With all that is currently going on with the Supreme Court and same sex marriages, I thought it was an appropriate time to do more research and praying on this topic. I've read some Scripture and some articles on it. Here's the conclusion I came to.
Is homosexuality a sin? Yes. It is clearly defined as a sin several places in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testament. (Leviticus 18:22, 1 Corinthians 12:9, Romans 1:26-27) Unlike some of the other sins mentioned in Leviticus, homosexuality is discussed after Jesus came and sacrificed Himself. He says He came to fulfill the law, not to destroy the law.
Is it a choice? I don't believe so. I haven't found anything in the Bible (yet) proving this, but I have taught young children and can tell you that even when they are 5 they can show "tendencies." I believe that some people are born with those proclivities, just like any other sin. I've seen the following conversation:
Question: When did you choose to be gay?
Response: When did you choose to be straight?
This isn't an accurate response. The issue people have with homosexuality is that it is a sin. No one would say heterosexuality is a sin so the questions don't match up. A more appropriate response would be "When did you choose to be a liar?" In that case, the answer would be "The first time I told a lie." Homosexuality is a sin just like any other. Jesus said that anyone who followed Him would have to deny himself and take up his cross. (Luke 9:23) I believe that those homosexual tendencies are some people's crosses to bear just like alcoholism and addiction.
Is homosexuality unnatural? Yes. In Genesis 2 God created man and woman to be united. The Bible says that a man will leave his mother and be joined to his wife. Ephesians talks about duties of a husband and a wife. 1 Corinthians also describes the duties of man and wife. Proverbs 31 describes the attributes of a godly wife. Nowhere in the Bible (that I've found or ever think I will find) does it tell how to have a godly marriage with two men or two women. That's just not how we were created. That's not how civilizations continue and grow. It isn't possible.
Is homosexuality worse than other sins? In the eyes of God, no. Romans 3:23 says all have sinned and that because of that sin we are separated from God. Adam and Eve's first sin of disobedience is as bad in God's eyes as my lying or someone's homosexuality. Luckily for us, God loved the world so much that He sent His son, Jesus, to die on a cross for all of our sins. We don't have to be defined by them. We can overcome them.
Why are Christians so hateful towards homosexuals when they let other sins like cheating slide? I don't know. God calls us to love everyone as He loves them. In Mark 12 He says the second greatest commandment is to love others the way you love yourself. We aren't supposed to compare our sins to other people's sins. We should strive to be like Christ. If I compare my sins to Christ's sins, I'm utterly and hopelessly lost. I think too many times Christians get caught up in the sin and forget to love the sinner. Jesus didn't come to heal those who were already well. He came to heal those who were sick. (Mark 2:17) I think Jesus would be hanging out with the worst kinds of sinners.
Some people may get angry about this post, but it's Biblically expected. Matthew 24:9 says "Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers."
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