God hates Homosexuals???

[genestealerbroodlord]

Sorry about the title but it was the only way i could think of wrighting it.

Im refering to a picture i saw a while ago which really made me quite upset. I dont know how to do links or post pics yet so i will try to describe it for you. There are two "christians" in the picture, both holding up signs. I cant remember what the first one says but the other one states in big letters. "God hates Homosexuals". Although they use a derogitary term.

Before i continue, i would like to say that i believe that homosexuality is a sin but even so, these scriptures come to mind.

Matthew 7: 1-5 (judging others)

Mark 12: 28-34 (love towards others)

This is not a thread about condemning or justifying homosexuality, its about christian hate. Its about those types of "christians" that say things like God hates this or God hates that. Im not really sure ive ever met this God that hates everything. The God i worship loves everyone even if they are gay or a single parent or any other thing that these supposed christians want us to believe he hates.

I suppose what im saying is, I just dont get it.

Im trying very hard to understand these types of christians, but i cant. I just cant justify a person who calls themselves a christian, spouting out all that hatred towards a fellow human being.

Can someone help me to understand them and love them the way i should. I dont hate them, i just feel sad for them.

Thanks for reading this and for any help you feel you can give.

Love

John

 

[tryingtobeagain]

I personally can't tell you what goes on in the minds of those people. What I believe (and this is only to help myself from getting worked up about it because I can't stand that kind of thing either) is that some people take their beliefs to another level where anything that goes against their beliefs seems hurtful. In an event where something seems so hurtful they lash out, possibly menaing to defend their position but in reality it dosen't defend their position, it attacks the other. Sometimes people attack the other position in a effort to sway others (kinda like mud-slinging in politics). And sometimes people just harbor hatred in their hearts and don't realise what they are doing. They claim that it is in the following of God that they act this way but they are naiive and unrealistic and obvilusly do not know how to follow God. I leave it all in the Big Guy's hands and allow Him to do the deciding. In the meantime, I love all, support all, and focus on myself and what I need to do to follow God. And I feel that God approves of monogomous love, so therefore I feel that God would approve of homosexual relationships as well as heterosexual.

 

[Torah613]

the "christians" you are referring to happen to be nearby neighbors of mine. No joke. They are out of topeka and go around protesting everything from Mathew Shephards funeral to the funerals of Soldiers. Frankly its sad when someone has nothing else to do but spread hate--when Christ only spoke of love.

Jo Zollars

 

[Abiel]

there's a website out there called God hates figs. Should provide some light relief.

 

[UberLutheran]

I have heard of a website which protests winter weather along the U.S. Pacific Coast: GodHatesFogs.

 

[Pogue]

I've had a look at their websites but I just got really angry and sad. It's important to remember that they're lunatics, though. As far as I know, it's just one, massive family, and they brainwash everyone to think like that.
Their beliefs are sometimes so ridiculous that they're almost humourous. For example, they really hate Swedish people, because apparently a girl of Swedish origin once jilted one of the sons of this crazy family. So they've been trying to find a Biblical basis for the assertion that God hates Swedish people.

 

[Mling]

You're talking about Fred Phelps, and, so far as I can tell, his crusade has little to do with Christianity or morality. It boils down to this:

Something must have happened to little Freddy (nobody, including his wife, knows what), that made him just an all-around angry person who get's his jollies by abusing people.

His kids are big enough to fight back now.

So, he has just turned his anger out onto the world. It's really nothing more than a primal scream--there's no logic or reason behind it.

I listened to one or two of his sermons a while ago, and he honestly believes that he, and maybe his family, are the only people in America who God loves, and that everything that happens to America is somehow tied to him. In one part of a sermon, he argued that we got hit by Katrina because his church was vandalized.

 

[genestealerbroodlord]

The problem is that it isnt just this Fred Phelps im talking about. Im talking about a culture among some christians that feel that they should hate people because they dont fall into there small narrow minded idea of what a christian should be.

Im not going to name names but as way of example. There is someone who posts on these forums that when ever someone writes a positive post on homosexuality, he feels the need to quote scriptures that says God hates gay people and when he is challenged, he says that its his duty to tell people that they are sinning. The main problem with this person is that he is quite young, which means that this is a hate, that is being continued with the next generation of christians. His favourite quote is, 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10. I have already quoted my favourites in my first post if your interested in reading them.

Love

John

 

[Pogue]

The problem is that it isnt just this moron Fred Phelps im talking about. Im talking about a culture among some christians that feel that they should hate people because they dont fall into there small narrow minded idea of what a christian should be.

Im not going to name names but as way of example. There is someone who posts on these forums that when ever someone writes a positive post on homosexuality, he feels the need to quote scriptures that says God hates gay people and when he is challenged, he says that its his duty to tell people that they are sinning. The main problem with this person is that he is quite young, which means that this is a hate, that is being continued with the next generation of christians.

Sadly, I think you're right. I don't think anyone is as extreme as Fred Phelps, but I've seen and heard about a lot of Christians who seem to be motivated by hate, not love, and that's not what Christianity's about.

 

[genestealerbroodlord]

I just checked out, Fred Phelps web site. I actually thought i was going to be sick. The one article i looked at, he was praising God for killing 26 people in disaster and actually said that he wished it had been 26,000. Im sorry but i just dont understand that amount of poison from a person that claims to be a christian.

Love

John

 

[Abiel]

I have heard of a website which protests winter weather along the U.S. Pacific Coast: GodHatesFogs.

Ahh- but there are proof texts against figs.

 

[tulc]

Don't forget the anti-amphibian site:
Godhatesfrogs.com!
tulc(they WERE a plague after all!)

 

[Mling]

HEEEEY! Figs are good and frogs are kinda cute. Especially poison dart frogs--they're gorgeous.

 

[seebs]

Here is your exercise for today.

Most of us have, one way or another, learned to love a gay person, even if we are uncomfortable with that person's sexual activities.

Today, your task is to try to find something to love in Fred Phelps.

Give up yet? Consider that someone out there thought he was worth dying for. Someone whose judgement is pretty trustworthy.

Now that is a miracle beyond my ken, but I have faith that one day it will be revealed.

 

[Mling]

I don't know about loving, but I stopped feeling anger for him after listening to his sermons. Now I just kinda feel sorry for him.

 

[seebs]

I don't know about loving, but I stopped feeling anger for him after listening to his sermons. Now I just kinda feel sorry for him.

It's a start.

That poor, lonely, terrified, man.

Imagine how horrible it would be to live in a world where ultimate power resides in an entity of pure malevolence, and the only defense you have is to isolate yourself from nearly all human contact and live a life devoted to hatred.

May he one day be freed. Whatever has its hand on him, God will overcome one day.

 

[Torah613]

I've had a look at their websites but I just got really angry and sad. It's important to remember that they're lunatics, though. As far as I know, it's just one, massive family, and they brainwash everyone to think like that.
Their beliefs are sometimes so ridiculous that they're almost humourous. For example, they really hate Swedish people, because apparently a girl of Swedish origin once jilted one of the sons of this crazy family. So they've been trying to find a Biblical basis for the assertion that God hates Swedish people.

Its important to remember also that some apples fall far from the pervervial tree. John Phelps is an outstanding individual and a man of great courage. My coming out experience wasn't even a tenth as bad as what his must have been like.

I can't imagine why they feel the need to protest gay people so much. I mean just look at them! They are SSSOOO obviously closet cases yearning to burst free. Anyone know what I mean.

Believe it or not they are the reason I'm still in KS. I'm not willing to give Dorothy's homeland away to a bunch of crackpot lunatics.

Jo Zollars

 

[Torah613]

I agree Seebs in principle.

But as he is practically my next door neighbor the sympathy might be there (heck I said some pretty bad things when I was closeted too--after all who would suspect that cute little bible thumper boy of being gay) but the love is not quite there yet. I know its not good and not all that Christian, but he has done some pretty nasty things to members of my family.

I still haven't found love for Hitler yet, and Christ will likely come again before I do. Given that some of Jesus's relatives were affected by that man as well, I would hope He would understand.

Jo Zollars

 

[Moana]

You could have said homosexuals instead of using the F word. Would you like it if I called you the B word?

 

[Tenebrae]

We have a leader in NZ who, not as far right as Phelps, is very much into the megachurch, gay people are bad, denominations are of the devil.

I happened to read his autobiography the other day, well thats a lie, I read portions of it. The whole thing was like one shamless big self promotion. However I came away feeling incredibly sad, because this man has based his theology on how people have hurt him. And even worse this is the theology he now teaches to thousands of people