Why do they say god is love, but say if you are gay,or don't believe the same you are going to hell?
2007-06-28 13:49:01 · 26 answers · asked by salmonbear 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I have read the bible. I grewup baptist. Now I'm Pagan. I'm tired of hearing so called christians saying god loves all, but then say you are going to hell? Maybe if you read the what Jesus says, maybe the world would be better off.
2007-06-28 14:09:09 · update #1
Just so you all know, I'm not gay. I have a wife, 2 kids with one on the way. k716 you just conterdicted(sp) your self. 1 Peter 2:17 show proper respect to EVERYONE.
2007-06-28 14:23:23 · update #2
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom:" Psalms 111:10a(KJV) The dictionary definition of the type of fear Christians have for God is, "reverential awe". In other words, we do not cringe in fear!
As to how *much* God loves us, please read John 3:16!
A careful examination of God's Word shows that He has proscribed homosexual activity along with adulterous behavior, fornication, bestiality, and incest. That tells me that He finds nothing "gay" about the homosexual lifestyle and since Christians believe His Word, neither do we!
If someone has homosexual urges or feelings, it is probably not a sin unless he or she acts on those feelings! According to Exodus International and similar groups, which are mostly composed of former homosexuals and former Lesbians, God can deliver people from the homosexual lifestyle. I believe a niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. put it most succinctly when she stated that she had met former homosexuals and former Lesbians; but had never met former black people!
Well, SalmonBear: Your additional remarks show that you were never a Christian - just a churchgoer! I question what translation of the Bible you have read, because when I just checked, I Pet.2:17 *does* read just as k716 stated it does!
HawaiianBrian: You seek to prove your points by quoting one of the most well-known non-believers of the 20th Century, Bertrand Russell?! Do you know that he *also* said that the main reason he believed in evolution was because it allowed him to be as licentious as he wanted to be?!
2007-06-28 16:49:57 · answer #1 · answered by trebor namyl hcaeb 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!! It's not the Christian churches that say this. It's God that says this! God says it clearly in the Bible (His holy word) that sinners go to hell, hell is eternal punishment for non-believers, for unfaithful, for people that sin and don't atone for their sins, for people that don't accept Christ as His Son and our Redeemor. God clearly states that homosexuality, orgies, sex outside of a committed marriage, sex with animals, lust, adultery are all sins. Sins of the flesh. A person that sins can ask for forgiveness but then must change and sin no more.
God is love! He created us out of love. He weeps when we sin. If we weep after we sin then He knows we are sorry for that action. He can forgive us. We only need to ask and turn back to Him. But with love also comes disciple. If He lets everyone live in Heaven, then we would be able to do whatever we wanted on earth with no cares and we would need no rules here from man nor from God. God's love would mean nothing. That kind of love would turn us into spoiled brats. Just like a parent spoiling their child. I am a mother and love my son. I reward his good behavior and disciple his bad behavior. God does the same with me.
The church has no need to use fear. Neither does God. To fear the Lord means to be in awe of His power and love. But in all honestly, I do have some fear of His power because He can do anything at anytime to anyone for any reason. He can let me drop dead in 5 minutes. That scares me. But I still love Him. Because He created it all and I really want to see Him someday and thank Him for it all and maybe hug Him.
2007-06-28 14:08:30 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
By "fear God", it means respect, honor Him.
• Luke 5:26 -- They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen remarkable things today."
• Luke 7:16 -- Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and, "God has visited His people!"
• 1 Peter 2:17 -- Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
If you love/fear God, you want to do His will. It clearly states in the Bible that homosexuality is a sin. (1 Corinthians 6:9). God bless.
2007-06-28 14:04:54 · answer #3 · answered by kaz716 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You all do not have to crucify me for stating what I understand (I am far from an authority - and I am not here to debate anyone)...
From the way I was taught, the word 'fear' (in relation to Christianity) does not neccisarly mean 'to be scared of' - in some cases, it means to have great, deep respect...such as, I am not scared of my mother, yet I do fear her (out of great respect)...so, I will do what she asks of me...
God is love, as he created us, has cared for us, has corrected us (yes- ask a parent, and they correct out of love) he gave us free will and sent his only son to die for us.
God has gone out of his way and done all these things for us - and he asks things in return -like our obediance. If we do not try to follow his requests, again, it is showing disrespect.
To show disrespect must mean you do not love him. If you do not love him enough to try to please him through obiediance, then we must pay the price. If that means hell, then so be it.
It is no more than what a parent does with their child. A parent will go beyond reason to help their child succeed. If that child then turns on the parent, does the parent still love the child? Do some parents have to let the child "go" in order for the child to learn and grow? Do some children never learn?
In other words, did your parents ever say, "Do not drink and drive because if you do, you will get into an accident"? Di you believe them? Did you obey them? It was your choice, was it not?
If you believe in God, and God says, "Do not be gay or you will go to hell", you have the choice to believe and obey, or not to obey and go to hell. Simple. Your choice.
God is God -and since he created the world and all things, it is his rules, his game. He does not force you to accept anything - that is why he gave you free will.
So, it is your choice. You can take it or leave it. In the end, it does not matter what Christian churches around the world believe - they are not accountable for your soul. You are. It is what you choose to believe that will set you free or spend time in hell.
Hope this was not too preachy and helped clear some of that anger you have. I have had past issues with the church as well (read my profile) - but I have had to deal with it and be accountable for my own choices. In the end, either way, I will answer to God.
Good luck!
2007-06-28 14:11:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Bible says that FEAR of God is the beginning of wisdom
God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve
It is against nature for a man to have a man. And as teh Bible says an abomination, so is shedding innocent blood et.al.
It is sin. Sin can be forgiven if repented of.
2007-06-28 13:53:52 · answer #5 · answered by musingaloud 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Assure a man that he has a soul and then frighten him with old wives' tales as to what is to become of him afterward, and you have hooked a fish, a mental slave.
— Theodore Dreiser (1871-1945)
All religions are founded on the fear of the many and the cleverness of the few.
— Stendhal, [Marie-Henri Beyle] (1783-1842)
I regard religion as a disease born of fear and ignorance and as a source of untold misery to the human race.
— Bertrand Russell
Religion is based, I think, primarily and mainly upon fear. It is partly the terror of the unknown, and partly the wish to feel that you have a kind of elder brother who will stand by you in all your troubles and disputes. Fear is the basis of the whole thing - fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death. Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion have gone hand-in-hand.
— Bertrand Russell, 6/3/1927
The conquering of fear is the beginning of wisdom.
— Bertrand Russell
What the mind doesn’t understand it worships or fears
— Alice Walker
Fear is the mother of all gods.
— Lucretius, (B.C.E. 94?-55?)
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.
— T. S. Eliot
For dust thou art, and unto dust thou shall return.
— Genesis, 3:19
Big Deal! I’m used to dust.
— Gravestone epitaph requested by Erma Bombeck
It is an incredible con job when you think of it, to believe something now in exchange for life after death. Even corporations with all their reward systems don't try to make it posthumous.
— Gloria Steinem
2007-06-28 16:13:07 · answer #6 · answered by HawaiianBrian 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Bible says to fear God, but the fear is not the bad type fear..No one has the right to say your going to hell. the only One who has that right is God...God is Love, He is the Way, the Truth and the Light..follow His teaching and he will lead you the right way.
2007-06-28 13:55:31 · answer #7 · answered by pops 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You know, salmonbear, I read the answers by the people you've unleashed upon us and a modest question tears at my mind: they are sad little critters, aren't they? Our planet is in serious trouble, the human species is taking itself down the long road toward darkness, little men are in power, genocide and war and slaughter for religious reasons are all over the place, and these folks are centered on the god of a murdering tribe of Bronze Age desert nomads. It it weren't so bloody sad, it would be comic.
2007-06-28 14:48:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because they are belive fake babylonian,and roman catholic teachings of hell. Guess they don't know how to read the Bible themselves they would rather listen to man than God. It is sad since the whole purpose of God is to reconcile all things unto Himself,and He will.
2007-06-28 14:00:57 · answer #9 · answered by dispesational7 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because God made rules as outlined in the Bible and through his disciples. God gave life and he can take it away.
It's His choice. Unless you want to be a creator.
2007-06-28 13:53:40 · answer #10 · answered by essence_05 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋