1 more thing that troubles this agnostic

[Katie7725]

Ok this one (and I promise that this is the last trouble i post...i swear!) problem I have with Christianity is very personal and you guys are the first ones to know other than a really good friend of mine. I decided i could trust you because I got so many great replies from my first post. Thank you guys for listening so much and I now have a greater understanding of Christianity, which will help me b/c I'm going to church for the first time in my life this Sunday. I just decided to give it a try. Well it all started when I was a little girl, about 8 I think. I had feeling s inside of me that I sensed the other girls didn't have. I grew up and repressed those feelings up till this very day. Here it goes guys, I'm Bisexual. I didn't choose this I have always had these feelings. Ive never had a relationship with another girl, the most I have ever done was try it with a close friend. I have to admit I liked it but even being an agnostic felt ashamed to admit it due to society. I know christians are against this type of behavior. If I do convert to Christianity how will I deal with this? Ill always be sinning b/c I am just as attracted to females as i am males. I trust u guys on this b/c u have shown to be trustworthy. I hope you all don't think I'm strange.

 

[talitha]

I don't think you're strange. It is perfectly normal for people to be tempted by strong feelings. Happens to all of us. We all have our struggles, but there is freedom from any bondage in Christ.

blessings
tal

 

[Katie7725]

thanks

 

[prophecystudent]

I don't think you are evil, or a bad person. Nor does Jesus. Remember, He died to provide a path to salvation for all mankind.

I'm not sure of your question. Christ preached about sinners and their relationship to Him and others.

His message was simple and to the point. We are to love the sinner and hate the sin.

While I do not agree with a homosexual lifestyle, I will not hate anyone for it. I will pray for them, that they find the answers for which they are searching.

I hope you find the right church, one that preaches the true gospel of Jesus Christ, not one that goes off on tangents and teaches those things which are not scriptural.

Unfortunately, far too many churches do that today. But do not despair, the bible says that will happen, and more often, as we approach the end times.

Fred

 

[prophecystudent]

Ok this one (and I promise that this is the last trouble i post...i swear!)

Why limit yourself. You are welcome to post as many questions as you wish. That's what we are here for. Besides, it helps us to do our duty as defined by Christ. That is to spread the Word/Gospel.

problem I have with Christianity is very personal and you guys are the first ones to know other than a really good friend of mine. I decided i could trust you because I got so many great replies from my first post. Thank you guys for listening so much and I now have a greater understanding of Christianity, which will help me b/c I'm going to church for the first time in my life this Sunday. I just decided to give it a try.

After posting my first answer I went back and read yours again. Here goes. And I am really happy to see that you are going to church. If you don't like the first one, go to others until you find one that preaches the full gospel. I see no need at this point to disclose your "problem" to anyone in the church. If you feel led to discuss it with the pastor at a later time, then do so.

Well it all started when I was a little girl, about 8 I think. I had feeling s inside of me that I sensed the other girls didn't have. I grew up and repressed those feelings up till this very day. Here it goes guys, I'm Bisexual. I didn't choose this I have always had these feelings. Ive never had a relationship with another girl, the most I have ever done was try it with a close friend. I have to admit I liked it but even being an agnostic felt ashamed to admit it due to society.

I suspect that you liked it for the same reason all people like sex. It provides pleasurable feelings. Because your first experience appears to have been with another girl does not mean that you are bi-sexual, or homosexual. Lots of young people experiment with sex in a variety of situations but that does not necessarily mean that will be their sexual preference for the rest of their lives.

I know christians are against this type of behavior. If I do convert to Christianity how will I deal with this? Ill always be sinning b/c I am just as attracted to females as i am males. I trust u guys on this b/c u have shown to be trustworthy. I hope you all don't think I'm strange.

Not strange, confused and searching for answers. If you were not being led by the Holy Spirit you would not be here searching for answers.

Pray a lot about it, just tell God what is troubling you. Read your bible (if you don't have one, I suggest you get one of the newer translations as they are much easier to read than the King James. I have several versions that I use depending on what I am doing at the time. I use King James for my study course because that is the text used by the professor. I read the New International Version a lot, and often compare the two when studying.

When you find the right church and have confidence in the pastor, that might be the right time to bring up the question with him.

Good luck in your search and know that prayers are going up for you.

Fred

 

[Katie7725]

I have a bible, it's the NIV version. I just got it from a friend. The thing that makes this so hard is this is the first time in my life where I felt my instincts were wrong. Ive only experimented with another girl (we kissed) once but Ive definetly had the urge to do so for a long time before that and after that. The thing is this is not just a feeling to me, its part of me. I cant just make it go away by suppressing it. Is there something wrong with my mind? Why I am so attracted to females boggles my mind. Before I came here I didn't feel guilty about it. Why does God hate it so much?. I don't hurt anyone when I do it, even though I haven't really gotten to much. People always say to me that Christianity is simple but how come this is so hard? It just seems natural to me.

 

[ebia]

Ok this one (and I promise that this is the last trouble i post...i swear!) problem I have with Christianity is very personal and you guys are the first ones to know other than a really good friend of mine. I decided i could trust you because I got so many great replies from my first post. Thank you guys for listening so much and I now have a greater understanding of Christianity, which will help me b/c I'm going to church for the first time in my life this Sunday. I just decided to give it a try. Well it all started when I was a little girl, about 8 I think. I had feeling s inside of me that I sensed the other girls didn't have. I grew up and repressed those feelings up till this very day. Here it goes guys, I'm Bisexual. I didn't choose this I have always had these feelings. Ive never had a relationship with another girl, the most I have ever done was try it with a close friend. I have to admit I liked it but even being an agnostic felt ashamed to admit it due to society. I know christians are against this type of behavior. If I do convert to Christianity how will I deal with this? Ill always be sinning b/c I am just as attracted to females as i am males. I trust u guys on this b/c u have shown to be trustworthy. I hope you all don't think I'm strange.

You're not sinning by being attracted to people. Traditionally, Christianity has maintained that sex is something intended for marriage; but none of us can affect who we find attractive. Whether marriage can be extended to same-sex marriages is a debate well beyond the scope of this forum. What is clear, biblically, is that sex outside marriage is always less than ideal and whether it's same-sex or different-sex is irrelevent.

 

[talitha]

I have a bible, it's the NIV version. I just got it from a friend. The thing that makes this so hard is this is the first time in my life where I felt my instincts were wrong. Ive only experimented with another girl (we kissed) once but Ive definetly had the urge to do so for a long time before that and after that. The thing is this is not just a feeling to me, its part of me. I cant just make it go away by suppressing it.

According to the teachings of Christianity, it is impossible to overcome sin without Christ. He has overcome sin on our behalf, and we must trust Him, as that is not possible for us to do.

Is there something wrong with my mind?

This is from Romans 8 - a good chapter for you to read (mine is New American standard):
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it [your mind] does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

You are experiencing the problem of any person apart from God. Jesus said, "apart from Me you can do nothing."

Why I am so attracted to females boggles my mind. Before I came here I didn't feel guilty about it. Why does God hate it so much?. I don't hurt anyone when I do it.....

Sin is not sin because it hurts people, although many sins do hurt people. Sin is sin because it separates you from God; it cannot exist where He is Lord. And the truth is that it does hurt you, whether you realize it now or not.

People always say to me that Christianity is simple but how come this is so hard? It just seems natural to me.

You are right - it is natural. It takes supernatural to overcome sin.

blessings in Jesus
tal

 

[gluadys]

Ok this one (and I promise that this is the last trouble i post...i swear!) problem I have with Christianity is very personal and you guys are the first ones to know other than a really good friend of mine. I decided i could trust you because I got so many great replies from my first post. Thank you guys for listening so much and I now have a greater understanding of Christianity, which will help me b/c I'm going to church for the first time in my life this Sunday. I just decided to give it a try. Well it all started when I was a little girl, about 8 I think. I had feeling s inside of me that I sensed the other girls didn't have. I grew up and repressed those feelings up till this very day. Here it goes guys, I'm Bisexual. I didn't choose this I have always had these feelings. Ive never had a relationship with another girl, the most I have ever done was try it with a close friend. I have to admit I liked it but even being an agnostic felt ashamed to admit it due to society. I know christians are against this type of behavior. If I do convert to Christianity how will I deal with this? Ill always be sinning b/c I am just as attracted to females as i am males. I trust u guys on this b/c u have shown to be trustworthy. I hope you all don't think I'm strange.

How you deal with it will depend a lot on what the church you attend teaches and practices. In some churches it would be no problem at all. In some you would be encouraged to get "cured" though there is no evidence such "cures" work.

Others span a spectrum from one of these extremes to another.

Something you would need to decide with prayer is what you yourself believe about 1) having bisexual feelings and 2) acting on those feelings.

Since it appears we are born with whatever our sexual orientation is, I personally cannot think it is ever wrong to accept our feelings and acknowledge them.

But most Christians would consider it is wrong to express such feelings in actual behaviour. On the extremes there are those who condemn the feelings as well as the behaviour and those who condemn neither the feelings nor the behaviour.

So, in the long run, it really comes down to what you believe --- or rather what you are led to believe when you take the matter in prayer to God. If you yourself believe being intimate with another woman is wrong, then it is wrong, for you at least. If you feel that God does not condemn you, then no one else has the power to condemn you.

How you then deal with the teachings of the church you are attending is up to you.


You might like to get in touch with Christian fellowship groups of gays, lesbians and bisexuals. They are found in a number of denominations.

 

[Radagast]

... Why does God hate it so much?. I don't hurt anyone when I do it, even though I haven't really gotten to much. People always say to me that Christianity is simple but how come this is so hard? It just seems natural to me.

Well, I think it's fairly low on the list of things God doesn't like. Certainly the Bible spends more time condemning things that hurt other people.

And it feels good because it's a version -- even if many Christians think it is a distorted one -- of one of the most beautiful things God created, which is sex within marriage.

However, some things can be wrong because they hurt you, or because they deprive you of a greater good, or because they keep you from God (and this could be one of them -- gluadys has some good advice).

All of us Christians struggle with things of that kind. Serious ones, like unkind remarks to other people, or selfishness. But because of what God has done for us, we're all trying to be a little less imperfect every day.

Oh, and on reading the Bible, I'd start with the New Testament first -- perhaps one of the gospels first, then Acts, then perhaps Ephesians.

 

[bennyk]

I would simply pray and trust in God's guidance.

I have never really known for sure what to think on this matter, so I would simply recommend that you turn to God on this one.

 

[Katie7725]

bennyk im sorry I did say anything about this in our chat a while back, I was too embarrassed to say anything about it.

 

[prophecystudent]

___________SNIP_______--
Before I came here I didn't feel guilty about it. Why does God hate it so much?.
God hates all sin, no matter who does it, or for what reason. God made man and woman and established the biology. To practice that which God has said is a sin makes it wrong.

Perhaps your feelings of guilt arise from the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. God often works that way. He gently leads His people into the path of righteousness by convicting them (giving them feelings of guilt). I have no other explanation as to why you feel guilty.

I don't hurt anyone when I do it, even though I haven't really gotten to much.

Ah, but you do hurt people when you do it, even tho you haven't "done much". You hurt yourself.

I will not preach about why it is wrong other than to say that it is not biologically correct, and God says it is a sin.

People always say to me that Christianity is simple but how come this is so hard? It just seems natural to me.[/quote]

Please don't confuse the simpleness of the salvation message with the process of living as a Christian in the world of today. Two different things. As I said earlier, the salvation message is simple. It is the process of living a Christian life (or trying to) that gets complicated.

Perhaps a good way to approach your questions is to ask yourself, "What would Jesus Do?"

Fred

 

[swill8295]

Ok this one (and I promise that this is the last trouble i post...i swear!) problem I have with Christianity is very personal and you guys are the first ones to know other than a really good friend of mine. I decided i could trust you because I got so many great replies from my first post. Thank you guys for listening so much and I now have a greater understanding of Christianity, which will help me b/c I'm going to church for the first time in my life this Sunday. I just decided to give it a try. Well it all started when I was a little girl, about 8 I think. I had feeling s inside of me that I sensed the other girls didn't have. I grew up and repressed those feelings up till this very day. Here it goes guys, I'm Bisexual. I didn't choose this I have always had these feelings. Ive never had a relationship with another girl, the most I have ever done was try it with a close friend. I have to admit I liked it but even being an agnostic felt ashamed to admit it due to society. I know christians are against this type of behavior. If I do convert to Christianity how will I deal with this? Ill always be sinning b/c I am just as attracted to females as i am males. I trust u guys on this b/c u have shown to be trustworthy. I hope you all don't think I'm strange.

The Lord is love. Nothing can separate you from his love if you believe in him. If you believe in the Lord, you will eventually stop sinning because the Lord will help you and comfort you. The Lord will show you all of your sins that offend him if you believe in him. Read Jesus Christ's word.

 

[hlaltimus]

Ok this one (and I promise that this is the last trouble i post...i swear!) problem I have with Christianity is very personal and you guys are the first ones to know other than a really good friend of mine. I decided i could trust you because I got so many great replies from my first post. Thank you guys for listening so much and I now have a greater understanding of Christianity, which will help me b/c I'm going to church for the first time in my life this Sunday. I just decided to give it a try. Well it all started when I was a little girl, about 8 I think. I had feeling s inside of me that I sensed the other girls didn't have. I grew up and repressed those feelings up till this very day. Here it goes guys, I'm Bisexual. I didn't choose this I have always had these feelings. Ive never had a relationship with another girl, the most I have ever done was try it with a close friend. I have to admit I liked it but even being an agnostic felt ashamed to admit it due to society. I know christians are against this type of behavior. If I do convert to Christianity how will I deal with this? Ill always be sinning b/c I am just as attracted to females as i am males. I trust u guys on this b/c u have shown to be trustworthy. I hope you all don't think I'm strange.

The contemporary phrase, "How could something which feels so good be so wrong?" is a risky philosophy to adopt on the whole. There are plenty of things in this imperfect world which feel very, very satisfying, some of which are good and some of which will prove evil in their end result. An emotional or sensual high is notoriously unreliable as a indicator of it's moral acceptability towards God. Sooner or later, if you want to know the Creator, you will have to accept His opinion of what is right and what is wrong. I will unconditionally guarantee you that whatever you might forfeit for the sake of His judgment as to what is right or wrong will be made up for eventually by a glorious communion with Him that words can never, ever describe.

 

[bennyk]

One way to tell I've heard a minister I respect very much say was...

When wondering whether or something is coming from the flesh (Satan's "domain") or the Spirit (God's domain), is to think about the motivation behind it.

For example:

"I really hope I can convert this person so they can feel God's love and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
-that's an easy one, obviously that motivation is from the Spirit (God's domain)

"I'm kinda tired so I'm gonna sit at home all day and just watch TV and eat."
-also an easy one, almost completely submissive to the body (Satan's domain)

I'm not saying it is wrong to rest every once in a while (we obviously need rest and sleep sometimes), but to be "body-ruled" (as that particular minister called it) is not a good thing.

We want to be Spirit-Ruled! Praise God!

Thanks for readin' and God bless,
--Ben

 

[Radagast]

... When wondering whether or something is coming from the flesh (Satan's "domain") or the Spirit (God's domain), is to think about the motivation behind it....

Hmmm. That worries me -- it sounds almost gnostic.

The body is not evil, and it is not "Satan's domain." When I woke up this morning praising God and wanting eggs for breakfast, that wasn't a bad thing -- eggs are a great invention by God.

Both body and spirit are darkened by sin, and the darkening of the spirit (pride, envy, anger) is, if anything, even worse than the darkening of the body (greed, gluttony, lust).

Having said that, you are very right to say "think about the motivation behind it." The two big things to ask are: does it bring me closer to God? and is it loving towards other people?

 

[bennyk]

Hmmm. That worries me -- it sounds almost gnostic.

The body is not evil, and it is not "Satan's domain." When I woke up this morning praising God and wanting eggs for breakfast, that wasn't a bad thing -- eggs are a great invention by God.

Both body and spirit are darkened by sin, and the darkening of the spirit (pride, envy, anger) is, if anything, even worse than the darkening of the body (greed, gluttony, lust).

Having said that, you are very right to say "think about the motivation behind it." The two big things to ask are: does it bring me closer to God? and is it loving towards other people?

Sorry, I might've been overly emphasizing and too harsh in my point, my fault.

I meant don't become body-ruled as it's called. There is nothing wrong with enjoying playing golf, eating eggs (gotta love your example), or taking a nap, but when the things of this world become more important to you than God, is when it becomes too much.

Sorry, I should've made that more clear.

Both body and spirit are darkened by sin, and the darkening of the spirit (pride, envy, anger) is, if anything, even worse than the darkening of the body (greed, gluttony, lust).

I explained this really poorly, sorry. The minister I was listening to did a much better job of it. And he would consider pride, envy, and anger things of the body as well.

Anyways, I hope this post helps a bit, and I have to admit I did a terrible job explaining it originally.

When I said the body is Satan's domain, I didn't mean that all things coming from the body come from Satan, but what I did mean is that he does use the body to get to people.

For example, if someone is only thinking about how they can have as much fun as possible in life that usually pertains to the body. Whereas if someone is thinking of how they can give their life to God, that usually pertains to the (Holy) Spirit.

Again, you all might want to just completely disregard everything I say in regards to this topic (ha!), because it has been a while since I listened to this sermon and I am not explaining it as well as it could be.

Anyways,

Thanks and God bless,
--Ben

 

[james12345]

you both did good!

 

[gluadys]

The minister I was listening to did a much better job of it. And he would consider pride, envy, and anger things of the body as well.

Oh, I do hope you have misunderstood him. Radagast is right. That is a gnostic concept which sees the body as inherently evil and the spirit as inherently good.

Christianity does not make that distinction. Body and spirit are both good creations of God. Body and spirit in humans are both fallen. The corruption of the spirit is just as real as that of the flesh and probably more dangerous.

When I said the body is Satan's domain, I didn't mean that all things coming from the body come from Satan, but what I did mean is that he does use the body to get to people.

The thing is Satan also uses things of the mind and spirit to get to people. Intellectual pride, for example. The body is no more the domain of Satan than any other aspect of human existence. And one could be laying oneself open to Satan in a way one does not expect if Satan's temptations are identified especially with the body to the exclusion of mind, emotion and spirit.