|
Aimee Bohner - Freshman
2/25/2005, 1:51:09 a.m.
I would like to first say that I appreciate Marc and Dirk giving their opinions on the subject of homosexuality. I must state that, although Marc had a thought provoking argument, I agree with Dirk on the issue. before I begin I would like to say that I firmly believe that those of us who are Christians should love everyone, homosexual or not, but we should not accept their sin as "okay."
I know some homosexuals, but not many because of my very conservative background. Those that I do know I respect as people because they are God's creation, fashioned in His image, receiving just as much love from Him as I do being a heterosexual. To be completely honest and truthful (hear me out on this one) I was almost a homosexual myself. It was a little over a year ago when it happened. Up to that point I thought that homosexuals were people who were so far gone that there was not much that one could do to bring them back to human decency. I still loved them, but I thought of myself as better than them.
Well, then that changed. One day (I don't remember what I was doing) I had this horrid thought rush through my head. "What if you're gay?" a voice said inside my head. I was stunned and horrified. There was no way that I could be gay!! According to Romans 1 there was no way that I could be gay, but still the thought continued to persist. Day after day that thought was in my head spreading fear through my heart that I might actually have side of me that was attracted to those of my own sex. At this point my life's goal was to live as close to the standard of Bible as I could, and the Bible was very clear that homosexuality, along with all other sins, was wrong.
I begged God to help me, but I felt that He was far away, expecting me to fix the problem on my own. I was soon uncomfortable around my female friends because I was afraid that this evil desire might spring to life in me while I was with them. I was getting very desperate when one day I felt that God was telling me to not run from my fear of this sin. I needed to face it head on. So, instead of avoiding my friends, I went to them and treated them as I always had before, as friends. Soon those thoughts began to go away, and now I can stand up and say that God helped me overcome my temptations. To this day I still believe that homosexuality is the sin, not the temptation. It is my desire to love everyone, but not what they do because of their sinful nature.
It is my belief that for those who are homosexual the same is true for them as was true for me. For whatever reason they first thought they were gay then came to the conclusion that they must be gay. Instead of stopping that thought where it started they entertained it until they believed in their homosexuality with all their being.
For those who don't believe in God or His Word I cannot hold them to or tell them they have to live up to my standard because they do not share it with me. I can tell them what I know to be truth, though. But Christians, on the other hand, need to be held accountable to the lifestyle that they profess to have. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says that we should take captive every thought. If a Christian feels tempted to sin in any way they need to stop right there or they will sin.
Of course, we will fail sometimes to overcome the temptations we face, but if we excuse our behavior by saying that we could not help it or that is just who we are then that is where the sin comes, and that is what needs to change. We, as Christians, are called to be set apart. Now, yes, we are under a new covenant than the ancient Israelites were under (Hebrews 8), but we cannot use our standard of grace as a means to do whatever we want. Romans 5:20-6:2 is very explicit on that point.
Some might say, "Why do we pick out homosexuality out of all the sins listed in the Bible?"(I am keeping to the standard that we should obey the Bible as a whole, not just bits and parts.) Well, not only is it said to be wrong in the New Covenant (Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6), but Christians in this day and age try to make homosexuality appear as an excusable sin that one does not need to be ashamed of.
Homosexuality is a sin, just like stealing, lying, adultery, and dishonoring parents are sins. Does that mean that we compromise ourselves and say that we can sin and that is okay because that is just the way that we are? Well, yes, we have a sinful nature, but those of us who are Christians claim to have received new life at the moment of salvation. That new life means that we need to die to ourselves, to who we think we are, so that we might become more like Christ. That does not mean excusing our sins, that means facing our mistakes and admitting that we have messed up.
Homosexuality is no greater a sin than any other sin mentioned in the Bible, so I know that I am no better than any of my homosexual friends, or anyone for that matter, because I am in need of grace just as much as they are. God loves them just as much as He loves me, and no goodness on my part or badness on their part will ever change that.
Now, in the end God will judge us. He does not hold back that fact from us. One day everyone will stand before Him and give an account of his or her actions. At that time we will be held to His standard, and we will either fall under His grace or we will fall away from Him forever.
OPINIONS
HOME
|
