Christians and homosexuality?

Question

Why do some Christian people so adamant about condemning homosexuality, but ignore other sins...including their own? They say homosexuals cannot be Christians because of this "sin" they commit, but wouldn't the same go for these Christians and the sins they commit? How is one sin worse than another? And one last thing...how is it okay for Christians to say who is going to hell and who isn't? Wouldn't that be God's decision and not theirs?

Why are Christians...not why do*

Sorry

jbtascam...that's why I said SOME Christians. I didn't say ALL Christians...so learn to read before you start accusing.

And by the way...I am a Christian too. Just not a hypocritical one.

VOX....this has to do with Christianity so why wouldn't I ask it in the religion & spirituality section??

Answer 1

Because they weren't taught well. they have been taught a mess of lies and through a lack of discernment.

My Bible tells me that Jesus is the friend of sinners. It was those that thought themselves better than others that Jesus had problems with. those were the Pharisees who set themselves above others because they held a religious sway and they had the ability to convince others that they were somehow the 'model' citizen by being so god damned pure.

I believe that you are seeing some of those modern 'model citizens' that confuse the Gospel message for one of condemnation. Don't let it sway you. They suck, they just don't know it yet. They are the ones having trouble applying the word 'abomination' to themselves.

I am an abomination to God, unless God sees it possible to wash me clean. And He has. He can do the same thing for you, not because you can stop yourself from sinning, but because you trust him. He wants us to trust Him.

EDIT: I am simply amazed at the answers here. The typical thing your question would have broght is a the 'fundies' that condemn Gays without any personal reflectionas to their own sinful desires. I am happily surprised that none showed up yet. Perhaps God is getting to them! ( :

Answer 2

I think, and this is just my opinion, that some people feel the need to make themselves feel better, or possibly even superior to others. So they point fingers and say "Gay people!". But you are right. The bible condemns fornication OF ANY KIND as unacceptable and does not anywhere say that homosexual fornication is worse than heterosexual fornication. In fact, both are listed with lying, steeling, greed, and being a "drunkard" as things that would disqualify someone from "God's Kingdom" (1 Cor 6:9,10). So, you are right- they all have the same consequence.

So, before a "Christian" points a finger, they would do well to ask "Do I love money?", "Am I honest?", "Have I ripped anyone off lately?", "Do I drink too much?", "Am I married to the person I have sex with?" because all those things are no different. (Romans 2:21-24)

None of us is so perfect that we can judge another person. Even Jesus did not Judge according to his own thinking but only as his Father directed him (John 5:30)

Answer 3

I have often wondered this myself and asked a christian about it. They claimed that yes, everyone is a sinner and no one sin is worse than another....they are all the same in Gods eyes....BUT they said that they think homosexuals do not repent of their sins like others do. They said that they continue to live homosexual lives without thinking they are commiting a sin. Does this make sense....apparently this is the prospective of many christians regarding homosexuality. I still feel that it is a judgemental way to look at homosexuality which it tells us NOT to do in the bible....but it did satisfy my curiousity a bit to hear this take on it.

Answer 4

Most of the gay people I know are Christians. One of my best friends is gay, and is also Catholic. He is miserable with guilt. The bible says that sex with the same gender is "an abomination", and is therefore the reason so many so-called Christians feel free to condemn gay people to hell. What they forget is that God does not differentiate between one sin or another, and lying, cheating, stealing, illicit sex, gambling, killing, etc.., are all the same disobedience, although some carry stiffer penalties than others. I've never yet met a "Christian" who obeyed either God or Jesus Christ. They are all just "trying" to obey. As soon as they condemn someone else to hell, they have stopped trying. They just don't admit that. Whenever you ask them, "What does Jesus say about that"?, they cannot answer directly. They quote some disciple or another, or some apostle or letter-writer, but they cannot tell you what Jesus says, even though they are supposedly followers of Jesus. They know that they have no authority to condemn anyone, nor do they have the authority to speak for Jesus Christ or God, yet they presume to be knowers of the truth, while not at all compelled to live by the truth themselves.

Answer 5

First is fear.
They've never met a gay/lesbian person before - most time you're afraid of something you've never done, experienced, met. How many 'rednecks' do you know - are you afraid of them? Make fun of them? - Same thing

The second is teaching.
The bible says homosexuality isn't bad. Gay sex is bad - oh - and animal sex is bad.
To be gay, and to live life as if you were not, is a lie - therefore against God.

It's touchy - God has said what behavior he accepts and not, but in the end the final decision will be made by him.

Jesus taught Love and Acceptance - he was friends with a prostitute! To preach Hate, and or Un-Acceptance is against the teachings of Jesus.

Just looking at things from both sides.

Answer 6

A list of sins that could possibly keep one from inheriting God's kingdom are listed ar 1Corinthians 6:9-11. It says: What! Do YOU not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men,  nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit God’s kingdom. And yet that is what some of YOU were. But YOU have been washed clean, but YOU have been sanctified, but YOU have been declared righteous in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.
There is no indication here that any one of these is any worse than another. However, it does say that some Christians WERE practicers of these things before accepting Christ and being washed clean.
You are right of course when you point out that God is the one who judges. That is why we all must follow the counsel at Philippians 2:12 to keep working out YOUR own salvation with fear and trembling;

Answer 7

There is no way for a Christian to know who is going to hell and who isn't. Only God knows the person's heart and whether or not he has actually submitted his will and life to God. However, anyone who has actually committed his life to Christ will be very unlikely to continue in blatant sin.
For a person to become a Christian he has to repent (turn from) his sins (whatever they are), acknowledge that Jesus is God, submit himself in all ways to Him, and ask Him to be their savior.
When the person does this, God will make him a new person and, because of his relationship with God, he will WANT to give up his sin and, further, will not miss it when it's gone. God has miraculous transforming powers.
This does not mean that a person becomes perfect and never sins again. They, indeed, can sin and even be hypocritical at times. However, they are saved from hell and into a relationship with God, and that makes all the difference.

Answer 8

It is interesting. Jesus, not even one time, spoke out against homosexuality, but he did let his dislike of hypocrites be known on more than one occasion. He even condemns hypocrites to hell in Matthew 23.

jbtascam, don't be so sure that there is no authority for homosexuals to marry in the Bible. There is some question about the nature of the relationship between David and Jonathan and the "covenant of love" they make to each other. Notice that David compares his love of Jonathan to the love of women. Why would David compare his relationship with Jonathan to his relationships with women, which would have been almost purely sexual at that time in history? It also appears that Saul recognized David and Jonathan as a married couple when he arranges for his daughter to also marry David (The KJV preserves the passage in it's purest form, although they admit to adding words that changes it's meaning).

Answer 9

Most condemnation stems from passages in the bible which were translated numerous times from a dead language..... if it makes you feel any better there is only one mention of 'laying with another man.' All humans sin so if you want to get technical anybody who believes in evolution is going against the bible. i think the expression 'let he who is without sin cast the first stone' has been a little forgotten. I should point out that i am not a christian (can you tell) but nobody should be able to tell you that you 'are not ALLOWED' to be a christian if you believe in that God.

Answer 10

Jesus addressed the same issue when he said why do you worry about the plank in your brothers eyes when you have a splinter in your own. First remove the splinter from your eye and then worry about your brother. I think people preach so strongly about homosexuality because in this day and age in our society it's considered a norm. It use to be if a teen was questioning their sexuality if was called hormones now their labeled as bi or gay. See the problem here? People feel threatened by this particular sin because it's so excepted. But you are right sin is sin regardless of what it is and people living in sin have no right to preach to others. Just note not all Christians are like this...majority of us preach with love and understanding and if we do preach about a particular sin it's because we only want people to experience and live in the will of God.

Cute couple photo by the way