Is Gay Okay?
Is gay okay? For some the short answer might be no.
Others would say, it depends on one's perspective.
What is undeniable is that there definitely seems to be a "gay agenda.
"If you accept my premise, you might want to know what that agenda is?It would appear to be general acceptance and the patina of normalcy.
For years the American Psychological Association had classified homosexuality as an illness.
Not anymore.
Homosexuality has recently been removed from their list of psychiatric illnesses.
"Homosexuality is not a mental illness, so there is no need for a cure," they now say.
Score one for the homosexual lobby.
In contradiction to Scripture, which many ministers used to recite as their rational for condemning gays and their lifestyles, many ministers have been persuaded to rethink their positions on gays.
If you go on the Soulforce website their legend states - Freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from religious & political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance.
Rev.
Mel White whom I can onlyassume if an ordained minister is the co-founder of this organization.
He states, "Many good people build their case against homosexuality almost entirely on the Bible.
These folks value Scripture, and are serious about seeking its guidance in their lives.
Unfortunately, many of them have never really studied what the Bible does and doesn't say about homosexuality.
We gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Christians take the Bible seriously, too.
"To further support his argument, Mr.
White shares his bona fides.
According to him he spent 50 years reading, studying, memorizing, preaching, and teaching from the sacred texts.
White claims to have earned his master's and doctoral degrees at a conservative biblical seminary to better equip himself "to rightly divide the word of truth.
"He goes on to say, "I learned Hebrew and Greek to gain a better understanding of the original words of biblical text.
I studied the lives and times of the biblical authors to help me know what they were saying in their day, so I could better apply it to my own.
" It is not my intention to get into a religious discussion here, I only site the above because it tends to illustrate my earlier point of a gay lobby and a strong gay agenda.
Mr.
White further states, "Most people who are certain they know what the Bible says about homosexuality don't know where the verses that reference same sex behavior can be found.
They haven't read them, let alone studied them carefully.
They don't know the original meaning of the words in Hebrew or Greek.
And they haven't tried to understand the historical context in which those words were written.
Yet the assumption that the Bible condemns homosexuality is passed down from generation to generation with very little personal study or research.
"He concludes, " The consequences of this misinformation are disastrous, not only for God's gay and lesbian children, but for the entire church.
" Rev.
White's opinions notwithstanding, Leviticus 18:22 says, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 says, "if there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death.
Their bloodguiltness is upon them.
"1-Corinthians 6:9-10 , says "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 1:26-28 says "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
And just as the did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper.
" According to the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry - "Homosexuality is clearly condemned in the Bible.
It goes against the created order of God.
He created Adam and then made a woman," so their argument goes.
They go on to give a variation of the, "you can hate the sin without hating the sinner" argument.
The Bible echoes the Torah when it comes to homosexuality.
Rabbi Mendy Hecht says, "Through His Torah, God approaches unconventional sexual behaviors with a recently popularized phrase:tough love.
Which is a counterpoint to the argument some present about believing in a forgiving and a loving God.
I believe as they do, that God is ever forgiving and loving, but that does not suggest that He doesn't have rules.
Most of us have loving parents, but it doesn't mean we don't get spanked or punished when we did something wrong.
It is possible to hate the sin, without hating the sinner.
Clearly all of us who believe in God fall short of His Glory.
We are all works in progress.
Christian fundamentalist will argue that God only wants what's best for us.
If we look to the Holy Qu'ran, we find ample evidence of homosexuality being frowned upon.
In fairness, the Qu'ran is nothing more than an abridged version of the Torah and Bible, the other two Holy Scriptures, which precede it.
For the sake of space and time let me just quote one sura or chapter that deals with homosexuality.
Sura 7:80-84: "And Lot when he said to his people, "Do ye approach an abomination which no one in all the world before ye ever did? Verily, ye approach men with lust rather than women-nay, ye are a people who exceed.
But his people's answer only was to say," Turn them out of your village, verily we are a people who pretend to purity.
But we saved him and his people, except his wife, who was of those who lingered; and we rained down upon them a rain; see then how was the end of the sinners!"Thus Lot accuses the men of Sodom of engaging in homosexual behavior, only to have his message rejected.
Sound familiar?God saver Lot and his family and killed the other inhabitants of Sodom, presumably for their homosexual activities.
We can see that there is enough condemnation of homosexuality in the Holy Scriptures to be able to assume that it is wrong in the eyes of God.
Through Scriptures, God provides us with instruction on how He expects us to live our lives.
The homosexual lobby seems to be saying the rest of us must accept their lifestyle or risk being labeled homophobic.
Whether you buy the argument that one is predisposed to homosexuality, and I don't, or like me you, disagree that doesn't necessarily make you homophobic.
Homosexuals should enjoy the same rights and protections that the rest of us enjoy.
That is not to suggest that we have to accept their lifestyle as normal.
The vast majority of the population is straight, yet , there's no Straight Pride Day.
Why should anyone celebrate their sexual orientation?One's sexual orientation is one's own business.
It was a stroke of genius to label what is clearly, if we just go by the numbers, a deviant lifestyle - gay.
I accept the fact that some people are disposed towards homosexuality, but what is there about homosexuality that makes it synonymous with promiscuity?The two seem to go hand and hand.
Being straight doesn't necessarily make one promiscuous, why should being gay?These are just some of the questions Ihave.
The Scripture don't address orientation so much as they address behavior.
Is it okay to be gay?That depends on what you do with it.
PEOPLE AND POLITICS(TM) Copyright © 2007.
All rights reserved.
Others would say, it depends on one's perspective.
What is undeniable is that there definitely seems to be a "gay agenda.
"If you accept my premise, you might want to know what that agenda is?It would appear to be general acceptance and the patina of normalcy.
For years the American Psychological Association had classified homosexuality as an illness.
Not anymore.
Homosexuality has recently been removed from their list of psychiatric illnesses.
"Homosexuality is not a mental illness, so there is no need for a cure," they now say.
Score one for the homosexual lobby.
In contradiction to Scripture, which many ministers used to recite as their rational for condemning gays and their lifestyles, many ministers have been persuaded to rethink their positions on gays.
If you go on the Soulforce website their legend states - Freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from religious & political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance.
Rev.
Mel White whom I can onlyassume if an ordained minister is the co-founder of this organization.
He states, "Many good people build their case against homosexuality almost entirely on the Bible.
These folks value Scripture, and are serious about seeking its guidance in their lives.
Unfortunately, many of them have never really studied what the Bible does and doesn't say about homosexuality.
We gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Christians take the Bible seriously, too.
"To further support his argument, Mr.
White shares his bona fides.
According to him he spent 50 years reading, studying, memorizing, preaching, and teaching from the sacred texts.
White claims to have earned his master's and doctoral degrees at a conservative biblical seminary to better equip himself "to rightly divide the word of truth.
"He goes on to say, "I learned Hebrew and Greek to gain a better understanding of the original words of biblical text.
I studied the lives and times of the biblical authors to help me know what they were saying in their day, so I could better apply it to my own.
" It is not my intention to get into a religious discussion here, I only site the above because it tends to illustrate my earlier point of a gay lobby and a strong gay agenda.
Mr.
White further states, "Most people who are certain they know what the Bible says about homosexuality don't know where the verses that reference same sex behavior can be found.
They haven't read them, let alone studied them carefully.
They don't know the original meaning of the words in Hebrew or Greek.
And they haven't tried to understand the historical context in which those words were written.
Yet the assumption that the Bible condemns homosexuality is passed down from generation to generation with very little personal study or research.
"He concludes, " The consequences of this misinformation are disastrous, not only for God's gay and lesbian children, but for the entire church.
" Rev.
White's opinions notwithstanding, Leviticus 18:22 says, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 says, "if there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death.
Their bloodguiltness is upon them.
"1-Corinthians 6:9-10 , says "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 1:26-28 says "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
And just as the did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper.
" According to the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry - "Homosexuality is clearly condemned in the Bible.
It goes against the created order of God.
He created Adam and then made a woman," so their argument goes.
They go on to give a variation of the, "you can hate the sin without hating the sinner" argument.
The Bible echoes the Torah when it comes to homosexuality.
Rabbi Mendy Hecht says, "Through His Torah, God approaches unconventional sexual behaviors with a recently popularized phrase:tough love.
Which is a counterpoint to the argument some present about believing in a forgiving and a loving God.
I believe as they do, that God is ever forgiving and loving, but that does not suggest that He doesn't have rules.
Most of us have loving parents, but it doesn't mean we don't get spanked or punished when we did something wrong.
It is possible to hate the sin, without hating the sinner.
Clearly all of us who believe in God fall short of His Glory.
We are all works in progress.
Christian fundamentalist will argue that God only wants what's best for us.
If we look to the Holy Qu'ran, we find ample evidence of homosexuality being frowned upon.
In fairness, the Qu'ran is nothing more than an abridged version of the Torah and Bible, the other two Holy Scriptures, which precede it.
For the sake of space and time let me just quote one sura or chapter that deals with homosexuality.
Sura 7:80-84: "And Lot when he said to his people, "Do ye approach an abomination which no one in all the world before ye ever did? Verily, ye approach men with lust rather than women-nay, ye are a people who exceed.
But his people's answer only was to say," Turn them out of your village, verily we are a people who pretend to purity.
But we saved him and his people, except his wife, who was of those who lingered; and we rained down upon them a rain; see then how was the end of the sinners!"Thus Lot accuses the men of Sodom of engaging in homosexual behavior, only to have his message rejected.
Sound familiar?God saver Lot and his family and killed the other inhabitants of Sodom, presumably for their homosexual activities.
We can see that there is enough condemnation of homosexuality in the Holy Scriptures to be able to assume that it is wrong in the eyes of God.
Through Scriptures, God provides us with instruction on how He expects us to live our lives.
The homosexual lobby seems to be saying the rest of us must accept their lifestyle or risk being labeled homophobic.
Whether you buy the argument that one is predisposed to homosexuality, and I don't, or like me you, disagree that doesn't necessarily make you homophobic.
Homosexuals should enjoy the same rights and protections that the rest of us enjoy.
That is not to suggest that we have to accept their lifestyle as normal.
The vast majority of the population is straight, yet , there's no Straight Pride Day.
Why should anyone celebrate their sexual orientation?One's sexual orientation is one's own business.
It was a stroke of genius to label what is clearly, if we just go by the numbers, a deviant lifestyle - gay.
I accept the fact that some people are disposed towards homosexuality, but what is there about homosexuality that makes it synonymous with promiscuity?The two seem to go hand and hand.
Being straight doesn't necessarily make one promiscuous, why should being gay?These are just some of the questions Ihave.
The Scripture don't address orientation so much as they address behavior.
Is it okay to be gay?That depends on what you do with it.
PEOPLE AND POLITICS(TM) Copyright © 2007.
All rights reserved.
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