Is it possible to be gay and Christian?

Question

I am in a difficult situation right now.

Recently, I started thinking about my faith again. I was raised Catholic, but then stopped being one after I found out that Catholicism frowns on gay people, and once I found out I was gay, it would be impossible to carry on with being Catholic.

I believe in God very strongly - in fact I had a religious experience when I was younger, but I have tried to find a church I can belong to, but to no avail. It has led me to ask these questions:

- If God hates gay people, why did he create them?
- Doesn't God love everyone?
- Even though I love God, does that still mean I'm going to hell?
- Will I ever find a church that's right for me?

One more note - the bible references are confusing at best, and I personally don't believe they are the be-all and end-all of what God says, so don't just answer with a quote - add something useful to the discussion.

Hmm, maybe I need to expand - i'm looking for a denomination or a group that I would feel at home with, and that would also welcome my sexuality.

I'm also wondering about whether people believe that the bible is the be all and end all of what God says.

Answer 1

Let's look at this from a different POV.
I am a Christian. I am a sinner.
According to the Bible - the act of homosexual sex is a sin.
According to the Bible - drunkenness is a sin.
According to the Bible - Gluttony is a sin (as in over eating)
According to the Bible - divorce is a sin - except for the reason of adulry.
If none of those people can be Christian than we would have some very empty churches.
I have yet to attend meat a perfect Christian - have you? The only perfect human being was Jesus.

Answer 2

Don't worry about being Catholic and gay...I have a friend who is a Catholic and gay and a church group leader. I don't understand the Catholic church either, but I don't ever think I could leave it because of the type of beliefs in God I have. God will forgive you for being gay if it is in fact a "sin" but what can mere people do if you are gay? The only problem with the Catholic Church is that they think they have the power to condemn people when they too are only people. Stick to your beliefs and if you find that the Catholic church is not for you then consult someone you trust with all this and talk to them about your situation. If it comes down to it then change religions. I think that even though Catholics think that only Catholics go to heaven....I don't think that, you should have your own beliefs. If you change denominations and follow the Christian way of life, you too will go to heaven. I understand your questioning, although I am not gay, I do often think about the Catholic church and the wrong things they say. I don't understand why the Catholic church can forgive a murderer, but condemns a man who loves another man. I don't think that you should leave the Catholic church because you are gay. If you need anything else feel free to email me at [e-mail]. (I love Elvis Presley!)

Answer 3

You seem to assume that the beliefs & practices of the Catholic Church are the same as all Christian denominations - they are not. I would highly recommend the Universality Unitarian Church to you.
You are free to believe as you choose. I cannot conceive of a god that hates anyone. The church's stance on homosexuality is more of a political stance (in my opinion) than it is a spiritual matter.
You are not doomed - far from it. You are more free than you imagine and you can find a place where you belong.
Pentecostal, Baptist, any Fundamentalist Organizations and the Catholic Church have generally (not all) taken a harsh stance on homosexuality. Methodist & Congregationalist less so. The Universal Unitarian church is the only international faith based organization that I am aware of that has openly welcomed and encouraged homosexuals to worship and be a part of their church community. Good luck to you. God bless!

add on: after reading the hurtful words of people like Fr Chuck above, I want to remind you that rigidity and the claiming of "one true way" are fear based approaches to religion. Even a superficial overview of comparative religion shows similar themes and my personal opinion is that there are many ways to live a spiritual life.

Answer 4

Being gay makes you a sinner. Everyone including Christians are sinners. So the short answer is YES.

HOWEVER!

You must realize that being a Christian means that you don't embrace your sin. You should have a desire to stop sinning. I believe that if you are a Christian and a practicing homosexual you should be rebuked.

- If God hates gay people, why did he create them?

God doesn't hate gay people, he hates sin. God didn't create gay people, he created perfect people, we choose to turn our backs on God, as a result we have sin and the effects of sin in our lives. Homosexuality falls under the sin part.

- Doesn't God love everyone?

God does love everyone. But acceptance of wrong behavior isn't definition of love. If you child was doing something that you didn't believe was appropriate, possibly hurting another person. Is the loving thing to do ignore it?

- Even though I love God, does that still mean I'm going to hell?

I would submit that if you truly love God then you would have the desire to stop being a sinner. In your particular case, the sin of homosexuality. Keep in mind, it's not the struggle with sin that puts us in hell, it's the acceptance of it. You could struggle with homosexuuality for the rest of your life and still get to heaven. It's faith in Christ, not behavior that saves.

- Will I ever find a church that's right for me?

The church that's right for you? Well, sure there are so many churches that believe so many things there is one that will fit.

BUT

Your only goal isn't to find a church that fits. Your goal should be to pursue God, you should find a church that challenges you to do that. It's the people who DON'T accept our shortcomings that spur us on to greater things.

Many people revere Vince Lombardi. Great coach, great leader able to get men to do things that they themselves didn't think that they could do. He was a success and is respected because when his players came to him and said "I can't." His response was "You can, and you will. Now get out there and do it!" He didn't say "oh, ok. well, you gave it your best shot. Go over there and get some water have a seat and everyting will be ok"

Answer 5

You can not live a homosexual life and be Christian. It is impossible. Any Church that endorses such acts is not a part of the body of Christ. The Bible, God's word FORBIDS this. It is an abominable sin. God created you but He did not make you gay. You have the choice to seek the Lord and ask Him to help you. God is not the only force here, Satan is as well. Satan is in every homosexual. You can expel Him. Part of the problem you are having is your Roman Catholic background. You need a true Chritian Church that does not have man-created rituals. I would recommend a Pentecostal Church to you, or an Orthodox Pres. Church. Seek the Lord's will in this, not your own.

Answer 6

DEFINITELY!

...That's like asking, "is is possible to be white and NOT racist?" fifty years ago.

...I think it's time you start getting to know God better. Forget what you were taught to believe and go search out your own connection with Him and develop your own sense of spirituality.

...I remember trying to read the bible when I was seven. I think I did it out of spite. I wasn't raised a Christian, but I did want o piss my mother off, LOL. I came to the conclusion that some moron, desperate to control people through fear, made up a bunch of rules and "laws" for the people of this planet. As far as I was concerned, if God wrote that, then God was an @$$hole, and I had no intent of supporting a d!ck!

...If you ask me, being a fag [which stands for fabulous and gay in my opinion, haha :)] isn't sin, hating one though, is.

...personally I don't believe in the bible or or any book, or even a God, per say. I believe in the connectedness that exists between all things, I believe in the "oneness" of universe, I believe in karma, I believe everything happens for a reason, I believe in dreams coming true, I believe in kindness, compassion, tolerance, love, and respect. That's my religion, in a nutshell, lol.

All the best! I hope you find peace of mind. :-]

Answer 7

I believe you can be... I also believe the church is full of corruption. The Bible has been translated and modified to suit the requirements of those in power so many times that we can't be sure of its true message. I don't think God hates gay people or that you would go to hell. We live in a world of sinners anyway, and even if being gay was a sin, there are so many much worse things one could be or do!

Answer 8

God does love everyone, but does not want sin.

Asking why God made Gays, is like saying why did God make child pediphiles, Man is responsible for the sin in the world not God.

If you are gay and do not wish to admit it is a sin, then no you can not be saved. If you know it is a sin, and are working on not living in that life style ( even if you fail at times) than you can be saved, since you have repented.

And if you love God will you accept his word and know what is being done is sin, and then try to repent from it.

Next you can make up your own church there are 1000's out there made to beleive anything you want, But who cares, since as soon as you stop teaching the truth, there is no salvation and really a waste of time.

And like you said, you don't beleive the bible, so since you don't, you don't care and are not willing to accept God, since it does not say what you want it to say.

Answer 9

It is so exciting to see that you are excited about God. God hates no one. Our God loves us.(He says this several times throughout the bible) You are going to hell if you haven't accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in your life.(the bible tells us this) I think that the fact that you are experiencing these questions in your life, might mean that he is calling you to Him.My brother died from drug overdose, but he accepted Christ into his life before and so I know he is in Heaven. My best advice is to find a church so you can find someone to talk to.A Christian church might help and remember Christians aren't perfect so just be brave and God will put you in contact with the right person and the right church. Don't tell anyone that you are gay and don't just walk out of every church without giving them a chance. Explore Bible studies and go to your local Christian store to find devotional books.I would love to be able to do a Bible study with you! I wonder if there is a way we can do a study through emails. In the mean time, I will keep you in my prayers. Please do not give up friend!

Answer 10

Don't worry about the difficult situation you are in now,PLENTY of other PEOPLE will do that for you they seem to forget about their own faults and will concentrate on problems like yours.
GOD doesn't HATE gay people, gay people HATERS do.
Please keep in mind and heart that you are one of GODS children and He LOVES YOU.
It doesn't matter what the Bible Passage Picking People think,they could be doing something more helpful to human beings and put themselves in the brighter light of GODS eyes.
You are not going to hell,of course I or NO ONE ELSE has ever visited except for here on earth.
You just keep loving GOD and look outward more,listen to the cries of the hungry,the poor,the homeless,the sick and afflicted. GODS eyes will shine on you and your heart will feel joy.
You will find a church that is right for you,where you'll find real friends that do things with this time on earth other than hate other humans.
Ask of GOD and listen he will give you an answer,of course it might come in a weird way,but Iv'e found that happens. Don't fear.
The Bible is a book put together by men,writen by men who chose what went in and what stayed out,
I believe GOD planned it that way so his children,ALL of US would have to have faith in Him to believe it.
Don't listen to the Passage Pickers,just have the FAITH you were meant to have along with the choices you were given to have that FAITH and you will be just fine.