Can you accept that there are other beliefs/interpretations than yours? Especially as it relates to gays?

Question

I go to a mainstream Methodist church that is "inclusive". Homosexuals are welcomed and encouraged to belong and be involved in the full life of the church. No one judges them, no one preaches that they are going to hell.

Many mainstream congregations are looking closer at the issue of homosexuality, and realizing that no one has all of the answers, and so are relaxing their stance on these issues.

Methodists, Episcopals, Presbyterians, and even some Baptist churches have broken with the larger associations in order to welcome all into God's loving arms.

Why do some people have such a hard time with this?

There are many theologians that are studying the original texts, etc...and are coming to different conclusions about homosexuality than the traditional churches stance.

Many will say that, "my Bible says it is wrong, etc..." But, how can you not respect other's beliefs and interpretations when they come to a different conclusion?

Answer 1

Preconceived notions and fear.

Answer 2

No church should exclude someone who wants to have a relationship with Christ, regardless of what their sin is. However, this issue isn't about acceptance of the sinner. It's about acceptance of the sin. The Bible (original text and all...not just the lost in translation version) is very clear about homosexual relations being a sin. Too many church leaders today are caving in to societal pressures and rewriting God's word when it comes to homosexuality.

Someone said it earlier....being gay isn't a sin. Having gay sex is the sin. I am heterosexual, and I have a choice in who I have sex with. I can choose to have sex with every woman I meet who is willing. Is that a sin? Absolutely. Should I lobby the church to allow me to live in my sinful life without feeling like it's a sin? After all, I'm not hurting anyone else, right? Of course not. Sin is sin, and a church shouldn't change the message just because it might offend me. Likewise, gay people have a choice in whether or not they are going to practice homosexual relations. If they do, it's a sin....period.

Now...does that mean they aren't welcome in the church? No. There isn't a single Christian who sits in a church on Sunday who is without sin. Homosexuals aren't any different. They are sinners who need Jesus to get into Heaven.

My only issue with the homosexual agenda is that they want the church to embrace their homosexual lifestyle as not being a sin. That's where the problems arise. Any other church based on acceptance of a particular sin (take your pick: theft, murder, adultery, pedophilia, etc.) would be front page news. Can you imagine if NAMBLA had a church and claimed the Bible doesn't really think what they do is wrong? There would be a public outcry, yet churches all across the world are doing the same thing with homosexuality.

Bottom line, I can accept someone who has a different belief, but I certainly cannot accept their belief as valid. The Bible is black & white on the issue, regardless of what language it's read in.

Answer 3

At the Church I belong to and my Husband Pastors we welcome not only homosexuals, but all other sinners, however this does not keep my Husband from Preaching against sin. The mainstream Methodist Church that you say you belong to should find them a Bible a start Preaching the Word of God and stop trying to get in more members to get in more money. But if you want to believe that homosexuality is not a sin that is your God given right, however don't stand before Him on Judgment Day and say "I was never told" you have just been told.

Answer 4

I agree with you and your church.

The Bible has been interpreted from another language by many different people. Who knows what the original text really said. To me, I say - who cares. It doesn't matter what our beliefs are as long as they don't hurt anyone and are not evil or malicious.

I think everyone has the right to be with who they want. There is enough unhappiness in this world! Why make it even more so by putting your belief system on others.

Here's a great joke that kind of sums up what you're talking about from a sense of humor point of view:

Little KENNY was sitting on a park bench munching on one candy bar after another. After the 6th one a man on the bench across from him said, "Son, you know eating all that candy isn't good for you. It will give you acne, rot your teeth, and make you fat."

Little KENNY replied, "My grandfather lived to be 107 years old."

The man asked, "Did your grandfather eat 6 candy bars at a time?"
Little KENNY answered, "No, he minded his own business!

Maybe if we all would "mind our own business" and become more accepting of others, the world would become that much better.

Answer 5

don't be too offended at the same time with your mom. certainty is she HASN'T be put in this sort of subject the place she truly has to stay with having a gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered son or daughter. My mothers and dads held to an identical philosophy as yours, that that's "unnatural". On proper of that, they are the two Catholic so that they had the sin card to play. when I first got here out to my mothers and dads, they reacted as envisioned, yet over the years they have found out from my adventure and characteristic replace into extra tolerant. My mom has carried out an entire 1080. She actively helps gay rights in each sort, or perhaps however nonetheless a training Catholic, she even marched with me final weekend in a rally. My father on the different hand has made much less progression. He accepts me. He now no longer believes that i'm unavoidably "sinning" nor does he have faith that sexuality is a unsleeping decision, however he continues to be against comparable-intercourse marriage. those issues no longer purely take time, yet they take the be certain truly being confronted with the hypothetical subject you posed. the certainty which you look placed off by skill of your mom's reaction shows which you carry her in extreme esteem, and that she's commonly an exceedingly clever and inclusive guy or woman. If that's certainly the case, then opportunities are high your mom could replace into very accepting IF this sort of subject have been truly upward thrust up.

Answer 6

I completely agree with you and what you think. I have absolutely nothing against gays at all. If they want to be gay, then let them be gay! There's nothing wrong with that. I was born and raised Catholic, very strict. No one in my family has anything against gay people at all. If they want to get married as a gay couple, we should let them do so. It's not affecting us anyway. I respect others beliefs, because they deserve the same treatment that any other normal person does. Nobody should judge another based on beliefs or practices, just because they think it's wrong or immoral. I mean, it's not like people wake up every morning and say:

"Hey, I feel like becoming gay today, just to screw with other people's beliefs."

We can't force another person to live their life based on our standards. We shouldn't sweat the small things, because we have bigger things to worry about as a nation right now.

Hope this helps

Brecc

And all the devout Christians that respond to this question and use the Bible and God as your support, consider this:

What kind of God would teach his people to shun other people that He created, and then mistreat them? If that's what you perceive Christianity as, then I would be ashamed to be a Christian. It has been said that the Bible has no interpretation, only what you interpret it to be. Everything isn't always as superficial as what the Bible says. Remember that rule "Treat others the way YOU would want to be treated"? This is what I think is the problem with citing the Bible and God's word as support. The Bible is only what you perceive it to be. And God would not want us to judge others based on their sexuality. That's just wrong.

Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.

Answer 7

What a question! It is not asked in a proper fashion. My sisters and I are all different, i accept that, but that does not mean I aagree with their ways or lifestyles. If a homosexual wants to attend church while they are not practicing a homosexual lifestyle, I see nothing wrong with it......otherwise, there is only One God, One Father, One Word and he says we should turn our backs on homosexuals. It offends God becasue it destroys the foundation of a God fearing family. One man, One woman who make their own biological children. Gays can adopt, but only one of the two can do this. This leaves the other w/o any rights. the same if gay women are artificially inseminated or have sex with a man and become pregnant. The other partner has no rights. A child needs a mother and a father...don't kid yourself. It matters, and when the kids are in to adulthood, they will tell you it did matter, no matter what they say when they are kids because kids only want to please.

Answer 8

I am not gay, but I am all for human rights regardless of sexual orientation. I am glad to hear that there are mainstream churches. I don't know why people have such a hard time with different lifestyles. I am sorry people but "because the Bible says so" is not a good excuse!

Answer 9

Theres a difference between compassion and the ego-ridden and "ick factor"... some minds are so hardened to the concept of altruism and compassion based on their own egos that you'll never get through to them. This is why I work so hard to cultivate patience and compassion for THEM, because their behavior arises due to their own causes and conditions which I cannot change, and therefore it's too much to bang my head off a wall for. When direct hate and suffering is caused I step in, (or support of it) otherwise I just let it go.

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Answer 10

Accept? Absolutely. But what do you base your beliefs on. Your feelings or maybe your interpretation, maybe what the preacher has told you, or the opinions of others. The bible was translated into old English which is not the same language as modern English.Most of the confusion with the bible stems from this.You can't use a modern dictionary to define the Bible.So knowing this, dig into it yourself and if you really choose to believe the bible in it's entirety then you'll know exactly what you're basing your beliefs on.

Answer 11

The way I look at....I am a straight female and I do not see anything wrong with being gay. For those of you who have objections and believe that being gay is a sin let me leave you with this... In the Bible it states that all sin is equal in Gods eyes, so if being gay is a sin that is weighed the same as you telling lies or cheating on your spouse or even stealing a candy bar from the store. He who has not sinned cast the first stone.