Should Christians stop saying homosexuality is a sin if it increases suicide?

[Yennora]

But we should also explain the meaning...

If they come and seek that as well.

When we share the Gospel, it's not handing over a book for someone to read, we should explain it for best understanding...

Explain it in the context that God came between us and redeemed them? And that God wants us to live a particular lifestyle in order to remain in the green? Sure. But explaining the lifestyle in detail is wrong. It is enough to tease them to read the Bible by telling them that the lifestyle God wanted for us is explained in that book. (New comers should also be advised to start with the NT not the OT, because the NT opens the way to understand the OT better)

While reading the book, if they had questions and contacted us to seek explanations for particular verses, here comes the part where we should share the in-depth knowledge.

It is all gradual and again, controlled by the hearer not the preacher. That is, if they reject the message at any time, they are free.

 

[AACJ]

I agree with your sentiments expressed here but one of the problems I find is that homosexuals identify themselves by their sexual orientation whereas other sins are acts that people do. Most people recognize when they are doing wrong but LGBT ideology says it is not wrong to engage in same sex behavior because it is an expression of who they are. When we say homosexuality is a sin what we are actually saying (in their mind) is an attack on their personhood.

I'm not sure how we address this but it seems important to keep the focus on the behavior, not the person. I would say that homosexuality is not a sin, nor is it a sin to be homosexual ... it is only homosexual behavior that the Bible speaks against.

That is why I have reservations about the post of the Australian rugby player who was fired for placing this on his Instagram page.

"Warning - drunks homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, idolaters, hell awaits you. Repent. Only Jesus saves. Those that are living in sin will end up in hell unless you repent. Jesus Christ loves you and is giving you time to turn away from your sin and come to Him"

You seem to be defining homosexuality as only homosexual tendency or inclination or desire or attraction. That is a problem and also unjustified. If your definition is correct, then what word should be used to describe both homosexual attraction and practice, homosexualism?

Homosexuality seems to get an inordinate amount of attention in the churches these days probably because it is one of the primary issues challenging church unity.

More like because the homosexual agenda literally seeks to eradicate the real biblical teaching on the morality of homosexuality affirmation/practice and also the Christian worldview from the world. If the California Assembly resolution does not make such crystal clear, nothing will.

I don't believe that homosexuality can cause disunity in the Church nor challenge the unity of the Church. If disunity occurs, the cause of such lies with the Church's response to biblical Truth.

Assembly Bill:

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200ACR99

 

[Cis.jd]

Some people holding placards on a street corner, perhaps, but it is far from true that Christians "do not just go' that is a sin.'"

That is, in fact, exactly the position, the approach, that most Christians who are concerned about this matter take.

I highly disagree. I have a lot of gay relatives to friends who are raised in Christian families, the line: "it's a sin" is much more deeper and packed with forms of passive aggressiveness with in the family or just with in their society.

I'm not saying it's not a sin, it is. It's wrong how todays world has been making it an expo like of a cliche in where this thing is being treated like a celebration of freedom for a specific race but lets not pretend that on the norm christians don't just go "please... don't do it.. it's a sin" in a very harmless tone.

 

[Hazelelponi]

If they come and seek that as well.



Explain it in the context that God came between us and redeemed them? And that God wants us to live a particular lifestyle in order to remain in the green? Sure. But explaining the lifestyle in detail is wrong. It is enough to tease them to read the Bible by telling them that the lifestyle God wanted for us is explained in that book. (New comers should also be advised to start with the NT not the OT, because the NT opens the way to understand the OT better)

While reading the book, if they had questions and contacted us to seek explanations for particular verses, here comes the part where we should share the in-depth knowledge.

It is all gradual and again, controlled by the hearer not the preacher. That is, if they reject the message at any time, they are free.

If we are going to take the time to hand over a book, we need to take the time to explain it's meaning and if we can't be bothered to do that then I personally wouldn't hand over the Book.

Why? Because look at how many ways there are to misunderstand it... why not take the time to send people on a good path of solid footing, instead of just throwing seed on sand, knowing the odds of it taking root are next to nothing?

Do I think every single person is supposed to "evangelize" to every single person? Absolutely not. Just the people God puts in our path, and I think we will know in that moment what is appropriate, if we are led by the Spirit.

This thread, however, isn't about "how" to evangelize (I have my own views on that), it's whether or not the Christian mentioning sin and the need of a Savior drives people to suicide such that we should revamp the Christian message - and my answer to that is an unequivocal no...

Mental illness is the driving factor of suicide. Not what Christianity teaches.

 

[Sparagmos]

Perhaps the reason that homosexuality and abortion are so often mentioned by believers is that those engaging in those activities claim they are not sins at all while there are few that claim murder, theft, adultery etc. are actually not sins but natural and positive things to be celebrated.

Not true, people say that premarital sex is not a sin and conservative Christians don’t talk about that nearly as much as homosexuality. Far more people, and most young Christians, engage in premarital sex and yet it isn’t discussed in the same way at all.

 

[Albion]

I highly disagree. I have a lot of gay relatives to friends who are raised in Christian families, the line: "it's a sin" is much more deeper and packed with forms of passive aggressiveness with in the family or just with in their society.

Then your complaint is with those individuals. That is not what I was speaking about.

 

[Sparagmos]

We can't convict anyone of sin, but what your suggesting is that we hide the fact sin exists from the sinner that we are attempting to explain the Savior to..

I don't care if it's a straight man in a 3 piece suit or the harlot in the street, we have to explain sin to them, at some point. It's not a topic we can exactly avoid and think we are doing justice to the Word of God.

We can discuss the fact we too are sinners in need of a savior, we can talk about sin as gently as possible, but we can't just avoid the topic or hope they can figure it out without explanation..

As if ANYONE doesn’t know that Christians think homosexuality is a sin! There is no gay person that isn’t already aware of this. They don’t need to be told again and again.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I think it’s evident by the emphasis on this site, the media, and church sermons that some sins obtain significantly greater dialogue and focus than others. God addressed many issues in the bible but the ones most mentioned are abortion, homosexuality and politics.

I’ve grown increasingly weary of hearing the arguments and postulations and I’m a believer. I can only assume the same holds true for those within these circles.

It’s the absence of even handedness of biblical precepts that’s a turnoff. If we were fervent about God’s word in its entirety that’s one thing. But the cherry picking is nauseating and wholly hypocritical.

True, but some of the social dynamics involved here could also be that Liberals in the U.S. are making the Homosexual issue the legal "linchpin" by which they will then bring about further social engineering away from whatever vestiges of the Christian faith remain within the overall political structure ... and they'll do this even though, honestly, homosexuality isn't the most serious sin issue one can find in the Bible. And they know that the jerking of the social engineering machine will rile up radical Republican Conservatives and ultimately move them to "prove" the Liberal point.

On my part as a Purple, I just wish everyone on both sides of the political spectrum would chill; but both sides seem to think they're going to "Save America!!!" It would be better, I think, if we all could focus most upon saving lives and souls instead of our political agendas.

 

[Hazelelponi]

As if ANYONE doesn’t know that Christians think homosexuality is a sin! There is no gay person that isn’t already aware of this. They don’t need to be told again and again.

Let's look at the logic here.

Say I believe homosexuality is a sin, and I believe that Jesus came to save people from the burden of sin and that through the blood of Christ homosexuals would be forgiven.

Why would any one decide to kill themselves over this message of hope?

If you didn't agree with the statement one would assume you just walk away shaking your head and go on about your life..

If you did agree with the statement there's no need to end your life.. because you have a savior that can and will forgive you for your sin.

If you don't want to repent of sin and feel you must in order to be saved why end life now and rush headlong to hell? why not hang out and party a while with your closest freinds?

It's not a mentally stable thought to kill yourself, because my faith thinks your sinning....no matter how many times you hear what my beliefs are.

A homosexual killing themself is a sign of mental illness, and not something wrong with the Christian faith..

You don't have to be accepted by society to deal with life. Christians sure aren't.

The push here is blatantly obvious, change the Christian faith so a tiny subset of society are happy, and there is no reason for me to do that as that would be a sin on me.

 

[GOD Shines Forth!]

Let's look at the logic here.

Say I believe homosexuality is a sin, and I believe that Jesus came to save people from the burden of sin and that through the blood of Christ homosexuals would be forgiven.

Why would any one decide to kill themselves over this message of hope?

If you didn't agree with the statement one would assume you just walk away shaking your head and go on about your life..

If you did agree with the statement there's no need to end your life.. because you have a savior that can and will forgive you for your sin.

If you don't want to repent of sin and feel you must in order to be saved why end life now and rush headlong to hell.. why not hang out and party a while with your closest freinds..

It's not a mentally stable thought to kill yourself, because my faith thinks your sinning....

I'm not killing myself because my friends and family think I'm damned.. I am just going on with my life, with my new friends ... what my family thinks is their right to think.. and what I do with my life is my right to do.

If it wasn't I wouldn't be here, but it is so I am.

A homosexual killing themself is a sign of mental illness, and not something wrong with the Christian faith..

You don't have to be accepted by society to deal with life. Christians sure aren't.

The demonic powers that be want NO riling up of conscience or disturbance of thought leading to, "There is something WRONG with me/all of this!"

CS Lewis was right in saying "Christianity is that intruder into a conversation that was getting along famously well without it!" This includes not just "bad" people chatting, but all those who are "good" but still fatally fall short of the glory of GOD. Don't interrupt their conversation with the gospel of the grace of God!

The political forces want to forestall any disagreement as they try to co-opt yet another aggrieved class with a grudge. All of us believers took the pangs of conscience that led us to cry out to the Lord. Some who refuse those pangs cower and suicide out. Others go on, "storing up wrath for themselves". Terrible and sad, but in the words of another Brit,

"The God of Love will never withdraw our right to grief and infamy"--WH Auden

Fleshly "compassion" leads many to ruin. Godly compassion holds forth the word of life in a "crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world"-Philippians 2:16

 

[archarios]

I say it's not my problem if they choose to commit suicide. If my mere words make them suicidal then they have deeper issues. Last I heard words don't affect someones life.

im pretty sure i know what you mean but this quote needs to be commented on for the benefit of passerby who might read it.

It is possible to talk a person into suicide, or say things that make a person want to harm themselves maybe to the point of death. And we shouldn't do that. And i'm sure no Christian here would disagree that words and bullying can do that.

===BUT===

the issue is that tons of politically active homosexuals and "allies" (and liberal Christians) are trying to say that all lgbts are and will always be in a perpetual state of suicidal ideation, and the thing that will push them over the edge is Christians repeating what the Bible says about homosexuality.

It is an attempt to silence Christians and an attempt to erase the pages of the Bible.

 

[ChicanaRose]

I am not raising the question of whether homosexual activities are sinful. I am addressing the situation of whether saying so publicly causes LGBT people to self harm.

The catalyst for this question is the recent Californian Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 99

"The resolution, ACR-99, Civil Rights: Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people, urges counselors, pastors, churches, educators, and others to avoid supporting the historic Christian view of sexual ethics. The measure says such support can result in "disproportionately high" rates of suicide, attempted suicide, and depression among persons who identify as LGBT."
The Christian Post

Also relevant is this video which was made in the context of a sports star here in Australia quoting 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 on his Instagram account and being fired.

Thank you for bringing this up. I think that we are supposed to speak the truth in love. Perhaps it is not what, but how things are being said, that leads to problems (?)

 

[Daniel Martinovich]

I am not raising the question of whether homosexual activities are sinful. I am addressing the situation of whether saying so publicly causes LGBT people to self harm.

The catalyst for this question is the recent Californian Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 99

"The resolution, ACR-99, Civil Rights: Lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people, urges counselors, pastors, churches, educators, and others to avoid supporting the historic Christian view of sexual ethics. The measure says such support can result in "disproportionately high" rates of suicide, attempted suicide, and depression among persons who identify as LGBT."
The Christian Post

Also relevant is this video which was made in the context of a sports star here in Australia quoting 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 on his Instagram account and being fired.

What the CA legislature is doing is 100% political. They don’t care anymore about the welfare of homosexuals than they do about the children at the border. They are just trying to shut down their political opposition.

As far as homosexuals committing suicide. The only thing Christians are at fault with is not knowing how to overcome the temptation. Just saying Jesus is enough does not tell anyone how it works, or how Jesus conquers the temptation.

This whole thing is such a horrendous lie. You can’t change nature. If the entire culture accepted homosexuality is a perfectly normal healthy lifestyle. Even more suicides would occur. What kind of lies would then be used to cover that fact up?

 

[RDKirk]

The Samaritan woman already knew about sin and the whole why a Messiah would be necessary. Jesus wasn't speaking to someone who had no concept of sin, or who had no background of what a Savior was for.

And yet, He did not address her sin until after she accepted Him.

She believed He was the prophesied Messiah, and then was convicted of her personal sin.

Which is what I said. Why are you arguing to put the cart before the horse?

 

[dqhall]

I highly disagree. I have a lot of gay relatives to friends who are raised in Christian families, the line: "it's a sin" is much more deeper and packed with forms of passive aggressiveness with in the family or just with in their society.

I'm not saying it's not a sin, it is. It's wrong how todays world has been making it an expo like of a cliche in where this thing is being treated like a celebration of freedom for a specific race but lets not pretend that on the norm christians don't just go "please... don't do it.. it's a sin" in a very harmless tone.

It is wrong to bully and bash gays. It is also wrong to recommend homosexuality. Gay men got HIV, Hep C etc. They enticed people into a lifestyle that caused severe illness, bankruptcy due to medical bills and sometimes suicide. Homosexuality was often not their only sin. Some gays tempted and harassed others with unwanted sexual advances. Rejection of gay lifestyle might hurt feelings, but it is necessary.

Judas committed suicide. It was not Jesus’ fault.

 

[ilovejcsog]

Their lifestyle is definitely affecting our lives in a negative way. It is intrusive. It is corrupt and corrupts society. It is glaring in our face and is hard to ignore. The very worst thing that can happen is how it affects our children and it has.

 

[Hazelelponi]

And yet, He did not address her sin until after she accepted Him.



Which is what I said. Why are you arguing to put the cart before the horse?

Why not preach Buddhism?

In my bible sin is real, and I'm not hiding it for you or anyone else.

 

[RDKirk]

If school policies promote propagandizing our children in beliefs that are diametrically opposite to our own, then I think it would be a hill worth fighting for.

"If you send your children to Caesar's schools, don't be surprised if they turn out Romans."

The Body of Christ in America has enough money to educate our own children.

That's what makes the curriculum of Caesar's schools "the wrong hill to fight on."

 

[Tropical Wilds]

Yes.

Apparently not or you would have realized as much...

 

[RDKirk]

Why not preach Buddhism if there is no such thing as sin in your opinion?

Now you slande me--which is sin. I challenge you to quote where I said there was no such thing as sin.

I'll wait.