The Bible Versus Homosexuality
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The Bible Versus Homosexuality | The Bible, the Church, and Homosexuality | | Discuss and analyze Dan Via’s article Homosexuality and the Bible. What are the questions raised by the author? What are your questions? | | Steph Randall | 12/13/2011 | |
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God," (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Homosexuality has always been an issue in the “Church”. This raises many questions though. The first question I have is what defines the “Church”? To me, the church is any gathering of people to celebrate the joy and love of Christ and God. However, the Merriam-Webster definition of “Church” is “a body or organization of religious believers as the whole body of Christians,” (Church, Webster’s). Yes, both these definitions are similar, but defining a Church as specifically a group of “Christians” restrains what they are allowed to believe. Growing up a Christian and being “tricked” into what I should believe homosexuality is something that I thought was a sin. But if you use my definition of “Church,” then homosexuality as a sin would be based on each and everyone’s own opinion. You also have to question what is considered a sin. A sin can be as little or as big as you make it. If you consider homosexuality a sin, and therefore the “gay” is not worthy of entering the Kingdom of God, then who is to say that the attorney who represents a cheating husband and lies to make his client win the case is any more worthy to enter the Kingdom? Moreover, if the homosexual man or woman is a closet gay, then does that make him or her anymore worthy because no one knows that they are living a life of sin? Alternatively, is it always a sin no matter what the terms of the
The Bible Versus Homosexuality | The Bible, the Church, and Homosexuality | | Discuss and analyze Dan Via’s article Homosexuality and the Bible. What are the questions raised by the author? What are your questions? | | Steph Randall | 12/13/2011 | |
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God," (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Homosexuality has always been an issue in the “Church”. This raises many questions though. The first question I have is what defines the “Church”? To me, the church is any gathering of people to celebrate the joy and love of Christ and God. However, the Merriam-Webster definition of “Church” is “a body or organization of religious believers as the whole body of Christians,” (Church, Webster’s). Yes, both these definitions are similar, but defining a Church as specifically a group of “Christians” restrains what they are allowed to believe. Growing up a Christian and being “tricked” into what I should believe homosexuality is something that I thought was a sin. But if you use my definition of “Church,” then homosexuality as a sin would be based on each and everyone’s own opinion. You also have to question what is considered a sin. A sin can be as little or as big as you make it. If you consider homosexuality a sin, and therefore the “gay” is not worthy of entering the Kingdom of God, then who is to say that the attorney who represents a cheating husband and lies to make his client win the case is any more worthy to enter the Kingdom? Moreover, if the homosexual man or woman is a closet gay, then does that make him or her anymore worthy because no one knows that they are living a life of sin? Alternatively, is it always a sin no matter what the terms of the
Cited: 1 Corinthians. New International Version of the Holy Bible. Witness ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986. Print. Leviticus. New International Version of the Holy Bible. Witness ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986. Print. Via, Dan O. Homosexuality and the Bible: Two Views. Minneapolis: Fortress P., U.S, 2003. Print. Webster. "Church." Def. 3a. Webster 's New Dictionary and Thesaurus. New ed. 2002. Print.