From: muehlhau@en.ecn.purdue.edu (John Muehlhausen)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Homosexuality and Christianity
Date: 10 Apr 92 02:38:52 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

In article <92100.181336QAA@psuvm.psu.edu> QAA@psuvm.psu.edu (Tim Bieling) writes:
>
>God made me gay, it's that simple.  The sin for me would be to lie to

Tell me something...  Why would he do this to you?  If I thought God had
made me gay in todays society I would probably be more than a little
angry with him.  God doesn't do anything without a purpose, so I am wondering
what this purpose is.  If it exists I realize that we can't know what God is
thinking, but I would like to hear any thoughts.

>myself, and attempt to change my sexuality.  Many others have shown that
>the various passages in the Bible "prohibiting" homosexuality are at
>best vague.  God also gave me the intelligence to realize that His words
>were transcribed by people who inherently will have a bias.

Granted, the "thou shalt not" type of thing may be vague, but the larger
picture seems to be saying "Put away the desires of the natural man and be
reborn through a renewing of your mind as a new man in Christ Jesus, so that
you may be led by the Spirit, living life more abundantly through him and
receiving rewards in heaven according your faith on earth" (Sorry about the
"verse stew" but I think all the ideas are accurate)  On that same note would
God allow the Bible to become warped?

>I get upset equally when someone slams my sexuality and when someone
>slams Christianity.  (Even I, at times, feel the urge to slam Christianity
>because the "followers" of it try to slam my sexuality).  My interests,
>however, are to be truthful to myself.

Why must love incur sex?  Truly the "highest" love we can have one for
another is that which Christ has for us - "...even as I have loved you".
This was _never_ even remotely sexual in nature.

I don't think some people have taken the 1 Cor. 6 homosexuality quote far
enough -- so I will:   (NAS)

     9  Or do you not know that the un-      \
   righteous shall not inherit the king-      |
   dom of God?  Do not be deceived; nei-      |
   ther fornicators, nor idolaters, nor       |
   adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homo-      |-This gets quoted often enough.
   sexuals,                                   |
     10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor    |
   drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers,    |
   shall inherit the kingdom of God.         /
     11 And such were some of you; but       \
   you were washed, but you were sanc-        |
   tified, but you were justified in the      |-How are we made right? Through
   name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in      | Jesus and the Spirit.
   the Spirit of our God.                    /
     12 All things are lawful for me, but    \
   not all things are profitable.  All things |-IMPORTANT!! Just because we are
   are lawful for me, but I will not be       | not bound by law doesn't mean
   mastered by anything.                     /  we do whatever we want.
     13 Food is for the stomach, and the 
   stomach is for food; but God will do
   away with both of them.  Yet the body     \  What is the body for?  This is
   is not for immorality, but for the Lord;   |-partially where I get "Spiritual
   and the Lord is for the body.             /  better than fleshly"
     14 Now God has not only raised the      \
   Lord, but will also raise us up through    |-Neat huh. Kinda personal.
   His power.                                /
     15 Do you not know that your bodies     \
   are members of Christ?  Shall I then       |
   take away the members of Christ and        |
   make them members of a harlot?  May        |
   it never be!                               |-Although this is hetero
     16 Or do you not know that the one       | misconduct I think the general
   who joins himself to a harlot is one       | theme applies across the board
   body with her?  For He says, "THE TWO      |
   WILL BECOME ONE FLESH."                   /
     17 But the one who joins himself to     \ -There is no question in my mind
   the Lord is one spirit with Him.          /  that THIS is the ultimate.
     18 Flee immorality.  Every other sin    \
   that a man commits is outside the          |
   body, but the immoral man sins             |
   against his own body.                      |-Why I feel sexual sins are
     19 Or do you not know that your          | more damaging HERE ON EARTH
   body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who    | (not "worse" sins)
   is in you, whom you have from God,         |
   and that you are not your own?            /
     20 For you have been bought with a      \ -God has done so much for us -
   price: therefore glorify God in your       | shouldn't we TRY and return
   body.                                     /  the favor and OBEY?



John M.
Xref: sparky talk.religion.misc:6442 talk.abortion:14212