Faith and Homosexuality Part One

The all important message of Christianity is a message of love. The story of Christ is that of a love story as He died saving the world. Forgiveness is a by- product of love. Forgiveness not only requires courage but it also requires understanding that the misdeed may happen again. When Christ died in His mind I am certain He knew that corruption would still find its way in to men’s hearts.His forgiveness for our future sins-all of our sins will sanctify us in the end, if we seek it.

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him that your father in heaven will also forgive you of your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your father in heaven forgive you of your trespasses." Mark 11: 25-26

This means all sins and all types of sinners. Yes, even me. I am and was a sinner. I struggle with my choices every day. I cannot be ashamed of what I once was. I am Christian by faith; however, I am not Christ-like. I smoke, I curse, and I have many impure thoughts. I get angry and I sometimes doubt. I often wonder why the Lord would even consider using a vessel like me. I am not always a doer of the word. I was not the best mother, sister, friend, cousin, or daughter.

I am no different from a homosexual. I once lived a life of premarital sex. Now that my sins have surfaced, I would like the reader to understand that this piece is an argument of whether or not homosexuality has a place in the church.

There is nothing in this world that I hate more than hearing someone say that if someone is gay they are going to hell. Homosexuality is one sin that gets you a “free pass” to the lake of fire. It is forgivable. It is important to remember that repentance is not only a verbal commitment. Not only must you confess with your mouth you must also believe in your heart. If there is a homosexual individual out there that wants change, know that you can be set free if you so believe.

There is no need to tell the tale of Sodom and Gomorrah. According to Genesis 18: 20, “And the Lord said,

Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not I will know.”

The outcry in which God speaks of is the act against of doing that which is against nature. God created Adam and Eve or male and female to reproduce. Reproduction between species of the same sex is not possible. Male and female balance is the same as positive and negative attraction. In nature, poles of the same charge repel one another. In God’s eyesight homosexuality was repulsive. God called the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah an “outcry”. The use of this term is significant because if Lot and his family were the only righteous people in the city then who was crying out to God? This is my opinion; although the whole of Sodom and Gomorrah (with the exception of Lot and his family) was wicked, there were still people of the city being raped and sodomized against their will. The sin nature of the rapists infected the victims. The infection that I am speaking of is not a pathogen or a virus but a desire to inflict the same harm on others, or even in some cases maybe even an appeal to the sexual act itself. I view it as infectious or feverish because it was happening in two towns. In other words it spread... It brings to mind the Great Flood.

During the time of the Great Flood the whole of the world was corrupt. God destroyed it by opening the heavens to rain down upon the earth for forty days and nights. During this “Global Cleansing” He spared Noah and his family-they were the only righteous ones in the world .At the time of Sodom and Gomorrah you could say the “epidemic” was contained within these two cities. There was no need to destroy the earth; God destroyed the towns. There is no doubt that there was violence and chaos. It is obvious that people where being taken against their wills. I am certain that initially they were victimized; however, the infectious nature spread amongst them. Lot and his family were righteous because they had not been victimized therefore no carnal infarction occurred. Because the act was not committed the “homosexual spirit” did not dwell in Lot’s house.

“Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.” Genesis 18: 4-5

To know carnally is to know “fleshly”; in other words, to know sexually. Lot refused to give the strangers (who were actually angels) over to the mob. He stepped outside of his house and closed the door behind him. He offered his two daughters over to the mob in exchange for the visitors but the mob refused. The angry mob pressed hard against Lot to gain entry into his house but the angels of the Lord reached out and pulled Lot inside striking the mob blind so that they could not see.

Envision how hostile this crowd must have been if only blindness could have deterred them from raping and sodomizing Lot’s visitors. Why would aroused men refuse women and prefer men? The answer is not answer associated with being “born this way”, it is an answer of spirituality.

Allow me to change directions. There is no concrete scientific evidence of a “gay gene”. The Human Genome Project was concluded in 2003. It was established to explore the possibilities of being born gay. After several years of experimentation and observations, it has been determined that homosexuality is a life style or a sexual preference. Recently there has been new evidence of a possible “gay gene”. These experiments have been conducted primarily on mice and by evaluating the genes found in families with multiple gay men.

According to Ray Blanchard, a researcher at The Center of Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto,

“I think it's almost beyond a doubt that genes have some influence…”my personal view is that there is probably more than one biological mechanism contributing toward homosexuality. I think it's also safe to say that there is at least one non-genetic influence." (2008)

“Blanchard found that with each older brother in a family, the odds increase by about a third that a boy born later will be gay. This effect is not thought to be caused by genetics, but rather by antibodies produced by the mother's immune system during pregnancy. (C. Moskowitz, 2008)

However intriguing as it all is; the proof of the existence of a “gay gene” is still not determined. I am neither for nor against its discovery. I do hope that if it does exist, that it will be discovered and proved by science… undisputed.

There is proof however of other circumstances that produces the adaptation of gay lifestyles. Sexual abuse, sexual assault, parenting, acquaintances, media, and venerability have significant roles in determining an individual’s sexual preference.

Science and Religion have long been labeled as parallels. Factually, one needs the other to exist. Science experiments cannot be performed without some faith that favorable evidence will be found. Without religion assigning values to the meaning of life and human existence, why would there be any need for theories. If the sciences were “all true” all of the time, there would not be a need for research or clinical trials. Truth is, the scientists don’t know; it is all theories.

On the other hand I acknowledge the fact that God is omnipotent and that he is the creator. However, I do not believe that he wills things in to existence. When proving biblical accounts of Old Testament miracles science provides a logical explanation. This does not disarm God; this to me, shows his creativity and is faith in the world hr created. In my article “Living over 900 Years-A shot of an article in the Hub pages” I explained my stance on How the Old Testament miracles were performed. Jehovah worked through nature-his creations to bring about change or life. Even in the beginning the earth was without form or void but there was an earth. In the New Testament miracles changed they were no longer mostly nature contingent. These miracles involved bringing into existence something that was not. The examples of Christ walking on water and turning the loaves into fish are miracles of faith.The Old Testament was contingent on law; it governed every aspect of it. God was bound by law in creating the world as we know it. He was bound by scientific law; laws of matter and time and also space. Although, it is not determined how days and nights were calculated, the creation was described in being completed in a series of seven days.

Because science and religion are supported by one another, why then can’t the issue of homosexuality be that of a spiritual nature?

“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of god, for they are foolishness to him.”1 Corinthians 2: 14

The non-believer will not understand this. The need for answers and simplicity will drive the non-believer to challenge the scriptures. The challenge of choice will of course be through science. The creator gave us each a portion of free will. The gospel should not be forced upon anyone. Christians, loose the power of influence because we force feed the Lord to those in which we seek to reach. Our God is a god of love, he is also a jealous god but through compassion, Christ-like compassion souls can be saved.

Christians destroy their credibility when churches and ministries are formed that support or condone homosexuality. The scripture clearly speaks against it, yet for roster expansion or appeal to popularity churches compromise.

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolater, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own…” 1 Corinthians 6:18-19

“You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. Also you shall not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion. Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled.”

Leviticus 18:22–24

End Part One