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From: jah@philabs.UUCP (Julie Harazduk)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: homosexuality and the Bible (orig. net.religion)
Message-ID: <215@philabs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 15-Jan-85 17:03:10 EST
Article-I.D.: philabs.215
Posted: Tue Jan 15 17:03:10 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Jan-85 06:38:15 EST
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Organization: Philips Labs, Briarcliff Manor, NY
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> > Look if you want to be gay, fine.  But don't try to put God's stamp
> > of approval on it.  There are many other verses in the Bible clearly
> > denouncing homosexuality.
> > karen alias larryg

> Richard A. Brower writes 
> There are a very few references that are used by some Christians in an
> attempt to brand gay people as some sort of supersinners.  

Not supersinners; just sinners, possibly in need of deliverance.  But then
that's not very different from the rest of us.

> Richard A. Brower
> This has gone
> so far as to lead some very radical rightwing Christians to deny human
> rights to gay people, and even led some to say that gay people deserve
> death or worse. 

This is definitely wrong and against the teachings of Christ and His
apostles.  Remember Mathew chapter seven ("Judge not that ye not be
judged") and Mary Magdelin and her prosecutors ("Let him among you 
without sin cast the first stone") and chapter three of Paul's letter
to Titus (too much to quote) to cite a few instances where persecution
is definitely not Christian.  Christ came to save the sinners, He did
not come for the righteous (that's because there are "none righteous,
no, not one").  If anything, Christians should be more understanding
about sin, yet at the same time, pointing it out as separation from G-d,
and pointing out G-d's ability to deliver us from sin and redeem us from
it.

> Actually, the artical seems to have been written to show
> that at least some of these references probabally do not mean anything
> of the sort.  If you know of many other verses, send them out to the net,
> so that others will have the oppurtunity to debunk them also.
>
> As a Christian, you are limited to using the New Testement (unless you
> are one of those rare Christians who follows the whole of the Law).
> Otherwise, come on down to your local MCC and then tell us that gays
> cannot be Christians.

The law defines "sin" for us, whether we keep the law or not.  We are
obliged to try and keep the whole law except where the New Testament
explicitly releases us from it (dietary and the like and it's questionable
whether this is true for only Gentile Christians).  Of course, none can
keep the law (it is a curse to man) in its entirety (which is where Grace
comes in), but we are not to foresake the law as if it were not of G-d.
The issue cannot be, then, whether or not homosexuality is sin, for it
is defined by the law to be sin, but rather, the issue is whether or
not homosexuality can be in G-d's Grace.

By the New Testament Scripture, as commonly interpreted, it is clear
that homosexuality is not in G-d's Grace (true of many other sins, 
especially willful sins Heb 10:26).  The question is raised by the
Hermeneutic article whether homosexuality is specifically addressed
as one of the sins outside of G-d's Grace.  It is a fair question to
raise, but not possible for people to answer.  We can never truly know
the circle of G-d's Grace and how far it extends, that is for G-d to
judge.  Prayer for deliverance, acceptance of the fact that it is
sin and listening to G-d's Divine voice is the best council I can
give.  A problem arises when it is not accepted as sin and is
not addressed in the way that all sin must be addressed: through
repentence (turning towards G-d for the answer) and prayer for
deliverance.

Of course, all this applies only to the Christian seeking to know
G-d.  For the non-Christian, it doesn't make sense to talk about
it any more than any other sin in our lives. To G-d we all stand
condemned until we accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.  Being
homosexual is not an unforgivable sin any more than being a prostitute,
a drug addict, a tax evader, a blasphemer, a liar, or any other common
or uncommon sin.  Once a person accepts Jesus, and the idea of repent-
ance, deliverance may take time and temptation or backsliding can
occur, but G-d will perform the work.  By truly seeking to know G-d
and the truth of G-d's will and His ways will become clearer.

I know that, right now, that is what I'm concerning myself with. Instead
of eliminating the sin in my life, I am trying to KNOW G-d (through prayer,
Scripture and acts of faith) and let Him perform the work in me (known 
as the fruits of the Spirit).  Don't forget, it's not by works of right-
eousness that saves any man, but faith in G-d's redemption through Jesus
Christ.

Julie Harazduk
philabs!jah

Mat. 6:33 "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you."