ETC: Everyday Thoughts Collected - Latest Comments in Evangelical Ministry Working to Reverse Youth Trends Regarding Homosexuality

Re: Evangelical Ministry Working to Reverse Youth Trends Regarding Homosexuality

Randy — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:23:22 -0000

Fred, I am going to be honest, you're logic is bizarre to me. It doesn't make any sense to parse out the statement like that. The context is obvious, "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable." It is clear that a man shall not be treated sexually as a woman is treated sexually. Simple really.
Let's also take a look at the full context of what you referred to

Matthew 22: 36-40 34-36When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: "Teacher, which command in God's Law is the most important?"
37-40Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

Some could also argue that it is very unloving of someone to ignore God's creative intent and clear scriptural guidance ... or even to reinterpret His intent and scriptural guidance.
In my own life my earthly relationships are secondary to my relationship with Him because of the above scripture. I don't choose my struggles but I do choose my priorities. I have found that the Lord fulfills me much more than anything I could ever dream or imagine. Even when He runs contradictory to my experience or feeling. I have learned that His ways are far better than my own. I have learned, among many other things, that it is an act of truly loving another man when I refuse to see him as a sexual object or romantic objective.
That the love I have for my male friends is actually more rewarding and intimate than it ever was when I was sexually and/or romantically involved with men over 15 years ago.
It's also obvious that there is great mercy and grace to those seeking forgiveness for homosexual behavior.

1 Cor 6:11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

The journey to and with Christ is complicated, heart wrenching and eternally joyful starting now.
In the end though, you will either follow Him or your own ideas. That's not a judgment of you personally and I certainly can't speak to the conditions of another's heart... but in the end ... I believe, we will all have to reconcile our opinions and actions in light of His will and Lordship.
Fred, thanks for adding your thoughts. I am sure I probably am not your favorite person right now but I hope my thoughts let you know where I am coming from.

Re: Evangelical Ministry Working to Reverse Youth Trends Regarding Homosexuality

Mexjewel — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:27:40 -0000

Jesus defines sin as lack of love (Matthew 22:36-40). Fornication and adultery are unloving because each has a victim. What is unloving about a couple in a homosexual love relationships? Neither is victim, neither is unloved. If God didn't want two men to have sex, He would have said "Man shall not lie with man PERIOD That "...as with a woman" makes sinners out of straight men who have sex with men while they pretend they are with a woman.

Re: Evangelical Ministry Working to Reverse Youth Trends Regarding Homosexuality

RThomasETC — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 09:23:22 -0000

Fred, I am going to be honest, you're logic is bizarre to me. It doesn't make any sense to parse out the statement like that. The context is obvious, "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable." It is clear that a man shall not be treated sexually as a woman is treated sexually. Simple really.

Let's also take a look at the full context of what you referred to

Matthew 22: 36-40 34-36When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: "Teacher, which command in God's Law is the most important?"

37-40Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

Some could also argue that it is very unloving of someone to ignore God's creative intent and clear scriptural guidance ... or even to reinterpret His intent and scriptural guidance.

In my own life my earthly relationships are secondary to my relationship with Him because of the above scripture. I don't choose my struggles but I do choose my priorities. I have found that the Lord fulfills me much more than anything I could ever dream or imagine. Even when He runs contradictory to my experience or feeling. I have learned that His ways are far better than my own. I have learned, among many other things, that it is an act of truly loving another man when I refuse to see him as a sexual object or romantic objective.

That the love I have for my male friends is actually more rewarding and intimate than it ever was when I was sexually and/or romantically involved with men over 15 years ago.

It's also obvious that there is great mercy and grace to those seeking forgiveness for homosexual behavior.

1 Cor 6:11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

The journey to and with Christ is complicated, heart wrenching and eternally joyful starting now.

In the end though, you will either follow Him or your own ideas. That's not a judgment of you personally and I certainly can't speak to the conditions of another's heart... but in the end ... I believe, we will all have to reconcile our opinions and actions in light of His will and Lordship.

Fred, thanks for adding your thoughts. I am sure I probably am not your favorite person right now but I hope my thoughts let you know where I am coming from.

Re: Evangelical Ministry Working to Reverse Youth Trends Regarding Homosexuality

Mexjewel — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 08:27:40 -0000