Most people entering a profession seek advice about the career from those who have been in it. It’s considered wise to investigate how one would fit into that particular career.
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So many people in churches use & abuse MATT 7:1-3 as an out of context, censor/duct tape to the mouth, broad brush generalization to silence any criticism or moral assessment of any individual that is a friend or any person who is involved in behavior that seems to be condoned by modern perverted and/or depraved society…but is contrary to biblical principles.
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What about pluralism.
Consider a monastery where there is a central courtyard with a statue of a Sigma. All around there are locked bedrooms with open windows looking out to the courtyard. Each resident monk in the rooms is able look out and view the sigma. They are able to communicate with each other by shouting out and describing what they see… Each one describes it differently. They get into a heated debate about who is right. Some monks have similar views and so group together, others have very different perspectives.
They are not allowed out of their rooms until the second coming. Upon being released, they could freely go down and view the sigma from all angles. they realised they were all right and different at the same time.
Is pluralism a problem?
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Brizy,. I couldn’t help notice that you misquote Romans 1:27. Paul is talking about men and women who exchange their NATURAL lusts for UN-natural lusts. This can only refer to people who go agaist their natural gender orientation. I.e. heterosexuals who pervert their lusts. For example this is what happened in Sodom. The Bible exicitlly states that every man, young and old participated. There has never been a population that is 100% homosexual. . So this is obviously refering to heterosexuals who have gone against or perverted their own natural orientation. If you are to apply Paul’s standard consistently then it would be just as wrong for a homosexual to pervert their natural gender for heterosexual relationships as it is for heterosexuals to pervert their orientation for homosexual relationships.
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I quote from the following;
http://www.revivalsermons.org
Once we accept the lifestyle of the practicing homosexual as the base line for morality, adultery and fornication cease to be issues.
by Richard W. O’Ffill
Romans 1:26, 27 is the major New Testament text regarding homosexuality. It includes both men and women. Fornication and adultery are consistently condemned throughout Scripture. But for that matter so is pride, selfishness, murder, and stealing. The issue isn’t who are sinners and who are not or who is the biggest sinner. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). Sin has effectively disabled the entire human race. The problem is that homosexuality is increasingly being declassified as sin. It has been demonstrated that the power of God can heal the demon-possessed, the alcoholic, and the drug addict. The question is, are there sins so strong that God’s grace cannot loose them?
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Beautifully stated, Jose! Whatever the sin may be, God can give complete victory over it, here on earth. And no sin is any better or worse than another. But once we make peace with any particular sin, such a choice places the sinner outside the reach of God’s forgiving, transforming grace, until and unless repentance occurs.
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Maybe you can help clarify. In her video Alicia calls herself bi-sexual yet on her own website she calls herself “queer”. In her last sermon she told those attending (and online) that the word “homosexual” is a derogatory term. The word “gay” has been redefined by the LBGTQ crowd and now queer is OK but now the term homosexual is derogatory?
Alicia shows the courage of trust in her Redeemer who meets us where we are and leads us on to higher ground. Her declaration honors the God who desires truth in the inward parts (Ps 51:6). He has gifted her with joy for that integrity. She broke through, in her own words, her inner cognitive dissonance, to claim honesty and authenticity and its resultant joy. She speaks of surrendering shame and coming out of hiding.
While rejoicing with her in this journey, I must align with the “plain word” and clarify her statement that church position views “same sex relationships are wrong.” The sexual expression of same sex relationships is wrong. Love is good, wherever it is found, but not all affection or attraction warrants sexual expression. I would venture to say that there has been some Hollywood eroticizing of natural platonic same-sex friendships.
LBGT may be born with their sexual preferences, but that does not mean the condition is God-given any more than any other congenital conditions, such as cerebral palsy or peanut allergy. This side of heaven, many have to live with limitations peculiar to their condition, whether a cleft pallet or blindness or retardation. These conditions, too, occur as minorities among humanity. Why should we not expect that the corruption of the Fall would also impact sexuality? All of Creation is groaning and suffering corruption since the Fall!
Unbiblical sexual preferences may be submitted to scriptural prescription for transformation, that is, transcendence. We are not suggesting changeover to heterosexuality. We are speaking of overcoming, say, earthliness, that is, what is merely natural. (Jesus says there will be no marriage in heaven. We presume, rightly or wrongly, that means no sexuality. Mark 12:25). Heterosexual individuals, too, single or married, may submit their lusts (preferences) to their Redeemer for sanctification and transcendence.
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are none of us alone in our sinfulness. We are in this mess together! Could it be that the LGBT minority finds itself with a high calling to singleness, to celibacy, God calling these individuals to brotherly love and agape loving? Was Daniel blessed to have been made a eunuch? Paul seemed to conclude his thorn in the flesh was a blessing. I am not trying to minimize the struggle to surrender. But Christians do not interpret life in terms of “rights.” It is Hollywood and our eroticized culture that has given the idea that sexual engagement is a “right.” Rather, outside biblical prescription, it has become modern idolatry.
Another quandary:…Setting aside the clear word against same-sex sexual expression , would not bisexual attraction be found of fornication, of adultery committed in the heart? Jesus spoke of that in the sermon on the mount. Alicia is deceived to think her attractions describe mere flexibility!
In addition, we must look at God’s frequent description of His people, His church, as His virgin daughter, His bride, and disobedient Israel as a whore or harlot. LGBT relationships do not contribute to this image of the intimacy of the Bridegroom and His Bride! These sexual metaphors are important in prophetic understanding of the true and false churches, especially at the end of time. Legitimizing LGBT identities undermines the value of these God-inspired metaphors. I am forced to say that Alicia’s testimony overturns all of scriptural gender prescription and symbolism in both Old and New Testaments.
Because we are all on a spiritual journey of overcoming ourselves, I am grateful for Alicia’s congregation that responded with love and support at her coming out, and I rejoice in her authenticity.…But this is not the end of the story!
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The term “queer” is definitely being reclaimed by the LGBTQ (Q for queer/questioning) community, and there are entire academic departments devoted to queer studies. It’s not universally used though, and particularly older demographics of LGBTQ people who had that word used against them often violently or aggressively can still really oppose it, so I if one isn’t queer oneself, I’d use LGBT or LGBTQ or LGBT+. That will always be okay. The term “homosexual” is mainly only used in medical contexts now, and I suggest not using it to describe someone. Using the terminology that someone uses for themselves is something I try to do as a simple gesture of respect.
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