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my best friend turned out to be gay(well bi to be exact) and he kinda came out to a few people. he told out main group of friends and one of his best friends since like middle school totally turned her back on him and she is just being a total hypocrite. I really dont get her at all!!! Im not alright with his orientation but...hes still a friend of mine. His friend then went and told everyone including the youth pastor(cuz were all 11th and 12th grade) and he took our group of friends and told us that he has decided to turn his back on god and so the bible says that we are not to accept that lifestyle so we need to turn our back on him, not ignore him, but theres no way that we can be best friends with him. Thats wrong right?? i say its his life and he will have to deal with god. we arent to turn our backs!!! his stupid EX friends are being snobby and i just can not believe it!!! they think they are being christians??? they are pitiful excuses of one!! god died for ALL of us!! he loves ALL of us. he accepts ALL of us. Im against being gay, in the sense that i see it as going against exactly what the bible says, but....they are still people that deserve gods and our love.
It is entirely possible that the homosexual knows he is living a sinful life, yet he comes to church weekly to pray for help. To find a way to change. Provided he is not doing so in a disruptive way, any true Christian congregation must & will welcome him until his dying breath. Christ himself has show us this!
How are we to know that this man does not come to church every week with guilt on his heart and remorse in his soul? Can we read minds??? Just because a person hasn't yet stopped sinning, doesn't mean they won't some day find grace.
Seeking forgiveness is Christian. Denying the opportunity to receive forgiveness is not.
I just dont understand! There AREN'T degrees of sin. someone who has gotten a divorce...thats directly talked about in the bible yet...theres people that have gotten divorces and still go to church! these people arent shunned from the church. I dont understand everyones thoughts that having sin means you cant go to church...where did that come from? I really cant type into words how i feel and what im thinking. I mean, some people have the right to not want to be friends with a gay person, but dont make it difficult or make it out to be a sin if someone else chooses to stay friends with the gay person. turning your back is the last thing to do. does getting kicked out of the church or "shunned" make you want to go back to church at all? NO. and so how would a gay person who is not allowed back to church allowed to repent or feel gods word tugging on their heart? when theyre walking in the mall? or hanging out with friends? maybe while hes on a date with some other guy! noones going to hear god in any of those situations! thats what church is a good place for...but if your kicked out, then i guess your just not allowed to feel the word of god. maybe if a gay person were allowed in church then they might turn their life around! I recommend people read the book "fresh wind, fresh fire" about the brooklyn tabernacle and the wonderful acceptance they practice. they take gays, murderers and transexuals and see miraculous things happen in their lives. These people are given the chance to completely turn their life to the lord. Everyone is entitled to the word of the lord.
I just dont understand! There AREN'T degrees of sin. someone who has gotten a divorce...thats directly talked about in the bible yet...theres people that have gotten divorces and still go to church! these people arent shunned from the church. I dont understand everyones thoughts that having sin means you cant go to church...where did that come from? I really cant type into words how i feel and what im thinking. I mean, some people have the right to not want to be friends with a gay person, but dont make it difficult or make it out to be a sin if someone else chooses to stay friends with the gay person. turning your back is the last thing to do. does getting kicked out of the church or "shunned" make you want to go back to church at all? NO. and so how would a gay person who is not allowed back to church allowed to repent or feel gods word tugging on their heart? when theyre walking in the mall? or hanging out with friends? maybe while hes on a date with some other guy! noones going to hear god in any of those situations! thats what church is a good place for...but if your kicked out, then i guess your just not allowed to feel the word of god. maybe if a gay person were allowed in church then they might turn their life around! I recommend people read the book "fresh wind, fresh fire" about the brooklyn tabernacle and the wonderful acceptance they practice. they take gays, murderers and transexuals and see miraculous things happen in their lives. These people are given the chance to completely turn their life to the lord. Everyone is entitled to the word of the lord.
Oh please. There certainly are degrees of sin, otherwise there wouldn't be one particular one that's called "the unforgiveable sin" and there wouldn't be those that could keep people from inheriting the kingdom of God (according to Galatians). Divorce is a sin according to certain faiths.......but it is NOT a sin according to the scriptures. While the Bible says that "God hates a divorcing", it also doesn't completely prohibit people from seeking one, but only on ONE ground alone: fornication. That's right, God may not like people to get divorced, but he does stipulate one permissible ground for someone getting divorced. If someone so chooses to divorce their mate because they cheated on them in some way, that is not considered a sin. Removing the person, or kicking them out of the congregation, is a practice that is scriptural. The first-century Christians were to remove from among them anyone who willfully practiced sin. That means that the person knows what they were doing was wrong and yet continued on that course. To remove the person is a form of discipline, yes, but with the purpose of keeping the rest of the congregation clean, and for hopefully causing the sinner to reconsider their course, as they see that they lose the association of their former friends because they adhere firmly to God's moral standards, and like God, do not accept that person's chosen course of life. If such a person does decide to reject their sinful life and turn around from it, they may attend the congregation services, but would have to do so on their own for a good length of time, time sufficient enough to show the congregation elders that they have changed and do desire to come back and live by God's standards. So the kicking the person out of the congregation doesn't have to be a permanent thing.....it all comes down to the choice being made by the one practicing the gross sin.
I think your assessment of the situation is basically correct. We are all sinners so if your going to turn your back on a gay friend you need to turn your back on all of your friends. If one chooses not to be friends with this person because of his sexual orientation then that's their perrogative but it's not their perrogative to judge him. I would certainly hope that, if your friend is the christian he claims to be, that he wouldn't flaunt his sexuality and that he'd be totally abstinent as that is really the only way to abide by God's law, just like a heterosexual person has to be abstinent with all but their own spouse. Have you tried discussing your feelings with your youth pastor and your friends? Remember, it's not "feeing" gay that's wrong (in the absence of lusting), it's the actual sexual acts that are wrong. Just like heterosexual attraction in and of itself is not wrong (again, except for lusting, because when one lusts after another they've already committed the act in their heart if not literally), but engaging in heterosexual activity is wrong unless it's with your own spouse.
I don't believe we are to be around those who willfully choose to sin.
Had to spread it but I wanted to balance the reddies. I believe this statement to be correct. But, in keeping with the topic of the OP, it's also important to distinguish what acts are actually sinful. A person can have certain feelings for someone of the same sex that may be considered unnatural (and they are), but that in and of itself isn't sinful. To act on such feelings, either lustfully or in fact, that's where the line is crossed. As I also said previously, the same holds true even in the realm of heterosexuality. Just like when a young woman gets pregnant out of wedlock, having the baby isn't what's sinful, it's the act that led up to it that was the sin. Certain denominations (and I won't mention any names lol) will practically shun an unwed mother-to-be and all the focus is on the pregnancy, with no regard given to the act that led to it. There is nothing sinful at all about being pregnant, it's the act that brings it about. The unwed father isn't treated with the same kind of ostracism, which makes it very hypocritical. Similarly, a young woman who "does it" but doesn't get pregnant is totally overlooked. Clearly many people are quite confused about what is actually sinful and what isn't.
Campem as said above, talk to a minister or someone else besides us people who know nothing of the bible or the way god wants us to be, or else we would all have the same beliefs as christians.
This site only confuses you on topics like this because we usually get into debates instead of actually helping you. Email your pastor if you can. My church has a helping line for people who need help so yours may have one too.
I recommend to go off your personal opinions, that is why god let you think and gave you a heart. You know whats right and wrong, and in the end thats what it is going to be.
For me to ditch someone because of jut being gay, i think that is wrong. For trying to change someone, i believe that is wrong. The bible may not agree but, you do what you do. Your not encouraging him to be gay by being with him, your only being there for him when he is in need. THats what i would want, a friend who will be there with me till the end.
Most of these people dont have gay children, or family members so they still havent been in your shoes, which is why you should not take what they say to heart.
Trust yourself more than just words from people you don't know.
Oh please. There certainly are degrees of sin, otherwise there wouldn't be one particular one that's called "the unforgiveable sin" and there wouldn't be those that could keep people from inheriting the kingdom of God (according to Galatians). Divorce is a sin according to certain faiths.......but it is NOT a sin according to the scriptures. While the Bible says that "God hates a divorcing", it also doesn't completely prohibit people from seeking one, but only on ONE ground alone: fornication. That's right, God may not like people to get divorced, but he does stipulate one permissible ground for someone getting divorced. If someone so chooses to divorce their mate because they cheated on them in some way, that is not considered a sin. Removing the person, or kicking them out of the congregation, is a practice that is scriptural. The first-century Christians were to remove from among them anyone who willfully practiced sin. That means that the person knows what they were doing was wrong and yet continued on that course. To remove the person is a form of discipline, yes, but with the purpose of keeping the rest of the congregation clean, and for hopefully causing the sinner to reconsider their course, as they see that they lose the association of their former friends because they adhere firmly to God's moral standards, and like God, do not accept that person's chosen course of life. If such a person does decide to reject their sinful life and turn around from it, they may attend the congregation services, but would have to do so on their own for a good length of time, time sufficient enough to show the congregation elders that they have changed and do desire to come back and live by God's standards. So the kicking the person out of the congregation doesn't have to be a permanent thing.....it all comes down to the choice being made by the one practicing the gross sin.
......have you read the new testament? jesus came so that he could cover up our sins. things have changed in the time of the old and new testament. I still think that there are not degrees of sin. The bible doesnt EVER say there are degrees of sin. it just says that blaspheming god is the worst...the others are sort of clumped together. but maybe you can show me some chart out there that shows me which sin is worse...so i know not to commit them. and that sounds like good advice sgt hardkore. thanks.
......have you read the new testament? jesus came so that he could cover up our sins. things have changed in the time of the old and new testament. I still think that there are not degrees of sin. The bible doesnt EVER say there are degrees of sin. it just says that blaspheming god is the worst...the others are sort of clumped together. but maybe you can show me some chart out there that shows me which sin is worse...so i know not to commit them. and that sounds like good advice sgt hardkore. thanks.
If there's anyone out there more ignorant of the Bible than you are, please show me. The fact that there is one sin that's unforgivable......that mere fact alone.....means there are degrees of sin. You can think all sins are the same, in fact many people do as an excuse to mitigate the things they've done or are doing, but in God's sight that's simply not true. An actual reading of the Bible would point that out.
What is wrong with my post, is this thread not just a debate of opinions?
And i was just giving my personal opinion. I was just explaining that from what i read on here, i get confused on a lot of topics and i was just letting the questioner know that. Its a lot easier to ask someone face to face.
If there's anyone out there more ignorant of the Bible than you are, please show me. The fact that there is one sin that's unforgivable......that mere fact alone.....means there are degrees of sin. You can think all sins are the same, in fact many people do as an excuse to mitigate the things they've done or are doing, but in God's sight that's simply not true. An actual reading of the Bible would point that out.
oh. im sorry, i didnt know that youve actually ASKED god this question and he flat out told you the answer. I'm sorry but i grew up in church, my mom is a minister, my grandpa is a preacher....i dont know what to tell you. ignorant of the bible? ill admit i dont know everything, but i do know that no where in the bible does it say anything about degrees of sin. again i ask...have you heard of the new testament? things changed after jesus came around. jesus was alive to save us from our sins. meaning all that we do, all the wrong stuff that we all do, we just have to ask for forgiveness and we would receive it. let me remind you of the ripping of the curtain at the temples. that ripping of the curtain represented the freedom we now have to freely ask for forgiveness. we dont have to admit our sins to anyone else and make sacrifices, we just have to ask god. now, please give me scripture reference of where i can find the degrees of sin. I dont deny that there is ONE "unforgivable sin" but thats it...ONE. show me where in the bible it says that murder is worse then adultery. let me save you some trouble...it doesnt say that. just because in our minds we give sins different degrees doesnt mean that god sees it that way.
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