christ-on-a-stick

Gregg,

:notworthy

...to both of your posts.

Talulah

Spurly,

Take a look at my thoughts on forgiveness....it relates to what you were saying about loving murderers and thieves, etc.

I hope you will understand the message I am trying to send you.

http://www.talulah.twistedpair.net/forgiveness.htm

Jeremy Pallant

Theoretically, yes. In practice, no. At least, not from the attitudes I have experienced personally, nor from the experiences that many of us at the Internet Infidels can relate.

I ask the forum, how many Christians have we seen expressing genuinely loving attitudes towards homosexuals? Please, show me a consistent trend and I will apologise to Spurly.

My personal experience is limited to a single black baptist church in Atlanta (courtesy of my ex-wife) and it would be safe to say that they hated homosexuals. When I spoke up to defend them, I was, to my great amusement, labeled a "servant of Satan". Their attitude was not, as far as I could tell, limited to that particular church. It was, from what I could discern from the local Christian community, a common perspective.

After all, y'all claim it's a choice made in contradiction of their true nature.

I find it a great shame that your oh-so-rightous outcry against homosexuality isn't directed against pedophile catholic priests. The former don't have a choice, the latter do.

Vinnie

I think that distinction is slightly flawed. Both the priests and all people have the choice of whether or not they are going to engage in sexual acts. Homosexuals may not have a choice in their being homosexual any more than a priest may have a choice in being heterosexual or homosexual. But both have a choice in whether or not they will engage in certain sexual activities.

This is not my actual position but I will lay it out anyways:

Many Christians will distinguish between the state of being homosexual and engaging in homosexual relations.They will say that homosexuals probably cannot choose their sexual orientation but choosing to engage in same sex relations is wrong just as sex before marriage is wrong. They would state that homosexuals should remain celibacy.

The Christians with this mentality appear to be far less "hateful" or "homophobic" from my experiences. To engage in homosexual acts would be just another sin. That would make it something to discourage but probably should not give it nearly as much attention as Christians should have more pressing matters to attend to. Of course, the anti-gay Christians could easily counter with, "We wouldn't bother with homosexuality if people weren't trying to make it acceptable, or have homosexual marraiges and this and that. We speak out against homosexuality more than murder because people are trying to make homosexuality acceptable in today's world and we know that its not acceptable in God's eyes." Or to make it directly relevant, they might say, "We speak out more and focus more attention against homosexuality than sexually imorral Catholic priests because no one is trying to make child molesting an acceptable practice."


Vinnie

atheist_in_foxhole

You seem to be a heck of a lot nicer than this alleged "god" that you worship. Remember what he did with the children (Adam and Eve) in the Garden? He gave them a knife ("forbidden fruit") and allowed them to cut themselves and damn all of humanity to Hell. Then he blamed them. But I suppose this discussion is for another thread.

Vinnie

Adam and Eve = mythical story written after the fact to explain the human condition. Any questions?

Vinnie

atheist_in_foxhole

Yeah, why do so many of your fellow Christians have a hard time understanding that?

Vinnie

They are confused like so many of your fellow atheists

Salmon of Doubt

I don't understand how any Christian thinks that by gently showing gay people the correct way, we will suddenly convert to Christianity, and deny a large part of ourselves. I am a bisexual girl, but I vastly prefer women to men, and there's no way I'd sleep with a man at the moment. From what I understand of the Christian position, your God decides to make me attracted to women, but then tells me that if I act on that attraction, I will be sent to hell. He creates me with a desire for sex, and a place to direct that desire, but then tells me I can't act on that desire, and I have to remain celibate for the rest of my life if I want to go to heaven. But by the way he loves me and only wants the best for me. So what have I done to God when I was a baby that he condemns me to a life where I can't ever have a loving physical relationship with someone? Doesn't sound much like love to me. If he really loved me he wouldn't have created me gay in the first place, and he shouldn't be surprised when gay people reject his religion and look for a way of life that lets them be happy without guilt and sin.

crocodile deathroll

It really puzzles me why most the flack toward gays comes from clergyman who dress in pretty lacy frocks