[_ Old Earth _] Try wrapping your mind around the headline for this article

[Blake]

I've known gays who exhibited gay tendencies from a very young age. You could tell it by their walk, their talk, their interests, their hobbies and their demeanor -- this person is going to grow up and be gay. I used to have an extremely hard view on homosexuals and bunched them in as the worst, if I'm being honest with myself. But if we are being truly honest, Paul puts the glutton (hey, I'm guilty of that) on par with the homosexual. And on another honest note, I find it to be very strange how we will picket and get twisted up over gay unions and such or even try to reach out, but not do the same to the fat guy at the buffet working on his 3rd plate, or our buddies when they say something a little too lewd about the lady who just walked by.

There is a heated bias against homosexuality compared to other sins. I think this fact is a bad witness for the church at large, and secularists and humanists consider us bigoted as a result. Now granted, they'll find reasons to consider us backwards and hateful even if we weren't like that, but it's something that folks should consider. It has been said -- shoot, I've said it myself -- that there is a powerful spirit behind homosexuality, and that may be the case. I think there is an equally large religious spirit in the church which works in unison with that spirit, and keeps homosexuals far away from good Christian witness. As though our vitriol and bias against their sin will draw them to God, or we're doing God a favor somehow.

These are my thoughts and convictions. I am a bear of little brain, you're free to take it or leave it.

 

[Barbarian]

The Church is for sinners who want to do better. The more sinners we get in, the better it is, and the happier God will be.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

No, it doesn't. An urge to sin is called temptation. And that is not a sin. Since Christ was tempted, it could not be a sin.

I just noticed this.
No wonder you think differently than the rest of us.
According to Thesaurus.com, a desire is an urge.
Therefore, an urge to sin is a desire to sin.
Also according to Thesaurus.com, an urge does not have temptation as a synonym.
As far as I can see, every response you've made since this response is going down the wrong path.
A lot of corrections need to be made on your part from this point forward.

Okay, now give us your off the wall response to prove to everyone that you are always right.

 

[jasonc]

I've known gays who exhibited gay tendencies from a very young age. You could tell it by their walk, their talk, their interests, their hobbies and their demeanor -- this person is going to grow up and be gay. I used to have an extremely hard view on homosexuals and bunched them in as the worst, if I'm being honest with myself. But if we are being truly honest, Paul puts the glutton (hey, I'm guilty of that) on par with the homosexual. And on another honest note, I find it to be very strange how we will picket and get twisted up over gay unions and such or even try to reach out, but not do the same to the fat guy at the buffet working on his 3rd plate, or our buddies when they say something a little too lewd about the lady who just walked by.

There is a heated bias against homosexuality compared to other sins. I think this fact is a bad witness for the church at large, and secularists and humanists consider us bigoted as a result. Now granted, they'll find reasons to consider us backwards and hateful even if we weren't like that, but it's something that folks should consider. It has been said -- shoot, I've said it myself -- that there is a powerful spirit behind homosexuality, and that may be the case. I think there is an equally large religious spirit in the church which works in unison with that spirit, and keeps homosexuals far away from good Christian witness. As though our vitriol and bias against their sin will draw them to God, or we're doing God a favor somehow.

These are my thoughts and convictions. I am a bear of little brain, you're free to take it or leave it.

I have been on both sides of that. It's not good to promote that sin but in the early church it was around.

 

[Jacks Bratt]

I believe sin is sin. From taking a candy from the store as a child to taking someones life in cold blood... to God they are sin.
We are to love our neighbor. I don't understand anyone's sexuality outside heterosexual realm. I do know that God still loves gay people.
They can be saved and are.

The article has a point that should be viewed outside of the sexual orientation. If a group of subjects of one type have a high percentage of a certain problem. They should not be allowed to give blood. There are a myriad of reasons as to why your blood cannot be used to give to another human. We should not dismiss the "having sex with another male" if you yourself is a male as one of the reasons to not be able to give blood. Just as you cannot give if you have been in a certain country with in the last 6 months or taken a certain medicine. It should always be a solid "NO". No matter what.

As an aside. I have read the Bible and I know it says that "men should not lay with another man". Does it state, anywhere, where it is the same situation for a women not to lay with another woman? Or do we just assume that it is also a sin?

 

[Terry Thone]

Barbarian cites evidence:
Most data shows no direct genetic component to homosexuality, but there is considerable evidence for it being the result of hormonal imbalances during gestation. Certainly almost all homosexuals report knowing that they were so, from an early age. We still don't know for sure, but I think when the evidence is all sorted, we'll find prenatal conditions are very important.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prenatal_hormones_and_sexual_orientation



I never saw how God would want His people to turn their back on truth. I know a lot of people think faith should be immune to reality, but in my mind, faith is completely in tune with the truth.



How odd...

As you see, right around puberty, where you'd expect it to be, if it was determined very early. I suppose that one of the problems of anecdotal information is that every now and then someone like you, (by chance, I'm sure) gets a completely skewed sample.

Barbarian, ask yourself this question. What year, day and time did you come to the complete reality that you liked females. Anyone that is not gay ask yourself this very same question.

I couldn't tell you what year I came to the realization that Pluto was not a planet unless someone told me. If no one would have told me that Pluto was no longer a planet I would have still thought it was. As a male who loves women and has no attraction to men I can't tell you the year I realized I was attracted to women. Are we giving gay people the benefit of the doubt that they have better realizations? Do they use diaries more per capita then heterosexuals?

Where's the same stats for heterosexuals and how do we know it's even close to accurate. I can tell you when I became aware that I was a sexual creature but it's a basic time not a year. I know that as a male my attention to detail to my kid's birthdays and other important issues is considerably less than my wife's. Do gay individuals innately have a better compass to their sexuality?

 

[Barbarian]

Barbarian, ask yourself this question. What year, day and time did you come to the complete reality that you liked females. Anyone that is not gay ask yourself this very same question.

Hmm... about 8:30 A.M. September 8, (I think) 1956, in Mrs. Kuhn's 4th grade classroom. The girl's name was Brenda. I had no idea what I was feeling, but I liked it.

I couldn't tell you what year I came to the realization that Pluto was not a planet unless someone told me. If no one would have told me that Pluto was no longer a planet I would have still thought it was. As a male who loves women and has no attraction to men I can't tell you the year I realized I was attracted to women. Are we giving gay people the benefit of the doubt that they have better realizations? Do they use diaries more per capita then heterosexuals?

I know that I had no choice at all in the matter; most gays I've spoken to (and a large majority in the poll) say the same thing. And they became aware of it, around the same time I did.

Where's the same stats for heterosexuals and how do we know it's even close to accurate.

There may be some people who sat down, considered all the options, and chose heterosexuality, but I don't know of any.

I can tell you when I became aware that I was a sexual creature but it's a basic time not a year.

Well, mine came about through an individual. I think most of us don't give it much thought and then it happens one way or the other.