a "problem" He created within them.
If God intended love and marriage to be between a man and woman, HE should have created them with those desires.
Instead, HE apparently creates people with mixed emotions that they CAN'T control. It's not their choice. Again I'll mention that it is biological.
For those Christians who believe it's a choice...
Why would someone CHOOSE to be hated by most religions and society? Why would someone choose to not fit in? Why would someone choose a difficult lifestyle with restricted rights? They wouldn't. They were born differently.
And Andrew... If someone is born with that "problem", created by a God who "loves them"...they shouln't be punished by that same God. That only creates contradictions leading to a flawed God.
Sorry Emily...
conclusion to the God-thing was necessary. =)
Emily, you obviously are missing the point that humans have NO answers.
How did we get here?
Why are we even here?
What is the purpose for life?
We don't know.
But a "satisfying" answer, to some, is GOD.
God "made" us.
We are here to serve God.
And the purpose for life, well, there is really none, because the only enforced point is to be forgiven for your sins and then you can go to Heaven.
What is the point of life if all you are supposed to do is make sure you get into Heaven?
I really don't think the Bible specifies what else you are supposed to do.
It's supposed to hold all of the answers, the questions that man has asked for thousands of years, but all it HONESTLY does is tell you how to live your life, what not to do, and to make sure you get into Heaven.
I am sorry if I have offended you. My goal was not to offend but to state truth (which does have a tendency to offend people, sadly).
1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because GOD IS LOVE.
Yes, people were married before the Bible was written. The first married people being Adam and Eve, and marriage being consecrated by God.
God is not a mask for love, God is love completely unmasked.
The main reason for the English to come to America was because of one mans views on the Bible. King James wanted everybody to view the Bible his way, the pilgrims didn't see things his way and were heavily persecuted for it. That is why the English came to America.
Most of our laws were based off the laws given by God to Moses in Exodus, and detailed in Leviticus. These are much, much more than the general 10 commandments.
Your definition of holiness uses reverence, and your definition of reverence uses love. So you yourself have made the point that love is holy. (And you said," So if you say love is NOT "holy", then you are wrong, by definition.")
Holy is the word I was looking for and I used it because it is the perfect word. Christian is a person who has trusted that Jesus Christ is the son of God, took the punishment for the sins of everyone who accepts this truth, and rose again as a sign that God has accepted the punishment as paid in full. If you believe that Christian is the right word, then you have just said that to love you have to be Christian, which is not so. God gives everyone the gift of love even if they do not choose to follow him.
Being loved is not an act, loving is.
Romance novels sell so well because people who read them can't find real love themselves.
What you also need to understand is that God gives everyone a choice. You can choose to trust in Him or not. You can choose deny Him or not. Yes, you can choose to sin or not. People who make the decision to be homosexual( and it is a choice) are choosing to sin.
Most importantly, you have put words into the Bible that are not there. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that all sinners go to Hell. If it did that is all it would need to say and all the rest would be unnecessary.
It does say that if you choose to accept the fact that when Jesus died as a punishment for your sin, you were forgiven, that you are free from any punishment that would have been given to you if Jesus did not take it. But if you do not accept this gift that God has sent because he LOVES you, and because he wants to have a relationship with you, then you're sins are not forgiven and you must pay the price for them( which God says is separation from him for eternity, or Hell).
God made us, but did not make us gay. Satan (who was made by God as an angel made all that is considered sin. But he became conceited and tried to overthrow God. Satan's power is incomparable to God's and he was sent to a place of his own where he will eventually be locked in for eternity and tortured along with the rest of the people who denied the gift God has sent.)You need to read Genesis 3 and it should be clear to you why people are gay. But I will give you a gist of it here. Adam and Eve sinned. Because of their sin, God had to separate them from him. Without God, evil can spread, and it did. That is why all that is wrong in this world is in this world. One of the things that is wrong in this world is homosexuality. But don't worry. God has said the best is yet to come. He will return to take all who have accepted his gift. Then he will give Satan a short reign before he finally destroys him and sends him to hell forever.
God is incapable of flaws. It is humans who have decided to be flawed. And God CAN fix those flaws, and WILL if you let him.
None of it is a joke.
God is supposed to be included in everything.
The happiest person, the truly happiest person, has God. He is there through whatever. He loves you even when you're wrong.
God doesn't damn people and he did not create any flaws. People damn themselves when they deny God's truth.
I don't know if you have noticed, but people who decide to believe the truth and become Christians seem to be hated. But we choose to be anyway. We know that it will be worth it in the end. That is why we choose to be different. We were born with human nature, but we can control it because we have help from God.
If you will read the Bible and study it, then you will understand it and be able to use it. Then you will see that it cannot, does not, and is unable to contradict itself. The Bible is the word of God, who is perfect in all ways, and therefore cannot contradict himself.
God is the most satisfying answer because he is the only answer. He is satisfying because people who trust him know that he knows why we are here. That is all we need to know. If it were for us to know, we would know it.
I am full, and completely satisfied.
My first name: Glenn, is derived from my Dad's old best friend who lived in Florida. Glenn was a former gay who came to know Christ and saw it was in fact wrong. So saying that you will still be gay is ridiculous. He has a wife and two kids now. Otherwise, Iknow it's too late but I kind of chose to not respond to this blog for the sheer fact that the majority of our class supports such a ridiculous thing. My only blood related Aunt is gay and I love her. I do not hate gays, I love gays just not their homosexuality. I cannot debate this topic with a religious argument because people will say it is just religion and it is a free country and such. The Bible is Uber old... big deal. Human beings haven't changed in principal. I believe it is wrong and an abomination to marriage but that is as far as I will go to say it. I do not think we should be intolerant to gays, but rather show them the correct way to live by actions, not hate. For the most part, yes, I object onthe grounds of my religious standing. However, gay marriages are not good for children who need a balance of female and male role models. Since my Dad has left, I have been more influenced by females and more tunderstand them than males. You must have a balance. I agree that Love is Love, but i also believe Love can be misconceived as to how powerful and what type of love.
How is being gay an 'abomination to marriage'?
Ohhh my...
Andrew, so sorry that I insist on fighting you.
People don't hate Christians because they "know the truth and are happy." They hate Christians because the majority are hypcritical. They defend their God with such things as this. They stand up against homosexuals for religious reasons. However, I have read quite a bit of the Bible and I can use it too... Almost everything leads to a sin. If you cut your hair...sin. You wear make up: sin. So if you're so opposed to homosexuality because its a sin, STOP CUTTING YOUR HAIR! God doesn't like it...
I'm not one to bash Christians. I attend church on a regular basis and read the Bible almost daily. However, I will confess that most Christians are hypocritical. Most also play the "God Card" as an excuse for the unanswered, or in search of a "secure" answer.
Why did this happen? God.
Sin? Our separation from God?
How is that so? God.
Creation? God.
Christians who know God are happ:
Of course!
They feel fulfilled because they can answer anything with "God's will" or "God's grace" or God's plan" or just "God did it."
I believe anyone would be content with the idea of their questions so easily being an answered with an invisible creator who loves them no matter what they do.
Satisfaction, security, and fulfillment are all created with the answer simply being: God. This is an illegitiment, optimistic sense of happiness though.
Austin:
I went to TcTc January '09. Tennessee Christian Teen Convention is exactly what it says: a christian convention for teens in Gatlinburg. In between sessions, they have "classes" where you go to listen to a speaker on a certain subject. I went to the class called "Is Gay Okay?". It was wonderful. A man, strong in his faith, far on his walk with God, gave his testimony. He is a gay man. He grew up always feeling different from the other boys. They wanted to play with trucks, he reached for the dolls. Growing up, the other boys would discuss the "hot girls" and he never found interest in them. He didn't want to be gay. He didn't want to be different. He lived like he was straight. He lived the way he was expected to live, however, it never felt right. He grew up a Christian, and loved God. He says he apologizes daily for having the feelings he does. Even through his life struggle, he seeks to be God and believes to have a close relationship with him. How can God blame this poor man who has given his life to God in spite of the confused feelings he lives with? This is a desperate man. If God is not to blame, and Satan/ ancient humanity is (as Andrew said), can our all-loving God really tell this man he's wrong?
Said man works for a homosexual help oraganization/hotline. He helps teens sort out their homosexual thoughts and feelings. He hopes that they can recieve more fulfillment than he could.
A boy he worked with told him that as a child his step father would repetedly sexually abuse him. He grew up scared, and unable to trust. He also had mixed emotions when it came to sex preference. He was attracted to girls, but in a way felt attracted or obligated to males as well. This was a result of the male to male intercourse he was influenced by at a young age. Even after the man helped the boy find God, he was still confused. Is the little boy to blame? Should this boy and this man, who God loves, burn in hell? I don't feel as if they did anything wrong or committed any great sin. They didn't do anything worth an eternity of torture.
Andrew, choosing to be gay is NOT a choice.
Hypothetical situation time.
Say you like chicken and you don't like beef.
Chicken represents girls, beef represents boys.
You can't decide what you like. Your choices of food are there as soon as you are born.
Have you ever noticed your mom or dad say "oh, you are so much like your dad/mom"?
It's because most of your preferences are innate.
Just like being gay is.
Just like being straight is.
Yes, in some cases, there is a choice.
For example, if someone used to be made sick by eating cheese, they probably will not eat cheese anymore. That is a choice.
Just like some people have been hurt by dating one gender, so they do not date that gender.
That doesn't mean they have to stop dating, period. That would be like the first person saying they are never eating again just because cheese used to make them sick.
There are other options for them to eat.
Just like there is another option for them to date.
But if you REALLY like cheese, or REALLY liked a specific gender, no matter how sick it made you, you would still choose it over anything else, if it makes you happy.
God creates everyone innocent. Why on earth would he create something he considers an abomination? Why would he give a child so innocent and loving and pure a curse that will follow them through life?
Maybe I'm just acting like the oh-so-evil all-loving hippies when I say this, but why can't people just love one another? Why can't people accept others? jesus supposdedly did. God supposedly does. But if he's creating a person with a curse, something to hate, then obviously God isn't love. God is hate. Hate is a flaw. God is flawed.
Maybe I'm just naive with my optimistic look out on life, but it is inconcievable to me how someone could feel so much distaste for a person simply for loving another.
All they are doing is loving. You could meet the nicest man ever; give sto the poor, helps charites, children, etc. yet the second you find out he's a homosexual he's an evil sinner?
Some people feel ten times stronger on these opinions that you guys [Andrew/Benson] and will go as far as killing another. But it was in the name of God. So it's alright. Wouldn't you guys say that is going too far? Yet you stand under the same basis as them. It's under the name of God. so it's alright.
You think they're right, so did they. Who's to say that they're not? Who's to say you're not? Who's to say I'm not?
No one is. Because no one knows. So stop whining and complaining and making people suffer with your harsh criticism and just stop hating and accept people for who they are.
...Oh and one more thing. Truly think about this. Is is all gay people you are so opposed to? or just gay males? Because when two attractive females got together how many people do you see opposing? Surely the number decreases.
If you come up with any excuses for this reason. Aren't you "sinning" too?
Corrections:You think you're right, so did they. Who's to say that they're not? Who's to say you're not? Who's to say I'm not?
No one is. Because no one knows. So stop whining and complaining and making people suffer with your harsh criticism and just stop hating and accept people for who they are.
"...Oh and one more thing. Truly think about this. Is is all gay people you are so opposed to? or just gay males? Because when two attractive females got together how many people do you see opposing? Surely the number decreases.
If you come up with any excuses for this reason. Aren't you "sinning" too?"
Kenzie this is a beautiful point. The majority of homo-phobes are males. Yet they suddenly accept homosexuality when its two "hot girls hooking up."
HYPOCRITES!!
=)
I agree with the simple "hippie" ways. What wrong with just loving and accepting? NOTHING. Apparently God created diversity and variety. SO STOP SHUNNING PEOPLE WHO AREN'T THE SAME AS YOU!
We all know who that was directed to.
=)
...and thats all I have to say about that.
I have to say, we have the most heated debate on here that I've ever seen.
Andrew, I have to say, I do agree with some of your points and I respect your religious views.
Truthfully, it all depends on your perspective of "marriage". In my household, I'm not attracted to the symbol of the word, simply because it means nothing to me. My parents divorced before I could even walk, and so far, every relationship I have seen (my aunt, my mother, my sister...) has fallen apart because of lies and distrust. The concept of marriage is not as important to me as love, which overpowers marriage any day in my opinion.
Think about arranged marriages, where the couple doesn't even know the other. Is there love in that relationship? Maybe after some time, but not right away.
Yes, marriage is "holy" and what-not, but in a society that allows people to marry in dingy Las Vegas casinos by a fat impersonator of Elvis, and then divorce three days later... wouldn't you say that the idea of marriage isn't as fancy and regal as it was before?
But if you do believe in marriage whole-heartedly, and you meet your "soulmate" and all that gooey-lovey-dovey stuff, wouldn't you want to be with them forever? "Until death do you part"?
It isn't as if gay people feel differently about marriage. Some aren't in it for the money or just to have a ring around that famous left finger. Some actually want to be with their loved one, the same as heterosexual couples do. Being homosexual doesn't change your view on love anymore than being straight does.
And I have mention that Kenzie's post was totally hippie-licious and I wanted to go listen to the Beatles after reading it.
;)
I'm absolutely sick of people taking Leviticus 18.22 out of context.
If all of America is forced to follow that rule, then everything else FOLLOWING in chapter 19 should be illegal, too.
"God spoke to Moses: 'Speak to the congregation of Israel. Tell them, Be hold because I, GOD, your God, am holy.'
'Every one of you must respect his mother and father. Keep my Sabbaths. I am God, your God.
Don't take up with no-god idols. Don't make gods of cast metal. I am God, your God.
When you sacrifice a Peace-Offering to God, do it as you've been taught so it is acceptable. Eat it on the day you sacrifice it and the day following. Whatever is left until the third day is polluted meat and not acceptable. Whoever eats it will be held responsible because he has violated what is hold to God. That person will be cut off from his people.'"
It also says that last line at the end of chapter 18, which mostly talks about sex crimes that are unholy, mostly just don't have sex with animals, don't have sex with family members, don't have sex with another man.
So if gays are to be "cut off from his people", then so are people who eat 3 day old leftovers? What if you don't have a choice but to? Some people are starving. They have to eat old food. God can't say, 'you can't eat', just because you don't have any other food. Just like he can't say 'you can't love', just because you don't like the gender he tells you to like.
Continuing on, starting at Leviticus 19.11
"Don't lie.
Don't steal.
Don't deceive anyone.
Don't swear falsely using my name, violating the name of your God. I am God.
Don't exploit your friend or rob him.
Don't hold back the wages of a hired hand overnight.
Don't curse the deaf; don't put a stumbling block in front of the blind; fear your God. I am God.
Don't pervert justice. Don't show favoritism to either the poor or the great. Judge on the basis of what is right.
Don't spread gossip and rumors.
Don't just stand by when your neighbor's life is in danger. I am God.
Don't secretly hate your neighbor. If you have something against him, get it out into the open; otherwise, you are an accomplice in his guilt.
Don't seek revenge of carry a grudge against any of your people.
Love your neighbor as yourself. I am God.
Keep my decrees.
Don't mate two different kind of animals.
Don't plant your fields with two kinds of seed.
Don't wear clothes woven of two kinds of material.
If a man has sex with a slave girl who is engaged to another man but has not yet been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be an investigation. But they aren't to be put to death because she wasn't free. The man must bring a Compensation-Offering to God at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, a ram of compensation. The priest will perform the ritual of atonement for him before God with the ram of compensation for the sin he has committed. Then he will stand forgiven of the sin he committed.
When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, don't eat the fruit for three years. Consider it inedible. By the fourth year its fruit is holy, an offering of praise to God. Beginning in the fifth year you can eat its fruit; you'll have richer harvests this way. I am God, your God.
Don't eat meat with blood in it.
Don't practice divination or sorcery.
Don't cut the hair on the sides of your head or trim your beard.
Don't gash your bodies on behalf of the dead.
Don't tattoo yourselves. I am God.
Don't violate your daughter by making her a whore. The whole country would soon become a brothel, filled with sordid sex.
Keep my Sabbaths and revere my Sanctuary: I am God.
Don't dabble in the occult or traffic with mediums; you'll pollute your souls. I am God, your God.
Show respect to the aged; honor the presence of an elder; fear your God. I am God.
When a foreigner lives with you in your land, don't take advantage of him. Treat the foreigner the same as a native. Love him like one of your own. Remember that you were once foreigners in Egypt. I am God, your God.
Don't cheat when measuring length, weight, or quantity. Use honest scales and weights and measures. I am God, your God. I brought you out of Egypt.
Keep all my decrees and all my laws. Yes, do them. I am God.
If you really think you can quote the Bible and say THIS is wrong, and then go against something it says in the next chapter.
Because Andrew, last time I checked, you DO shave. And well, according to the Bible, that is WRONG.
Oh, that really made sense. (:
I meant, "you really can't say THIS (gay marriage) is wrong, and then go against something it says in the next chapter."
Something to add to Bekkas post.
Aren't all sins held equal in Gods eyes. Because if then shouldn't we be seeing bands of christians with signs that say 'GOD HATES BARBERS' outside a barbershop?
Do we? No.
People are predjucide. Come to that realization. It isn't because God says so. It's because people are predjudice.
Wow,you really want to get into this? I do not think Gays will burn in hell. I never said such a thing. If i ever did, i was mistaken or just joking. Every sin is equal whether it is stealing a cookie, cheating on a spouse, or killing thousands of people. I can't see one definite and finite argument except discrediting the christian replies. You four girls are teaming up to get your point across and try to embarrass others. Lesbian relationships are equal as gays. Yes, most males think a couple of good looking girls hooking up is attractive but that is hormonal and yes hypocritical, but still wrong. The whole thing is morals and personal preference. The world is full of hypocrites, get over it please.And considering who I am talking to, Gay marriage is against the NATURAL order of things, simple biology, against evolution if you will argue that Christian views are void. If being gay was natural, humanity would end and the species would cease to exist. As organisms who just evolved into existence, we thrive my passing on genes and to cease doing so defeats the purpose of being here. Of course I do not predict that EVERYONE will turn gay all of the sudden and humanity will end, I know how you liberals love to twist words to throw them back at the speaker. You crucify people who use Christianity as an argument yet you speak of right and wrong?ethics? let love work? those are all the same baseless arguments just as void as a religious argument
If two men or two women can marry, what about a man and a pig? a man and his sister? brother? DADDY!!!!? where does it end? The same thing goes for socialized medicine. Yeah, everyone gets benefits at first. Well do you smoke? if so, the government can decide you don't get healthcare. Do you enjoy the occasional drink? or do you race cars? Once you give someone power to make such a decision, they can dictate anything related to that decision from that point forward.
Austin, we are NOT teaming up at all. We just have the same beliefs. Just because we agree, doesn't mean we're trying to embarass you.
Yes, we're going to be upset because you're telling us that if we don't believe something, we're wrong.
YOU ARE NOT GOD, YOU DO NOT KNOW.
Nobody knows, and I have EVERY right to be upset when people are trying to convince me to believe what they believe.
"I know how you liberals love to twist words to throw them back at the speaker. You crucify people who use Christianity as an argument yet you speak of right and wrong?"
If we're going there, then 'you Christians' always like to repeat yourself and not really make any points, so seriously?
You don't know.
Christians act like they do know and try to shove it in everyone's face, just so they can have something to feel good about.
Don't pull that "I just KNOW God is there" thing. It is illogical. Completely and totally illogical.
"God is there when no one else is"
?!?!?!?!
Christianity makes absolutely no sense to me. It seems like excuse after excuse after excuse for natural human behavior.
Question: [for Austin]
How does giving people the right to marry give them the ability to take over the world? That makes no sense. How does giving someone the right to marry another have to do anything with taking over the world. I feel that was slightly dramatic.
And above I was not saying that EVERYONE who is a christian believes that gay people deserve to burn in hell. I'm saying that people who say that stand under the very basis you stand on.
So I quote myself:
"You think you're right, so did they. Who's to say that they're not? Who's to say you're not? Who's to say I'm not?
No one is. Because no one knows."
I am not teaming up with anyone but myself. All I'm asking is why can't people accept others. When I brought up the bible/Christianity/God/etc. it was because I don't believe that any of that is why people are against homosexuals. I think people are predjudice. That's all I truly believe it is.
wow..Im sorry I got Involved in all this so late. anyway...
First of all I would like to say there is a difference in acceptance of people and condoning their behavior. I do not believe in gay marriage, however I absolutely do not agree with ostracizing those who are homosexuals. If you are friends with someone who is gay or actually ever gave forth effort to have a conversation with them you would know that they are the nicest most accepting of most all humans. All they have to give is love and that’s because all they are searching for is love.
Based on my Christian beliefs I do not CONDONE gay marriage (and no simply not just because the Bible tells me so). Obviously the Bible and the Christian faith has been the foundation of most arguments through out this blog, however I believe it has been seriously misconstrued.
If you were familiar with Bible you would know that Jesus was the last person to ignore the outcast. He surrounds himself with the most despicable, ridiculed, unaccepted people of his time. He showed love to lepers, the blind, prostitutes, and the handicapped because those are the ones who needed it most. So put Jesus in our present time, do you think he would mistreat and not accept homosexuals? Absolutely not!
As a Christian (and I say this to all my fellow Christians as well) the last thing we should do is treat homosexuals with harsh and cruel words and actions. Christians were not put on this earth to play the "I am more holier than thou" game, because when it boils down to it we are all sinners, and in God's eyes all sins are equal. I choose to follow the example set by Savior, Jesus Christ, and that is to love, accept, and forgive everyone...
Despite what most of you believe not every Christian is a raving hypocrite. We make mistakes just like you and just like everybody else. So please forgive those who do stumble (cause I know I do).
…And that whole not bringing God into everything is a little difficult seeing as how He is everything. If He wasn’t you wouldn’t have brought Him up, and He wouldn’t be mentioned in every single post.
Share the love =)
I just really want to get this point across so Im going to repeat myself...
Jesus accepted all in order to save all. As a Chritian we are supposed to SHARE our fatith ( yes not enforce, share!) There is only so much we can do and the rest is left to the Holy Spirit, and you're right Rebeka it's not logic, it's FAITH, wich is stronger than reason. So like I said before I follow my savior, and as He did with ease I wili do with difficulty, which is to love, accept, and forgive everyone..
So this one is for Andrew and Austin, ask yourself W.W.J.D, would He accept or reject?
Seeing as I was already on Blogger updating my own blog, I thought about checking this.
Allison brought up a great point: "Jesus was the last person to ignore the outcast. He surrounds himself with the most despicable, ridiculed, unaccepted people of his time."
To put it bluntly:
GOD. LOVES. EVERYBODY. He loves you, He loves me, He loves my cat, He loves the bagger at the grocery store, and He even loves Obama (yes, Benson, even Obama).
Just like every other hot topic these days (abortion, evolution, etc), legalizing gay marriage will definitely take some time for the world to fully understand.
Allison you have the best way with words EVER. I loved your post. I am awful with words but everything I wanted to say you put way better. All I feel we should do is love one another. I whole heartedly believe in everything you just said.
^^ Thankyou for being the calmest in this entire conversation.
"Jesus was the last person to ignore the outcast. He surrounds himself with the most despicable, ridiculed, unaccepted people of his time."
I love this and my mother tells me this everyday.
:)
Thanks Mackenzie and Kaila!
=) haha
Andrew I would like to apologize. Last night i did'nt read your blog in full because it was pretty much a small novel. Now, however I did read it and I believe that you expressed the christian faith in a very nice way. I loved when you said "you love the person not the sin. loving sin is dangerous." So true, that goes back to what I said about accepting that person but not condoning their behavior.
I wanna take more time to reply to this when I have time.
For now though I have one thing to say...
"GOD. LOVES. EVERYBODY. He loves you, He loves me, He loves my cat, He loves the bagger at the grocery store, and He even loves Obama (yes, Benson, even Obama)."
...LOLZ!! (laughing at Obama part)
John 15:19 " If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."
People hate Christians because we live for something more that what this world has to offer. If there is nothing after this life, what would we be here for. What would the point be to even be alive? I believe that there is more to life. If there is nothing more than this life we hold so dearly, and fight so hard to keep as long as we can has no point. This world, which is under the control of Satan, is the cause of all the pain in this world. Christians deny the dark of the world and seek the light. We are chosen by God, becaus we chose God.
You are once again missinterpreting words. There is only one unforgiveable sin. Luke 12:10," And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven." Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is denying God's gift. If a person has blasphemed the Holy Spirit before, but later accepts the gift, they are completely forgiven. Nowhere in the Bible does it say if you have ever sinned no mattere what you say, do, or believe, you are going to Hell. It does say if you deny the gift, then your sins are not forgiven and you are going to Hell.
The boy with an abusive father is a victim of the curse. Abuse is a sin. That boy was afected by the sin. Sin is not of God. Sin is of Satan, who God gave power in the wold to in the curse. Sin is equal. No sin is greater than another. The Bible says this. All sin has the same punishment. No, the man and the boy didn't commit a great sin. They commited sin. The man who is a christian surely does not believe that homosexuality is right, or else he wouldn't apologize daily. If he has accepted the gift of God's son as the ultimate sacrifice, then he is forgiven of all his sins. You failed to mention whether or not the boy is a Christian, but if he is he is also forgiven for any sin he has, or ever will commit.
I find it redundant that the argument over choice vs biology has kept coming up. I have stated my argument on it.
God made the race innocent. But begining of the race had free will. They chose sin. God did not intend for them to do so. Because they chose sin, their traits of human nature were inherited into the next generation, and the next, and the next, and so on and here we are.
I am a sinner. I know this. I also know that God has forgiven me and will forgive anyone who wants to be. I do not hate other sinners, neither does God. But I do, as God does, hate sin. That is where you people have misread me and have said I hate everyone but myself because they are sinners. I do not hate homosexuals, but I do believe what they are doing is wrong. I believe some of the things I do are wrong. No matter how hard someone tries to steer clear of sin, because we are human, we fall into it either way.
People who kill others in the name of God are fooling themselves. I do not believe it is for me to judge anyone. That is God's job exclusively. There are people who misinterpret the Bible so rediculously that they defeat the purpose of reading it. That is part of human nature.
On the topic of Lesbians, it disgusts me as much as Gay men do. I dont want to say too much about it because I think I may be more grossed out by it than of gay men.
I dont believe I have criticised anybody. I have just stated what I know and believe.
You are right. Nothing is wrong with love and acceptance. God accepts everyone who trusts him.I have shunned nobody. I feel shunned, and that makes me sad. And I am also sad if I have made any of you feel shunned.
Kaila, I sympathize with you. My God-parents are in the middle of a divorce and I am enraged at them both. Divorce makes me sick.
Rebeka, I never used Leviticus 18.
I have used Matthew 19, Genesis 3, 1 John 4, John 15, and Luke 10. Natasha used it. You need to read the whole Bible to be able to accuratley interpret it.
And this blog is on opinion of gay marriage, not my grooming habits.
This is the last thing I am going to say. If you read nothing I have written, please read this.
This is what the Bible says about man rejecting God.
Romans 1," 24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Also:
Galations 5,"
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
This is the last entry I will make on this topic.
If homosexuality is unnatural, then why does this trait persist through countless generations of humans and remain a consistent fraction of the population?
Perhaps human evolution is a tad more complex than simply individual reproductive success.
Simplistic greed and breed explanations for human behavior are really just rationalizations for adults behaving like adolescents.
Perhaps also, both the Ayn Rand's and Harvey Milk's among us contribute to our survival as a species.
I appreciate Andy's comments, but I pray that he is wrong.
No Bible is the literal word of God. Men wrote these words; men translated and edited these words as languages evolved. So all Christians are to a degree at the mercy of these clerks of God.
Myself, I lean towards the Beatles' interpretation.
Love is all you need.
[Peter 4:8]
[Andy quote] Romans 1:27
In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
[King James] Romans 1:27
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 recompence of their error which was meet.
[New American] Romans 1:27
and the males likewise gave up natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity.
***
"Shameful things" being the key phrase. Is sex "shameful"? When it is a betrayal of a spouse, yes. Is a love-based homosexual monogamous relationship "shameful"? This Bible does not say. In fact it warns against such judgments.
Tread lightly when quoting scripture to argue absolutes. The "natural use of the woman" seems a tad un-Christian when taken literally, doesn't it?
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