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I hope it is okay for me to post here.
Justin, I live with the same sexual orientation you do. It sucks. It really, really does. But the worst thing, I've learned, is to try to justify it. I've tried that, but it's not real. It's a fantasy, a lie, a self-deception. If you want to be happy, you have to learn to live with this because it is not going to go away and it is not going to become right or natural either. Seek the Lord's face, reach out for the hem of His garment.
Jesus is the only beloved you and I are meant to have.
Wonderful post (as usual), Andrew.Justin, you must know that everyone here loves and cares about you. You asked for proof of where it teaching homosexuality is wrong and I provided quotes from the Holy Scriptures and from the Fathers. It is all there in black and white. You cannot twist Orthodoxy the way you want it as others have said. The Church can't change but we have to change for the Church and for our love of Jesus Christ. I've seen many people have been very loving to you and then you say that we are intolerant; in a sense that is true that Orthodoxy is intolerant toward any kind of sin weather it be theft, murder, adultery, masturbation, abortion, pride, hate, you get the idea but we aren't intolerant to you. We have to work hard towards God and it is going to be hard but we have to endure all things for our love of God.
Forgive me Justin if I have ever been unloving, intolerant, or insensitive to you. I really don't mean to be and nobody here does, everyone tries their best to help you but you have to be patient to human weakness, especially mine.
I hope it is okay for me to post here.
Justin, I live with the same sexual orientation you do. It sucks. It really, really does. But the worst thing, I've learned, is to try to justify it. I've tried that, but it's not real. It's a fantasy, a lie, a self-deception. If you want to be happy, you have to learn to live with this because it is not going to go away and it is not going to become right or natural either. Seek the Lord's face, reach out for the hem of His garment.
Jesus is the only beloved you and I are meant to have.
I'm sure it is very difficult and a heavy cross to bear. But Christ said, if we bear our crosses for Him, we will share in His glory also Have courage.. and for the last sentence: it is true that no one can love us more than God.. even though we all have a natural desire to be with another human being... God can fill all our hearts and by grace, we would be truly happy with Him. Many of the Saints were religious and so did not marry..they were married mystically to Christ. It is both a sacrifice and a joy.. maybe it helps to see it positively, not negatively.
I believe that with God's grace, we can bear ANYTHING. Sometimes He asks us to give things up, but gives so much more in return.. God is very generous and very patient.
God bless.
I hope it is okay for me to post here.
Justin, I live with the same sexual orientation you do. It sucks. It really, really does. But the worst thing, I've learned, is to try to justify it. I've tried that, but it's not real. It's a fantasy, a lie, a self-deception. If you want to be happy, you have to learn to live with this because it is not going to go away and it is not going to become right or natural either. Seek the Lord's face, reach out for the hem of His garment.
Jesus is the only beloved you and I are meant to have.
But I can be close to God anyways and still love another man.
You can think that. I think otherwise.I'm gonna keep going to my church, I just own't be able to have communion, and I am fine with that. Everything will work out if I trust God.
Glad someone posted this. It gives me an excuse to delve into one of my all time favorite little bits of Orthodox Theology (this isn't directed directly at you btw);
Does God hate? If so, how...why? Does God hate sin?
The answer, hate is antithetical to God's nature, but not to ours. Whenever we commit sin or evil it is a serious crisis moment that urgently requires God's Love, Mercy, and Grace.
Where or when did Christ ever command, "Hate!" Where is, "Hate!" written in the Gospels? Where has, "Hate!" been given to us by our Holy Tradition?
"I love you, but I hate what you do." We're not called to simultaneously love someone and hate them at the same time.
Since God is Love, hate and its user-base keep themselves unaware of the divine image they are imprinted with.
We as Christians are not called to hate. Hate is not a Christian virtue.
You can think that. I think otherwise.I'm gonna keep going to my church, I just own't be able to have communion, and I am fine with that. Everything will work out if I trust God.
Yeah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I apologize.I think that if you want to discuss this, you should start your own thread. It is not polite to hijack someone else's thread for your own purposes.
You can think that. I think otherwise.I'm gonna keep going to my church, I just own't be able to have communion, and I am fine with that. Everything will work out if I trust God.
Some of you here on this thread, as well as some people on Facebook, have reminded me just how unloving, intolerant and insensitive Orthodox Christians can be.
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