jygabler@ucdavis.edu (Jason Gabler) (06/03/91)
SYSOP Chuck Hedrick charges: >>While you may attempt to enlighten them on this subject, you should not be >>surprised if their love for they refer to homosexual activity as sinful is >>perhaps more along the lines of programs for drug addicts... Louie Crew responds: >Chuck, do you really expect me to believe any claim to love me that is thus >grounded? I am quite willing to believe that people who hold such views >_believe_ they love me; Louie substitute the work 'alcoholic' for homosexual for arguments sake. We all believe ( suppose ) alcoholism ( not comsuming alcohol, but true alcoholoism ) is a sin. For the alcoholic the wel known first step to recovery is admitting ones problem/sin. To go a step further, what if someone who loves you, let say your spouse, decides to keep his/her views to her/himself and even denies that your alcoholism is sinful. Well, if alcoholism is truly sinful, we have doubled our 'amount' of sin by the spouses reaction, being that he/she has basically perpetuated your alcoholism in condoning it by remaining silent and even warping her/his views. Now for our discussion let's say that homosexuality may or may not be a sin. For those who truly believe it is, and truly love you will _not_ take the stand of the aforementioned spouse. Why? Because soemone who loves you is bound by love to help you with those first steps of breaking the steel confines of sinful habits and sinful nature. As long as we believe that homosexuality is a sin Louie, we will continue to confront you. Now I will admit there are those that confuse condemnation and love, but the majority, at least when beginning, have the desire to love you. Funny, isn't it. Its a fine line between love and condemnation. >It is wrong for people to >indulge in the massive amounts of judgment of lesgay people manifested here >again and again without making any effort to know lesgay people as friends >and neighbors. I would never think to read the bible to find out about black >people or any other group to which I do not belong, especially when those >people claimed already to experience the Gospel in their own lives. I would >first listen to them tell how their own spiritual journeys, and I would test >those claims by the gospel demands. Well, Louie, being that I have heard of and know perosnally people who, once they haev become christians, _chose_ to turn from homosexuality. And that the homosexual's circumstance, although possibly homosexual because of certain life influences, has no bareing on genetics or 'a the natural course of things'. Ones sexuality is a choice, proven by the fact that these men and women mention above _chose_ there sexuality, and by Christ's power can live ( disclaimer: as i believe ) normal, healthy lives in Christ's love. >I do not accept heterosexuals' narrow definitions about what constitutes >"homosexual activity." I am manifesting homosexual activity when I write >books, when I visit prisons, when I care for the sick, when I teach English >syntax.... If you want to restrict homosexual activity to narrow genital >expressions, you will simply not understand me of my people. Interesting definition. I will admit some of your outward expression ( as opposed to intimiate sexual ones ) are legitimately homosexual. But I profress Jesus ( not heterosexuality ) when I (would) write books, or care for the sick. It is much more important that I eminate the Him than my sexuality. You contradiction to that might be what is perturbing other Christians. For perspective, I truly do not care about your sexual state of being with how I relate to you. I do care about your sexual state of being with accordance to how I view Scripture, and I can pray for you and let you know my stance on the subject. And to you Louie, and to all the Christian (ha!) lesgay-bashers, counsel once , counsel even twice, and soon afterwards if your counseling and not praying your doing the Holy Spirits job. jase Jason Gabler UCD Computing Services, Data Communications Group *cable grunt* ccjason@aggie.ucdavis.edu * jygabler@ucdavis.bitnet * IFN Network Coordinator [Before responding to this posting, note that I'm closing this subject after today's postings. I can't see this discussion going anywhere useful. --clh]