Tarume - Untitled

What are your thoughts on the LGBT community and would you be willing to have a discussion about said thoughts?

This isn’t a topic I’ve really written much about on this blog, and in truth, it’s something I’ve avoided. Not because I believe it’s unimportant but because 1) there are several Christians on here who have discussed this at length and I didn’t want to just repeat what they were saying, and 2) it’s a very heated topic and I don’t particularly want to deal with all the messages and anon hate I know I’m going to get. I’ve gotten questions like this before (usually from anons who just want to start something) and I haven’t answered them. The reason I’m answering now is because it came from a blog that claims both the Christian and the LGBT title and has written about this topic a lot in attempt to prove that the Bible supports the LGBT lifestyle.

Before I actually get into writing my response, I want to preface this by saying that I don’t mean to degrade or disrespect anyone from the LGBT community. My intention is to only say things that are backed up with Scripture. I understand that I don’t have a full understanding of everything LGBT related, and while I know that the things the Bible says about this topic are offensive, it is not my intention to just be an offensive and nasty person. If I misrepresent you and your viewpoint on things, please know that it’s not personal, I just can only speak from my personal knowledge on this topic. I respect you as a human being and it’s my desire that you come to a full understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Feel free to ask questions or debate me, but I will warn you that I wouldn’t be posting this if I wasn’t already convinced that this is what the Bible says. I will discuss my position, but I won’t be swayed from it. Sorry for the long intro.

 Homosexuality:

When faced with the question of whether homosexuality is wrong or right (according to the Biblical standard) we have to first understand what God’s intention was for relationships/marriage/love.

The Bible both begins and ends with a marriage. This is not accidental. The marriage in Genesis 2 is a prophetic picture of the marriage that occurs in Revelation 19. Genesis 2:24 says “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” This verse is quoted again in Ephesians 5:31, and then we see in verse 32, “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.” The church is always referred to throughout Scripture as the Bride. She is to be the wife of Christ and He will be her husband. This is how marriage was set up from the beginning. And you can make arguments that “of course it said man/woman and husband/wife because it was a heterosexual couple getting married. That doesn’t mean it HAS to be that way.” To that I’d respond by saying that there is no passage in the Bible that was intended only for the historical characters in those passages. All Scripture is for all Christians of every generation. Secondly, if this passage was really only referring to Adam and Eve, there would have been no need to mention leaving his father and mother, because he had none. Clearly this was meant not just for them, but for those who would come after them as well.

The intention of marriage was clearly defined from the very beginning of Scripture, and it was done purposefully. A man and a woman, two beings that are different, come together to form one flesh. The woman was created to be joined to her husband, just as the Church was created to be joined to Christ. These are the parameters that Scripture has laid out. This is the Biblical definition of marriage. If God, who is not bound by time and knows the future, had wanted to leave the door open for same-sex marriages, He could have simply said two people come together to be one flesh. Since He didn’t, we are not in a position to expand the definition we are given.

So how does this affect same-sex attracted people? It affects them because no matter how you try to translate or interpret the Bible, it does not legitimize a same-sex marriage.

However, I don’t want to just limit this to marriage. What does the Bible say about homosexuality in general? 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 list it among other subsets of what is considered the “unrighteous” person. This passage is clear that those who practice such unrighteousness “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Romans 1, calls it “unnatural” (being that God did not create mankind this way) and “indecent”. The whole passage from 1:21-32 compares same-sex acts with idolatry. V. 23 in the same way that they exchanged God for images and idols, v.26-27 they exchanged the natural use for men and women for the unnatural one. This continues to V. 32 where it says “those who practice such things are worthy of death”. These two passages come to the same conclusion.

Now, I don’t want to condemn people who have felt these desires but have abstained. We cannot control our feelings or desires, but we can choose to not let them dictate our actions.

 Transgender:

First, I want to say that there are no verses that directly talk about Transgenderism. However, that doesn’t mean that the Bible doesn’t deal with the issue. There are also no verses about environmentalism, gun control, or if it’s ok to speed and go through red lights.

So what does the Bible say that indicates its position on the transgender debate? Firstly, through creation we see that God made only two options: man and woman. He created them differently and with different uses. This was God’s design for humanity from the beginning.

“Dividing the human race into two genders, male and female – one or the other, not both, and not one then the other – is not the invention of Victorian prudes or patriarchal oafs. It was God’s idea.” – Kevin DeYoung

Before the fall, before sin and decay entered the world, there were two assigned genders. Again, this was purposeful.

Yes, I’ve heard the argument that sex and gender are different and that you can be male of one and yet female of the other. And I don’t want to be insensitive and try to deny the genuine feelings people have about this. Yes, there are men who believe that their sex is male and their gender is female. Those feelings may be real and come from some sort of legitimate place, but that doesn’t make them correct. God has separated us by design and has placed boundaries on what men and women should be.

1 Corinthians 1:14-15 “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her?”

Deuteronomy 22:5 “A woman shall not wear a man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.”

This is totally counter-cultural, but the fact is that God is our creator and has every right to limit our uses of our bodies. He has purposefully designed us, and commands that we act in accordance with what He has made us for. This is non-negotiable for those who claim Christ: that regardless of what we feel inclined to or desire, we use our bodies for God’s purpose. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Why are sexual sins different than other sins?

Now, there is a sense in which sin is sin. All sin, no matter how great or small, shares the same penalty. And we know that we shouldn’t judge others who have sinned “more” or “worse” because in the end, we have all fallen short of the same goal and offended God infinitely.

However, we should also remember that the Bible does speak about sexual sins (sins with our bodies) as being in a different category than other sins. 1 Corinthians 6 goes into this in great length. V. 13, says that the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord. V. 15 talks about how our bodies are members of Christ. V.18 says “Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.” Then V. 19-20 conclude the chapter by telling us that we are not our own, and we ought to glorify God with our bodies.

 Common objections to the Biblical view:

“But God says I’m beautifully and wonderfully made.” Firstly, in the context of the passage, this isn’t meant to be a “You’re perfect just the way you are” kind of verse. Rather, the writer is praising God for His creation.  Secondly, no one would take this verse to mean that EVERYTHING about us is made perfectly. Since the fall, we have cancer and broken bones and obesity and mental issues. Just because something exists within us does not mean it’s good. Which leads me to one of the most common objections…

“I was born this way.” As Christopher Yuan, author of Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story, so eloquently put it: “innateness doesn’t mean that something is permissible; being born a sinner doesn’t make sin right.” Regardless of the things that exist in your life, Christ calls us to holiness.

“God is love so he will accept me.” God is also Holy and Just and has laid out commandments that we should follow. Yes, He is Love, and it was in His love that He made a way for us to be accepted by the Father. But the ONLY way to have that acceptance is to be found in Christ. God’s love and acceptance will not be extended to anyone who is not found in Christ. (Romans 5:1-8)

Moreover, God cannot accept sin or sinners. In fact, the Bible says clearly that God HATES sinners. (Psalm 5:4-6, Psalm 11:5, Proverbs 6:16-19, Jeremiah 12:8, Hosea 9:15, Malachi 1:2-3, Romans 9:13.) (References gathered by Steven Rohn, inthelasthour.com, Does God Hate Sin and Not Sinners? Revisiting an Old Cliché)

“God wants us to be happy.” Yes, God wants us to have joy in Him, but that doesn’t mean He wants us to be happy at the expense of holiness. In fact, God calls us to do things that will potentially lead us to have difficult and depressing lives. In Luke 9:23, Christ calls us to deny ourselves and our desires to follow Him. In many places in Scripture, we are also told to die to ourselves, that we might live to Christ. (Galatians 2:20, Philippians 3:8, Ephesians 4:22-24, Galatians 5:24) So yeah, there is joy in Christ, but don’t think that just because something makes you happy means that it’s ok.

“Even if that was a part of the Old Testament Law, it doesn’t apply to modern day Christians.” This is just a blatant misunderstanding of our relationship to the law. First, the only way to be freed from the Law is to be joined to Christ through His death. (Romans 7:3-4) This means that if you have not trusted in Christ and have not been cleansed by His blood, the curse of the Law still applies to you. You ARE under obligation to keep the Law. It wasn’t vanquished when Christ died. It was merely fulfilled for those who are Christ’s. Second, just because something was stated in the OT Law doesn’t mean it no longer applies. The Law also said not to kill and steal and those are still 100% in effect. Also, you might have a better case if the same things weren’t explicitly stated in the New Testament as well.

“When the Bible was written, homosexuality didn’t exist in its modern monogamous, loving format”

First, the Bible never prefaces its condemnation of homosexuality by saying “If it’s loving and monogamous, then it’s ok.” It’s an absolute statement. Those who practice homosexuality will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Period.  

Second, this isn’t a new concept. Not in the slightest. It’s become trendy the last few years, but these things have existed for a long time. A few sources for looking into homosexuality in the ancient world would be: Homosexuality in Ancient Greece and Rome: A Sourcebook of Basic Documents by Prof. Thomas K Hubbard. And Plato’s Symposium.

 Now, I know that was a super long answer, and probably not the one you wanted to hear. The truth is that any attempt to pair Christianity with the LGBT community is doomed to fail because Christianity is first and foremost predicated on the truths of the Bible, and some of those truths come into stark conflict with LGBT beliefs. In recent years, I have seen a lot of people coming out as “Queer Christians”. I know these people exist and I’m not trying to deny that. But the reality is that the Bible speaks clearly on these issues and any attempt to deny that is also a denial of Christ.

What makes a Christian? Is it someone who believes in God? Or someone who believes that Jesus Saves!? 1 John gives us a clear indication of what a Christian is and is not.

1 John 2:3-4 “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in Him.”

So to the people who claim both the title of Christianity and of the LGBT community, I ask this: In light of the Biblical commands to abstain from sexual immorality and homosexuality, and in light of God’s design regarding gender, are you willing to submit to God and flee from sin, or will you continue to disobey His commandments? The truth is that if God says something is wrong and you continue to do it (and try to justify is as being just fine) you are NOT a Christian. You can’t possibly be, because it is a defining characteristic of a Christian that when God commands, we obey. We can’t cling to Christ and our sin at the same time.

But, there is forgiveness to be found in Christ. It’s only by turning from sin and turning to Christ that we can be saved. We cannot have both sin and salvation.

If you are someone who genuinely believes in Christ, but has been taught that the LGBT lifestyle and Christianity are compatible, I urge you to read your scriptures and see for yourself. Christ offers us a life walked in righteousness, a life free from the slavery of sin. Don’t be deceived, but rather read your Bible. See what God had created us for, and turn to Him.

This one will never not be funny.

Wonder how many years discharging the gun got him.

Iroh: People work their entire lives to find spirits and access the spirit world. It has taken years of dedication and study for me to reach the small part of it that I’m able to find.

Sokka, who accidentally steered a canoe to where the Avatar had been frozen for a century and then fell in love with the moon and also spent 24 hours in the spirit world that one time and was the only one who the hallucinations flat-out spoke to in the magical swamp: what, like it’s hard?

Too bad Hamas killed 1200 Israelies on October 3rd and started this war. Can't believe Hamas won't agree to a cease fire. Really wish people would learn the meaning of the word "genocide", because this ain't it.

Yesterday marked the 100th day of genocide. Please, do not get used to this. Our people, killed, bombed, kidnapped, stripped, executed and starved is not normal. Our kids in pieces, their body parts collected in bags is not normal.

Israel has killed 23,700 human. More than 10,300 child. We'd need 177 school bus to carry the Palestinian children killed by Israel in gaza. 10,022 fatherless child. 8,352 motherless child. The wounded have their wounds rot and die waiting in front of the crossing. Maggots seen inside alive people's wounds. 5,500 pregnant woman will give birth in the upcoming weeks. 100 Days of Genocide. 100 Days of the world watching silently.

As opposed to...? You think communists are better? I suppose communists just starve the children to death.

"Battles are ugly when women fight" =/= "women shouldn't fight ever." Jack never said that. In Narnia, women demonstrably do fight in battles. Case in point: Lucy in HHB, Jill in LB.

You can judge the moral value of any society based on how it treats its most vulnerable members: women, children, minorities. Women are inherently vulnerable in wartime. Any battle in which women must fight is de facto extremely ugly, and it reflects very poorly on the society that placed them in that position.

That said, "Women feel that they must fight in the battle because the situation is so desperate/the culture fails to recognize their vulnerability/the culture actively exploits them" is entirely different than "adult women choose to fight as a matter of calling and do so in culturally appropriate ways." There's a very good reason why most modern democratic nations allow women to enlist, but don't include women in their drafts.

Father Christmas says "battles are ugly when women fight" specifically to clarify that Susan and Lucy don't have to go into battle against the Witch even though he's arming them. He's saying, "That's not your job; Narnia won't put its women in positions where they must fight." This is not a remotely misogynist statement; it's saying that a noble society has a responsibility to care for women during wartime. Which. Yes.

Do it for the meme. http://blinkingguy.com