Christianity and gayness

[ImperfectGirl]

I was just wondering. Is it against christianity to be Gay or Lesbian?

 

[timf]

I was just wondering. Is it against christianity to be Gay or Lesbian?

In Romans chapter one there is a punishment given to some people because "they worship the creature more than the creator". This punishment is a reprobate mind. One of the manifestations of this reprobate mind is homosexuality. One can understand how these people come to believe that they are made this way rather than chose to be this way.

However, not all of what can be called homosexuality may be accounted for by this alone. You can have some people that are attracted to forbidden, some who carry significant scars and wounds who seek whatever comfort or shelter they can find. You also can have people who can be driven by the influences of environmental toxins.

It may be easier to think of homosexuality the same way that you would think of alcoholism. It never benefits anyone, It leads people to be consumed with their lusts, and it destroys individuals, families, and eventually society.

Christians should not encourage, endorse, or support homosexuality in any way.

 

[tranz4md]

I was just wondering. Is it against christianity to be Gay or Lesbian?

You know who Kirk Cameron is right? Well he made some statements in an interview on CNN about homosexuality that are exactly what the word of God says about it and he's being accused of hate speech.

Here's an article I wrote on his behalf about this...

Kirk Cameron under fire for Christian beliefs about homosexuality part 1 - Orlando Christian Living | Examiner.com

Kirk Cameron under fire for Christian beliefs about homosexuality part 2 - Orlando Christian Living | Examiner.com

God has much to say in His word about this subject of homosexuality

God bless and may this article bless your life!

In Christ

 

[suzybeezy]

MOD HAT ON

This thread has been moved from Christian Advice to avoid violating the rule:

● Do not promote homosexuality on Christian Forums. Homosexuality can only be discussed, without promotion, in Christian Communities and Faith Groups. Homosexuality may also be discussed in the Recovery and Ask a Chaplain forums solely for the purpose of seeking support with struggles overcoming same-sex attractions, and homosexual issues.

Please be aware that this is now in the Lutheran forum, and therefore non-Lutheran members may not debate here.

MOD HAT ON

 

[DaRev]

I was just wondering. Is it against christianity to be Gay or Lesbian?

Yes. It is against the word of God, thus it is against Christianity.

 

[Aibrean]

I have a pretty lengthy write-up on this topic here: http://www.christianforums.com/t7649018/#post60316888

Yes, sin and Christ don't go together, so homosexuality and a Christian can't either.

 

[Melanchthon]

I was just wondering. Is it against christianity to be Gay or Lesbian?

Well, our fellow Lutherans in the Church of Sweden consecrated a lesbian as a bishop in November 2009.

Sweden's Lutheran Church Ordains First Openly Gay Bishop
Published November 09, 2009
Associated Press
　
　
Sweden's Lutheran church said Monday it had ordained its first openly gay bishop, just two weeks after it gave priests the right to wed same-sex couples.

Eva Brunne was ordained as bishop of Stockholm's diocese in a ceremony on Sunday.

She lives in a "registered partnership" with another woman, a civil union between gays used in Sweden before same-sex marriages were legalized this year. The couple also has a child. "It is very positive that our church is setting an example here and is choosing me as bishop based on my qualifications, when they also know that they can meet resistance elsewhere," the 55-year-old Brunne told The Associated Press by phone.

Brunne's spokeswoman Annika Sjoqvist Platzer said she didn't know of any openly gay women who had reached the position of bishop in other countries. However, the United Church of Christ, a liberal denomination in the U.S., has several openly gay and lesbian "conference ministers," said the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, a church spokesman in Cleveland. That designation is similar to that of bishop. In 2003, the Episcopal Church in the U.S. consecrated its first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

Brunne, who was elected as bishop of Stockholm in a May but officially ordained on Sunday in Uppsala Cathedral, said she hadn't encountered much resistance within the church because of her sexual orientation.

The Church of Sweden has become more open toward sexual minorities in recent years, though there still is resistance from individual priests. Church leaders voted two weeks ago in favor of allowing priests to wed same-sex couples in church ceremonies. The church counts about 6.7 million members though few of them regularly attend services in the largely secular country.

So, . . . go figure? I presume you will find a wide diversity of opinions from people in seeking an answer to your question.

 

[Aibrean]

Well, our fellow Lutherans in the Church of Sweden consecrated a lesbian as a bishop in November 2009.

Which doesn't at all mean it's okay.

Personally I consider this type of action a shortcut to hell. Blatant disregard for the scriptures and the sacrifice of Christ.

 

[alexnbethmom]

Which doesn't at all mean it's okay.

Personally I consider this type of action a shortcut to hell. Blatant disregard for the scriptures and the sacrifice of Christ.

what she said....

 

[Michaelrh1325]

Well, our fellow Lutherans in the Church of Sweden consecrated a lesbian as a bishop in November 2009.

Sweden's Lutheran Church Ordains First Openly Gay Bishop
Published November 09, 2009
Associated Press
　
　
Sweden's Lutheran church said Monday it had ordained its first openly gay bishop, just two weeks after it gave priests the right to wed same-sex couples.

Eva Brunne was ordained as bishop of Stockholm's diocese in a ceremony on Sunday.

She lives in a "registered partnership" with another woman, a civil union between gays used in Sweden before same-sex marriages were legalized this year. The couple also has a child. "It is very positive that our church is setting an example here and is choosing me as bishop based on my qualifications, when they also know that they can meet resistance elsewhere," the 55-year-old Brunne told The Associated Press by phone.

Brunne's spokeswoman Annika Sjoqvist Platzer said she didn't know of any openly gay women who had reached the position of bishop in other countries. However, the United Church of Christ, a liberal denomination in the U.S., has several openly gay and lesbian "conference ministers," said the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, a church spokesman in Cleveland. That designation is similar to that of bishop. In 2003, the Episcopal Church in the U.S. consecrated its first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

Brunne, who was elected as bishop of Stockholm in a May but officially ordained on Sunday in Uppsala Cathedral, said she hadn't encountered much resistance within the church because of her sexual orientation.

The Church of Sweden has become more open toward sexual minorities in recent years, though there still is resistance from individual priests. Church leaders voted two weeks ago in favor of allowing priests to wed same-sex couples in church ceremonies. The church counts about 6.7 million members though few of them regularly attend services in the largely secular country.

So, . . . go figure? I presume you will find a wide diversity of opinions from people in seeking an answer to your question.

And there have been a number of Catholic Priests getting busted for child molestation. It's still wrong.

 

[ivanthegood]

what she said....

what they said it was what the book of Jude warned the followers of Jesus would happen in the last days

3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about[b] long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord[c] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”[d] 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.
11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”[e] 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

 

[Rhamiel]

please correct me if I say anything agianst Lutheran teaching, it is not my goal to confuse the girl about what her church teaches but rather to comfort a sister in Christ

we all have differant temptations, some people are tempted by members of the opposite sex, some people feel tempted by members of the same sex
what matters is that we resiste all temptation and live a life for Christ
He wants us to live a life for Him and to avoid sin
sin can never bring happiness, because true joy comes from being with Christ

 

[Aibrean]

And there have been a number of Catholic Priests getting busted for child molestation. It's still wrong.

The difference being that the Catholic church doesn't condone child molestation.

 

[Ukrainia]

Yes, homosexuality is a sin. But I hope we can be a bit more nuanced in our treatment of people who legitimately struggle with this sin. I generally don't like the stance of so many Christians who treat homosexuals as somehow a worse sin than others. I don't think there is any evidence to suggest that's the case. Many of these people are stuggling and are looking for comfort. If these people are Christians, or are seekers, I am not so sure we always have to hit them hard with the law first - yes the law is needed, but lets not use it as a battering ram. Let's use it as a guide to point them to the Savior. We all know what it's like to deal with sin, and we've all had struggles with particular sins. At those particular times, advice that suggests we should just rid it from our lives, as we're under threat of punishment from God probably seems unhelpful and unloving. But advice that suggest the depths of Jesus love is so great, and his sacrifice so perfect, that now our sins have been wiped away, is going to be of much greater help in that circumstance, in my opinion.

 

[Aibrean]

I think many treat it as a worse sin because the amount of people who want to acknowledge it as a sin is becoming fewer and fewer. Even less when it's a homosexual themselves admitting it's wrong.

 

[Basil the Great]

There is no doubt but what there is a significant trend among nations and U.S. states to allow civil gay marriage and a similar move is also spreading to some of the MainLine Protestant denominations. Eventually some of the younger people on this board may see gay marriage legal in most of Europe and North and South America, as well as in quite a few Protestant denominations. However, all of this would have no bearing on whether or not gay marriage is right or wrong. Only God makes that decision and both the Bible and 3,000+ years of Judeo-Christian tradition seems pretty clear on the subject.

 

[MarkRohfrietsch]

There is no doubt but what there is a significant trend among nations and U.S. states to allow civil gay marriage and a similar move is also spreading to some of the MainLine Protestant denominations. Eventually some of the younger people on this board may see gay marriage legal in most of Europe and North and South America, as well as in quite a few Protestant denominations. However, all of this would have no bearing on whether or not gay marriage is right or wrong. Only God makes that decision and both the Bible and 3,000+ years of Judeo-Christian tradition seems pretty clear on the subject.

I think that we need to be mindful that Government and Politicians interest is not theological, rather, their intent is to maintain peace and harmony in society. Government has proven over and over again that they have no interest in peace and harmony in Church.

IMO, where the problem lies is that many in the Church look to the laws and policies of Government to "legitimize" theology and practice which is contrary to Scripture.

Our Governments of late have no ear for the Church; why do so many Churches look to the Government for moral, ethical Theology?

The Church of Sweden, like the Church of England are, for all intents and purposes, an extension of the Government.

In Sweden, there are still many Christians who hold to a traditional orthodox interpretation of Scripture, and were led out of the Church of Sweden by three Bishops and formed an independent Synod; this Wikipedia article sums it up (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missionsprovinsen):

Missionsprovinsen [mɪˈɧuːnspruvinsən] (the Mission Province) is a second, independent ecclesiastical province within the Church of Sweden and somewhat also inside the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, founded by members of the "orthodox opposition" to the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate. The Mission Province was founded on 6 September 2003, following the establishment of the Nordic Catholic Church in Norway.
The Province was founded as an alternative ecclesiastical jurisdiction in order to support the establishment of new free Eucharistic communities (koinonias). It contains the Catholic, Schartauan Confessional and Evangelical expressions found in the Church of Sweden on the doctrinal basis of the Book of Concord.
On 5 February 2005, The Most Reverend Walter Obare Omwanza, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya, assisted by bishops Leonid Zviki from Belarus, David Tswaedi from South Africa, Børre Knudsen and Ulf Asp from Norway, consecrated Arne Olsson in apostolic succession as the Ordinary for the Mission Province.
In April 2006, Bishop Arne Olsson consecrated pastors Lars Artman and Göran Beijer as other bishops for the Mission Province. The alternative hierarchy of the Mission province ordains candidates for the priesthood who are not in favour of the ordination of women and who are therefore not accepted for ordination in the national Churches of Sweden or Finland.
Bishops of the Church of Sweden do not acknowledge the Mission Province as a part of the Church of Sweden and Bishop Arne Olsson was defrocked soon after his episcopal ordination as were Lars Artman and Göran Beijer.

http://www.missionsprovinsen.se/

 

[Theofane]

I was just wondering. Is it against christianity to be Gay or Lesbian?

Some denominations are more accepting of gays & lesbians than others.

 

[Kalevalatar]

I don't know what the Swedish Missionsprovinsen is up to, but here in Finland, those people take their inspiration from the likes of L. Ron Hubbard and the American-style mega-bucks mega-churches, not from Martin Luther. They are in it for $$$,$$$,$$$, way too busy trying to attract wealthy homosexuals in the name of some extraterrestrial "healing" with nothing to do with our Lord Jesus Christ. That cult is not about ensuring that God's Word is rightly preached and the Sacraments rightly administered.

 

[synger]

I think many treat it as a worse sin because the amount of people who want to acknowledge it as a sin is becoming fewer and fewer. Even less when it's a homosexual themselves admitting it's wrong.

You have a point. I think homosexuality is seen as a "worse sin" because there is a huge divide between those who think it is sin and those who do not. We all pretty much agree that killing and stealing and lying are sins (if we acknowledge such a thing as sin at all), so while they are still "big sins" they are not sins we discuss or debate about. They're not mentioned much.

But because people discuss whether homosexual activity is sinful or not, those who do not believe it is a sin think those who do are emphasizing it over other sins.

It's not a bigger sin. It's just a more currently-discussed one. We don't have big discussions about whether adultery or lying or even gluttony and pride are sinful. Those are "given".