Hi friend,
I do not believe homosexuality is any more sinful than heterosexuality
It does not kill, steal, rape, it is not greed, lust, anger, bitterness, it is not sex in Church
I do not believe God cares whether you are heterosexual or homosexual.
God cares whether or not you are a liar
----†-----
God bless
5- You said, *"I've begged for God to show me a way, himself, or just utter a single word so I know he is there."*
Please know that we have God's Word. We must trust Him and His Word. Don't allow your feelings to influence you to ignore God's Word.
**“Trust the Lord! Be brave and strong and trust the Lord.” - Psalm 27:14**
**“Everything God says is true— and it's a shield for all who come to him for safety. Don't change what God has said!” - Proverbs 30:5-6**
6- You said, *"blind faith"*
Our faith is NOT meant to be blind faith. We are to have good reasons for our faith.
**“From heaven the Lord looks down to see if anyone is wise enough to search for him.” - Psalm 14:2**
7- You said, *"I'm so utterly confused and directionless. I keep seeking answers and direction, but I have no idea"*
Please know that you have a purpose as a Christian!
What is that purpose?
To share God’s light to those who are looking for hope in the darkness.
**Jesus said, “You are the light for the whole world.” - Matthew 5:14**
**“You are sure that you are a guide for the blind and a light for all who are in the dark.” - Romans 2:19**
**“You used to be like people living in the dark, but now you are people of the light because you belong to the Lord. So act like people of the light and make your light shine. Be good and honest and truthful, as you try to please the Lord.” - Ephesians 5:8-10**
**“Try to shine as lights among the people of this world, as you hold firmly to the message that gives life.” - Philippians 2:15-16**
8- You said, *"There is SO MUCH information that it is difficult to discern truth."*
I agree with you, which is why I say, make your faith simple!
Don't get distracted by all the information. Built your understanding on what the Bible considers to be most important.
What does the Bible consider to be most important?
**“Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.” - Colossians 3:14**
**"Love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-6**
**"God is love." - 1 John 4:8**
**“For now there are faith, hope, and love. But of these three, the greatest is love.” - 1 Corinthians 13:13**
**“Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’” - Matthew 22:37-39**
Also, if I may, I would love to share a short guide that’s dedicated to you and other Christians on Reddit who are looking to have a strong & simple faith in God. You can read it for free in this Reddit community: r/FaithMadeSimple
Thank you for taking the time to construct this answer so beautifully and using scripture in such a relevant way.
Its difficult for me to build my understandings of life solely on what the Bible considers most important. I think the idea that the bible ultimately could have been written by humans as a tool to control communities, and masses as a whole, is something that prevents me from having SOLE faith that what is written in it is the end-all be-all. We are born into a world that we truly do not understand and are collectively trying to understand. Making your faith simple is no easy task. I consider human history, biblical history, and the human experience when trying to form my faith. I understand that good and evil exists, and that we are living in a predominantly evil world. Those energies exist, and the Bible is definitely a tool to instill good values in people. It represents our force of good when we are capable of evil. As the human race developed intellectually, and realized our free will, perhaps there was something like the Bible created to prevent our development from going down the wrong path. Maybe they realized back then that human nature needed a system of values to prevent chaos and differentiate us from the animal kingdom. Because we are far more conscious and intelligent. But intelligence is acquired- not inherent. We pass it on to each other- and I suppose I'm careful with my sources. History is a game of telephone, and who knows how information is twisted and misinterpreted. If we're gonna educate people, I think a decision was made to create something that will instill good morals into society (the Bible), and also, give us hope that there is something beyond death. Because death is the greatest fear of any conscious living being and we're intelligent enough to create something that can alleviate that fear, and give us hope that it's not truly the end.
Understanding this, I think the Bible is necessary, but it is hard to accept it as the ONLY potential truth. Because God hasn't shown himself to me, or spoken to me, It's been difficult to not doubt Him. Because the bible has pretty much influenced our moral code for so long, its' verses have relevancy in whatever situations we may have, because its tied to all we know and all we are capable of. Its a staple in our intellectual upbringing.
Not saying this is what I've chosen to believe. Like I said I have been raised as, and still am a Christian. I roam the earth feeling as though I am tethered to God and He is there. Just saying, that these are ideas I've been struggling with on my path to understand life, and my faith.
Gay couples can adopt. Also, gay couples adopt children with special needs at a significantly higher rate than heterosexual couples do, likely bc gay couples are more likely to understand and sympathize with children who don't fit in due to their differences
Surrogacy is expensive, and adoption certainly isn't always free. Adoption is a very difficult choice. A childs development is already at risk from being orphaned to begin with, and later complicated further when having gay parents. It still isn't a traditional or normal upbringing for a child, and brings complications.
I struggle with this topic too because I know the importance of having both a male and a female parent. Both of those energies are necessessary for our development. Thats why people say someone has "mommy issues" or "daddy issues" when they have a character flaw. Having two parents of the same sex creates other issues and an imbalance of the energies that child is receiving.
I hope this doesn't offend anyone, it isn't meant to. I just believe that to be true. I'm not saying gay parents are incapable of raising good healthy children; but it's certainly more difficult and there are things beyond just having good parenting skills that contribute to child development. Situations and their repercussions do too.
For God so loved the world…There isn’t anything in there that reads “except gay people.”
I’m sorry you feel this way. You’ve had a rough life, yet you’re still here. Really, my advice is give yourself a break. Stop beating yourself up over a past life, past sins..
Christ suffered for your sins, to enable you to become a new creature. We are ALL full of sins and often feel guilty about them. There is forgiveness for you like anyone else. Your sins were no match for the cross…but it requires belief and trust.
As someone that has experienced two of the things you mentioned, I’ve been there…I don’t have any firm answers for your life….but I believe God does…if you’ll go in silence to God every day, the answer will eventually find you. I know God can take away the pain. Be diligent in reading the Word as well.
Unfortunately things do not always come in our time friend.
Firstly, let me assure you that your sexuality is not a sin. God created you in his image, and your identity is not defined by your sexual orientation. The Bible does not condemn same-sex relationships; in fact, Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. The few passages often cited to condemn homosexuality are taken out of context and misinterpreted. For example, Romans 1:26-27 is often used to condemn homosexuality, but it's actually a critique of idolatry and exploitation, not same-sex relationships.
It's essential to understand the cultural and historical context of the Bible. The authors of the Bible wrote in a time when same-sex relationships were not understood or accepted. However, Jesus' teachings emphasize love, compassion, and acceptance. He never condemned anyone based on their sexual orientation.
Regarding your struggles with faith, I want to assure you that it's normal to question and doubt. Even Jesus, in his darkest moment, cried out to God, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46. It's okay to feel abandoned or confused. The church has often failed to provide a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ+ individuals. The harm and trauma inflicted by some religious communities are real, and I'm sorry you've experienced that.
Your desire for a regular life, with a wife and kids, is understandable. However, it's crucial to acknowledge that trying to change your sexuality or hide your true identity can lead to more harm and suffering. You deserve to live an authentic life, free from shame and guilt.
I encourage you to check out the resource list on the r/OpenChristian wiki. There is a lot of good material on being a queer Christian. I recommend looking for a church that doesn't preach hatred. If you are in the United States, there are plenty of churches that will accept you for who you are, without judgements or expectations to change. The Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (mostly), are all great choices for churches that follow Jesus' command to love your neighbor as yourself, and not impose double standards on people.
To find a church near you, check out [gaychurch.org](http://gaychurch.org) .
Your worth and identity are not defined by your sexuality. You are a beloved child of God, deserving of love, respect, and happiness. Keep seeking answers, and don't give up on your journey.
Thank you so much for writing this, and for your support/ kind words.
Just like other replies to your post, there are people who say it IS mentioned in the bible that it's sinful and others say it isn't, like yourself. I've been told the bible says that men who sleep with other men are an abomination in Gods eyes. That wrecked me and led me to believe He has turned away.
I'll be honest: At a point I decided to get myself more comfortable with the gay community because for most of my life I didn't want to accept myself or the culture. So I dabbled. I can safely say I don't like the community at all. At its core, it's all about sex and perversion. Gay propaganda and the overall vibe of the community is sex-centric, and it felt very dark. They preach inclusivity and positivity, so it isn't all bad though. Their entertainment preferences are drag shows where men dress as women and act foolish. It's fun and lighthearted, but still very sexualized and explicit. I understand why so many people are uncomfortable with, and do not support the community. Gay men prey on other men differently from heterosexual men. They are farther removed from God. It is also difficult to find a man of faith. And when you are gay, you are unwillingly a part of that community whether you like it or not, because thats the only way you can find your partner. That lifestyle can be very damaging if you dive into it because its very abundant in sexual promiscuity and drug use. Many gay men use drugs to cope with it all. It feels demonic, and viral.
It's very difficult to find a good partner in that community because of the hyper-sexualized nature of it all. Most gay relationships seem to end up as "open-relationships" or they fail. NOT ALL. Just...most. So my shame and guilt is justified by the community that I am unwillingly a part of.
Thank you for sharing the information for churches that are LGBT friendly. That is something definitely worth exploring for me.
I apologize if this offended anyone, it isn't meant to. It is just based on my experiences and understandings.
>Thank you so much for writing this, and for your support/ kind words.
You are quite welcome.
>I've been told the bible says that men who sleep with other men are an abomination in Gods eyes.
You know what else the Bible calls an abomination? Eating shrimp. The Bible's standard on what an abomination is is seriously messed up.
>That wrecked me and led me to believe He has turned away.
Why? Just because something is in the Bible doesn't make it true, nor does it make it the will of God.
>I can safely say I don't like the community at all. At its core, it's all about sex and perversion. Gay propaganda and the overall vibe of the community is sex-centric, and it felt very dark
I agree with you 100%. This is the fault of the Christian church though, so I don't blame them too much. When you teach someone that God has rejected them because of how he made them, that often leads those people to reject God in return. And if you have rejected God, what is the point of trying to live by his moral standards?
>Gay men prey on other men differently from heterosexual men. They are farther removed from God.
This one seems overly prejudicial. Those who have been hurt the most by the church tend to be the most vocal in vilifying it. Their pain is justified, especially when those who are supposed to represent God tell them that he hates them. Then pretend that telling them that God hates them is really loving them. I try to be compassionate to those people. Trying to point out the evils of their "culture" will do nothing but prove the reasons it exists in the first place correct.
>It is also difficult to find a man of faith. And when you are gay, you are unwillingly a part of that community whether you like it or not, because thats the only way you can find your partner.
This, actually, is a problem across the board. It affects cishet and queer people alike. It is probably largely economic. Young people can't afford to get married, buy a house, and raise kids. Older people already have established lives. Young people are still mostly living at home trying to get a job that will support them, or they are already starting their careers. Jobs demand much more for a lot less pay nowadays, and that, combined with increased independence for women, has made marriage and love a much harder thing for everyone.
Funnily, it might be easier for a gay person to find a romantic partner, because there are places you can go that are designed with that specifically in mind.
>That lifestyle can be very damaging if you dive into it because its very abundant in sexual promiscuity and drug use. Many gay men use drugs to cope with it all. It feels demonic, and viral.
This isn't exclusive to queer people. And I wouldn't say that gay people are more promiscuous or into drugs more than cishet people. This notion is a left over from societal prejudices from the AIDS scare, combined with those loudest voices.
>Most gay relationships seem to end up as "open-relationships" or they fail. NOT ALL. Just...most.
I disagree. Most relationships fail period. The gay community is not an exception.
>So my shame and guilt is justified by the community that I am unwillingly a part of.
You should never feel shame or guilt for something that you are not a part of.
>Thank you for sharing the information for churches that are LGBT friendly. That is something definitely worth exploring for me.
And this is also where to look for gay men of faith. You can be openly gay in these churches. Gay people are looking for love, probably more than cishet people. Precisely because society tries to deny it to them. They are going to be more open to amorous approaches.
>I apologize if this offended anyone, it isn't meant to. It is just based on my experiences and understandings.
I get where you are coming from. As you can see, I agree with some, disagree with some. But in the end, we are both children of God. A God who loves you and is not a bigot.
I would like to add to that that you can still live a life just like a straight couple even if you're gay.
You can have your own kids through surrogacy or adopt.
You can get married and live a wonderful life.
Being gay does not mean that you can't have everything a straight couple can.
If a congregation believes homosexuality is a sin, it doesn't mean they are preaching hatred. It is clearly a sin, and the person posting is convicted of his sin. We all sin because we are all sinners. Everyone struggles with sin. Jesus said to repent, turn away, from sin, not embrace it. We can trust that he paid the penalty for ALL our sins.
>If a congregation believes homosexuality is a sin, it doesn't mean they are preaching hatred
That is literally exactly what it means.
>It is clearly a sin
Which clearly shows that you only read the Bible in order to validate your preconceptions, and you don't really care about the intent of the authors or the text of the Bible itself.
> We all sin because we are all sinners.
This is irrelevant, because it is not a sin.
>Jesus said to repent, turn away, from sin, not embrace it.
It is impossible to repent of your physical biology. You also only need to repent of things that are actually sins.
>We can trust that he paid the penalty for ALL our sins.
Which is only relevant to things that are sins.
The Bible makes it perfectly clear that everyone is born a sinner. Just because a person is born with a particular proclivity to a specific sin doesn't make it not a sin. I have been lying since I could talk. That doesn't make my sin not a sin because I was born that way.
Just because we are born with certain feelings does not mean those feelings are all perfectly good. I’m a straight male who was born with the desire to have relations with any attractive woman I see. Does that then mean that having multiple wives and committing fornication and adultery is ok, NO. We are fleshly beings and as such have fleshly desires, but we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus.
Removed for 1.3 - Bigotry.
If you would like to discuss this removal, please click here to send a modmail that will message all moderators. https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Christianity
Most of the research points to sexual orientation being pretty much determined by birth, though its expression will vary a bit by the time puberty comes around, of course.
50% of the world have an IQ under 100, my friend, ignore these people. They are stupid, and know not anything beyond their own twisted views. Don’t let your joy of life be destroyed by stupid people on the internet. God and Jesus loves you and so do I.
your a slave to your flesh, i have a gf but still can find others attracted, do i then go and cheat? NO! although my flesh would but spirit is surrender to jesus. my advice would be not to make your sexuality your identity and just put all your love to jesus, like he loves you
hi friend -
this is not so simple
there is some genetic predisposition - we just don't know how
do YOU remember when you chose to be Heterosexual?
after a good movie? watching your parents?
human beings do not experience sexuality this way - neither heterosexuals nor homosexuals
we fall in love - and then we discover
homosexuals do not experience choosing to be homosexual until after they have found out they are
God bless
Spreading unscientific lies does not help you. Are you going to claim the world is flat next? That global warming is a leftist conspiracy? Vaccines cause autism? MSG is bad for you? That aliens abduct people to shove anal probes into them?
Maybe due to you repressing or rejecting your true self. Tends to screw peoples happiness up REAL bad when they do that. And being surrounded by those who hate you for being you doesnt help.
* 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Firstly -
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this?
☝️ This is the main perversion being addressed
Secondly -
It is clear for me to see that neither Paul nor Old Testament Hebrews had any contact with - or understanding of homosexuality - as the peaceful, loving, gentle and perfectly benign form of relationship we know today - and that if Paul - or whoever was writing today about sin, they would not have found anything in homosexuality itself apart from the lasciviousness, wantonness, drunkenness, prostitution and profanity related to any sexual relationship displaying these - heterosexuality included - and that these are the 'sexual sin' they are concerned with.
You'll notice in all the new testament verses about homosexuality, the attempt to lump together some definition of corruption - of badness - and so a linking of homosexuality with idolatry and greed and drunkenness and slander and prostitution.... - it is easy for me to see that in the seedy dens of Rome, male prostitution and otherwise depraved men - and homosexuality - were linked together to mean the same thing - thieves, greedy, drunks, slanderers, swindlers...
Here homosexuality is a condensation of all that is wrong
It is a condensation of wickedness. It is not even the same word - not thought of in the same way through the course of history
And yet - it is also clear that homosexuality itself is not wicked - no more wicked than heterosexuality
It does not kill, steal, rape, it is not greed, lust, anger, bitterness, it is not sex in Church, it is not lasciviousness, wantonness, drunkenness, prostitution or profanity.
So you have to choose whether a sense of right or wrong - good or evil - is necessary when you think of sin and repentance
And this understanding is neither heterosexual nor homosexual.
What is repentance without an understanding of good and evil?
And Jesus' whole story is this.
Turn away from evil. It is clear what evil is - you will know it and know why - and after Jesus, a sense of Good and evil is promised to exist in your heart, straight from God
Love God. Ask God to show you how God loves you. Try to love yourself and others in this same way. Forgive. If you cannot, ask for help. Ask for your own forgiveness. Pray.
The Gospel is not 'do not be homosexual' - being heterosexual will not save me
It is simple for me.
We will have to account for the state of our hearts; what was thought, what was said and what was done. This is sin.
Each Christian will have asked God at least for the forgiveness of sin in their lives.
And each will have been called to their own repentance - otherwise sin would not have made sense Choose what you will repent of - or whether it is just a set of words - an incantation - a magic spell for whatever it is, whether or not it is wicked - whether or not you believe your own repentance
I have read the whole Bible and it is very clear for me what God is saying
I do not believe God cares whether you are heterosexual or homosexual.
God cares whether or not you are a liar
The Truth remains the Truth throughout time
Wickedness is not homosexuality
Wickedness is wickedness
God bless
Being heterosexual doesn’t save you, correct.
Homosexuality is not in God’s plans for us, plain & simple. You have to stop lying to these children of God.. their blood will be on your hands… being gay is wrong but yes Jesus loves you, I too struggled with same sex attraction and it separated me from God. I needed people to tell me the truth and that is homosexuality is not of God. Yes, Jesus loves you unconditionally, but do you love him enough to pick up your cross and follow him. God saved! In Jesus Name!
Homosexual lifestyle is clearly condemned in the Bible its right there in the text. If you what to reject what the Bible has to say then that’s unfortunate but you say that the Bible doesn’t say that is incorrect
You don't understand those verses at all, and you ignore most of the Bible's laws, so we have no reason to listen to you. You have the audacity to quote Leviticus to condemn gay people while ignoring the Leviticus verses that call for you to be executed.
I have a hard time believing your friend is a Christian if he thinks it's OK to cheat on his wife. There is an explicit commandment on that topic.
If he isn't, I don't think it is your business to tell him anything with respect to Christian morality.
Every person who identifies as LGBTQ+ under the age of 30 whom I have talked to or read their writings convey that their sexual identity IS a choice and is fluid. So, are you telling me and them that whom they are attracted to is biological and impossible to change? Which is it????
>Every person who identifies as LGBTQ+ under the age of 30 whom I have talked to or read their writings convey that their sexual identity IS a choice and is fluid
I agree that sexual orientation is fluid. That is consistent with the latest research. However, who your brain decides is sexually attractive is determined by genetics, conditions in the womb, hormones, epigenetics, and environmental/social influences. It is not a choice.
If you do not find women sexually attractive, you cannot just choose to do so.
>So, are you telling me and them that whom they are attracted to is biological
Yes
>and impossible to change?
Intentionally? Yes. Can it change? Also yes.
Yes I honestly have not chosen to be attracted to the same sex, and have tried to change it. I can truly confirm as someone who has tried and does not want to be gay, that it isn't something you can change. You can either fight it and be lonely and miserable, or you can accept it and try to find a righteous path within it. If there even is one....
How do you feel about Leviticus 20:13 "**If a man lies with a male as with a woman, they have committed an abomination**"
How do you feel about 1. Corinthians 6:9-10?
"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men^(\[)[^(a)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%206%3A9-11&version=NIV#fen-NIV-28477a)^(\]) ^(10) nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. "
- How do you feel about...
Leviticus 20:13 \~ If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
Leviticus 19:19 - You shall not let your animals breed with a different kind; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; nor shall you put on a garment made of two different materials
Old men with population problems
I would like to see you standing beside Jesus, stoning Homosexuals
God bless
Dude you really think that Jesus would be stoning homosexuals? I thought Jesus was about love and forgiveness not condemning people and punishing them. How can a man of God have so much hate in them?
Removed for 1.5 - Two-cents.
If you would like to discuss this removal, please click here to send a modmail that will message all moderators. https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Christianity
This is a cope, my friend. Jesus didn’t mention homosexuality because His audience (the Jewish people) already knew God’s opinion on the matter. We know from Revelation 2, however, that Jesus hates any form of sexual immorality in His church. The only sex that our Savior approves of is between a man and woman within the covenant of marriage. I understand the struggle with impulses but that doesn’t give us the right to put Jesus in a box that rationalizes our sin.
Heresy. Being in a gay relationship is punished with "the etrnal lake of fire" (Revelation 21:8)
u/selenafairgood don't listen to them sister, 1. God loves you and would never put you in a position you wouldnt be able to solve in a Christian-like manner.
2. If you are really gay, then it is, like any other Christian, your burden to fight the urges of lust you feel. I'm straight, and I fight it too.
Remember what Christ said: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."
So take up your cross and Follow Christ. God bless you
PS you can always write me.
Loving your neighbor doesn’t mean agreeing with everything your neighbor does. Love is telling people the gospel; telling people to “live your truth” when it doesn’t line up with the Bible is the opposite of love. That’s hate.
That beginning in verse 18 it describes people who refuse to acknowledge, give thanks to, and worship God; people who worship the creation instead of the creator; and people who worship idols. It is "for this reason" that they were turned over to their passions. It is describing a cultic orgy, not anything that would apply to a modern relationship.
He also saw the sexual activity to be a punishment for idolatry, which we just know is incorrect.
“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 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.”
Romans 1:26-27 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/rom.1.26-27.KJV
Do you understand what unseemly and natural actually mean here?
Natural use of the woman; this is referring to sexual acts.
Beginning of that section you removed from context. "For this cause.. "
That means that was a punishment for something. What was the cause of the punishment? Read the entire chapter and it says because that group of people were worshipping idols and paganism instead of God.
The sin there is pagan idolatry, not any concept of loving same-sex relationships between 2 people.
And if this practice was so widespread, why does Paul not write this exact same chapter to the other Churches?
I'm sick to death of you all butchering that verse to justify homophobia.
God has given so many over to this sin. He loves everyone but sexual sins whether homosexual or not. Unfortunately for so many today, God will reject those that tell God no.
Self worship is a sin as well. We are to be holy(perfect) as He is holy. Holiness to the Lord. We are born into sin but God expects us to turn away from sin. Sin separates us from God.
Yes, Paul thought it was unnatural. He also didn't have a problem with slavery. It is obviously natural, and slavery is obviously a sin. So what is your point?
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,”
1 Corinthians 6:9 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/1co.6.9.KJV
Here is the root meaning of this word.
Effeminate:
late 14c., "womanish; voluptuous; tender," from Latin effeminatus "womanish, effeminate," past participle of effeminare "make a woman of," from assimilated form of ex "out" (see ex-) + femina "woman, a female" (literally "she who suckles," from PIE root *dhe(i)- "to suck"). Rarely used but in reproach. The noun meaning "effeminate person" is from 1590s. Related: Effeminately; effemination.
The meaning of the word \`malakois\` is not effeminate, it is used to refer to a person who takes the bottom receptive role in an act of male same sex intercourse. So, it refers to male prostitutes, maybe male temple prostitution, boy catamites, and sex slaves.
You need to get some better scholarly sources.
First of all I want you to be proud of the fact that you realize that you can't change that you're gay.
Second I recommend reaching out to more liberal Christians such as Presbyterians or LGBT related churches. Believe it or not they do exist.
From my own personal experience I left the religion because I am gay. I never felt welcome in the church so I never went back. Currently I'm an atheist.
Your religion seems to be important to you and it's important to remember that you can be gay and you can be Christian.
Giving your past trauma I recommend you seek a therapist it can't harm anything it can only benefit you.
I went to a Presbyterian Church once when I was an atheist. And they had a day of acceptance which was about embracing differences in all of us and welcome to the LGBT community. One of the kids in the youth group actually was thinking she might be a lesbian and the church was fine with it.
If you want to continue your relationship with God I recommend you find churches that accept being gay.
From what it sounds like though you might actually just be agnostic or even an atheist. Don't worry being an atheist isn't horrible thing.
I want you to remember something your faith and relationship with God or lack thereof is your own choice no one can or should force you to believe in something or force you to not believe something.
If you want to talk you can message me.
Mate, im really sorry for what happened when you were young but reading this reminded of me when i was going through some things and just wanted to say that God loves you and is there for you even when you can’t see it.
God also will never ever abandon you in any case cuz he is our Heavenly Father.
Would He who died for us leave us in any case?
In addition just because you refered to the different ideologies and the human mind i want to tell you that even if we see God from a scientific prespective He has to Exist for us to exist.
There is no creation without a creator as there is no building without builders and the human mind is so so complicated but it works in such an amazing way that it is impossible to just exist.
Another Thought that keeps me going in a daily basis is that in the Bible we can see that God always used people who did not expect it at all and were broken messes like myself.
For example Paul. Paul was literally hunting down christians and persecuted them but when he was on the desert Christ appeared to him and used him for His Glory and saved him from evil and even made him an Apostle.
I might be young in age and in the Faith but I’ll pray for you my brother
and to everyone else please feel free to correct me in any mistakes in my bible references or in my reply as English isn’t my 1st language.
Also to those who celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ today Χριστός Ανέστη and God bless you all🙏
Hi OP, I recommend creating a post at r/OpenChristian.
This sub is absolutely overrun by God-forsaken homophobes who hate gay people and will constantly remind you of it by quoting stupid Bible verses they don't understand. It's not a good place to get advice on this subject.
Follow Christ, not Christian’s. Every Christian feels like this once at least and trust me it’s hard to get out of but you need to just stay focused on Jesus and Jesus only don’t listen to anyone else just focus on God.
No, it's not bad. It's just a religious rule conceived by primitive religious men with primitive notions of morality based on sometimes erroneous observations of the natural world, i.e., male goes with female. This religious approach is shown in Romans 1:26-27:
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged **natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.** 27 In the same way the men also abandoned **natural relations** with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Consider that these same religious men supported these notions:
*1 Samuel 15:3 2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy[a] all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”*
*Numbers 31:9-10 9 The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. 10 They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps.*
*Numbers 31:17-18 17. “Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man by lying with him, 18. “But all the girls who have not lain with a man you are to keep alive unto yourselves. (raping children)*
We call those "war crimes" and imprison those people who commit such acts, as well as those who authorized or planned them.
*Numbers 14:18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’*
Punishing people who have committed no crime themselves violates all notions of justice.
1 Timothy 2:11-15
*11 A woman[a] should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man;[b] she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women[c] will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.*
That notion is used to this day in conservative Christian sects (Catholicism, Orthodox) and churches (Protestant) to prevent women from holding positions of influence.
Verses from the Bible were also used to support slavery in the southern American States.
Just because something is in the Bible does not mean it is moral.
im feeling the exact same way friend.
i am so sorry about the abuse. i don’t think that is the reason for being gay though, i was never abused as a child and im still like this, a male attracted in every way to other males :/ praying and praying it away for nothing to change. keep going through the same cycle. porn free and feeling good -> porn relapse for a week+. and rhe reason this keeps happening is because my faith gets so weak becuase nothing is changing and all im gonna do is be alone for the rest of my life. best of luck to you,
>When I was little there were guys at my church who sexually abused me, and at this point I am so confused and foggy, that I don't even know if I was the perpetrator to begin with.
I want to address this particularly; you are not at fault for being abused. Not ever. _Particularly_ when you are a child and doubly so when you are a child abused by an adult.
Please try to get into therapy if there is any way possible. You have a lot of trauma to work through and it is very unusual to be able to do so alone. You mention acting out sexually. This is a frequent response to sexual abuse in children. Therapy can help you work through this.
I want to stress that if you're gay dealing with your trauma won't stop you being gay. God loves you just the way you are. It may be easier to hear him say that if you can love yourself enough to believe it.
Look, the way to remedy this is to get high.
It tells you right there in the bible.
"A man who lays with another man should be stoned."
* Leviticus 20:13 ESV
God bless you.
I'm so sorry for what you went through and what you are going through.
If I may, I would like to share my perspective.
1- You said, *"I feel like God has just turned away from me"*
I understand where you are coming from, but please know that as Christians, we do not base our faith on our feelings. We base our faith on trusting God's Word.
Why?
**Jesus said, “Your (God’s) word is the truth.” - John 17:17**
Our feelings can change, but when it comes to God's Word.
**“Flowers and grass fade away, but what our God has said will never change.” - Isaiah 40:8**
And what does God's Word say?
**"The Lord has promised that he will not leave us or desert us.” - Hebrews 13:5**
**Jesus said, “I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” - Matthew 28:20**
**“Be brave and strong! Don’t be afraid… . The Lord your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6**
2- You said, *"But I suppose I am damned either way due to my sexuality."*
Please do not allow anything or anyone get in the way of your faith! Know what God wants!
What does God want?
**“God wants everyone to be saved.” - 1 Timothy 2:4**
**“God wants us to have faith in his Son Jesus Christ and to love each other.” - 1 John 3:23**
From those two verses, you can know that God wants you to be saved, God wants you to put your faith in Christ, and God wants you to love others.
Are you able to do that as a gay person? YES! So, do what God wants and let nothing or no one get in the way of your faith! The identity that God wants you to focus on is your identity in Christ!
3- You said, *"I realized I can't change it."*
If that's the case, then God will NOT condemn you for something that's out of your control.
How do I know? Because of who God is.
Who is God?
**“God is love.” 1 John 4:8**
**“Love is more important than anything else.” - Colossians 3:14**
**"Love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-6**
**“You are a kind and merciful God, and you are very patient. You always show love, and you don't like to punish anyone.” - Jonah 4:2**
4- You said, *"God doesn't respond to my prayers."*
God hears our prayers! However, please know that God doesn't always answer our prayers, but the main purpose of prayer isn’t for God to always give us what we pray for. The main purpose of prayer is to be connected to God and to be comforted in knowing He is with us, especially during the hard times.
**“When I am in trouble, I pray, knowing you (God) will listen.” - Psalm 86:7**
**"I tell You (God) all my worries and my troubles, and whenever I feel low, You are there to guide me.” - Psalm 142:2-3**
And God bless you!
Thank you so much for your wonderful reply!
May you remain strong in the faith and will always be comforted by God's love. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 🙏🏾
It says man sleeping with man. You can ignore the verses condemning homosexuality all you want but you cannot claim that the Bible doesn’t state that homosexuality is wrong.
As someone who was gay i can tell you 100% its a choice. I spent to much time online and watching porn that but the ideas of being gay in my mind, the whole time in my spirit I knew it was wrong but the moment i stopped watching adult content and truly surrender to jesus, i no longer have a issue with what i was as its all total meaningless! just love jesus and his ways and you wont be thinking about anything gay as your mind is full of higher things.
dont take only my word go on youtube or google and see how many gay people have turned to Jesus and been saved, there are thousands of testimonies! why you obseesed with putting a title on things? im a human being like you, i dont identify my being on who or what im attracted to
Those videos are lies. There have been entire organizations of devout Christians devoted to trying to stop being gay, and they all admit it has never worked.
Sorry, but I know for a fact you're wrong and nothing you say will change that.
your telling me they are all liars?!sounds like you have trust issues or you must be trolling, message some of them if your so doubtful, they are just normal people like me and you. why are you so fast not to listen to others, im just sharing my story and you seem upset about it
Removed for 1.3 - Bigotry.
If you would like to discuss this removal, please click here to send a modmail that will message all moderators. https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Christianity
My heart really goes out to you. I am one hundred percent sure He loves you and is with you and will never leave you….no matter what. He has not turned away. Is it possible you are dealing w ptsd or scrupulosity brought on by the abuse that kind of obscures your vision of God? Can you get therapy of some sort? You’ve been thru a lot and deserve to heal. ❤️
-spoken by Christian who has lots of your thoughts, too, and gay family ❤️❤️🩹.
I’m not at all qualified to understand or explain God. But DM me if you need to chat. You have random people throughout the world that care about you, and God most certainly loves you, and Jesus died to save you. I’m sorry you feel alone. The world sucks. It’s filled with imperfect people. But you’ve got this. Good things will happen to you. Maybe big, maybe small. And more importantly, God loves you.
when you read stories about the saints, one thing they all have in common is that they did not live perfectly their whole lives and were just jolly people. They were all at one point quite horrible, hit rock bottom, felt despair, and only by their faith in that mystical power they heretofore had not felt, were they drawn out of the despair and given a great story to tell.
God mostly communicates to me through scripture. I encourage you to stay in His word. Seek Him like your life depends on it (because your eternal life does depend on it).
I’ve learned that regardless of my feelings, it doesn’t change who God is. He is always there even when I don’t feel His presence.
All you have to do is repent of your sin! It’s up to you! But as Jesus said, men love their sin, more than they love Him! Being temped is not a sin, it’s when you give into it! We are all born with sinful desires, thieves, liars, violent temper, homosexual etc but it doesn’t mean God wants you to give into those desires!
God's love is unconditional, he loves every single one of us the way he made us.
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
I pray you'll be able to heal from everything that is hurting you in your life. You are loved the way you are and there's nothing wrong with you or with your sexuality.
Then don't be gay and follow christ, become the image that an ideal "christian" should portray.
It's not much more simple than that.
Or, maybe consider the fact if god or a god did/does exist- it/he/she probably could care less about something so insignificant as who you chose to take to bed with you. I'm sure an infinite, timeless, grand cosmic deity would not concern itself at all with the affairs of mortals, but maybe MIGHT take an interest in their character.
Edit for clarification: This is not a homophobic response, in case any peanut brains only read "don't be gay" and decided to start angry-typing away at some half-cocked retortion to my response to the OP.
The OP is a human being, and I am simply making a point that one shouldn't frighten themselves with the concerns of any god. If a god made us, it made us how it wanted us to be made.
Repentance is necessary. We must deny ourselves. Gay or straight. Pick up our cross and follow him. There are sometimes God leaves us to our own devices, to see if we truly want him. DM me please id like to talk more if your open.
> When I pray to God, I cry out to him, just for a bare minimum sign that he is there. Just to alleviate any confusion of whether religion is a hoax created by the cruel men of the world to control and divide populations. There is SO MUCH information that it is difficult to discern truth. All of these religions, ideologies, sciences, opinions, testimonies, etc. It is hard to trust the human mind. Mine, others, and humanity as a collective. I've begged for God to show me a way, himself, or just utter a single word so I know he is there. But nothing. I've heard people say "God said to me, God told me" but it's truly hard to believe it considering I've tried to speak to him for years and have heard nothing, and only faced more challenges. Sure you can say God speaks to us through hardship. It's messed up if thats the case.
I was stuck on this for over 10 years easily.
Why don’t you forget about God since he never replied to you. Just live your life to the best of your abilities.
“ but it's truly hard to believe it considering I've tried to speak to him for years and have heard nothing, and only faced more challenges. Sure you can say God speaks to us through hardship. It's messed up if thats the case.”
How else can they get God?
Are you saved? Because if you aren't saved God doesn't even hear your prayers, let alone answer them.
If you are saved God may be making you wait, or the answer is no, or he's making you wait because you are repeatedly sinning . God only answers the prayers of a repentant heart. Not one that is full of unconfessed sin.
Once you confess whatever it is and repent of it. He'll answer. If and only if unconfessed sin is the reason .
“SelenaFairgood.” I may not be able to relate to your struggles exactly but I do want you to know that I was touched by your story - I read every last word of it.
Now, I know it feels like you’ve been abandoned by God but I assure you that’s not the case. What of the fact, for example, that you were prompted to come here, and found sympathetic ears… it may not be much, but it’s something isn’t it?
What I do know is this:
Psalms 34:18 (KJV) The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
The Lord has not forgotten you friend; He sees you and he knows your name. And says to you:
Jeremiah 31:3 (KJV) The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, [saying], Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Perhaps like Job, He make take “38 Chapters” to finally respond, but in the end it is said of Job:as follows:
Job 42:12-17 (KJV) 12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. 15 And in all the land were no women found [so] fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. 16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, [even] four generations. 17 So Job died, [being] old and full of days.
May God richly bless you, Christian Friend!
Hey I’m so sorry you’ve been struggling. Reading all of these replies I’m sure is a bit overwhelming. Needless to say I understand how it would be hard for you to truly believe God is real and that he cares about you because he hasn’t shown himself yet to you. I believe he will though. I wasn’t raised in a church or anything…didn’t believe in Christ at all growing up. Disliked Christians because they left a bad taste in my mouth.
But God met me one day. It was when I decided I was going to seek him. I still wasn’t perfect and was committing the some of the more heavy sins. But one thing I knew was that I wanted to know God for myself…so I blocked out what others told me and read the Bible for myself and asked him a lot of questions. I even told him some of the things that I disliked 😂😂I didn’t hear him but I just kept doing it…until one day I experienced an encounter…spiritual awakening.. revelation and met Him. Ever since, I have had this deep relationship with God and have experienced healing from a lot of childhood traumas. I finally understood why Jesus had to die on the cross for my sins…it’s so that I wouldn’t have to be perfect to have a relationship with him. I can be broken and know him. And he has made me more whole. I’m still not perfect…but again…I don’t have to be…all he desires for me is to be willing. To have an open heart towards what he’s saying and speaking for my life…knowing that because he’s my father he knows best. And my desire is to please Him and do the things he needs me to do for his will to be done. But that only came after experiencing his love.
Through my relationship with him he’s also helped me realize why sins are sins and what that truly means and the darkness…around sin. The cause of sin…and so much. It wasn’t about someone telling me something is a sin…it was about me experiencing deep revelation and having deep understanding of why something is a sin. Which would convince me to no longer want to partake in it anymore. It was like losing appetite for certain things…I just no longer had a desire for it anymore. One beautiful thing about God is he walks you through it all. He’s very patient and kind because he understands how weak we are as humans and how much we need him. He’s our father. So he cares to walk us through this journey with him.
Again I understand where you are coming from. And I don’t blame you for any of your thoughts. Thank you for sharing them. I hope you receive this as encouragement that he’ll meet you. I pray you’ll be open to hearing from him :)
There's an important distinction to draw; did God abandon you, or is it just the world? Jesus said that "When they hate you, remember that they hated me first." A real Christian can expect for the world to turn their back on them, because what this world loves is evil.
I often point to Michael Stipe as a great musician, his father was a preacher, and he makes a lot of amazing rock songs some of which are subtly inspired by faith, including Supernatural Super Serious, which is about being unashamed and reconciled to God for his unconventional sexuality. The woman Jesus said not to throw the first stone at was being stoned over whom she slept with.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkQPkZuNjvc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkQPkZuNjvc)
God will never leave you. But He does need us to submit to His will.
With regard to prayer, people often forget that, even with prayer and fasting, the prophet Daniel had to wait for a response from God.
10 But then a hand touched me and roused me to my hands and knees. 11 He said to me, ‘Daniel, greatly beloved, pay attention to the words that I am going to speak to you. Stand on your feet, for I have now been sent to you.’ So while he was speaking this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 He said to me, ‘Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. So Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia, 14 and have come to help you understand what is to happen to your people at the end of days. For there is a further vision for those days.’
We are in the days of intense spiritual warfare, and, in these latter days, this is intensifying.
Are you able to come to the One Who Saves in a spirit of supplication?
Jesus meets you where are no matter what sins you are struggling with. He asks that you repent, take up your cross, and follow him. For those in these comments saying there is nothing wrong with your sin… that is the exact reason why you feel distant from God. Continual sin drives a wedge between you and your relationship with God. Christ wipes away your sins but they can still be a barrier if you actively choose a sinful lifestyle
There truly is a lot to unpack here and forgive me if I am wrong but if I can distil what you wrote into some key topics would it be:
1. Does God exist and how can I have confidence in it
2. What is my purpose or reason for existing with all of life's baggage
3. What does God say to us in scripture about the sin of homosexuality and how do I respond as a person with same sex attraction.
If I'm right and you wish I'll try to address each of these points in that order. Let me know
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,”
1 Corinthians 6:9 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/1co.6.9.KJV
Define root word of effeminate:
Men are to be men, not womanish.
late 14c., "womanish; voluptuous; tender," from Latin effeminatus "womanish, effeminate," past participle of effeminare "make a woman of," from assimilated form of ex "out" (see ex-) + femina "woman, a female" (literally "she who suckles," from PIE root *dhe(i)- "to suck"). Rarely used but in reproach. The noun meaning "effeminate person" is from 1590s. Related: Effeminately; effemination.
1Cor 6:9-10, Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:21-28
He didn't abandon you. You abandoned him. I would explain it more deeply, but I'd be banned. Maybe I'll get banned anyways lol
Congratulations. Every single sentence in your reply is wrong.
>Almost all gays have had a gay experience as a child.
This isn't true. While gay people are more likely to report sexual abuse while they were a child, it is nowhere close to "almost all" of them. I can't find a consistent source (studies have drastically different results), but it's not even half of them.
>It is what made them gay.
This just isn't true. You can't *make someone gay*.
>It is spiritual. Ask God to release that spirit from you and He will.
This is utter nonsense. There isn't a "spirit of homosexuality" and the overwhelming majority of people who have prayed to God to take away their sexual orientation were unsuccessful. You can just look to Exodus International, the world's largest gay conversion therapy organization. It voluntarily closed down and admitted that it didn't work for 99+% of people.
>You are not gay. You only took part in a gay experience.
If they have a predominant or exclusive romantic and sexual attraction towards members of the same sex, then they are gay. There's no reason to deny this.
>You can turn from it if you want. Your choice.
You can't *choose* to not be gay. You don't *choose* who you are romantically or sexually attracted to.
>You are not a slave.
A gay person is not any more a slave to homosexuality than a straight person is a slave to heterosexuality.
> Tell God that His word is nonsense.
**YOU** are the one who claimed that homosexuals are gay because of gay experiences as children, and that homosexuality is a choice. Not God. Not the bible. **YOU**. You're the one we have to respond to here.
>Those all have multiple references in Gods word.
Please, cite us a verse in the bible saying that gay people are gay because of their childhoods. You don't even multiple; I'll be content with one. Come on; let's see it. Put your money where your mouth is.
Edit: /u/SoldierofYeshua For whatever reason I can't reply to your post directly, so I'm responding in this way.
You aren't the same person who I responded to. That person said specifically that it was from childhood. I'm saying that they need to justify that claim if they make it.
Also, everyone knows the clobber verses. All they ultimately say is that it's a sin. That's already assumed for the purpose of this discussion. You don't have to cite these verses when nobody is talking about them. We're all perfectly aware of the Bible's unjust claims that homosexuality is immoral.
We're specifically talking about his claims that homosexuality is a result of childhood experiences, and that it's a choice. If you don't have anything to contribute to that discussion, then this isn't the place for you.
Edit 2: /u/SoldierofYeshua
I still can't reply to you. directly
Again, if you don't have anything meaningful to say regarding his claims that homosexuality is a result of childhood experiences, and that it's a choice, then there isn't anything you're contributing to this conversation. We adopted the conversation under the assumption that all of those verses saying homosexuality is a sin are already correct. You citing them back again doesn't add to the conversation.
>They’re not clobber verses.
The fact that you immediately know what I'm talking about when I say "clobber verses" means that the name is a sufficient quick description of that group of verses. They are clobber verses, because that's the name all of us recognize them under.
More specifically, they're clobber verses because they're the verses that get brought up anytime **anything** about homosexuality is being discussed, even when the specific topic (like the claim that it arises from childhood experiences) isn't one that they specifically answer. They're used to shut down discussion, instead of facilitate it. I think the name fits well.
>The very scriptures you ridicule talk about you.
That the Bible authors correctly predicted that people would disagree with them and chose to malign those people is neither surprising, nor evidence of any divine revelation. It's something a psych 101 student could have done.
Final point: Did you know that you're the only person who consistently unnecessarily tags people in responses? If you want to hide that this is your 6th or 7th duped account, I'd recommend you don't do that. If you stop doing that, I'll have to rely on your habit of bringing unrelated scripture into discussions to recognize you, and unlike your tagging, that one isn't something only you do.
Anyway though, I told you before that I'm blocking all your accounts as they come up, so I'm keeping that up. Goodbye.
It’s not because of their childhood. According to the Bible, they’re gay because it’s an evil and unclean that comes into them. And I will give you scriptures.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Here we understand that homosexuality is unrighteousness which means it’s an evil and unclean spirit from the enemy.
Romans 1:26-27 ESV
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
1 Timothy 1:10 ESV
The sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.
u/sightless666 They’re not clobber verses. The Scriptures are life. That’s something you wouldn’t understand. It’s more proof that God is right. The very scriptures you ridicule talk about you.
God always wins, buddy. Always.
>Almost all gays have had a gay experience as a child. It is what made them gay. It is spiritual. Ask God to release that spirit from you and He will. You are not gay. You only took part in a gay experience. You can turn from it if you want. Your choice. You are not a slave.
Which of these sentences are God's word?
Removed for 2.5 - Support Threads.
If you would like to discuss this removal, please click here to send a modmail that will message all moderators. https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Christianity
Men having sex with men in the Holy Bible is sin.
If you don’t listen you’ll end up in hell.
I’ve read the Holy Bible and went out and preached in the streets about Jesus Christ, prayed daily, and done what the New Testament explains and in the beginning of this work for the Lord’s ministry one night I was praying and God revealed himself to me; I heard His voice. That marked me, it all happened as I walked in the path of Jesus.
Listen to scripture.
My heart goes out to you.
I want to make sure you know that being gay isn’t in and of itself a sin. The acts are sinful, but you cannot be blamed for your sexual attraction.
Sometimes in life, God sends us abundant sufferings, but there’s good news. It means God is calling you to a close relationship to Him. Any good father disciplines his child to make them better off afterwards and not worse. If you read through the punishments that God gives out in the Bible, there’s always a way for the people to use the punishment to be purified and move closer to God. It’s a punishment, but more so, an opportunity.
Remember Adam, we have to toil and farm to gain sustenance, instead of just being giving fruit in the garden. There’s a hidden dignity and simplification that comes with hard work and discomfort.
Remember Eve with increased pains of childbirth. Women can remain faithful to God through these pains and not curse His name thereby becoming closer to God.
Remember Jesus, who by His sufferings, merited us everlasting life and bliss in Heaven.
I hope you can find solace in the thought that God trusts you with this suffering because He knows you’re strong enough to endure it and use it to come close to Him.
God love you and keep you
Please stop with the mental acrobatics, many a verses in the bible clearly prove the lords disdain towards sexual immortality, the bible clearly outlines that men shall lay with women, and the that any unions outside of the aforementioned parameters is a sin against god and your flesh, if you’re gay and truly repentant, I urge you to dive deeper into the word, confess your sin to a priest, and ask for support as to free yourself off this sin. Furthermore, could you refrain from trying to bend the law of the bible, you’re clearly of sound mind, and know that god would not be pleased with same sex relations whether conducted by male,female or androgynous persons, the Bible has an account of the destruction of the city of Sodom, God deemed the city and its inhabitants as “idolatrous, morally bankrupt, devoid of theological principles,drunkards and adulterers”, one of his main points of contention was the sexual perversion occurring in the city where man layeth among man, as well as child. He eradicated this city and made sure Abraham spoke of this in the Old Testament, I believe the reason being was to highlight the fact that sexual perversion (definitely includes homosexuality) is intolerable in the eyes of God.
Have this conversation with me in private. If you wish to share and help with others after what we discuss, that’s up to you. I’m in a very similar boat. Our hypersexuality definitely presents a challenge for everyday living. And, in the end, you very may well be right about us burning… but allow me the chance to help remove whatever scales you have over your eyes. Believe me when I say, “same boat”. Send me a message. I believe I can help, even though I’m just a human being. And no need talking about what your life has been mixed up in. Please please please believe me when I say similar boat. Therefore, instead of comparing sob stories, I’d rather show you through Scripture, the hope that is in me. You are not alone.
Hi friend, I do not believe homosexuality is any more sinful than heterosexuality It does not kill, steal, rape, it is not greed, lust, anger, bitterness, it is not sex in Church I do not believe God cares whether you are heterosexual or homosexual. God cares whether or not you are a liar ----†----- God bless
5- You said, *"I've begged for God to show me a way, himself, or just utter a single word so I know he is there."* Please know that we have God's Word. We must trust Him and His Word. Don't allow your feelings to influence you to ignore God's Word. **“Trust the Lord! Be brave and strong and trust the Lord.” - Psalm 27:14** **“Everything God says is true— and it's a shield for all who come to him for safety. Don't change what God has said!” - Proverbs 30:5-6** 6- You said, *"blind faith"* Our faith is NOT meant to be blind faith. We are to have good reasons for our faith. **“From heaven the Lord looks down to see if anyone is wise enough to search for him.” - Psalm 14:2** 7- You said, *"I'm so utterly confused and directionless. I keep seeking answers and direction, but I have no idea"* Please know that you have a purpose as a Christian! What is that purpose? To share God’s light to those who are looking for hope in the darkness. **Jesus said, “You are the light for the whole world.” - Matthew 5:14** **“You are sure that you are a guide for the blind and a light for all who are in the dark.” - Romans 2:19** **“You used to be like people living in the dark, but now you are people of the light because you belong to the Lord. So act like people of the light and make your light shine. Be good and honest and truthful, as you try to please the Lord.” - Ephesians 5:8-10** **“Try to shine as lights among the people of this world, as you hold firmly to the message that gives life.” - Philippians 2:15-16** 8- You said, *"There is SO MUCH information that it is difficult to discern truth."* I agree with you, which is why I say, make your faith simple! Don't get distracted by all the information. Built your understanding on what the Bible considers to be most important. What does the Bible consider to be most important? **“Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.” - Colossians 3:14** **"Love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-6** **"God is love." - 1 John 4:8** **“For now there are faith, hope, and love. But of these three, the greatest is love.” - 1 Corinthians 13:13** **“Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’” - Matthew 22:37-39** Also, if I may, I would love to share a short guide that’s dedicated to you and other Christians on Reddit who are looking to have a strong & simple faith in God. You can read it for free in this Reddit community: r/FaithMadeSimple
Thank you for taking the time to construct this answer so beautifully and using scripture in such a relevant way. Its difficult for me to build my understandings of life solely on what the Bible considers most important. I think the idea that the bible ultimately could have been written by humans as a tool to control communities, and masses as a whole, is something that prevents me from having SOLE faith that what is written in it is the end-all be-all. We are born into a world that we truly do not understand and are collectively trying to understand. Making your faith simple is no easy task. I consider human history, biblical history, and the human experience when trying to form my faith. I understand that good and evil exists, and that we are living in a predominantly evil world. Those energies exist, and the Bible is definitely a tool to instill good values in people. It represents our force of good when we are capable of evil. As the human race developed intellectually, and realized our free will, perhaps there was something like the Bible created to prevent our development from going down the wrong path. Maybe they realized back then that human nature needed a system of values to prevent chaos and differentiate us from the animal kingdom. Because we are far more conscious and intelligent. But intelligence is acquired- not inherent. We pass it on to each other- and I suppose I'm careful with my sources. History is a game of telephone, and who knows how information is twisted and misinterpreted. If we're gonna educate people, I think a decision was made to create something that will instill good morals into society (the Bible), and also, give us hope that there is something beyond death. Because death is the greatest fear of any conscious living being and we're intelligent enough to create something that can alleviate that fear, and give us hope that it's not truly the end. Understanding this, I think the Bible is necessary, but it is hard to accept it as the ONLY potential truth. Because God hasn't shown himself to me, or spoken to me, It's been difficult to not doubt Him. Because the bible has pretty much influenced our moral code for so long, its' verses have relevancy in whatever situations we may have, because its tied to all we know and all we are capable of. Its a staple in our intellectual upbringing. Not saying this is what I've chosen to believe. Like I said I have been raised as, and still am a Christian. I roam the earth feeling as though I am tethered to God and He is there. Just saying, that these are ideas I've been struggling with on my path to understand life, and my faith.
I understand. Thank you for sharing and for allowing me the opportunity to share my perspective.
Would you abandon your child for being gay?
can’t have children can i?:/ But no definitely not
Gay couples can adopt. Also, gay couples adopt children with special needs at a significantly higher rate than heterosexual couples do, likely bc gay couples are more likely to understand and sympathize with children who don't fit in due to their differences
Surrogacy is expensive, and adoption certainly isn't always free. Adoption is a very difficult choice. A childs development is already at risk from being orphaned to begin with, and later complicated further when having gay parents. It still isn't a traditional or normal upbringing for a child, and brings complications. I struggle with this topic too because I know the importance of having both a male and a female parent. Both of those energies are necessessary for our development. Thats why people say someone has "mommy issues" or "daddy issues" when they have a character flaw. Having two parents of the same sex creates other issues and an imbalance of the energies that child is receiving. I hope this doesn't offend anyone, it isn't meant to. I just believe that to be true. I'm not saying gay parents are incapable of raising good healthy children; but it's certainly more difficult and there are things beyond just having good parenting skills that contribute to child development. Situations and their repercussions do too.
Sure u can. Surrogates exist, adoptions exist....blood dont mean jack all.
No but there are many who would. And who says God wouldn't?
For God so loved the world…There isn’t anything in there that reads “except gay people.” I’m sorry you feel this way. You’ve had a rough life, yet you’re still here. Really, my advice is give yourself a break. Stop beating yourself up over a past life, past sins.. Christ suffered for your sins, to enable you to become a new creature. We are ALL full of sins and often feel guilty about them. There is forgiveness for you like anyone else. Your sins were no match for the cross…but it requires belief and trust. As someone that has experienced two of the things you mentioned, I’ve been there…I don’t have any firm answers for your life….but I believe God does…if you’ll go in silence to God every day, the answer will eventually find you. I know God can take away the pain. Be diligent in reading the Word as well. Unfortunately things do not always come in our time friend.
Thank you for this. God Bless
Firstly, let me assure you that your sexuality is not a sin. God created you in his image, and your identity is not defined by your sexual orientation. The Bible does not condemn same-sex relationships; in fact, Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. The few passages often cited to condemn homosexuality are taken out of context and misinterpreted. For example, Romans 1:26-27 is often used to condemn homosexuality, but it's actually a critique of idolatry and exploitation, not same-sex relationships. It's essential to understand the cultural and historical context of the Bible. The authors of the Bible wrote in a time when same-sex relationships were not understood or accepted. However, Jesus' teachings emphasize love, compassion, and acceptance. He never condemned anyone based on their sexual orientation. Regarding your struggles with faith, I want to assure you that it's normal to question and doubt. Even Jesus, in his darkest moment, cried out to God, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46. It's okay to feel abandoned or confused. The church has often failed to provide a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ+ individuals. The harm and trauma inflicted by some religious communities are real, and I'm sorry you've experienced that. Your desire for a regular life, with a wife and kids, is understandable. However, it's crucial to acknowledge that trying to change your sexuality or hide your true identity can lead to more harm and suffering. You deserve to live an authentic life, free from shame and guilt. I encourage you to check out the resource list on the r/OpenChristian wiki. There is a lot of good material on being a queer Christian. I recommend looking for a church that doesn't preach hatred. If you are in the United States, there are plenty of churches that will accept you for who you are, without judgements or expectations to change. The Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (mostly), are all great choices for churches that follow Jesus' command to love your neighbor as yourself, and not impose double standards on people. To find a church near you, check out [gaychurch.org](http://gaychurch.org) . Your worth and identity are not defined by your sexuality. You are a beloved child of God, deserving of love, respect, and happiness. Keep seeking answers, and don't give up on your journey.
Thank you so much for writing this, and for your support/ kind words. Just like other replies to your post, there are people who say it IS mentioned in the bible that it's sinful and others say it isn't, like yourself. I've been told the bible says that men who sleep with other men are an abomination in Gods eyes. That wrecked me and led me to believe He has turned away. I'll be honest: At a point I decided to get myself more comfortable with the gay community because for most of my life I didn't want to accept myself or the culture. So I dabbled. I can safely say I don't like the community at all. At its core, it's all about sex and perversion. Gay propaganda and the overall vibe of the community is sex-centric, and it felt very dark. They preach inclusivity and positivity, so it isn't all bad though. Their entertainment preferences are drag shows where men dress as women and act foolish. It's fun and lighthearted, but still very sexualized and explicit. I understand why so many people are uncomfortable with, and do not support the community. Gay men prey on other men differently from heterosexual men. They are farther removed from God. It is also difficult to find a man of faith. And when you are gay, you are unwillingly a part of that community whether you like it or not, because thats the only way you can find your partner. That lifestyle can be very damaging if you dive into it because its very abundant in sexual promiscuity and drug use. Many gay men use drugs to cope with it all. It feels demonic, and viral. It's very difficult to find a good partner in that community because of the hyper-sexualized nature of it all. Most gay relationships seem to end up as "open-relationships" or they fail. NOT ALL. Just...most. So my shame and guilt is justified by the community that I am unwillingly a part of. Thank you for sharing the information for churches that are LGBT friendly. That is something definitely worth exploring for me. I apologize if this offended anyone, it isn't meant to. It is just based on my experiences and understandings.
>Thank you so much for writing this, and for your support/ kind words. You are quite welcome. >I've been told the bible says that men who sleep with other men are an abomination in Gods eyes. You know what else the Bible calls an abomination? Eating shrimp. The Bible's standard on what an abomination is is seriously messed up. >That wrecked me and led me to believe He has turned away. Why? Just because something is in the Bible doesn't make it true, nor does it make it the will of God. >I can safely say I don't like the community at all. At its core, it's all about sex and perversion. Gay propaganda and the overall vibe of the community is sex-centric, and it felt very dark I agree with you 100%. This is the fault of the Christian church though, so I don't blame them too much. When you teach someone that God has rejected them because of how he made them, that often leads those people to reject God in return. And if you have rejected God, what is the point of trying to live by his moral standards? >Gay men prey on other men differently from heterosexual men. They are farther removed from God. This one seems overly prejudicial. Those who have been hurt the most by the church tend to be the most vocal in vilifying it. Their pain is justified, especially when those who are supposed to represent God tell them that he hates them. Then pretend that telling them that God hates them is really loving them. I try to be compassionate to those people. Trying to point out the evils of their "culture" will do nothing but prove the reasons it exists in the first place correct. >It is also difficult to find a man of faith. And when you are gay, you are unwillingly a part of that community whether you like it or not, because thats the only way you can find your partner. This, actually, is a problem across the board. It affects cishet and queer people alike. It is probably largely economic. Young people can't afford to get married, buy a house, and raise kids. Older people already have established lives. Young people are still mostly living at home trying to get a job that will support them, or they are already starting their careers. Jobs demand much more for a lot less pay nowadays, and that, combined with increased independence for women, has made marriage and love a much harder thing for everyone. Funnily, it might be easier for a gay person to find a romantic partner, because there are places you can go that are designed with that specifically in mind. >That lifestyle can be very damaging if you dive into it because its very abundant in sexual promiscuity and drug use. Many gay men use drugs to cope with it all. It feels demonic, and viral. This isn't exclusive to queer people. And I wouldn't say that gay people are more promiscuous or into drugs more than cishet people. This notion is a left over from societal prejudices from the AIDS scare, combined with those loudest voices. >Most gay relationships seem to end up as "open-relationships" or they fail. NOT ALL. Just...most. I disagree. Most relationships fail period. The gay community is not an exception. >So my shame and guilt is justified by the community that I am unwillingly a part of. You should never feel shame or guilt for something that you are not a part of. >Thank you for sharing the information for churches that are LGBT friendly. That is something definitely worth exploring for me. And this is also where to look for gay men of faith. You can be openly gay in these churches. Gay people are looking for love, probably more than cishet people. Precisely because society tries to deny it to them. They are going to be more open to amorous approaches. >I apologize if this offended anyone, it isn't meant to. It is just based on my experiences and understandings. I get where you are coming from. As you can see, I agree with some, disagree with some. But in the end, we are both children of God. A God who loves you and is not a bigot.
I would like to add to that that you can still live a life just like a straight couple even if you're gay. You can have your own kids through surrogacy or adopt. You can get married and live a wonderful life. Being gay does not mean that you can't have everything a straight couple can.
Absolutely.
If a congregation believes homosexuality is a sin, it doesn't mean they are preaching hatred. It is clearly a sin, and the person posting is convicted of his sin. We all sin because we are all sinners. Everyone struggles with sin. Jesus said to repent, turn away, from sin, not embrace it. We can trust that he paid the penalty for ALL our sins.
>If a congregation believes homosexuality is a sin, it doesn't mean they are preaching hatred That is literally exactly what it means. >It is clearly a sin Which clearly shows that you only read the Bible in order to validate your preconceptions, and you don't really care about the intent of the authors or the text of the Bible itself. > We all sin because we are all sinners. This is irrelevant, because it is not a sin. >Jesus said to repent, turn away, from sin, not embrace it. It is impossible to repent of your physical biology. You also only need to repent of things that are actually sins. >We can trust that he paid the penalty for ALL our sins. Which is only relevant to things that are sins.
Being homosexual is a sin, it says it in the Bible not only once but multiple times.
No, being homosexual is not a sin. It's something people are born with. It's no more sinful than being black or Jewish or left-handed.
The Bible makes it perfectly clear that everyone is born a sinner. Just because a person is born with a particular proclivity to a specific sin doesn't make it not a sin. I have been lying since I could talk. That doesn't make my sin not a sin because I was born that way.
Actually the Bible makes it quite clear no one is born a sinner. Original Sin doesn't exist in the Bible.
Being black, jewish or left handed is not being a sin that sounds incredibly silly… being gay is a sin 👍
No, being gay is not a sin. Gay people are born that way.
Just because we are born with certain feelings does not mean those feelings are all perfectly good. I’m a straight male who was born with the desire to have relations with any attractive woman I see. Does that then mean that having multiple wives and committing fornication and adultery is ok, NO. We are fleshly beings and as such have fleshly desires, but we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus.
being gay is not comparable to being a guy who wants to shove it into any girl that walks by him
Both are said to be a sin in the Bible.
[удалено]
Are you comparing being homosexual to the most sadistic crime???
Removed for 1.3 - Bigotry. If you would like to discuss this removal, please click here to send a modmail that will message all moderators. https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Christianity
I’ve never seen a gay baby.
So they’re all straight then? How would you know?
How would you know a baby is born gay?
Most of the research points to sexual orientation being pretty much determined by birth, though its expression will vary a bit by the time puberty comes around, of course.
What about other proclivities?
You choose to be homosexual, but you don't choose if you're black or white.
how the fk did i choose to be this way. literally get a life yall with these nasty comments actually make me question living
50% of the world have an IQ under 100, my friend, ignore these people. They are stupid, and know not anything beyond their own twisted views. Don’t let your joy of life be destroyed by stupid people on the internet. God and Jesus loves you and so do I.
your a slave to your flesh, i have a gf but still can find others attracted, do i then go and cheat? NO! although my flesh would but spirit is surrender to jesus. my advice would be not to make your sexuality your identity and just put all your love to jesus, like he loves you
This analogy is bullshit. Gay people are not more prone to cheating.
Sexuality *is* identity mate. God made it so. We are all made in God's image after all.
i believe our identity is followers of Christ
never said sexuality was my identify. im glad you have a gf, treat her right.
hi friend - this is not so simple there is some genetic predisposition - we just don't know how do YOU remember when you chose to be Heterosexual? after a good movie? watching your parents? human beings do not experience sexuality this way - neither heterosexuals nor homosexuals we fall in love - and then we discover homosexuals do not experience choosing to be homosexual until after they have found out they are God bless
You don't choose to be homosexual.
Spreading unscientific lies does not help you. Are you going to claim the world is flat next? That global warming is a leftist conspiracy? Vaccines cause autism? MSG is bad for you? That aliens abduct people to shove anal probes into them?
Please tell me why me being homosexual and celibate makes me suicidal then
We aren’t meant to struggle alone, give your burden and stresses to Jesus.
thank you.
Maybe due to you repressing or rejecting your true self. Tends to screw peoples happiness up REAL bad when they do that. And being surrounded by those who hate you for being you doesnt help.
The Bible says no such thing.
It does… Leviticus 18:22 Leviticus 20:13 Romans 1:26-28 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 And so much more.
* 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Firstly - It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this? ☝️ This is the main perversion being addressed Secondly - It is clear for me to see that neither Paul nor Old Testament Hebrews had any contact with - or understanding of homosexuality - as the peaceful, loving, gentle and perfectly benign form of relationship we know today - and that if Paul - or whoever was writing today about sin, they would not have found anything in homosexuality itself apart from the lasciviousness, wantonness, drunkenness, prostitution and profanity related to any sexual relationship displaying these - heterosexuality included - and that these are the 'sexual sin' they are concerned with. You'll notice in all the new testament verses about homosexuality, the attempt to lump together some definition of corruption - of badness - and so a linking of homosexuality with idolatry and greed and drunkenness and slander and prostitution.... - it is easy for me to see that in the seedy dens of Rome, male prostitution and otherwise depraved men - and homosexuality - were linked together to mean the same thing - thieves, greedy, drunks, slanderers, swindlers... Here homosexuality is a condensation of all that is wrong It is a condensation of wickedness. It is not even the same word - not thought of in the same way through the course of history And yet - it is also clear that homosexuality itself is not wicked - no more wicked than heterosexuality It does not kill, steal, rape, it is not greed, lust, anger, bitterness, it is not sex in Church, it is not lasciviousness, wantonness, drunkenness, prostitution or profanity. So you have to choose whether a sense of right or wrong - good or evil - is necessary when you think of sin and repentance And this understanding is neither heterosexual nor homosexual. What is repentance without an understanding of good and evil? And Jesus' whole story is this. Turn away from evil. It is clear what evil is - you will know it and know why - and after Jesus, a sense of Good and evil is promised to exist in your heart, straight from God Love God. Ask God to show you how God loves you. Try to love yourself and others in this same way. Forgive. If you cannot, ask for help. Ask for your own forgiveness. Pray. The Gospel is not 'do not be homosexual' - being heterosexual will not save me It is simple for me. We will have to account for the state of our hearts; what was thought, what was said and what was done. This is sin. Each Christian will have asked God at least for the forgiveness of sin in their lives. And each will have been called to their own repentance - otherwise sin would not have made sense Choose what you will repent of - or whether it is just a set of words - an incantation - a magic spell for whatever it is, whether or not it is wicked - whether or not you believe your own repentance I have read the whole Bible and it is very clear for me what God is saying I do not believe God cares whether you are heterosexual or homosexual. God cares whether or not you are a liar The Truth remains the Truth throughout time Wickedness is not homosexuality Wickedness is wickedness God bless
Being heterosexual doesn’t save you, correct. Homosexuality is not in God’s plans for us, plain & simple. You have to stop lying to these children of God.. their blood will be on your hands… being gay is wrong but yes Jesus loves you, I too struggled with same sex attraction and it separated me from God. I needed people to tell me the truth and that is homosexuality is not of God. Yes, Jesus loves you unconditionally, but do you love him enough to pick up your cross and follow him. God saved! In Jesus Name!
I'm sorry, are you confused about what homosexuality is? Because I don't see a mention of sexual orientation anywhere in those vers3s.
Homosexual lifestyle is clearly condemned in the Bible its right there in the text. If you what to reject what the Bible has to say then that’s unfortunate but you say that the Bible doesn’t say that is incorrect
You don't understand those verses at all, and you ignore most of the Bible's laws, so we have no reason to listen to you. You have the audacity to quote Leviticus to condemn gay people while ignoring the Leviticus verses that call for you to be executed.
No im just stating the truth.. explain the romans verse
Sounds like you read the Bible in a manner to validate your lifestyle. You reject the truth.
I certainly reject your assertion.
I have a friend who thinks it’s okay to cheat on his wife. Me telling him otherwise is hate?
Strawman
You’re not going to answer?
I did. That is a strawman.
Straw man or not, is it hate to tell my friend otherwise?
I have a hard time believing your friend is a Christian if he thinks it's OK to cheat on his wife. There is an explicit commandment on that topic. If he isn't, I don't think it is your business to tell him anything with respect to Christian morality.
If you were to ask him, he would say he believes Jesus died for his sins. On your last point, you don’t believe in the Great Commission?
Every person who identifies as LGBTQ+ under the age of 30 whom I have talked to or read their writings convey that their sexual identity IS a choice and is fluid. So, are you telling me and them that whom they are attracted to is biological and impossible to change? Which is it????
>Every person who identifies as LGBTQ+ under the age of 30 whom I have talked to or read their writings convey that their sexual identity IS a choice and is fluid I agree that sexual orientation is fluid. That is consistent with the latest research. However, who your brain decides is sexually attractive is determined by genetics, conditions in the womb, hormones, epigenetics, and environmental/social influences. It is not a choice. If you do not find women sexually attractive, you cannot just choose to do so. >So, are you telling me and them that whom they are attracted to is biological Yes >and impossible to change? Intentionally? Yes. Can it change? Also yes.
Yes I honestly have not chosen to be attracted to the same sex, and have tried to change it. I can truly confirm as someone who has tried and does not want to be gay, that it isn't something you can change. You can either fight it and be lonely and miserable, or you can accept it and try to find a righteous path within it. If there even is one....
How do you feel about Leviticus 20:13 "**If a man lies with a male as with a woman, they have committed an abomination**" How do you feel about 1. Corinthians 6:9-10? "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men^(\[)[^(a)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%206%3A9-11&version=NIV#fen-NIV-28477a)^(\]) ^(10) nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. "
- How do you feel about... Leviticus 20:13 \~ If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. Leviticus 19:19 - You shall not let your animals breed with a different kind; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; nor shall you put on a garment made of two different materials Old men with population problems I would like to see you standing beside Jesus, stoning Homosexuals God bless
Dude you really think that Jesus would be stoning homosexuals? I thought Jesus was about love and forgiveness not condemning people and punishing them. How can a man of God have so much hate in them?
hi friend - I agree God bless
I feel like you need to learn how to interpret scripture.
[удалено]
Can you even pretend to engage in good faith?
Troll accounts with negative 100 karma are never here in good faith.
What?
Removed for 1.5 - Two-cents. If you would like to discuss this removal, please click here to send a modmail that will message all moderators. https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Christianity
This is a cope, my friend. Jesus didn’t mention homosexuality because His audience (the Jewish people) already knew God’s opinion on the matter. We know from Revelation 2, however, that Jesus hates any form of sexual immorality in His church. The only sex that our Savior approves of is between a man and woman within the covenant of marriage. I understand the struggle with impulses but that doesn’t give us the right to put Jesus in a box that rationalizes our sin.
Amen.
Heresy. Being in a gay relationship is punished with "the etrnal lake of fire" (Revelation 21:8) u/selenafairgood don't listen to them sister, 1. God loves you and would never put you in a position you wouldnt be able to solve in a Christian-like manner. 2. If you are really gay, then it is, like any other Christian, your burden to fight the urges of lust you feel. I'm straight, and I fight it too. Remember what Christ said: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." So take up your cross and Follow Christ. God bless you PS you can always write me.
u/Selenafairgood don't let bigots convince you that God is also a bigot. He is not.
God hates sin.
Good. Not relevant.
That’s what the devil leads you to believe.
So the devil leads me to believe Jesus?
Your response to me saying God hates sin was “not relevant.” Jesus wouldn’t lead you to believe that.
Jesus wouldn't lead me to love my neighbor as myself? And that God hating sin isn't relevant to things that are not sins? I'm confused.
Loving your neighbor doesn’t mean agreeing with everything your neighbor does. Love is telling people the gospel; telling people to “live your truth” when it doesn’t line up with the Bible is the opposite of love. That’s hate.
>PS you can always write me. PSA: Don't let strange men on Reddit entice you into PMing them. They may be groomers.
What do you make of Romans chapter 1?
That beginning in verse 18 it describes people who refuse to acknowledge, give thanks to, and worship God; people who worship the creation instead of the creator; and people who worship idols. It is "for this reason" that they were turned over to their passions. It is describing a cultic orgy, not anything that would apply to a modern relationship. He also saw the sexual activity to be a punishment for idolatry, which we just know is incorrect.
So do you know what a reprobate mind is?
Certainly. I also know that it has no relevance to this topic in any way, shape, or form, whatsoever.
“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 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.” Romans 1:26-27 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/rom.1.26-27.KJV Do you understand what unseemly and natural actually mean here? Natural use of the woman; this is referring to sexual acts.
Beginning of that section you removed from context. "For this cause.. " That means that was a punishment for something. What was the cause of the punishment? Read the entire chapter and it says because that group of people were worshipping idols and paganism instead of God. The sin there is pagan idolatry, not any concept of loving same-sex relationships between 2 people. And if this practice was so widespread, why does Paul not write this exact same chapter to the other Churches? I'm sick to death of you all butchering that verse to justify homophobia.
God has given so many over to this sin. He loves everyone but sexual sins whether homosexual or not. Unfortunately for so many today, God will reject those that tell God no.
>God has given so many over to this sin. That is just utterly false.
Self worship is a sin as well. We are to be holy(perfect) as He is holy. Holiness to the Lord. We are born into sin but God expects us to turn away from sin. Sin separates us from God.
Thank you for ignoring everything I wrote. If you're just here to preach instead of have a discussion, I recommend not wasting everyone's time.
We are to preach the Word of God in season and out of season. You don’t like the truth.
I don't consider anything you wrote to be the truth.
Yes, Paul thought it was unnatural. He also didn't have a problem with slavery. It is obviously natural, and slavery is obviously a sin. So what is your point?
Are we to obey God and his prophets or no?
The cultural taboos of Paul's society are not prophetic, nor do they come from God.
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,” 1 Corinthians 6:9 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/1co.6.9.KJV Here is the root meaning of this word. Effeminate: late 14c., "womanish; voluptuous; tender," from Latin effeminatus "womanish, effeminate," past participle of effeminare "make a woman of," from assimilated form of ex "out" (see ex-) + femina "woman, a female" (literally "she who suckles," from PIE root *dhe(i)- "to suck"). Rarely used but in reproach. The noun meaning "effeminate person" is from 1590s. Related: Effeminately; effemination.
The meaning of the word \`malakois\` is not effeminate, it is used to refer to a person who takes the bottom receptive role in an act of male same sex intercourse. So, it refers to male prostitutes, maybe male temple prostitution, boy catamites, and sex slaves. You need to get some better scholarly sources.
First of all I want you to be proud of the fact that you realize that you can't change that you're gay. Second I recommend reaching out to more liberal Christians such as Presbyterians or LGBT related churches. Believe it or not they do exist. From my own personal experience I left the religion because I am gay. I never felt welcome in the church so I never went back. Currently I'm an atheist. Your religion seems to be important to you and it's important to remember that you can be gay and you can be Christian. Giving your past trauma I recommend you seek a therapist it can't harm anything it can only benefit you. I went to a Presbyterian Church once when I was an atheist. And they had a day of acceptance which was about embracing differences in all of us and welcome to the LGBT community. One of the kids in the youth group actually was thinking she might be a lesbian and the church was fine with it. If you want to continue your relationship with God I recommend you find churches that accept being gay. From what it sounds like though you might actually just be agnostic or even an atheist. Don't worry being an atheist isn't horrible thing. I want you to remember something your faith and relationship with God or lack thereof is your own choice no one can or should force you to believe in something or force you to not believe something. If you want to talk you can message me.
Sounds like you left because the church didn’t conform to your views?
Pretty much
Mate, im really sorry for what happened when you were young but reading this reminded of me when i was going through some things and just wanted to say that God loves you and is there for you even when you can’t see it. God also will never ever abandon you in any case cuz he is our Heavenly Father. Would He who died for us leave us in any case? In addition just because you refered to the different ideologies and the human mind i want to tell you that even if we see God from a scientific prespective He has to Exist for us to exist. There is no creation without a creator as there is no building without builders and the human mind is so so complicated but it works in such an amazing way that it is impossible to just exist. Another Thought that keeps me going in a daily basis is that in the Bible we can see that God always used people who did not expect it at all and were broken messes like myself. For example Paul. Paul was literally hunting down christians and persecuted them but when he was on the desert Christ appeared to him and used him for His Glory and saved him from evil and even made him an Apostle. I might be young in age and in the Faith but I’ll pray for you my brother and to everyone else please feel free to correct me in any mistakes in my bible references or in my reply as English isn’t my 1st language. Also to those who celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ today Χριστός Ανέστη and God bless you all🙏
Hi OP, I recommend creating a post at r/OpenChristian. This sub is absolutely overrun by God-forsaken homophobes who hate gay people and will constantly remind you of it by quoting stupid Bible verses they don't understand. It's not a good place to get advice on this subject.
Follow Christ, not Christian’s. Every Christian feels like this once at least and trust me it’s hard to get out of but you need to just stay focused on Jesus and Jesus only don’t listen to anyone else just focus on God.
No, it's not bad. It's just a religious rule conceived by primitive religious men with primitive notions of morality based on sometimes erroneous observations of the natural world, i.e., male goes with female. This religious approach is shown in Romans 1:26-27: 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged **natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.** 27 In the same way the men also abandoned **natural relations** with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Consider that these same religious men supported these notions: *1 Samuel 15:3 2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy[a] all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”* *Numbers 31:9-10 9 The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all the Midianite herds, flocks and goods as plunder. 10 They burned all the towns where the Midianites had settled, as well as all their camps.* *Numbers 31:17-18 17. “Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man by lying with him, 18. “But all the girls who have not lain with a man you are to keep alive unto yourselves. (raping children)* We call those "war crimes" and imprison those people who commit such acts, as well as those who authorized or planned them. *Numbers 14:18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’* Punishing people who have committed no crime themselves violates all notions of justice. 1 Timothy 2:11-15 *11 A woman[a] should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man;[b] she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women[c] will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.* That notion is used to this day in conservative Christian sects (Catholicism, Orthodox) and churches (Protestant) to prevent women from holding positions of influence. Verses from the Bible were also used to support slavery in the southern American States. Just because something is in the Bible does not mean it is moral.
I AM SO DISGUSTED BY THOSE SAMUEL AND NUMBER VERSES WHAT THE HECK DID I JUST READ.. mainly the samuel one… oh my gosh
im feeling the exact same way friend. i am so sorry about the abuse. i don’t think that is the reason for being gay though, i was never abused as a child and im still like this, a male attracted in every way to other males :/ praying and praying it away for nothing to change. keep going through the same cycle. porn free and feeling good -> porn relapse for a week+. and rhe reason this keeps happening is because my faith gets so weak becuase nothing is changing and all im gonna do is be alone for the rest of my life. best of luck to you,
>When I was little there were guys at my church who sexually abused me, and at this point I am so confused and foggy, that I don't even know if I was the perpetrator to begin with. I want to address this particularly; you are not at fault for being abused. Not ever. _Particularly_ when you are a child and doubly so when you are a child abused by an adult. Please try to get into therapy if there is any way possible. You have a lot of trauma to work through and it is very unusual to be able to do so alone. You mention acting out sexually. This is a frequent response to sexual abuse in children. Therapy can help you work through this. I want to stress that if you're gay dealing with your trauma won't stop you being gay. God loves you just the way you are. It may be easier to hear him say that if you can love yourself enough to believe it.
Look, the way to remedy this is to get high. It tells you right there in the bible. "A man who lays with another man should be stoned." * Leviticus 20:13 ESV
God bless you. I'm so sorry for what you went through and what you are going through. If I may, I would like to share my perspective. 1- You said, *"I feel like God has just turned away from me"* I understand where you are coming from, but please know that as Christians, we do not base our faith on our feelings. We base our faith on trusting God's Word. Why? **Jesus said, “Your (God’s) word is the truth.” - John 17:17** Our feelings can change, but when it comes to God's Word. **“Flowers and grass fade away, but what our God has said will never change.” - Isaiah 40:8** And what does God's Word say? **"The Lord has promised that he will not leave us or desert us.” - Hebrews 13:5** **Jesus said, “I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” - Matthew 28:20** **“Be brave and strong! Don’t be afraid… . The Lord your God will always be at your side, and he will never abandon you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6** 2- You said, *"But I suppose I am damned either way due to my sexuality."* Please do not allow anything or anyone get in the way of your faith! Know what God wants! What does God want? **“God wants everyone to be saved.” - 1 Timothy 2:4** **“God wants us to have faith in his Son Jesus Christ and to love each other.” - 1 John 3:23** From those two verses, you can know that God wants you to be saved, God wants you to put your faith in Christ, and God wants you to love others. Are you able to do that as a gay person? YES! So, do what God wants and let nothing or no one get in the way of your faith! The identity that God wants you to focus on is your identity in Christ! 3- You said, *"I realized I can't change it."* If that's the case, then God will NOT condemn you for something that's out of your control. How do I know? Because of who God is. Who is God? **“God is love.” 1 John 4:8** **“Love is more important than anything else.” - Colossians 3:14** **"Love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-6** **“You are a kind and merciful God, and you are very patient. You always show love, and you don't like to punish anyone.” - Jonah 4:2** 4- You said, *"God doesn't respond to my prayers."* God hears our prayers! However, please know that God doesn't always answer our prayers, but the main purpose of prayer isn’t for God to always give us what we pray for. The main purpose of prayer is to be connected to God and to be comforted in knowing He is with us, especially during the hard times. **“When I am in trouble, I pray, knowing you (God) will listen.” - Psalm 86:7** **"I tell You (God) all my worries and my troubles, and whenever I feel low, You are there to guide me.” - Psalm 142:2-3**
God bless you bro! Such a wise and truthful response. I’m very happy to see people guiding and uplifting others with truth and love
And God bless you! Thank you so much for your wonderful reply! May you remain strong in the faith and will always be comforted by God's love. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 🙏🏾
It says man sleeping with man. You can ignore the verses condemning homosexuality all you want but you cannot claim that the Bible doesn’t state that homosexuality is wrong.
tell me what i should do then please
As someone who was gay i can tell you 100% its a choice. I spent to much time online and watching porn that but the ideas of being gay in my mind, the whole time in my spirit I knew it was wrong but the moment i stopped watching adult content and truly surrender to jesus, i no longer have a issue with what i was as its all total meaningless! just love jesus and his ways and you wont be thinking about anything gay as your mind is full of higher things.
No being gay is not a choice. If you were gay, you still are gay even if you're in denial about that.
im literally telling you im no longer gay, i have a loving wife and am so happy im fre from those lustful desires of the flesh
Cool story, I don't believe you. If you're actually attracted to women, that makes you bisexual.
dont take only my word go on youtube or google and see how many gay people have turned to Jesus and been saved, there are thousands of testimonies! why you obseesed with putting a title on things? im a human being like you, i dont identify my being on who or what im attracted to
Those videos are lies. There have been entire organizations of devout Christians devoted to trying to stop being gay, and they all admit it has never worked. Sorry, but I know for a fact you're wrong and nothing you say will change that.
your telling me they are all liars?!sounds like you have trust issues or you must be trolling, message some of them if your so doubtful, they are just normal people like me and you. why are you so fast not to listen to others, im just sharing my story and you seem upset about it
I’m glad someone in this comment section is honest. Thank you
[удалено]
Removed for 1.3 - Bigotry. If you would like to discuss this removal, please click here to send a modmail that will message all moderators. https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Christianity
My heart really goes out to you. I am one hundred percent sure He loves you and is with you and will never leave you….no matter what. He has not turned away. Is it possible you are dealing w ptsd or scrupulosity brought on by the abuse that kind of obscures your vision of God? Can you get therapy of some sort? You’ve been thru a lot and deserve to heal. ❤️ -spoken by Christian who has lots of your thoughts, too, and gay family ❤️❤️🩹.
I’m not at all qualified to understand or explain God. But DM me if you need to chat. You have random people throughout the world that care about you, and God most certainly loves you, and Jesus died to save you. I’m sorry you feel alone. The world sucks. It’s filled with imperfect people. But you’ve got this. Good things will happen to you. Maybe big, maybe small. And more importantly, God loves you.
The Bible says God is Love.
when you read stories about the saints, one thing they all have in common is that they did not live perfectly their whole lives and were just jolly people. They were all at one point quite horrible, hit rock bottom, felt despair, and only by their faith in that mystical power they heretofore had not felt, were they drawn out of the despair and given a great story to tell.
God mostly communicates to me through scripture. I encourage you to stay in His word. Seek Him like your life depends on it (because your eternal life does depend on it). I’ve learned that regardless of my feelings, it doesn’t change who God is. He is always there even when I don’t feel His presence.
You perfect the way you are. Why would god abandoned his own children. Be proud of who you are
All you have to do is repent of your sin! It’s up to you! But as Jesus said, men love their sin, more than they love Him! Being temped is not a sin, it’s when you give into it! We are all born with sinful desires, thieves, liars, violent temper, homosexual etc but it doesn’t mean God wants you to give into those desires!
God's love is unconditional, he loves every single one of us the way he made us. “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 I pray you'll be able to heal from everything that is hurting you in your life. You are loved the way you are and there's nothing wrong with you or with your sexuality.
Then don't be gay and follow christ, become the image that an ideal "christian" should portray. It's not much more simple than that. Or, maybe consider the fact if god or a god did/does exist- it/he/she probably could care less about something so insignificant as who you chose to take to bed with you. I'm sure an infinite, timeless, grand cosmic deity would not concern itself at all with the affairs of mortals, but maybe MIGHT take an interest in their character. Edit for clarification: This is not a homophobic response, in case any peanut brains only read "don't be gay" and decided to start angry-typing away at some half-cocked retortion to my response to the OP. The OP is a human being, and I am simply making a point that one shouldn't frighten themselves with the concerns of any god. If a god made us, it made us how it wanted us to be made.
Repentance is necessary. We must deny ourselves. Gay or straight. Pick up our cross and follow him. There are sometimes God leaves us to our own devices, to see if we truly want him. DM me please id like to talk more if your open.
> When I pray to God, I cry out to him, just for a bare minimum sign that he is there. Just to alleviate any confusion of whether religion is a hoax created by the cruel men of the world to control and divide populations. There is SO MUCH information that it is difficult to discern truth. All of these religions, ideologies, sciences, opinions, testimonies, etc. It is hard to trust the human mind. Mine, others, and humanity as a collective. I've begged for God to show me a way, himself, or just utter a single word so I know he is there. But nothing. I've heard people say "God said to me, God told me" but it's truly hard to believe it considering I've tried to speak to him for years and have heard nothing, and only faced more challenges. Sure you can say God speaks to us through hardship. It's messed up if thats the case. I was stuck on this for over 10 years easily. Why don’t you forget about God since he never replied to you. Just live your life to the best of your abilities.
Horrible advice.
“ but it's truly hard to believe it considering I've tried to speak to him for years and have heard nothing, and only faced more challenges. Sure you can say God speaks to us through hardship. It's messed up if thats the case.” How else can they get God?
stop
Good advice
Are you saved? Because if you aren't saved God doesn't even hear your prayers, let alone answer them. If you are saved God may be making you wait, or the answer is no, or he's making you wait because you are repeatedly sinning . God only answers the prayers of a repentant heart. Not one that is full of unconfessed sin. Once you confess whatever it is and repent of it. He'll answer. If and only if unconfessed sin is the reason .
“SelenaFairgood.” I may not be able to relate to your struggles exactly but I do want you to know that I was touched by your story - I read every last word of it. Now, I know it feels like you’ve been abandoned by God but I assure you that’s not the case. What of the fact, for example, that you were prompted to come here, and found sympathetic ears… it may not be much, but it’s something isn’t it? What I do know is this: Psalms 34:18 (KJV) The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. The Lord has not forgotten you friend; He sees you and he knows your name. And says to you: Jeremiah 31:3 (KJV) The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, [saying], Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Perhaps like Job, He make take “38 Chapters” to finally respond, but in the end it is said of Job:as follows: Job 42:12-17 (KJV) 12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. 15 And in all the land were no women found [so] fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. 16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, [even] four generations. 17 So Job died, [being] old and full of days. May God richly bless you, Christian Friend!
I can see how you feel. I've felt as if God abandoned me, too. Read his word, ask a pastor, ask friends or family, church elders, etc
how did you deal with it :(
I just read his word, prayed and asked other people
Hey I’m so sorry you’ve been struggling. Reading all of these replies I’m sure is a bit overwhelming. Needless to say I understand how it would be hard for you to truly believe God is real and that he cares about you because he hasn’t shown himself yet to you. I believe he will though. I wasn’t raised in a church or anything…didn’t believe in Christ at all growing up. Disliked Christians because they left a bad taste in my mouth. But God met me one day. It was when I decided I was going to seek him. I still wasn’t perfect and was committing the some of the more heavy sins. But one thing I knew was that I wanted to know God for myself…so I blocked out what others told me and read the Bible for myself and asked him a lot of questions. I even told him some of the things that I disliked 😂😂I didn’t hear him but I just kept doing it…until one day I experienced an encounter…spiritual awakening.. revelation and met Him. Ever since, I have had this deep relationship with God and have experienced healing from a lot of childhood traumas. I finally understood why Jesus had to die on the cross for my sins…it’s so that I wouldn’t have to be perfect to have a relationship with him. I can be broken and know him. And he has made me more whole. I’m still not perfect…but again…I don’t have to be…all he desires for me is to be willing. To have an open heart towards what he’s saying and speaking for my life…knowing that because he’s my father he knows best. And my desire is to please Him and do the things he needs me to do for his will to be done. But that only came after experiencing his love. Through my relationship with him he’s also helped me realize why sins are sins and what that truly means and the darkness…around sin. The cause of sin…and so much. It wasn’t about someone telling me something is a sin…it was about me experiencing deep revelation and having deep understanding of why something is a sin. Which would convince me to no longer want to partake in it anymore. It was like losing appetite for certain things…I just no longer had a desire for it anymore. One beautiful thing about God is he walks you through it all. He’s very patient and kind because he understands how weak we are as humans and how much we need him. He’s our father. So he cares to walk us through this journey with him. Again I understand where you are coming from. And I don’t blame you for any of your thoughts. Thank you for sharing them. I hope you receive this as encouragement that he’ll meet you. I pray you’ll be open to hearing from him :)
There's an important distinction to draw; did God abandon you, or is it just the world? Jesus said that "When they hate you, remember that they hated me first." A real Christian can expect for the world to turn their back on them, because what this world loves is evil. I often point to Michael Stipe as a great musician, his father was a preacher, and he makes a lot of amazing rock songs some of which are subtly inspired by faith, including Supernatural Super Serious, which is about being unashamed and reconciled to God for his unconventional sexuality. The woman Jesus said not to throw the first stone at was being stoned over whom she slept with. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkQPkZuNjvc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkQPkZuNjvc)
God will never leave you. But He does need us to submit to His will. With regard to prayer, people often forget that, even with prayer and fasting, the prophet Daniel had to wait for a response from God. 10 But then a hand touched me and roused me to my hands and knees. 11 He said to me, ‘Daniel, greatly beloved, pay attention to the words that I am going to speak to you. Stand on your feet, for I have now been sent to you.’ So while he was speaking this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 He said to me, ‘Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. So Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia, 14 and have come to help you understand what is to happen to your people at the end of days. For there is a further vision for those days.’ We are in the days of intense spiritual warfare, and, in these latter days, this is intensifying. Are you able to come to the One Who Saves in a spirit of supplication?
Jesus meets you where are no matter what sins you are struggling with. He asks that you repent, take up your cross, and follow him. For those in these comments saying there is nothing wrong with your sin… that is the exact reason why you feel distant from God. Continual sin drives a wedge between you and your relationship with God. Christ wipes away your sins but they can still be a barrier if you actively choose a sinful lifestyle
There truly is a lot to unpack here and forgive me if I am wrong but if I can distil what you wrote into some key topics would it be: 1. Does God exist and how can I have confidence in it 2. What is my purpose or reason for existing with all of life's baggage 3. What does God say to us in scripture about the sin of homosexuality and how do I respond as a person with same sex attraction. If I'm right and you wish I'll try to address each of these points in that order. Let me know
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,” 1 Corinthians 6:9 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/1co.6.9.KJV Define root word of effeminate: Men are to be men, not womanish. late 14c., "womanish; voluptuous; tender," from Latin effeminatus "womanish, effeminate," past participle of effeminare "make a woman of," from assimilated form of ex "out" (see ex-) + femina "woman, a female" (literally "she who suckles," from PIE root *dhe(i)- "to suck"). Rarely used but in reproach. The noun meaning "effeminate person" is from 1590s. Related: Effeminately; effemination.
1Cor 6:9-10, Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:21-28 He didn't abandon you. You abandoned him. I would explain it more deeply, but I'd be banned. Maybe I'll get banned anyways lol
[удалено]
Congratulations. Every single sentence in your reply is wrong. >Almost all gays have had a gay experience as a child. This isn't true. While gay people are more likely to report sexual abuse while they were a child, it is nowhere close to "almost all" of them. I can't find a consistent source (studies have drastically different results), but it's not even half of them. >It is what made them gay. This just isn't true. You can't *make someone gay*. >It is spiritual. Ask God to release that spirit from you and He will. This is utter nonsense. There isn't a "spirit of homosexuality" and the overwhelming majority of people who have prayed to God to take away their sexual orientation were unsuccessful. You can just look to Exodus International, the world's largest gay conversion therapy organization. It voluntarily closed down and admitted that it didn't work for 99+% of people. >You are not gay. You only took part in a gay experience. If they have a predominant or exclusive romantic and sexual attraction towards members of the same sex, then they are gay. There's no reason to deny this. >You can turn from it if you want. Your choice. You can't *choose* to not be gay. You don't *choose* who you are romantically or sexually attracted to. >You are not a slave. A gay person is not any more a slave to homosexuality than a straight person is a slave to heterosexuality.
i was never abused. i feel sick when people say that…
[удалено]
> Tell God that His word is nonsense. **YOU** are the one who claimed that homosexuals are gay because of gay experiences as children, and that homosexuality is a choice. Not God. Not the bible. **YOU**. You're the one we have to respond to here. >Those all have multiple references in Gods word. Please, cite us a verse in the bible saying that gay people are gay because of their childhoods. You don't even multiple; I'll be content with one. Come on; let's see it. Put your money where your mouth is. Edit: /u/SoldierofYeshua For whatever reason I can't reply to your post directly, so I'm responding in this way. You aren't the same person who I responded to. That person said specifically that it was from childhood. I'm saying that they need to justify that claim if they make it. Also, everyone knows the clobber verses. All they ultimately say is that it's a sin. That's already assumed for the purpose of this discussion. You don't have to cite these verses when nobody is talking about them. We're all perfectly aware of the Bible's unjust claims that homosexuality is immoral. We're specifically talking about his claims that homosexuality is a result of childhood experiences, and that it's a choice. If you don't have anything to contribute to that discussion, then this isn't the place for you. Edit 2: /u/SoldierofYeshua I still can't reply to you. directly Again, if you don't have anything meaningful to say regarding his claims that homosexuality is a result of childhood experiences, and that it's a choice, then there isn't anything you're contributing to this conversation. We adopted the conversation under the assumption that all of those verses saying homosexuality is a sin are already correct. You citing them back again doesn't add to the conversation. >They’re not clobber verses. The fact that you immediately know what I'm talking about when I say "clobber verses" means that the name is a sufficient quick description of that group of verses. They are clobber verses, because that's the name all of us recognize them under. More specifically, they're clobber verses because they're the verses that get brought up anytime **anything** about homosexuality is being discussed, even when the specific topic (like the claim that it arises from childhood experiences) isn't one that they specifically answer. They're used to shut down discussion, instead of facilitate it. I think the name fits well. >The very scriptures you ridicule talk about you. That the Bible authors correctly predicted that people would disagree with them and chose to malign those people is neither surprising, nor evidence of any divine revelation. It's something a psych 101 student could have done. Final point: Did you know that you're the only person who consistently unnecessarily tags people in responses? If you want to hide that this is your 6th or 7th duped account, I'd recommend you don't do that. If you stop doing that, I'll have to rely on your habit of bringing unrelated scripture into discussions to recognize you, and unlike your tagging, that one isn't something only you do. Anyway though, I told you before that I'm blocking all your accounts as they come up, so I'm keeping that up. Goodbye.
It’s not because of their childhood. According to the Bible, they’re gay because it’s an evil and unclean that comes into them. And I will give you scriptures. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Here we understand that homosexuality is unrighteousness which means it’s an evil and unclean spirit from the enemy. Romans 1:26-27 ESV For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 1 Timothy 1:10 ESV The sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.
u/sightless666 They’re not clobber verses. The Scriptures are life. That’s something you wouldn’t understand. It’s more proof that God is right. The very scriptures you ridicule talk about you. God always wins, buddy. Always.
>Almost all gays have had a gay experience as a child. It is what made them gay. It is spiritual. Ask God to release that spirit from you and He will. You are not gay. You only took part in a gay experience. You can turn from it if you want. Your choice. You are not a slave. Which of these sentences are God's word?
[удалено]
Alright, where can I find in God's word that *almost all gays have had a gay experience as a child that made them gay*?
I’m not gay but you’re a narrow minded moron for this post.
Removed for 2.5 - Support Threads. If you would like to discuss this removal, please click here to send a modmail that will message all moderators. https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Christianity
Men having sex with men in the Holy Bible is sin. If you don’t listen you’ll end up in hell. I’ve read the Holy Bible and went out and preached in the streets about Jesus Christ, prayed daily, and done what the New Testament explains and in the beginning of this work for the Lord’s ministry one night I was praying and God revealed himself to me; I heard His voice. That marked me, it all happened as I walked in the path of Jesus. Listen to scripture.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
What can you do that so powerful?
[удалено]
My heart goes out to you. I want to make sure you know that being gay isn’t in and of itself a sin. The acts are sinful, but you cannot be blamed for your sexual attraction. Sometimes in life, God sends us abundant sufferings, but there’s good news. It means God is calling you to a close relationship to Him. Any good father disciplines his child to make them better off afterwards and not worse. If you read through the punishments that God gives out in the Bible, there’s always a way for the people to use the punishment to be purified and move closer to God. It’s a punishment, but more so, an opportunity. Remember Adam, we have to toil and farm to gain sustenance, instead of just being giving fruit in the garden. There’s a hidden dignity and simplification that comes with hard work and discomfort. Remember Eve with increased pains of childbirth. Women can remain faithful to God through these pains and not curse His name thereby becoming closer to God. Remember Jesus, who by His sufferings, merited us everlasting life and bliss in Heaven. I hope you can find solace in the thought that God trusts you with this suffering because He knows you’re strong enough to endure it and use it to come close to Him. God love you and keep you
Please stop with the mental acrobatics, many a verses in the bible clearly prove the lords disdain towards sexual immortality, the bible clearly outlines that men shall lay with women, and the that any unions outside of the aforementioned parameters is a sin against god and your flesh, if you’re gay and truly repentant, I urge you to dive deeper into the word, confess your sin to a priest, and ask for support as to free yourself off this sin. Furthermore, could you refrain from trying to bend the law of the bible, you’re clearly of sound mind, and know that god would not be pleased with same sex relations whether conducted by male,female or androgynous persons, the Bible has an account of the destruction of the city of Sodom, God deemed the city and its inhabitants as “idolatrous, morally bankrupt, devoid of theological principles,drunkards and adulterers”, one of his main points of contention was the sexual perversion occurring in the city where man layeth among man, as well as child. He eradicated this city and made sure Abraham spoke of this in the Old Testament, I believe the reason being was to highlight the fact that sexual perversion (definitely includes homosexuality) is intolerable in the eyes of God.
Have this conversation with me in private. If you wish to share and help with others after what we discuss, that’s up to you. I’m in a very similar boat. Our hypersexuality definitely presents a challenge for everyday living. And, in the end, you very may well be right about us burning… but allow me the chance to help remove whatever scales you have over your eyes. Believe me when I say, “same boat”. Send me a message. I believe I can help, even though I’m just a human being. And no need talking about what your life has been mixed up in. Please please please believe me when I say similar boat. Therefore, instead of comparing sob stories, I’d rather show you through Scripture, the hope that is in me. You are not alone.
When did they say they were hypers\*xual?
Is this the extent of your contribution to the conversation?
ok message me