My friends told me last night that I'm going through a religious existential quest. Some of them think I'm going through a meltdown. I thought that was funny because I THOUGHT I was going through a time of "questioning what I have been taught" but maybe that's the same thing?
Let's see here...
I believe in God. I know Jesus personally. I know what He did for me and that without Him I'm nothing. I am not questioning God's existence. I do enjoy dialogue about why God did this and why God did that but the answers could never shatter my faith. I just know that I know He is my God. That's a certain.
Does that mean I should have all the answers, believe whatever all the other Christians believe and not ask questions that are challenging? Maybe it's that I'm a Christian Homeschool Leader. Does that mean I have all the answers, because I'm a leader?
I certainly hope not because I sure don't.
This is the questions that got me into hot soup last night.
WHY DO WE HATE HOMOSEXUALS BUT LOVE THE GLUTTONS?
"WHAT?!" Came the answer.
MY thinking on the subject is this.
I've been on the "oh my gosh that's so icky" boat. I've been on the "it's in the Bible and it's an abomination before the Lord" boat. Then I started reading the Bible. I saw that there are all sorts of things that are "in the Bible." I saw that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed just like I had been told. Then I saw ALL the sin that they were committing and that it wasn't just the sin of homosexuality. I thought, well that's why they were destroyed though, because of sexual sin. Then I read a little further and saw that the family that God Himself allowed to live promptly had daughter/father incestuous sex and begot sons from that union.
Ummm...okay...ummmm...I'm 37 and I can think. Why was Sodom and Gomorrah splattered? Sexual sin? Oh no, Homosexual sin? Yes it must be that because incest is a much lesser sin. ummm...no that's not even logical let alone an obvious conclusion... Oh No! I have a question and I'm a Christian and I'm 37!!! HELP!!!
"Homosexuality is a "Bigger" sin than the other sins though, right? I'm not talking about homosexual marriage. I'm talking about just being an open homosexual.
If all sin is equal and no sin shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven then homosexuals are not the heathen, horrible, look the other way sinners we're all making them out to be right?
Well, you know as long as they are "trying to change" and they "know they can't act on their sin."
Right?
Oh crap, I thought again...
Gluttony is "in the Bible" and that is one of the 7 DEADLY SINS! God said that gluttons are debauchees or wasters of their own body. Gluttony is punishable by death...even stoning...in order to remove the evil from our midst!
OH....NO WAY!
Homosexuals and Gluttons are equals.
Homosexuals live in their sin openly.
Gluttons live in their sin openly.
Right?
Here's what is worse.
When gluttons do try to change their sinful life, most of them are trying to change to get healthy and/or sexy.
Who is at greater fault?
Why will we take direction from an openly gluttonous preacher but not an openly gay one?
Why will we let our children hang out at our fat friends home but not our homosexual friends home?
Why are homosexual sins greater in the eyes of Christians? Do we hate the homosexual's sin but not the homosexual? If we only hate their sin why do we shun them? Are we being haters?
If shunning them isn't hate then why don't we hate the glutton sin just as much? Why aren't we shunning gluttons and protecting our children from the gluttons?
Deadly Sins
Envy
Lust
Anger
Gluttony
Pride and vanity
Laziness
Sadness
Glutton: (Deuteronomy 21:20), Heb. zolel, from a word meaning "to shake out," "to squander;" and hence one who is prodigal, who wastes his means by indulgence. In Proverbs 23:21, the word means debauchees or wasters of their own body. In 28:7, the word (pl.) is rendered Authorized Version "riotous men;" Revised Version, "gluttonous." Matthew 11:19, Luke 7:34, Greek phagos, given to eating, gluttonous.
Deuteronomy 21:20 and 21
(20)"They shall say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard. (21)Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear.
Leviticus 20:13 "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."
Aren't we all LIVING in our sin?
Aren't we ALL rationalizing at least one sin in our lives?
10 comments:
Oh, wow, Shelly, you do get deep.
I am very interested to read any answers to this question.
My own personal opinion is that we as humans have branded homosexuality as a worse sin. While in reality, according to the Bible, all sin is equal. However, in a world where we do not punish all sins against societ equally, murder and robbery do not get the same punishment, we cannot grasp that God would punish all sin the same. It is hard for our human and limited brains to wrap themselves around the awsomeness of God and realize that He is different from us. So, we tend to subconsiously humanize him.
ok here's my 2 cents...
i always thought of homosexuality being an 'issue' as a sin becaue society does not recognize it as so. Gluttony is actually amost close in that respect..and had never thought of that.
Here is a take I have always said...when we are saved we still have TONS of sin in our lives. The Holy Spirit doesn't go WHAM! here is your list of 1000 sins...stop them today. God is GENTLE and LOVING. So here's a question- I don't know if homosexuals should be 'members' of a church because it IS a sin (they should always be welcome...how else will they come to know the Lord??)- but if they don't perhaps there should be a list of 100 other things as well before folks become members. Can you imagine a weight chart LOL????!!!! They should know upfront what the church thinks about homosexuality. The difference I still think though is that society says it is OK- i don't 'really' think that is the case w/ the others- including gluttony- maybe - that is close. It is definately accepted. BUt you do raise an interesting point about the motiviation for loosing weigt!! Something to think about!
Intriguing. I'm not really sure what you are talking about. Jesus always taught us to love the sinner, not the sin. Guess that means the thief on the cross as well as the homosexual or the glutton. I'm saddened that you've been in all of these places where people condemn one over the other. Hopefully one day you will find a church where the people are loved and the sin is not.
So, what I'm getting from you here is that... "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
It's a good thing we are saved by Grace, through faith, cause apparently our own works wouldn't cut it.
Preach it sister!
Dale,
Yes that is indeed the "church congregation" that pushed me over the edge. Thank you for binging their limited importance to light. I feel better to say the least.
Their outward show of hate shook me to the core.
Is it so hard to see that "hate the sin not the sinner" means "love the sinner not the sin?"
Somehow, the love part, truly loving that person, is hard for people to do.
Shelly--I told you I'd ask the nun, and I did. I think I got the question right but I'm not sure she answered your question.
But here's the link:
http://asksistermarymartha.blogspot.com/2007/10/what-would-richard-simmons-do.html
Heather,
How cool that she is posting about it! :-)
What I'm getting so far is that we are all in agreement that it is sin.
check
We are all in agreement that gluttony too is sinful.
check
She does touch a little on going to a homosexuals home..slightly.
check
The comments are where it is getting a little sticky. She was asked by a person why Christians are so much more angry at the gay people. She listed a whole slew of reasons why and then dropped it. Sooo...should we shun them or not...That is the question. :-)
Not quite checked yet...
Can't wait to keep up on the comments.
Thank you for asking her. How neat that she is taking on the task.
First:
YAY! I hadn't heard!
I'm sooo happy to see it!
Second:
No offense taken here. I agree whole-heartedly. :-)
Well, here's my take. First of all, I don't believe in picking and choosing which scripture to take literally and which to take figuratively. This was a book written by man long ago, when there was no such thing as a loving, monogomous homosexual relationship - there was basically only men on boys. THAT is sinful for sure.
The bottom line is that we don't have to judge (which is what shunning is, isn't it?) because God takes that responsibility upon Himself. We are all sinners and are all accepted into his Kingdom through grace. When my son and daughter ask me the inevitable question about homosexuality, I will simply tell them that I don't know why God made some people gay. But it's not our job to judge them or decide if what they are doing is right or wrong. Our hearts need to be loving. What is wrong about homosexuality is the way they are treated by so many. That is not the type of Christian we want to be.
i appreciate this post :-)
i think you have a very well-thought-out stance on things. I'm a homosexual and a Christian and i love God. I'm not a promiscuous rapist or things like that...i just happen to be gay. I believe that the Bible is full of beautiful stories that guide you and lead you to be a better person, and being a good person is about being good to other people with the grace of God, and who am I hurting?
The world needs more people like you who LOVE God and take time to think about Him and His teachings instead of just following blindly what the earthly organizations tell them. God bless :-)
-Greg
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