This has bothered me for awhile. I've been wondering why it is that people constantly talk about how God is going to destroy America and/or the world because of our growing acceptance of homosexuality. Well, God didn't destroy the world during the Holocaust, so what makes people think he cares more about homosexuality?
Does this strike anyone else as a bit...off, morally?
Hi WF
It's so great to be able to participate in a topic that you have created.
I will try to answer your question from my point of view which is just mine, because I am unworthy to speak for our Heavenly Father. If I wrong Him by doing so I pray that He will forgive me, and I hope that He will because He is merciful and my intentions here are good.
*takes a deep breath before beginning*
This is such a deeply emotional topic, isn't it? We all know and love people who are homosexual. Maybe we all don't, but I do, and I'm sure there are many here that also do.
I've been sitting here for a bit trying to put this into words and I'm having a really hard time. I don't know if I can do it justice, but here goes...
To the Heavenly Father, sin is sin... all sins are equally capable of keeping us out of His presence. All sins are capable of causing each and every human to perish. Not just one sin, or some sins, but all sins. However, God, being a loving Father, is not willing that any should perish and in fact wants each of His creation to come to repentence. See
2 Peter 3:9 for scripture to support this.
In the USA, and in all of the world, sin prevails. We must look again to God's word to see what sin is.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19-20).
As we look at this scripture and apply it to the behavior we see in the world today, and more specifically in the USA (because that is the topic of your question) we come to understand that if our Father were to turn His back on our country it would be because we are embracing these sins. When we embrace these sins, we turn our back on Him, because all sin is an offense against our God and a rejection of who He ultimately is.
If the USA is abandoned by God and His protective angels, ultimately demolished, it will be because we are immersed in sins, not one, but many. So I don't believe that we can blame all of this on homosexuality or the people of our country embracing homosexuality. I think it's much bigger than that. Sex outside of marriage is a sin, and God's word says that sodomy is also a sin. However, it also says that many other things which are even more widly embraced are sins. Hatred comes to mind. In my heart, I think that hatred and self-love (worship of self and also worship of others ... idolatry)are at the root of the destruction of mankind, and all of these other sins are the sum of these two sins. I could be wrong but this is what I feel.
These are my opinions and what I believe about God, but again I apologize to my Heavenly Father if I am not conveying His love for all of you appropriately. I know that God loves each of us so much, (including homosexuals). I also get that it's really hard to grasp that, if we have not been brought up to understand who He is, or if we were brought up to have religion crammed down our throats. I believe that if we embrace God's love for us, and do His work here as we have been commanded to do by Jesus (Love God first above all things, and then love one another as we have been loved), also embracing the golden rule (do unto others as you would have done unto you), then we will not show hatred toward homosexuals but will instead love them through the eyes of Christ. These are just people like you and I, and they need love, compassion, and prayer. If God means for them to change then He will change them after they accept Him. If He does not change them after they accept Him then that is not up to us to judge. God knows what He is doing. We must not attempt to judge others, in His place, for this is a grave sin against Him to do so! That doesn't mean that we embrace sin, and it doesn't mean that we put ourselves above those that we see as sinners, because the truth be told, for every person you see as a sinner, God see's about 100 times more sin in you (same can be said about me and any of us so that's not a personal statement).
To me, this Christianity, it is.... personal. It is a personal acceptance of, first, the belief in God, and second the belief that He (out of love and mercy) sent His Son to die for our sins, and then raised that same Son from the dead (resurrection) to show that He could and would do the same for us, if we believe. Our sins died with Jesus, if we believe. That doesn't mean that we won't ever sin again, because we do, but acceptance of Christ brings about a change in us. It changes who we are in that it changes our desires, and helps us focus our hopes, and plans, on that relationship with God and on living in a way that maintains that relationship with Him. When we slip up, we know to ask for forgiveness.
Ok so I have rambled on a bit here, but I hope I have answered your question. I tried my best. Thank you for asking it.
It's a really good question.
