Yeah, you might want to work on that empathy thing.....
What I am saying is - why should a homosexual accept a God who created him as an abomination and then despises him for it? Shouldn't he or she take advantage of the time they have here on Earth before they are sent to Hell? Even Solomon said with out a God we should 'eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die'
-- Aspen, sometimes you say things that show you truly are lost on the subject.
God did not create (the homosexual) "as an abomination and then despise him for it."
That is dishonest propoganda....unless you really believe that. Then it is a matter of you not understanding who God really is.
Homosexuality is the result or original sin and a fallen world.
And God does not "despise him." He
loves him.
He loves him enough to die on the cross to pay for his sins.
Enough to want him to know that if he doesn't turn away from homosexual behavior, he will suffer eternal damnation.
Instead of wanting to ensure homosexuals have that message of love and urgency - that there IS a future for them, one of love and peace - you want to give a blanket criticism to anyone who won't sanction their lifestyle. A lifestyle that God Himself - GOD HIMSELF - calls an abonination.
You claim that any efforts to share the Gospel with them - something God calls us to do for EVERYONE who doesn't know him - is based on criticism, hostility and even hate. How wrong you are. And how unfair.
You are more concerned with homosexuals "eating, drinking, and being merry" than you are ensuring that they know eternal peace and happiness with the God that created them, avoiding eternal damnation.
You are doing them no favors.
the sin of homosexuality is over emphasized. Re-marrying after a divorce is also a sin, but it is hardly mentioned in our society or the church, because it can happen to anyone. The church has traditionally condemned sins that are minority sins like homosexuality and witchcraft to a greater degree than common sins.
-- An honest man would acknowledge that the increased "emphasis" on the dangers of homosexuality have mirrored the increased push by homosexuals to receive favored status, the rise of AIDS within the United States due to homosexual behavior, and the increased criticism by those - some, like you within the Christian community itself - who criticize Christians for doing exactly what God calls them to do.
As far as divorce being a sin and "hardly mentioned in our society".....is this a surprise? Society is "the world."
Society says there is no such thing as a sin - except the sin of intolerance for anything "the world" has deemed to be wonderful and acceptable.
Why would you expect anything different?
As far as the Church and divorce, a couple of points:
First, the Bible says that divorce is acceptable in the event of infidelity.....which just so happens to be one of the very top reason for divorce today
Second, if someone divorces - gets on with their lives - one or both of the spouses falls in love again and remarries....and then comes to Christ, what do you suggest they do? Divorce their new spouse and remarry their old one to make it right?
It will come down to seeking God's mercy and forgiveness.
You once started a thread on this board stating that any person in church and especially on the pulpit that is overweight is guilty of gluttony, a sin, and that makes them both a sinner and a hypocrite. That is the degree to which you will go to defend the homosexual lifestyle against anyone who - like God - opposes it. Amazing.
Your passion to let homosexuals live a life in sin, even if that means Christians are to keep silent, keep out of their way, and vote to sanction it (because if they don't they are - in your own words - are violating civil rights) exceeds your passion (and God's call to us) to help them understand that God loves them, will deliver them, and give them an eternity is heaven if they but turn to Him.
You want to ensure a lifetime of the ability to submit themselves to a lifestyle and practice that God calls an abomination, rather than help them to understand that they are loved, God died for them, and there is an eternity of happiness waiting for them if they accept him.
Your priorities are - at best - out of whack, and at worst hindering God's message to them when they need it the most.
Your stance could literally be costing souls.