A post in a Christian chat

I will resist bashing the heretical Catholic doctrine of "Original Sin" (the leading Biblical understanding of which is that we inherit a sinful tendency or temptation, and Christ did as well, which we could, but fail to resist where Christ's successful resistance made his willing sacrifice able to atone for our sin).

However, this thread has just crossed into a very important apologetic and theological pitfall. Merely because Christ has atoned for our sins, does not give us freedom to sin. Merely because Christ allows us to be free of hellfire and punishment for our sins, does not mean that sin is allowed.

Our God is not a god of fear, ruling creation from a high throne and doling out punishments upon wrongdoers. That was never God's plan, though such things were used by God when we were "children". Christ's death and resurrection changed things for us, as a father changes things for his maturing children. The father has not changed, nor have the real rules, only our understanding of them and the maturity we are expected to have gained.

No, our God is a god of Love. And it is love that is supposed to drive our actions: our love for our God, and our love for our neighbor. The fear of hellfire has been removed, and out of sheer love from gratitude we should then swear our undying loyalty and obedience. Moreso, out of sheer love, we should love that which our God loves, that is, our fellow humans. This is the True Law, the heart of God.

It is the heart God most desperately desires for us, the children and heirs of God.

LoveIn Christ,
~Warren

Eating Chinese Food (Coming out to Gram)

Eating Chinese food

Making small talk

Grandma orders spicy food

‘cause the townie ladies never do

Gram, I have something to tell you

no that’s not right

I order the seafood dish

‘cause I’m on a diet

Gram, there’s something I’ve wanted to tell you…

no, that’s too long

We talk about the weather

She asks about my other sister

and I tell her she’s getting hitched next year

Gram, I like guys!

no… that’s just crazy

We talk about my father

and yes he’s still a loser

Gram, I’d like to invite my boyfriend over

no, I don’t have one of those

We get our food

We talk about how good the restaurant is

and I sip my much needed glass of wine

Gram, I had another reason for coming up to visit you…

no, she’s eating now

I look at my plate and take another bite

I take another sip of wine

Gram, I don’t know how to tell you this…

no, that’s just way too true

We talk about me

I get up and go to the bathroom

more to calm down than to get relief

Gram, there’s something else I wanted to talk about…

no, that’s too awkward

She mentions how messy my car is

and I say it’s usually much worse

Gram, I…

no, she’s talking again

She says I need a girlfriend to clean for me

wow, she’s old fashioned

This is it, this is my opening

Actually… I need a boyfriend, Gram

I’m gay.

I already knew honey,

and I love you anyway.

Argument for Christian Homosexual Marriage

Argument for Homosexual Marriage:

1. There are no unambiguous condemnations of homosexuality in Scripture
1. And no condemnations at all of loving, committed homosexual relationships.
2. Though marriage is described in terms of heterosexual relationships, those descriptions are not innately exclusive to heterosexuality.
1. Marriage is clearly indicated as the only holy context for sexual activity between people.
2. There is no direct establishment of homosexual marriage.
3. The definition of marriage both in Scripture and society has always been an evolving, emerging one.
3. Science tells us that sexual orientation cannot be meaningfully altered,
1. and that attempting to do so is not merely ineffective, but harmful.
2. Though it is within God’s power to change any aspect of a person, it is the experience of homosexual Christians that God does not choose to do this in most (and perhaps all) cases.
4. Believing Christian homosexuals do not feel called to lives of celibacy.
1. Some do; this refers to the fact that there is a majority (or any at all) who do not.
5. Jesus tells us that the basis of all of Scripture and its Laws is love.
6. By 3., it is unloving to ask homosexuals to attempt to change their orientation.
7. In relation to 4., it is unloving to ask homosexuals not called by God to celibacy to be so.
8. Because of 5., we must interpret all Scripture in such a manner that love is clearly the cause and goal of the interpretation.
1. "Love your neighbor as yourself" means that, in cases that one does not have personal experience, one must put oneself in the others' places to understand how "love" might be expressed to "you, the other".
9. By 6., 7., and 8., we cannot ask homosexuals to change, nor to be celibate against their sense of God's calling.
10. By 9., and 1., we must conclude that there is a Godly place for and active, loving, committed homosexual relationships.
By 10., and 2a., and despite 2b., we must conclude that the Godly place for homosexual relationships is in (homosexual) marriage.