Abel Stable

Are you married? Did you long to meet and date women when you were young? Have you ever been in love with a woman? Did you ever long for companionship and intimacy? (Could you refrain from such insane desires?) Obviously you find such comforts in women - but not everybody shares your taste. Don't let an ancient book separate you from others and breed spite.


Really? Do you know many homosexuals? Have you ever considered becoming friends with one? I can assure you that this conflicts with the reality of the situation. There are plenty of christians who feel similarly "dead inside" - ruled completely by the rabid suppression of desires. And I know far more religious people that lack reason & respect for other people. For instance you, Old man, have been spewing vitriolic disdain towards scores of unbelievers, while propping yourself up as superior (morally & spiritually). That's pretty low if you ask me. Does it bother you? Probably not, because you feel that you have the creator of the universe on your side- and it is okay to hate what your creator hates.
There is no love within extortion, and the christian relationship with Jesus fits that description to a tee. And if that is love- its pretty sick and twisted.

lpetrich

There are some Xian churches that cater to gay people -- and that argue away the anti-gay parts of the Bible.

So would joining such a church count?

Salmon of Doubt

no, the ones that argue it away are different, it is gay people who know that they are going to be instantly condemned, but convert to Christianity anyway who interest me. I simply can't understand why someone would convert to a religion that says that part of what they are is evil and shameful.

I was mainly wondering if the argument about god loving you anyway as long as you don't ever have sex again has ever convinced anyone!

Bree

I know of a lesbian woman who felt so terrible about her attraction to women she cut off all contact with her friends and family and went into seclusion at a nunnery.

Anyway, I have heard Christian arguments where gay people are supposedly "higher" beings than the normal, everyday heterosexual. God created homosexuals - more sinful than the normal heterosexual - to "refine them with his fire" so to speak. If the gay person (born gay, created that way by God on purpose) can remain true to God, his reward will be that much greater in Heaven.

Supposedly .

Salmon of Doubt

That's quite interesting, actually. I guess that someone who already felt guilty about their sexuality might lean towards that kind of thing. As for the other idea.. I think I have to join in you in doing this...

But do Christians really think someone who is well adjusted and happy with themselves would convert to their religion?

Treacle Worshipper

Quote Psycho Economist:
Don't expect anything but some elaboration of, "God said it. I believe it. That settles it."
Well, I don't really, but we'll see. We might be surprised.

Quote Salmon of Doubt:
A good comprehensive post, TW I was going to post pretty much the same response
Thank you

Quote Bree:
Anyway, I have heard Christian arguments where gay people are supposedly "higher" beings than the normal, everyday heterosexual. God created homosexuals - more sinful than the normal heterosexual - to "refine them with his fire" so to speak. If the gay person (born gay, created that way by God on purpose) can remain true to God, his reward will be that much greater in Heaven.
I've never heard that one before. How nice of god to think of such a thing! I join the general chorus of

Quote Salmon of Doubt:
But do Christians really think someone who is well adjusted and happy with themselves would convert to their religion?
I think a lot of Xians think you can't be well adjusted and happy without belonging to their religion. And if you think you are, you're just deceiving yourself, or being deceived by the devil.
TW

Edwin

So for two men (or women) to be in a loving and caring relationship that they are both happy with is "abuse", but to tell these people that they are depraved abominations who are condemned to Hell is "love"?

Proxima Centauri

In your, not always sensible theology God allegedlly created hell knowing as an omniscient being that some people world end up there. He created some people knowing they would end up in hell. Such a God cannot be loving in any way humans can understand.
Perhaps hell is empty. Then God frightened us in a way no loving entity would.

Proxima Centauri

Why would a loving God create some people gay, then force them to live a life of celibacy and frustration?
Why would he send them to hell if they are not strong enough for a life of celibacy and frustration?

Proxima Centauri

Here's what copernicus had to say about alleged God and hell in a different post.

Quote:

That's right. God wanted to "share" his love, but only with those who didn't end up in eternal torment. Being "outside of time", the Big Guy knew about all the miserable failures already, but he decided it was worth it to risk their torment in order to make the successful ones feel loved. In any case, what could he do about it? Being outside of time, he already knew what he was going to...er had...er will...do about it. What a Guy! Face it, Gemma, the "God's purpose" discussion always ends up in the confusion. We try to put a human face on our gods, but the universe keeps behaving as if it didn't really care about humans. Most of our religions originally had us being the center of all creation. Now we find ourselves stuck out on one remote arm of a fairly non-descript galaxy. What you really want to say is that humans can't comprehend "God". His motives are completely "ineffable". That gets you off the hook of having to explain contradictions and paradoxes. The problem is that humans can only relate to an "effable" god. So you end up with the conclusion that God's motives are explicable up to the point where they are not. In other words, theism, with its on-again off-again anthropomorphism, explains nothing at all about the human condition.