Some people tell me it's OK to be gay. Especially in California. Many people talk to me about my judgmental attitude and how I need to be more accepting of others. I have been told that a real Christian would never judge a homosexual because God made them that way.There are many misconceptions of my viewpoint as I have been asked "Who are you to decide what happens to someone's personal life." As a Christian I am not deciding I am pleading. Here are some of the things I have said in the past.
Montage of discussions:
You're Just Homophobic!
Acts like that are just another branch on the sin tree. Some people do drugs, some drink heavily, some rape, some lie, some steal. It is all sin and we are in Judgement of God's Law. For the record, I am in the business of Advertising and Design and there are a fair amount of gay people in my field. I have placed ads in gay magazines and my wife and I have had intimate sit down dinners with gay people. I also have witnessed to them, there are plenty of other sins to talk about then the obvious. Some have been receptive, some not, it all depends on the individual.
God is the ultimate and sovereign judge for sin. Homosexuality is sin by His order; it is not decided by public opinion or deceived/false clergy. Changing societies do not dictate God's standards. Sin is defined by God for us in the Bible. It is the source for what God says is holy and righteous or sin and abomination. Hebrews 13:8 states that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; he does not "go with the flow."(All About God)
A woman has the "right" to an abortion. Homosexuals have the "right" to their lifestyle. Everyone has the "right" to "do" anything that "feels right."
Were it not for the authority of God over our lives as Creator and Owner of all things (Isaiah 45:5-12), man would have "total" choice freedom. Where do our "standards" come from? If from the statistical norms or the popular vote of society, then a woman has indeed made a "right" choice. If, however, authority over man rests in the Creator of man in the "image of God," then that woman made a "wrong" choice. Ultimately, all the issues of life begin with our conscious "choice" about who "God" really is (Romans 1:18-25).
That was Old Testament!
1 Corinthians 6:9 "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals.
1 Timothy 1:10 "and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,"
Scripture calls it "abusers of themselves with mankind," and for them that "defile themselves with mankind"
Romans 1:26-27 "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."
You cannot possibly look outside the Bible to find some other meanings for these. These are New Testament verses not Old.
In contrast to the modern rush to make homosexuality an approved life style, it is noteworthy that the Apostle Paul classifies homosexuals right along with murderers and pimps.
Remember Jesus' own words in Matthew 10:34 "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." God is about righteous and justice not 'just' peace and harmony.
Loveless Homophobic "Christians"
To the extent that biological or social factors may contribute to a person's bent toward homosexual behavior, this does not excuse it. Some people have a strong bent towards stealing or abuse of alcohol, but they still choose to engage or not engage in this behavior—the law rightly holds them accountable.
A person becomes a homosexual ultimately by choosing to be involved in same-sex activity ... . This is in contrast to innate characteristics such as gender and ethnicity. The Bible is clear that sin involves choice, and it unequivocally condemns homosexual behavior as sin.
However, there is hope for the homosexual. God forgives and cleanses a person who repents and turns from their sin, including the sin of homosexual behavior (1 Corinthians 6:11). As well as forgiveness, God's grace brings with it the power to live a life that is pleasing to God (Romans 6:6–7). If repentance and reform are genuine, prior homosexual actions should not be a bar to church membership or ministry, as all Christians are reformed sinners.
No harm between consenting adults!
There is plenty of data that says the contrary.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced on November 26, 2003, that AIDS infections increased 17% among homosexuals and bisexuals. There was a 7% increase in AIDS infections among non-homosexuals. (I will add non-homosexual fornicators)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that cases among homosexual and bisexual men jumped 17% over the last three years. "Thirty eight of them tested positive for HIV-1 antibodies, almost all of them homosexuals (37 cases)"
U.S. National Institutes of Health said 325 homosexual and bisexual men have been recruited for tests. STD clinical history and examination: previous STD 59.7%, current urethral secretion 6.1%, genital ulcers 5.9%, genital/anal warts 7.4%. Sexual practices: Average number of sexual partners in the previous 6 months: 11, anal coitus 37.2%, condom use in the previous month 50.8%, circumcision 16.8%, rectal douches 43.3%. STD's laboratory markers: T. pallidum 34.9%; HIV 18.8%, H. simplex 10.9%, HBsAg 5.0%, C. trachomatis 4.3%, N. gonorrhoeae 2.8%. Consistent risk factors for HIV/STD were number of sexual partners (more than 10 in previous 6 months) and story of imprisonment.
National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC), more than half of AIDS cases in the U.S. are located in the 15 largest cities. Alarmingly, the NYAC data showed that more than 10% of young homosexual men in major cities were already infected with AIDS.
According to Gay.com, researchers in San Francisco found that the customary places for homosexual men to find sex partners were the Internet (33%), bars (21%), bathhouses (13%), sex clubs (13%), and adult bookstores (6%).
Gay parents are just as good at parenting
Not so. "The young-adult children of women in lesbian relationships reported the highest incidence of time spent in foster care (at 14 percent of total, compared to 2 percent among the rest of the sample). Forty percent spent time living with their grandparents (compared to 10 percent of the rest); 19 percent spent time living on their own before age 18 (compared to 4 percent among everyone else). In fact, less than 2 percent of all respondents who said their mother had a same-sex relationship reported living with their mother and her partner for all 18 years of their childhood." ~Mark Regnerus (Study)
Is that good fruit to you? A good tree will bear a good fruit. Consider if people would just follow the Bible's instruction, what kind of world we would live in. Men and woman that have followed the Bible and waited until marriage have no worry of STD's at all.
We are not set out to enact the will of God or anything like that. I would like to see people get to Heaven and avoid the inevitable punishment
I believe it's not OK to be gay. I love you too much allow such sinful behavior. I want to see you in Heaven. Please repent!
There are Homosexual Christians So, it's OK to be gay
I disagree. Romans 6:15-16 "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"
You are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
As most of my viewpoints the following are also from a witnessing perspective, but I enjoy and agree with the approach that is taken from Ray and Kurt talking to Homosexuals.
bit.ly/Oktobegay