Homosexuality and destroying faith

[Mastermind]

I've noticed a disturbing trend among Christians to quickly condemn homosexuals while I don't think I've ever witnessed any of them actually tring to help them overcome it. Instead, they seemed more satisfied with breaking their faith and getting them to think God hates them instead. So the poll question is this: If somebody is homosexual, and you don't seem able to convince them that it's wrong, what do you do?

[AttentionKMartShoppers]

Mastermind, you don't have to be aggressive, just because you have a really small manhood. That's not what I do...and NARTH isn't intimidating. And telling people are wrong according to God is not judging! If you condemn someone based on what you believe, that's judging...if you tell someone they're wrong about something based on what God says, that's just stating the facts.

[kateliz]

I've never spoken with someone who thought they were homesexual, (no one is born that way,) about it, but I have, of course, interacted with them. I've been frank about my Christianity and that sins are sins, and overall I've purposefully treated them as I would anyone else. If the topic were to ever come up in the appropriate time and place, (there's a homosexual guy that works at Subway I talk with when I go,) then I'd just be frank about the truth. No need to do more than that because their relationship with God can't be forced, and the Christian way is to love. Keep your attitude right, your thoughts and words in-line, and let the conversation go where that leads it. Just by mentioning how I'm a Christian and how I feel strongly about sins like gambling has caused a powerful, strange reaction in them. They know by that that I'd disagree with their lusts and have a serious relationship with the Big Guy, and I think that scares them for whatever reason. My conclusion is that they're sensitive. (Ha-yuck!)

[Darwin_Rocks]

This is stupid. you dont have the right to change anybodies life style choice. Even if it is according to your religion which is ridiculously outdated.

[Kurieuo]

Beside the issue noone is forcefully changing anyone elses lifestyle here, where do you think "rights" come from anyway?

Kurieuo.

[AttentionKMartShoppers]

This is stupid. you dont have the right to change anybodies life style choice. Even if it is according to your religion which is ridiculously outdated.

It's not about pulling their hands behind there back and making them change. Outside force is no good. It's better that the person want to change, realizing how horrible his situation is.

Christianity outdated? Haha. Christianity does not age. It always looks eternally young. Age doesn't make anyone or anything less right.

[jerickson314]

Is your question intended to be about Christians or nonChristians?

[LittleShepherd]

The best way to witness to a homosexual? Don't bring up homosexuality. You have an entire 10 commandments there, and you can even touch on the "adultery" one without specifically mentioning homosexuality. All you need to do is present God's perfect law, and the facts of sinfulness and eternal punishment, and let the Holy Spirit work on their hearts and humble them.

Then, of course, you present the Gospel, which tells them that while they were sinners, Christ(who is God) died a painful, humiliating death to pay their price so that they would never have to experience their rightful punishment.

Once they are Christian, then they have the Holy Spirit inside and it will naturally work on their homosexual condition. I speak from experience. Just because their homosexuality tends to be a blatant surface feature does not mean that it needs to be <B>the sin</B> that you address. Everybody's guilty of tons of other sins that can be used to get through to them without putting them on the immediate defensive.

How about that "Thou shalt not bear false witness" command? Have they ever told a lie? Let them know that any lie, even a tiny one, has made them fall short of God's perfect standard. And how about murder? Not actual murder -- let them know that Jesus said that hatred is murder, and let them know that if they have hated, they are guilty of murder in the sight of God.

Just because someone is a homosexual does not mean that's the way to get through to them. It's usually the one thing that you want to avoid until they actually come to Christ and have the HS inside to help them see their homosexual desires in a new light. It's like...trying to teach a blind man what the color "red" looks like before he's had the eye surgery that gives him sight.

[Kurieuo]

Try to help them out yourself, preferably without referring them to a site which makes them feel threatened (Like NARTH, K)

I just noticed this reference to me.

So by helping them, you mean I must accept their truth claims that they are biologically homosexual—that people are their actions? Sorry for believing that determinism is wrong and that God calls us to choose to live according to His higher standards to overcome our sinful nature and the cards we've been given.

Now I will tolerate the beliefs of many who hold that someone's action is apart of who they are, and accept such people whether homosexual or otherwise despite these disagreements; however I expect my beliefs to be given the same toleration and that I should be accepted for who I am despite my differing beliefs. I feel it is unfair that I should accept people and their beliefs which threaten my own beliefs, while they can't even accept me because they feel threatened or judged by what I believe to be true. A typical case of what is good for the gander (me), isn't good for the goose (them) don't you think?

Kurieuo.

PS. I also didn't choose any of your options as I think they're all quite frankly wrong

[AttentionKMartShoppers]

PS. I also didn't choose any of your options as I think they're all quite frankly wrong

I happily chose the one he had marked out for me.

[Prodigal Son]

i agree completely with little shepard. i don't know what the big freak-out is on homosexuality.

i would help them. it really doesn't matter to me who they sleep with. i've known so many horrible/evil people and when i think of them, i realize that not one of them was homosexual. there alot worse things to be.

[Forge]

If a man slept with his 12 year-old daughter, would you object?

If you want to be logically consistent with your above post, you have to adopt a stance that lets me sleep with little kids.

"I don't care who they sleep with" is way too steep a slippery slope.

[Prodigal Son]

sick, dude. but besides being sick, you're also incorrect. one is abusive, the other is consensual. you can't even compare the two.

[jerickson314]

See here, here, and here. If we can believe these people, homosexuality (both same-sex attraction and behavior) is horrible for the homosexual. A rebuke of homosexuality can be as much out of love (of course not the erotic kind) as concern for sin. Though of course homosexual activity is clearly a sin, like many other behaviors. We have established that here.

And look at other articles from some of these places (or any ex-gay ministry, for that matter). Ex-gays claim that homosexual activity only makes things worse.

"Gay theology" may be as unloving as homophobia, ironically.

Of course, we do need to be careful about when we bring up homosexuality. LittleShepherd and Kurieuo have some valid points.

[Prodigal Son]

i don't condone homosexuality, but i believe that it is a behavior that is attacked far out of proportion. if all sin is equal, then why is everyone attacking homosexuality so passionately? what about every other sin? what about liars, and thieves, and murderers, and rapists, and adulterers? it's one sin they are committing just like every other sin. i don't see people saying, you don't have the right to do such and such because you're a liar or an adulterer, or whatever. we should introduce them to Christ because Jesus loves them and wants them saved, not because they are homosexuals. everyone's a sinner...everyone on this forum, everyone everywhere.