Think We’re Wrong? by Mary
Thank you for coming to this page. I commend you for investigating further, and I believe that you have come here with an open mind. I pray that these articles may inspire in you, a deeper desire to inquire into the truth of God’s Holy Word.
We are commanded by God to love UNCONDITIONALLY, one God and our fellow man/woman. We (gays) often hear from people within the church that they love us, but not our sin. That clears their minds sufficiently to believe that they are doing as God commanded, but when we are made to feel unwelcome in your churches, when we are treated with disdain, that is not unconditional love. That is VERY conditional love!
I must emphasize here that I believe with all my heart that the Bible is God’s Holy, Divinely-inspired Word. It is the foundation of our faith and we must strive to understand it in its fullest, so that we may live the life that God would have us live, to bring honour and glory to God!
There was a time when I thought it was blasphemous to question the “truths” of the Church, but II Tim 3:16 tells us that
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof and instruction in righteousness.”
This tells me that God WANTS us to examine the Scriptures with an open mind, a mind that will question, a mind that will seek the answers of what it really means to live a holy life. We have an OBLIGATION to challenge what we have been taught when it doesn’t fit with other parts of Scripture. Well prejudice against anyone is contrary to Christ’s example of inclusiveness, acceptance and love for all, so to me, there is no corroboration for an attitude of prejudice.
I’m not suggesting for a minute that Jesus was tolerant of sin. He was not! I am not! But when you investigate further, you will find that homosexuality is not about sin. Homosexuality is merely an orientation, and orientation carries no implication of morality or immorality. It is simply the direction in which a person’s tendencies lie. There is no action associated with orientation, whereas morality is a matter of actions or thoughts.
It is important to make this distinction, since the Bible only addresses immoral behaviour, not sexual orientation. In each case where homosexuality is mentioned, in reality, correct interpretation of Scripture is not referring to homosexual orientation, but to immoral same-sex acts – in most cases, perpetrated by heterosexuals! If you can grasp this vital difference, please read these articles with an open heart, and may God richly bless you for stepping out in faith, and in the cause of love.
I know that it’s a radical concept to even consider that what we have been taught so strictly, for so long, by people we respect, could be wrong, but it has happened before, and it will probably happen again.
Thank God we have the example of the apostles Peter and Paul, clarifying the wrong teachings of the early Church. Yes, wrong teachings have been around since the beginning. Thank God that He gave Martin Luther the courage to challenge the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings about selling indulgances (i.e. buying our own salvation). Be thankful that God has given YOU the desire to question the validity of some of the teachings.
There are explanations for each scripture verse which SEEMS to condemn homosexuals. You will find that in actual fact, they do NOT!
See Articles that explain the “clobber verses” used against gays.
“It is inevitable that stumbling blocks should come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.” ~ Luke 17: 1-2
Anyone who makes a gay person feel less than a straight person, any church which does not accept us wholly and without reservation, is a stumbling block in our path.
Thank you for reading the things on this website and desiring not to be a stumbling block. God will surely reward you for sincerely wanting to know how you can love God’s gay children unreservedly.
The apostle Paul said it this way:
“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” ~ 1 Cor 13:1-2
And Jesus said,
“All people will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” ~ John 13:35.
Love is not just words that you love us but hate our sin. Love is action. Please truly love your gay children, brothers, sisters, friends, parents, neighbours (and those who are sitting secretly in the pews of your churches) with Christ’s love by reading the following articles.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to research this subject beyond the traditional beliefs, and may God richly bless you for reaching out to us this way, in TRUE love!
Blowing another person’s light out won’t make yours shine brighter. ~ Bob Gass
1. You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
~ Lev 18:22 NRSV
2. Don’t cut the hair on the sides of your head (sideburns) or trim your beard.
~ Lev 19:27 MSG
3. You shall not you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material. (cotton and polyester?)
~ Lev 19:19 ESV
4. The pig has a split hoof, divided in two, but doesn’t chew the cud and so is unclean. You may not eat
their meat (pork / bacon) nor touch their carcasses (football?)
~ Lev 11:7,8 MSG
5. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales (lobster / shrimp) in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
~ Lev 11:12 KJV
If you’re on this page then you probably don’t have a problem with #1. But how about #2, #3, #4 and #5?
The point here is that you can’t cherry pick the verses you are going to use against gays, and ignore the others. Either you choose to interpret the Bible literally, or not. If this is your reason for condemning us, you must also condemn those who cut their hair at the sides and trim their beard.
You must condemn anyone who wears clothing made of more than one kind of fabric, and face it, that’s pretty much everyone in this day and age.
You must also condemn those who eat pork or bacon, or play a sport with a ball made of pigskin, and finally you must condemn those of us who love lobster and shrimp.
According to Leviticus, these are all abominations.
The good news, is that these laws no longer apply to us. Please read “Pagans, Purity and Property: Leviticus” for an understanding of why these verses were written, and for what purpose, and why they no longer apply to Christians today.
The Parable of the Weeds
Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ” ~ Matt 13:24 – 30
My friends, the lesson to be learned from this parable is that even if you think we (gays and lesbians) are the weeds, Jesus said NOT to uproot us with the wheat! That will be His job when the time comes. God has called us to plant, not to pluck up.
Click here for an inspirational, humour-filled video sermon by my friend, Rev Deana Dudley, of MCC Toronto, about “Pluckers and Planters”
We may have different beliefs than you, but it is not your job to uproot us. To say that you love the sinner but hate the sin is not loving us. It is not your job to deal with what you perceive as our sin. Please, just love us for who we are, people who want to be loved, and to feel like we belong.
Nobody in their right mind would “choose” to be gay – to be humiliated, rejected by friends and family, have their jobs in jeopardy, fear being beaten up or even murdered. No, none of us “chose” to be gay. We are who we are. We are loving people who love the Lord with all our hearts. Please don’t shun us from your churches and your homes.
Please just love us and respect us, and accept us for who we are because we are God’s children, and because we believe, based on Scripture, that God loves and accepts us just as He created us.
Our beliefs, in no way contradict our beloved God-inspired Scriptures. Our faith would have no meaning if we needed to twist it to suit our needs, but just as Baptists have a different view of Baptism than Salvationists, and Catholics have a different view of the Virgin Mary than Pentecostals do, so we understand Scripture in the light of the Original writings which we believe to be the ACCURATE interpretation regarding the issue of homosexuality. This website has over 5,000 pages of Resources to support our position. Please, take the time to look into it.
Thank you and God bless you!
Let love be your only debt! If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands. In the Law there are many commands, such as, “Be faithful in marriage. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not want what belongs to others.” But all of these are summed up in the command that says,” Love others as much as you love yourself.”
No one who loves others will harm them. So love is all that the Law demands. ~ Rom 13:8-10
“I’d be a Christian if it weren’t for the Christians.” ~ Gandhi