christianity and homosexuality...see details?

Question

this question is meant for everyone, not just christians. what do you think of this page written by a christian woman? please read in entirety before commenting. intelligent, thoughtful answers appreciated.

http://www.songofjoy.org/Homosexuality.htm#about

IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO READ THE PAGE, THEN PLEASE DON'T BOTHER ANSWERING.
i'm only interested in hearing what you think of this writing, nothing else.

thanks.

DOES ANYONE READ OUT THERE?

Answer 1

Some ideological authorities offer us a model of self and world built around idea of a divided spiritual realm. Some of these ideological authorities proclaim that their good one reveals good one law in good one word given by good one messengers in good one books. Maybe while words of sacred scrolls may remain essentially unchanged over many hundreds of years, interpretation, and translation made by communities of faithful believers that self organize around these sacred scrolls changes. Maybe these sacred texts are made up of words, and words are abstractions. Maybe words may be interpreted in radically different ways depending upon the way that a language and culture grows, evolves, and changes. Maybe there remains disagreement amongst ideological authorities as to what the correct interpretation and translation should be. Maybe in disagreement over interpretations and translations, I find a fundamental flaw in the self organization of a community of faithful believers around a supposedly perfect record of exclusive divine revelations of discovery, word, will, and law of a good one in Heaven at war with an evil one cast down to and ruling over Earth.

Answer 2

This is a very noble effort at trying to basically say that God changes. But scripture makes it very clear that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow - that means that what he found to be abominable then is still abominable and cannot be taken into consideration "in light of today's society". I do agree that people are born with a certain genetic emphasis or "orientation" but I also believe that God accommodates that orientation by a person of the opposite sex. Ex: an effeminate male marries a masculine female - a match that still has all the attributes of a God-designed male-female relationship and the ability for pro-creation. If God had designed us to be able to swing upon the pendulum so described in the article, he would have provided us each with the appropriate anatomy to both penetrate and be penetrated without risk of infection and disease and harm to our bodies; but he didn't do this. He created a very distinctive design that puts us together as one flesh. I believe as well written as this article was, she was placating a self-serving or at most a rambling of notions without guidance of the Holy Spirit for the truth of God's Word.

Answer 3

This is a very insightful and intelligent look at what the Bible says about homosexuality. I believe it makes a lot of good points and calls into question some very questionable interpretations. I agree that it is difficult to interpret what the Bible says and many have jumped to conclusions in a few cases. This is an important read for all Christians as it may help explain why non-believers feel the way they do about the Bible and its interpretation. Just seeing the other side may help them understand (and even [sadly] better formulate arguments, but at least they would be better informed arguments).

Answer 4

The only difference in this article, from other things I've read or heard, trying to undo the clear teaching of the bible that homosexuality is a sin...is the tiresome length of it. No matter how many words you use, the bible is very clear. Try to "wrest scripture" with 100, 1,000 or 10,000 words, it will not make any difference; what God has said, He has said.

Answer 5

that's a really long article to read...having taken a quick browse all i can say is that this is one woman's interpretation of a few isolated passages and as with any other topic in the Bible, they will be open to [subjective] interpretation.
also, the passage from Professor Choon-Leong Seow represents not a Biblical view, but a personal and subjective one.
she mentioned at the beginning of the article that people don't choose to become gay but failed to explain this point.
finally, she says "There is nothing in these texts that says that homosexuality is wrong", when earlier she quoted some scriptures that when read, seem to indicate that. for example:
Paul says, "For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatual, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion one for another. Men committed shamelesss acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error."
other contradictions and subjective interpretations are:
"Didn't God create us male and female and tell us to be fruitful and multiply, making it clear that the purpose of two sexes is for procreation? Yes, and if any of you are living your life as if procreation is the only reason for sex or you even think that's all sex is for, then, well, I don't believe you"
it seems to me that she previously had a black and white view of "gays" and had trouble loving and accepting them and holding to her christian views as well. now that she has become less judgemental she is trying to fit chosen scriptures and other peoples' supporting views into her new outlook. however, a lot of christians do not realise that it is possible to love people and hate the "sin".
like i said this article seems to be highly subjective and open to interpretation.

Answer 6

A thoughtful piece of writing, I read most of it and yes she is making a real attempt to overcome her indoctrination and think the issue through ...

I appreciated her take on the "Gay Lifestyle" ...of course there is not a gay lifestyle, we all live differently and the only thing we gays have in common is our sexual orientation, even that is approached differently for each of us. If we picked out heterosexual prostitution as the straight lifestyle, it would be as inaccurate as the cruising cottaging and clubbing lifestyle all gays are made out to lead by the anti-gay mob.

It would be good if she now turned her intelligence to what the Bible really is and to what she bases her belief in Jesus & God, Is it even a valid piece of work for anyone to base their morality on and to place their belief in being so full of contradictions so imprecise and so open to any number of different interpretations that not even two Christians can agree on what it says...hardly a useful moral guide for anyone, and so open to abuse and misuse.

Answer 7

I think it's well considered, thoughtful, and very interesting. But it doesn't change the fact that this particular sexual **behaviour** is sinful, just like adultery, thievery, and all the other sins mentioned by Paul before saying, 'and such WERE some of you'.
Forgiveness can be had for a simple act of repentence.
Even for those who hate homosexuals.

Answer 8

You can be a homosexual christian just as much as someone could be a adulterer christian or a murdering christian.The two dont go together.Homosexuality is sexual sin .If you do not want to change from a sinful lifestyle then you are in rebellion against God and his word.

Answer 9

I was prepared to be angered by what I'd read on that page, but I'm happy to say that I'm pleasantly surprised at the detail of explanation and the conclusions this paper has come to. I agree with every word of it. Thanks for sharing that page.

I believe homosexuals are born that way, that it is as natural to be homosexual as it is to be heterosexual, and that the church is missing out on a number of worthy souls by actively ignoring this segment of our population. They should have every right that heterosexuals have, including that of marriage and everything it entails. To deny them that is criminal.

Answer 10

God bless you for posting this. I hope some of these so-called Christians read it and realize that their intolerance is baseless. Jesus loves everyone, no matter what.