A question for the religious people out there please ( believe in God and Jesus)? Question about homosexuals?

[Anonymous]

I am devoted to God so I wanted to ask this question strictly to those who believe in God and Jesus.

I have this church friend that I always hangout with. I really like her and she has the kindest soul I have ever met. She's in her 50s and she always tells me her wisdom whenever we hangout.

But a few weeks ago she revealed to me her contempt for the LGBTQ community. It blindsided me because she came off as someone who is peaceful and nice to everyone.

In my religion and I'm christian orthodox, it's a sin to be gay and do all the LGBTQ stuff. So I'm not condoning it.

But I don't want to be obsessed with how people live their lives. I leave it up to God but I don't want to be this aggressive person to those who are gay.

I still want to be a kind person to them because I truly feel that's how God wants us to be. We are all sinners at the end of the day.

Since she revealed her huge dislike for the homosexuals I noticed she's been like talking about it nonstop with me every Sunday.

That's our main conversation topic for some reason. She's the only one that brings it up. She's been texting me YouTube videos about what the priests in our religion say about it. I showed her a radical video of a guy saying all religious people should kill all gay people and she agreed with it.

I'm noticing that I'm starting to feel this hate in my heart and I'm feeling a more adverse reaction towards homosexual people than normal. I can feel her plaguing my soul. I wonder because I'm religious am I supposed to be acting like her? I don't know if I am in the wrong.

[BCRanger10]

Okay, so... this is an interesting topic. Please be advised, this will be lengthy.

Does she herself have a past with same-sex attraction? I'd wonder if that's playing into her mindset. People who leave a certain belief, mindset, lifestyle, or ideology tend to be either more sensitive to it or have a particular hostility for it, and this applies whether someone either joins or leaves a religion or political belief.

Case in point, Michael Voris of the Catholic media apostolate Church Militant had previously lived an actively sexual lifestyle, having engaged in sexual activities with both women and men. He had a very profound conversion about twenty years ago and is now a consecrated lay celibate. He often makes very harsh assessments of homosexuality which many might consider homophobic.

Now me personally, I am a Traditionalist Catholic myself and I fully accept and embrace what the Catholic Church teaches on homosexuality, same-sex "marriage", and so forth. However, I would not go so far as Mr. Voris does. For the record, I've followed him for several years and I've never heard him use any objectively homophobic slurs. Still though, even "sodomy" isn't a word I throw around quite so loosely.

This sounds like a conversation you should have with your pastor though. You don't need to specify whom you're having this issue with (in fact, you really shouldn't).

For what it's worth, I know our beliefs aren't totally in line with each other's. Nonetheless, I'd recommend reading then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's (who later became Pope Benedict XVI) 1986 Letter on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons. Likewise, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2357-2359.

Catholic apologist Trent Horn also issued a talk several years ago called How to Talk About Same-Sex Marriage.

These might be good resources for you.

In summary though, the most important thing you can do for her right now is pray for her. You should have a firm stance on the matter, but there are more level-headed and charitable ways to think about and discuss it.

[BCRanger10]

Thank you for MHO.

[Anonymous]

No. Your own original thoughts and feelings regarding this issue are the right Christian ones.
The lady's age means she grew up when her views where the normal views to have: she isn't a nut, she's just someone believing what quite everyone believed when she grew adult.

You have, clearly, to find a way to make her stop breaching this topic to you. Do it gradually and kindly, if it will be possible, so that you can keep what friendship you have with her going on.

[Rkbleezy]

Matthew 7:1-2 and Luke 6:37-38

“Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

[NamerOfStars]

Jesus hung out with whores and tax collectors; what did He have to say about hating those deemed sinful? Oh, yes- that the first stone should be cast by the one without sin. You should ask that woman if she's the one in that position, and if so, why she's wasting such a divine nature on condemning something only held as a sin because the Jews lacked the courage to question God.

We're not told to be perfect; we ARE told to be loving. Hating people for the way they were born has no place in that.

[Anonymous]

There's no hate quite like Christian love.

You could tell her all the scripture in the world - love the sinner not the sin let he who is without sin cast the first stone, judge not lest ye be judged, before you remove the speck from your brothers eye remove the log from your own eye, etc... she's not going to stop being a hypocrite.

Usually a Christian that obsessed and hate filled towards the gay folk, are in deep denial themselves. In her 50s, single and child less? She's a lesbian still struggling with self loathing IMHO.

[Voldra]

We're not commanded to like our brothers & sisters, we're commanded to LOVE them including the deviants. Jesus displayed His love as sacrifice while on earth & as Christians we should emulate that example of all encompassing love. We're also not in a position to be judging others, that is His domain.

[AngryCarl]

Ephesians 4:31-32
King James Version
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

[Anonymous]

You’re supposed to be disgusted by homosexuality. It’s a sin, is unnatural, and is against God’s law.

You are not the homophobe. They are the ones in the wrong for trying to get people to be accepting of their degeneracy.

[Asker]

Who's in the wrong? Sorry I'm sick and my brain is half working

[jshm2]

She's just venting.

It upsets her that people can be so callous and blasé on the subject. You should change the topics when she gets too heated.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

All you can do is try to get people saved. Be careful with bitterness lest it turns you into a sour and disgusting person.

If a homosexual and lesbian don't repent then God will judge them at the end.