For those that say 1 Corinthians 6:9 condemns homosexuals to hell...do you also believe divorced go to hell?

Question

For 1 Corinthians 6:9 says not only will homosexuals not inherit the kingdom of God...but also, adulterers...

Luke 16:18 says he who divorces and remarries another is committing adultery.

So, if a person divorces and remarries they commit adultery....and unless they turn from their sin, by being celibate in their new marriage...they continue to live in sin....so, apparently will go to hell too? They can say sorry as much as they want...but, if they continue to enjoy the pleasures of their intitial sin...they never really turn...

So, why aren't fundamentalists railing as hard on the divorced as they are on gay people? The divorce rate is over 50%...so the sin of divorce affects a lot more people than gayness....further, divorce has ripple effects in our society...as it affects the chidren of the divorced, and our public welfare system, etc...

YOur thoughts?

point being....unrepentant divorced folks are welcomed into the full life of most any fundamentalist church...however, gay folks are not....why the double standard?

Answer 1

These writings of the bible were written for the control of the people of that time. Their interpretation has been open to exageration throughout the centuries. And of course it has been mostly men who have written these words, words that wre chose by another group of men namely the church who chose that these words were appropriate to put together to form what we now know as the bible. The Universe is a wonderful awe inspiring place and the creator or designer of all this truely deserves praise, be it God or some energy of some kind. Maybe God is a woman, and wont mind gays, or divorced people. God loves us either way, as individuals. Why would one be brought into this world only to face such a devastating end. Dont take another life, dont quench the fire of life that is within you and others, heaven will then be a place you will see, for those that do quench the fire of life, their hell is within their own conscience about the deed. remember that all knowledge we pertain to have is earthly knowledge, nothing more, this knowledge maybe useless beyond the realms of our tiny little world. Lets wait and see hey!

Answer 2

You are confused. If the context of the sermon was homosexuality-then it is okay to lift out just that part that speaks to homosexuals. The sermon or the point would be topical. But if the sermon was expository and this passage was the central theme then all of it would be used. When a sermon was on tithing, you do not use verses about drinking wine. No one goes to hell for being divorced, or homosexual. One only goes to hell for rejecting God. All homosexuals reject God, even those who claim to be priest or ministers. God never condemns anyone because some preachers don't know how to properly construct a sermon, or deliver it. God condemns people for rejecting Him-period.

Answer 3

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says this: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

None of these things shall be allowed into heaven. The Bible doesn't speak against only homosexuals and adulterers, but also against those who engage in pre-marital sex, those who worship idols, (which can be any and everything, not just statues), etc.

Those of us who are Christians used to be like this, but we have repented of our sins, and strive to live a sinless life. This doesn't mean that we are perfect in any way, we just keep trying to live as Christ lived.

There is only one reason to get a divorce, and that is for adultery. If it can be proven that one spouse committed adultery, the other spouse can remarry, and not commit a sin. The adulterous spouse, if he/she marries again, is committing adultery, and therefore is bound for hell.

Why fundamentalists don't rail against divorce as much as homosexuality, you would have to ask them, because I don't know.

Answer 4

Luke 16:18 is given in the context of Jesus resolving a debate between two schools of Jewish thought on the question of a valid divorce under the law of Moses. The Hillell school held that divorce completely broke the marriage bond, even if the divorce was over something foolish and trivial, such as finding out the woman couldn't cook or something. The Shammai school held that divorce was not effective in breaking the marital bond unless adultery was the cause. Jesus confirmed that the Shammai school had interpreted Moses correctly. Thus, under Moses, a marriage was still in effect if the divorce was not caused by sexual infidelity. When a man divorced a woman for trivial reasons, he put her at risk of "marrying" someone else while still being married to himself, in effect causing her to commit adultery.

That was Moses. The bigger question is, what about the church? Do we simply import the idea from Moses that a divorce can be valid (in the sense of permitting remarriage), but only if sexual infidelity is the cause? I would not want to make a hard rule on this, but I suspect the Christian rule is stricter, as you suggest. Consider what Jesus said in connection with this divorce rule:

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Mat 19:4-6.

So Jesus, rather than stopping at a legal rule under Moses, went to the deeper principle. Marriage is something God designed. He designed it to work with one male staying permanently married to one female. Divorce defeats this. Homosexuality defeats this. Bestiality, rape, incest, etc., all defeat this principle. Therefore, just as Jesus raised the bar on adultery, and made it a matter, not just of the flesh, but of the heart, so here he raises the bar on marriage, stating that while Moses allowed for divorce under one narrow circumstance, God still hates divorce, and would have his people avoid it for any cause.

So in one sense, I think you're right. There is a double standard, and much of the sexual sin of modern culture has its deepest roots, not in the gay agenda, but in the willingness of an earlier generation to walk away from their first love, the bride or groom of their youth. After that most basic rule is broken, all the rest fall like dominos.

However, does that mean that its OK to sin with homosexuality, because somebody else has sinned via divorce? Hardly. Two wrongs don't make a right. Christians must avoid all sexual sin. Homosexuality is still forbidden. Likewise, if a heterosexual couple is the product of an invalid remarriage, and adultery is implied, then married celibacy may be an option for them. As Jesus said, it is better to enter heaven with a few injuries than to enter hell all in one piece.

Having said that, many churches have adopted the letter of Moses and the spirit of Jesus; They will technically allow remarriage after divorce, providing the basis was adultery, as that does prevent a continuing adultery in the second marriage. However, their teaching ministry will also say that divorce should always be avoided by those who want to honor Jesus with every aspect of their life, because God’s design for marriage, one man, one woman, for life, is what God expects of us, and is really our best hope for happiness.

Answer 5

Hello,

In Matthew there is a clause added, "except for infidelity." All the others, as you surmise make it perfectly clear.
Also a great % of divorces are due to economics as well.

Yep, I have had thay argument with fundementalist ministers who tried to tell me that by not believing the earth was made in 7 days and believing we descended from lower forms then I was twisting the bible to my ends and calling the Lord a liar.
LOL, I countered back with your argument saying you heard how perfectly clear the bible is on divorce so then why are you twisting the bible to " your" ends and defying our Lord by marrying Jimmy and Jane for their third times?

Actually one exception to the rule was that church of Herbert W. Armstrong, World Tomorrow et al. They did not allow re-married divorced people as members of the church unless they split.

The Catholic church upholds the rule of divorce much harder than other denominations. They try to annul a marriage so for example if you married a person who was gay and they didn't tell you, a man who was off to prison for 20 years who didn't tell you through to a person who was proven he or she would never keep their vows then the marriage is dissolved. However, He lost his 6 figure job through to I found another, prettier than you, just does not cut it.

On homosexuality, all Christian denominations teach sex outside of marriage is sinful. Having an attraction for the same sex is not bad in itself and they are welcome to church but acting out your desires is.

Mike K

Answer 6

People shouldn't take the word in one man's LETTER to another as words from God. That's irresponsible.
How do you know that these are just his personal feelings about it all? Who is to say that he was always honest and truthful? He wasn't perfect.
Look at King James I, the one the re-wrote the bible...you know the KJV. He changed quite a bit for his own purposes.


BUT...I agree...there is no greater sin than the next. Pointing out the gay issue over larger ''sins'' with greater effects simply shows harassment against gay people......just my honest and truthful opinion.

Answer 7

The scripture clearly talks about those who divorce their mates outside the scripturally-permissable grounds of fornication. Those who divorce for any other reason than the ONE reason that God will allow, and then marries another, is committing adultery in God's eyes, because their divorce wasn't scriptural.

Any sexual act committed outside the bonds of marriage (which in God's eyes is ONLY between a man and woman) is considered fornication. Homosexuality is fornication. Oral sex is fornication. Bestiality is fornication. The greek term rendered fornication is "porneia" and this involves the use (or misuse) of the genitals in a perverted or unnatural way for a lewd purpose. In God's eyes, a man and woman who are unmarried and engage in sexual acts are just as sinful as those who are engaging in homosexual acts.

The apostle Paul counseled the Corinthian congregation that those who willfully practice things such as fornication (of which homosexuality is included) they were to be REMOVED from the congregation in order to keep the rest of the congregation clean. They weren't to be welcomed in and tolerated.

Answer 8

Divorce is acceptable only in the case of adultery. If the marriage was sanctified through the vows of Holy Matrimony of whom God joined together....then yes, just like the practice of homosexuality is a sin, divorce is a sin. All sin is punishable by death unless one fully and sincerely repents (turning and going the other way) of their sins. God knows your heart and will be the judge if you truly have.

Answer 9

Well, I don't see marraige as a religious ceremony, I see it as a legal contract but I'm also not a kristjan so I think you're not really talking to me LOL
However I would like to point out that AS a heathen, I am a staunch supporter of a whole family, regardless of what genders or legalities are involved. Children need guidance, adults are equipped to handle it. Period. Two guys have got to have it easier than one so what's the fuss.
And why are kristjans always so interested in what we all do in our bedrooms anyways!??!!

Answer 10

God has already dealt with homosexuality. It is an abomination to Him and nothing you compare it with will change God's word. God's laws of marriage and divorce refer to Christians. As a non Christian, you can marry and divorce as many times as you like. In fact, you can be gay, or not gay, or do whatever else appeals to you; so don't get carried away with things that don't apply to you.