Myth # 1:GOD LOVES EVERYONE, SO HOMOSEXUALITY IS FINE. God does love everyone, but not our sins, which is the reason Christ died and rose again--to save us from sin. God loves murderers, anorexics and liars-- and wants these people to stop their damage to others and to themselves. It's the same with homosexuality. Such desires are directly the opposite of positive, healthy choices, and scientists remain unconvinced that any humans are born to become homosexual. Plenty of evidence attests to the damage to the body, mind and spirit resulting from homosexual sex. There are many logical reasons why it remains a sin.Taken from the Ears to Hear website.
Myth #2: THE BIBLE DOES NOT OPPOSE HOMOSEXUALITY. If the Bible's clear passages against homosexuality can't be believed, it isn't believable on anything. Consider: "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination." (Leviticus 18:22) And, "For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due." (Romans 1:26-27) And these aren't the sole passages, but the others are similar and convey the same message: Don't.
Myth # 3: THE STORY OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH DID NOT CONDEMN HOMOSEXUALITY. On the contrary, the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) is quite obviously about homosexuality. The sins of the people were numerous, but their "trademark" sin was homosexual sex, which is apparent in the original passage as well as later Bible references to the event.
In the Genesis account, Lot and his family barricade themselves and their male guests inside their home as protection against the sexual depravity of a gang of males: "Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.'" (verses 4-5) Lot begs them to go away, then offers them his virgin daughters instead (one more clear indication of the predators' goal). Despite Lot's questionable parenting here, the mob threatens Lot and accuses him of being judgmental (shades of 2005!), then begins to break down the door. The two guests, who've previously been identified as angels (verse 1), pull Lot back into the house and send a blinding light to disperse the crowd. The angels then instruct Lot and his family to flee the town, which they are about to destroy. This destruction occurs soon afterward.
The Bible provides a laundry list of grave sins committed by the Sodomites: pride and insolence (see Ezekiel 16:49-50; 2 Peter 2: 6-10), gluttony (Ezekiel 16:49), greed and laziness (Ezekiel 16:49-50) disrespect toward God and His true believers(Isaiah 3:9, Ezekiel 16:50), false worship (Deuteronomy 29:23-26; Isaiah 1:10-11; Jeremiah 23:14; Ezekiel 16: 46-56), lies, especially by the prophets/priests (Jeremiah 23:14), violence (Isaiah 1:21) and neglecting the poor and orphaned (Isaiah 1:23, Ezekiel 16:49-50). The main sin mentioned is sexual immorality (Jeremiah 23:14; Ezekiel 46-56, 2 Peter 2:6-18; Jude 7-19), specifically homosexuality (Genesis 19:4-5; Ezekiel 16:50; 2 Peter 6-18; Jude 7-8) Subsequent references to the "twin cities" in both the Old and New Testaments use them as a metaphor or simile for many types of bad behavior, by which we get more information about their nature and reputation. Sodom and Gomorrah are also frequently referenced as examples of total corruption, subject to God's wrath (Genesis 18:20; Deuteronomy 29:23; Isaiah 13:19; Jeremiah 49:18 and 50:40; Amos 4:11; Zephaniah 2: 9-10; Romans 9:29; 2 Peter 2:6-19), including by Jesus Himself (Matthew 10:15 and 11:24; Luke 10:12). Jesus was describing the fate of those cities refusing to hear the Gospel.
Some ill-informed Christian writers contend Sodom and Gomorrah really describes the consequences of being "poor hosts" to strangers, violating customs in the ancient near East. When one reads all the relevant Bible passages, such a pitiful and inadequate explanation is not possible.
Myth #4: REAL CHRISTIAN LOVE CALLS FOR ACCEPTANCE OF HOMOSEXUALITY. On the contrary, the authentic Christian is characterized by devotion to truth and love as revealed by Christ, not mushy sentimentality swayed by today's worldly trends. While Christ is often merciful even to those who have sinned, He never excuses sin or calls it less than what it is. John the Baptist's primary message to the world to prepare for Christ was not a call for tolerance; it was a call to repentance. (Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:4) Christ told the woman caught in adultery, "Go and sin no more." (John 8:11) Love as exemplified by Christ was always framed with His truth and righteousness. Christ said, "He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me." (John 14:21) and "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word." (John 14:23) Real love starts with love of Christ and all He taught.
The passage, "Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1) cautions us to judge carefully without hypocrisy, not to withhold judgment. Four verses later, Christ completes the thought with, "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:5)
Myth #5: JESUS NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY. And Jesus is never quoted on the subjects of rape or wife beating either. Would that mean that these actions are okay? Christ was God on earth, and as such, was part of all the Old Testament teaching on sexual morality. The Jews were more than familiar with this, so there was a lot that didn't need to be said. And Christ specifically described marriage as being "from the beginning" between one man and one woman. (Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-9).There's no reason not to believe as the apostles did that sexual immorality still included homosexual acts.
"Those who advocate full acceptance of homosexual behavior choose to downplay the growing and incontrovertible evidence regarding the serious, life-threatening health effects associated with the homosexual lifestyle." The Negative Health Effects of Homosexuality Issue No.: 232 by: Timothy J. Dailey, Ph. D.
I take it for certain that the physical satisfaction of homosexual desires is sin. This leaves the [homosexual] no worse off than any normal person who is, for whatever reason, prevented from marrying...Our speculations on the cause of the abnormality are not what matters and we must be content with ignorance. The disciples were not told why (in terms of efficient cause) the man was born blind (John 9:1-3): only the final cause, that the works of God [should] be made manifest in him. This suggests that in homosexuality, as in every other tribulation, those works can be made manifest i.e. that every disability conceals a vocation, if only we can find it --C. S. LEWIS, IN A LETTER TO SHELDON VANAUKEN
2 comments:
One thing to consider about the "serious, life-threatening health effects associated with the homosexual lifestyle" is that the dangerous behaviors associated with being gay stem from homosexual behaviors being considered illicit. If you have to go outside societal rules to satisfy your desires, you're more likely to be reckless about it, and the people willing to go outside the rules would be more reckless by nature. The more that general society rallies to your first points, the more true the last point is, and vice-versa.
One of the unhealthy behaviors that anti-gay advocates associate with homosexuals is their higher rate of suicide, but of course people who are told that they are monsters and perverts will tend to be more depressed.
Rachel,
Using your argument I might have become depressed when twenty years ago I went against the norm to home school. Trust me, we were called a few things other than normal at the time; but I felt what we were doing was right and as hard as it was to "go outside societal rules" we pressed on towards the prize. Anyway I've listed a site below that speaks to the medical side, both physical and psychological, of the homosexual issue, and does so in a non-judgmental way. Interesting that it comes from Canada where gay marriage is legal.
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/homosexuality/ho0095.html
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