Homosexuality

Though the Bible does not say much about it, there are some verses that speak about it. Is it a sin? There are two answers to this question.

Is being a homosexual a sin? No.

Is being involved in a homosexual relationship a sin? Yes.

Now let us dive into this, shall we?

Sexuality is one of many things that tend to be pre-determined prior to your birth. It is out of our control what we are attracted to. Think about it for a second. “Kinky” exists for a reason: and everyone has their kink. Our “kinks” are things that our mind finds sexually arousing that are out of the norm. With that in mind, it only makes sense that there exists people who are attracted to the same sex and not the opposite.

Homosexulaity is not faked. The majority of homosexuals are actually attracted to the same sex, and not so much the opposite sex.

People attribute the descent of humanity further into sin to be why homosexuality is more prevalent than it ever was. I disagree. The population has increased drastically allowing more diversity in thought. People can more easily communicate with strangers, bringing to light minority groups that otherwise would have remained hidden. As people begin to accept homosexuals for who they are, we will see an increase in those who are coming out of the closet.

The Bible is not against homosexuality, it is agianst homosexual acts.

Leviticus 18:20 (KJV) says, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” In other words, if you are a man, you should not be having sex with another man. If you are a woman, you should not be having sex with a woman. 1 Timothy 1:10 also mentions the fact that homosexual sodomy (straight sodomy will be talked about at a later time. For the time being, my thoughts on the topic will remain undefined), “...for them that defile themselves with mankind.” You may be thinking, as I was, that that is an enormous stretch: like you are bending the meaning of this to conform with a widely held Christian idea. But you must remember that the New Testament was written in Greek, and 1 Timothy is rapidly approaching its 2,000th birthday. It was also translated to English 410 years ago. What I am explaining in the most ineffective way possible is that, in Greek, that phrase carries the same meaning as sodomites, which, in this situation, is referring to those who commit acts of sodomy, not those from Sodom and Gamorrah.

Genesis gives us marriage guidelines. It says that a man shall leave his parents, take up a wife, and they will become one (you can find this in Genesis 2:24). Mentioning the fact that only two people, a man and a woman, were created seems unimportant for one reason and one reason only: I already said that being a homosexual is not wrong, so bringing this up would make it seem like I am saying that the fact that you were born a little different than “everybody” else is, in fact, a sin. Which is not the case, as I have already established.

“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet,” Romans 1:26-27 (KJV). This refers to homosexual relationships as “unnatural.”

A Christian homosexual is not allowed to be in a relationship with another: that is as far as the Bible takes it. So let us talk about application.

“I am a homosexual… if I am not allowed to be involved in a homosexual relationship, what am I supposed to do?”

It may sound like a cop-out, but pray. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you,” 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV). God wants you to pray about your struggles. He wants to help you get through your trials, your temptations, your struggles.

Hiding your sexuality is dangerous, as many can tell you. It is not something you should suppress or hide: this leads to mental health issues. Being able to talk to someone helps out a lot. There is a problem in the Christian community that comes along with this that we will speak of later, but let us pretend for a second that it does not exist. Do not force yourself to be in a straight relationship. It can lead, and most likely will lead, to an unhappy relationship. “And in some extreme cases depression and suicidal thoughts. Please stop taking Hetero™ if any of these symptoms develop.”

“What if I decide to get involved in a relationship anyways?”

Not recommended. Though you do not have to listen to me, you would be openly disobeying God and living in something that He considers sin. Though at the end of the day we are all filthy sinners and you will not be sent to Hell for your deeds (in fact, God sees all sin equally (James 3:10)), the difference is that you are openly living in sin. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” Psalm 66:18 (KJV). Can you still be saved, can you still be Christian, and disobey His command? Yes. But it impairs your growth with God.

Yes, it sucks. But God can help, and will help. He wants to help you get through. It will also become easier when you become a Christian to combat homosexual desires (though I do not have the authority to say you will become straight magically). This can be found in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new,” (KJV). This is saying that, upon salvation, you begin to change. As you mature in Christ, it will be easier for you to give up your homosexual lusts.

In 1 Corinthians 7, marriage is discussed. Paul advises that maybe, just maybe, it is better to remain single. He says that there are advantages to being single in your growth and maturity in God. But do not take this as no one should get married: Paul is not saying that, in fact, in verse 9 he says, “But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.”

Now to address the elephant in the room. The toxic mindset Christians seem to have towards homosexuals. There are Christians who go to prisons and attempt to convert serial killers. When someone is on death row, I guarantee you he has been witnessed to. But homosexuals? They are treated as the spawn of Satan. A group of sinners who do not deserve salvation (in an earthly sense. Because from a purely biblical perspective, no one deserves salvation).

Christians are supposed to be accepting of others. They are supposed to love everyone, no matter what sin they have committed. It is awful that if you are a Christian homosexual you feel required to keep it hidden inside because you are afraid of persecution.

The hatred towards homosexuals is disgusting, and needs reformation. From a worldly perspective, that is so minor in comparison to murder, so why do we treat it as if it is worse?

When Jimmy gets married to Robert, we should not outcast from the church. Understand that you are a sinner too, doing things no worse than what they are. Mom got divorced before she married Dad… should she be treated like a homosexual? The sins are almost equal, the only difference being the absence of an opposite sex relationship.

That was a rhetorical question, of course. No one should be treated like a homosexual is treated in the Christian community. No one deserves to be villainized to that extent.

So, fellow Christians, join me. Accept homosexuals for who they are. Spread the good news to them and be there for them when they need someone to talk to. Treat them equally. Treat them with love. Treat them with respect. At the end of the day, we all struggle. We all sin.

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