CHRISTIANITY and HOMOSEXUALITY

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:27:00 -0400

On May 15, 2008, the Supreme Court of California overturned the ban on same-sex marriage. The joy of homosexual citizens, however, was short-lived when six months thereafter, in November 4, Proposition 8 was passed which changed the state Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples.

In a timely manner, the film, Milk, was released in November 2008, 30 years after the death of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the U.S. The film attempts to revitalize and relive the explosive days of grassroots activism for homosexual rights on the streets of San Francisco. In November 1978, Milk and then San Francisco mayor, George Moscone, were murdered by Dan White, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and a known, Catholic homophobic.

In 2007, a documentary, For the Bible Tells Me So, premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and received plaudits from film critics because of its provocative and timely message. The work is clarion call to demolish the culture of homophobia around the world. It also offers a critical look at how Judeo-Christian religion perceives the gay community. It features American families which re-oriented their Christian beliefs and values when they discovered that a member of their household is a homosexual. To make things more interesting, daughters and sons of pastors and preachers are presented to showcase the idea that even conservative Christian homes can experience the social stigma caused by having a gay loved-one. Other stories: a case of lesbian suicide caused by a mother condemning her gay daughter, a gay son who became a social activist because of his parents and a lesbian daughter of a former US presidential candidate.

WRONG CONCEPT OF GOD'S CHARACTER

Many Christian churches are allergic to issues identified with LGBT groups (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals). Hence, there seems to be an unbridgeable gap between Christians and the homosexual community. Overall, GOD LOVES EVERY PERSON, INCLUDING HOMOSEXUALS. NONETHELESS, HE CANNOT CONDONE THE SINS IDENTIFIED WITH THE GAY COMMUNITY.

LGBT (Lesbians, gays, bisexuals and trans-sexuals) activists never grow weary of emphasizing the LOVE of God to justify their God-accepts-the homosexuals-for-who-they-are argument. What they often overlook is that God is also HOLY. He HATES sin. His love will always be coupled with his Holy character. God gave Man Free Will--he can choose whether to accept or not the authority of God in his life. It is a plain and simple message: God?s love can never be truly expressed in the universe if it does not condemn SIN. God has to punish/hate sin because He loves man. If you love babies, you have to hate abortion and the murder of infants. Homosexuals clamor for acceptance and they desire society to welcome them with open, loving arms, APPROVING of what they do. What they cannot fully accept is the idea that God has moral standards.

It was indeed one of the darkest periods in the history of the US Episcopalian Church in New Hampshire when Bishop Gene Robinson, was elected as its new bishop in 2003. My sense is that he gained the support of majority of the Episcopalian leaders because he was apparently demonized by the media and many Christian, evangelical churches. However, Bishop Robinson is a SELF-CONFESSED, OPENLY, NONCELIBATE GAY. He is also struggling with alcoholism. American preacher and theologian at Harvard University's Divinity School, Peter Gomes, an expert on American religion, also surprised many when he admitted that he is gay. However, unlike, Robinson, Gomes said that he has remained celibate.

MISGUIDED IDEA OF LOVE

One gay bishop in the documentarty contends that ALL LOVING RELATIONSHIPS ARE HONORED BY GOD. THAT THE BIBLE SPEAKS NOTHING AGAINST LOVING HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIP. The main question is, What love is he talking about? His opinion is often conflated with the INCLUSIVE character of God?s Love. This would classify the BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN couple as an acceptable expression of affection.

We must understand, however, that although God is Love, He is not ALL-LOVING. To be all-loving is to accept and tolerate everything a person as he/she is without condemning his/her corrupt character. What the LGBT community wants to promote is this (albeit in a subtle manner): they want GOD to be ACCEPTABLE to MAN, not MAN to be ACCEPTABLE to GOD. They have created a kind of God that would fit their desires and expectations. The Word of God does not change. He hates homosexuality in all its forms. Simply put, Christianity and homosexuality cannot go hand in hand.

HOMOSEXUALITY: A CHOICE?

The American Psychological Association (APA) has excluded homosexuality as a psychological disorder. It means society should accept the condition as NATURAL and NORMAL and should not be deemed as a disease. Some groups also claim that birth order and even genes have something to do with the development of a homosexual child. Further, churches and ministries addressing gender issues can never be really successful in their undertaking mainly because they cannot change the sexual orientation of a homosexual; they can only transform their habits and image.

I subscribe to the idea that persons with gay tendencies do not consciously choose to be attracted to persons of the same sex. Bible passages do not condemn homosexual tendencies per se, only homosexual activities. Hence, being a homosexual is a CHOICE. One Greek word for ?homosexual" in the Bible is a??????????? (arsenokoites) which means ?abuser of (ones) self.? Abusing one self is a personal prerogative. You become a homosexual if you consciously decide to engage in homosexual lifestyle.

CURING THE SPIRITUAL DISEASE

Homosexuality may not be a psychological disorder, but it is undeniably a SPIRITUAL disease. Nonetheless, I can never classify homosexuality as a more ?abominable? sin compared to other transgressions mentioned in the Scriptures. Like any other sin, it needs to be laid at the cross and repented of. We can only be righteous through the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. He is the ultimate solution to all spiritual illnesses of man.

What the Bible says as sin must be taken as such. It condemns homosexual activities as abominable. Hermeneutically, passages in the Old and New Testaments regarding homosexuality are meant for the protection of man (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Romans 1:26-28).

The problem can be prevented. Many embrace and gravitate toward the homosexual lifestyle because no one offered them spiritual and emotional guidance when they were struggling with the predicament. This makes the family and the Church crucial in addressing the issue. For instance, teens are looking for responsible and loving adults to help them cope with the problem. Churches should have specialized ministries which can offer assistance to people struggling with homosexuality. Moreover, Christians and church-goers should be educated and admonished to LOVE homosexuals as Christ loves the sinners.

- PTR. RONALD 'KUYA RONALD' MOLMISA

http://kuyaronald.multiply.com/journal/item/114/CHRISTIANITY_and_HOMOSEXUALITY

THE PARABLE OF GOSSIPER

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:15:00 -0400

In his remarkable work, "The Book of Jewish Values" Rabbi Joseph Telushkin relates a 19th century Jewish folktale about a man who went about town slandering his rabbi. One day, realizing that many of the things he had said were unfair, he went to the rabbi's home and begged for forgiveness. The rabbi told the man that he would forgive him on one condition: that he go home, take a feather pillow from his house, cut it up and scatter the feathers to the wind. After he had done so, he should then return to the rabbi's house.

Though puzzled by the rabbi's strange request, the man was happy to be let off with so easy a penance. He quickly cut up the pillow, scattered the feathers, and returned to the rabbi.

"Am I now forgiven?" he asked.

"Just one more thing," the rabbi said. "Go now and gather up all the feathers."

"But that's impossible. The wind has already scattered them."

"Precisely," the rabbi answered. "And though you truly wish to correct the evil you have done, it is as impossible to repair the damage done by your words, as it is to recover the feathers."

- PTR. RONALD 'KUYA RONALD' MOLMISA

http://kuyaronald.multiply.com/journal/item/113/PARABLE_OF_THE_GOSSIPER

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Sat, 07 Mar 2009 11:35:00 -0500

April 17, 2009 (Friday) 8:00AM - 6:00PM

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CHRISTIANITY and HOMOSEXUALITY

THE PARABLE OF GOSSIPER

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