1 Corinthians 6 - what about the others?

[dustyzafu]

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Christians, when pressed to justify their stance on homosexuality, almost invariably point out that all sins are equally sinful in the eyes of God and that heterosexual adultery, for instance, is as much a problem as homosexuality as it concerns sin. The intended message is that Christians haven't singled out homosexuality as a pet sin, but this is clearly a lie.

Christian groups in my home state have spent a great deal of money on commercials against gay marriage, but not a tenth of that money on fighting heterosexual sexual immorality, idolatry, greed, drunkenness, or slander. The divorce rate in this state is attrocious, but nobody's talking about protecting marriage between heterosexuals through legal measures. It's all about what to do about the gays.

Also, Christians make things up about homosexuals when it serves their purposes. For instance, while chatting today, I was told that all homosexuals argue that homosexuality is from birth, but just because we're gay doesn't mean we've forgotten about the nurture side of nature vs. nurture. Within the gay community there are a lot who point to post-genetic influences to determine sexual preference. There are a lot of us who don't think it matters as it concerns the morality of homosexuality; i.e. it's either permissible or not, regardless of where it came from.

It's difficult to confront these lies. When I did, for instance, it became personal. It wasn't rude, but it was definitely personal. I'd eventually find my way, etc.

I'm giving up. I for a while believed that Christians don't hate the person and that they view all sins in the same manner. This is a convenient excuse to continue propagating a societal, not religious, prejudice. When you guys are spending as much time on the greedy as us, we might buy it. But when we log in and the first thing we hear is impressions of effeminate men, well...

 

[loveschild]

Just forgive. I was in the chat also. I get real tired of Christians talking about gay people. Jesus said for us to love. For us to forgive. For us to pray. The time spent in the chat talking about how awful sinful gay people are is much better spent on praying for Jesus to set them free from the bondage satan put on them. Instead of them sitting on their high horses they put them selves on thinking they are better than anyone else. Jesus loves a gay person just as much as he loves anyone else. All those in their should repent and ask Jesus to forgive them of the pride they have and of their hate. Yes hate. You don't say who goes to heaven.. Jesus does and many gay people will be set free. And if they are lost in their sin and don't know how to get out of it, it's probably because they can't go to church because of all the people looking down on them, telling them they are evil. The Holier than thou people sitting in the churches condemning them. God forgive you all.

 

[lil-rush]

The thing about all sins being "equal" is that they are not, nor have they ever been equal to humans. If that were the case a person who steals a stick of gum would receive the same punishment as a person who raped and brutally murdered 27 women.

Like crimes, sins are generally measured by the negative affect they have on society. However, just like crimes, there will always be those pet sins that receive more attention than they should. For example, the "war on drugs" is a pet crime obsession the the legal world even though there are worse crimes and problems out there that need to be dealt with. Similarly, homosexuality is obsessed over in the Christian world even though there are worse problems in the church that need to be dealt with.

What bugs me is that people think we as humans can treat every sin as equal. As if we can somehow deny our natural, human response and bias to certain crimes and just put every crime on a level playing field. It is niave to think a human could ever achieve a point in their emotional state where they could view all sins as equal.

Also, God doesn't even treat all sins the same. That is a lie. If God treated all sins the same, why would the Bible tell us of sins God hates more than others? Why would He give different punishments for different sins commited by men? Yes, we can show mercy and grace to any sin commited, but that does not mean the initial sin was equal. Sins are equal in forgiveness; they are not equal in the act of commiting them.


All that being said, I have nothing against homosexuals as individuals. What raises my ire is when homosexuals and supporters of homosexuality try to purport that homosexuality is not a sin.

 

[Bob1953]

I suppose denominations differ on how they view this issue, and in some cases perhaps the pastor of the local church is left to decide how to handle it. Some churches will not bless either heterosexual adultery or homosexuality, some bless both, and some bless heterosexual adultery but not homosexuality. I agree that it is hypocritical to bless one but not the other. I think if it were up to me, I’d bless neither since I view both as sins. I don’t think the Roman Catholics do, do they? In other words, in the Roman Catholic Church, neither homosexuals nor divorced heterosexuals can marry, unless I am wrong.

 

[Thaddaeus]

I am not going to debate the sin of homosexuality, Lil-rush hit on the key , justification of sin. but Dusty let me tell you this when You stand before a Holy God, saying that the reason you remained a homosexual was because the Church fought against homosexuality more than it did any other sin is not going to wash, with a righteous God, I am not judging you , but am reminding you that one day God will have to judge you and me, God never accepts us as we are true He send/ commends his Love while we were sinners, but when We call upon the name of the Lord He exspect us to become Holy as He is Holy, repent for the Knigdom of God is at hand , old things pass away all things become new, press toward the mark of the high calling, he exspect us to turn from our sin nature and to walk in the Spirit



now I don't think we should compare Homosexual acts with adultery acts first they are both sins. Now I may go a little extreme for some but isn't dusty going the to extreme of the other side by showing the faults of the Church, that spend alot peaching against it but doesn't do anything against all the other sins, so let's see if there is anything in common, most people in adultery don't say that their sin is ok , the schools aren't telling our kids that committing adultry is right and we should embrace those that do it. how many rallies have the adultery people started up in Washington DC showing others, even kids how proud they are because of their sins, how may adulters are demanding rights because of their sin. and how many adulters are trying to change laws so they can sin against God legally, yeah we've heard of the horrible sad stories that homosexual have had done to them just because they are gay. but I have also heard the horrible sad acts that homosexual have done to those who oppose of that sin. there are bad people on both sides, and we all know that two wrongs doesn't make a right. But God does commend( send) His love toward us while we are yet sinners , but He also exspects us to change to turn from our sins, repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, ye must be borned again, old things pass away


Ro 6:13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.Ro 6:14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.Ro 6:15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.Ro 6:16Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

 

[Slepsog4]

Heterosexual adultery and fornication are both clearly sinful.
Homosexual adultery and fornication are also both sinful.

The difference is that the former falls within the boundaries of natural design -- male and female.
The latter does not fit within the boundaries of natural design and is classified as an abomination.