Sunday, January 30, 2011

Is homosexuality a sin?

You know what it's like when you wake up in the middle of night, your brain goes into overdrive.

After George had got me up I lay awake for ages worrying about the Knitted by Nanas post I'd done earlier. Did I make my point clearly? Should I have said more? Or less? Did I actually say what I meant?

Eventually I realised that my real concern was not what I'd said or even not said but what was implied. Which is that homosexuality is a sin.

Is it? I don't know.

Yes, the bible says it is but the bible also says that, in church, women should keep their heads covered and shouldn't speak. We don't pay any heed to that. We explain it away as being culturally relevant to that time and place but not today.

I know homosexuality is a slightly different thing but still ...

There are all sorts of things I don't understand; there are lots of things I'm undecided about. Is abortion always wrong? What about assisted suicide or euthanasia? (Or even simple suicide widely considered by many Christians to be a sin.) I think: I should think this - but I don't. It would probably be easier if I did, if there were a manual that listed clearly this is always right and this is always wrong. Maybe some Christians would argue that we do have a manual in the bible but it's contradictory in places.

Maybe, as usual, if I go back to Jesus I'll find out what's important.

Jesus didn't spend a lot of time telling people what they shouldn't do. As far as I can remember he never said anything about homosexuality. He was more concerned with what we should do: things like love one another.

I have lots of questions for God not just about all these points but the other obvious questions like why floods and earthquakes? Why do some seem to suffer so much? Why did Anne, a young mother of four, have to die?

There are far too many questions for my brain. Big questions, very big questions, that some people seem to have the definitive answer for. I'll never be one of those people.

There are some certainties in my belief. I believe in God, my creator, Jesus, my saviour, and the Spirit, my helper. Other than that, don't push me, okay?

Oh, yes, I meant to mention something I read on Facebook earlier that helped me. Mike Todd posted it but he's actually quoting someone else:
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”

9 comments:

mrsnesbitt said...

My Dad was a wonderful man - he always said he wanted proof of various things When he died I was so distraught but our vicar told me Dad was having his questions answered - I didn't worry after that So make your list Liz and ask the big man himself when he calls you.
Thant's what I am doing.
Dxxx

Leslie: said...

Yes, there are so many contradictios in the Bible and so many thing that (in my humble opinion) relate to cultural times. I have just as many questions as you, Liz, and just tell myself that it'll all come clear one day, hopefully in the far future.

Katney said...

There are those Christians who seem to have ALL the answers or at least act like they do. But we read this from I Corinthians today: Consider your own calling, brothers and sisters.
Not many of you were wise by human standards,
not many were powerful,
not many were of noble birth.
Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,
and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong,
and God chose the lowly and despised of the world,
those who count for nothing,
to reduce to nothing those who are something,
so that no human being might boast before God.

I think it's why there is so much that we can call "mysteries" in the theological sense.

Hubby has his list of questions, too. His are more on the line of "Whatever happens to that second sock?" For the others, it's love God and love your neighbor. He does that well and is such an example to me. And you are, too, Liz. Evangelization, which we are all called to, is sharing that love. St. Francis is said to have said, "Preach the Gospel, and when necessary, use words."

As for some of the rest, are we really wise enough to sort that all out?

Furtheron said...

Didn't the non-homosexual thing only come for Paul's letters? In which case is it a valid point? As you say I don't think there is a direct reference from Jesus in the gospels.

Gledwood said...

Isn't ACTIVE homosexuality ... "a man lying with another man as he does wtih a woman" or whatever the wording... isn't that a sin?

I know there is a New Testament scripture saying even thinking of doing wrong is bad, on the other hand don't most people have sexual fantasies they would never pursue in reality. Then again other people have fantasies that are downright dangerous and ARE pursued... so I don't know.

In Victorian times there were far fewer active homosexuals, (perhaps?) because many who would be out and proud today were in marriage probably with kids. And yes probably not as happy as they might be today. But not sinning in "deed", at least...

So there's more leeway in this than first meets the eye ...

Gledwood said...

Furtheron: the quote I gave at the top definitely comes from the Law of Moses, as they call it

Furtheron said...

@Gled.... sorry I disregard the Old Testament - I always thought Jesus was possibly a Buddhist anyhow :-)

Ole Phat Stu said...

Homosexuality is God's way of declaring you unfit for the gene pool ;-)

Rose said...

As always, Liz, you've brought up a controversial subject and explained it in what I think are true Christian ideals. So many people have such strong opinions on this, but I can't understand where their Christian love is. I have gay friends who have been in a committed relationship longer and been more faithful than some of my heterosexual friends.

Thanks for another thought-provoking post...and I thought the card was hilarious:)