Hello

How should christians respond to homosexuals?

[Mark]

Everything depends on everything.... probably similar to any other sinner... the "loving no" i.e. we love you but recognize your sinful lifestyle. We will help you to overcome it... we will NOT change our beliefs to make you feel "ok" about it.

If they go the route "but God made me this way," simply remind them that most sin originates from "desires of the flesh" and as a Christian, it's our job to overcome those desires. For the same reason a married man should not "act" on the desire to sleep with another women should homosexual not "act" on the desire to sleep with someone of the same sex.

Homosexuality is one of many sins - all can be overcome through our faith in God the Father and His son Jesus Christ.

Originally Posted by Heneni

Hello

How should christians respond to homosexuals?

Hmm. In what setting?

[serenity]

I can only say how I respond.

The gay men I know that I have worked with for so many many years are wonderful people. I became very close to one in particular. He is such a wonderful person. After my son's dad passed away when my son was 6, he called me several times a night, just to check on us and tell us he was there. He stood by me and helped me through such a hard hard time in my life. He is just simply a wonderful person, but I have always told him that God wants more from him. We have had lively debates at lunch sometimes about his lifestyle. He knows how much I disagree with his lifestyle and I feel it is not part of God's design and I think it is a sin. But, I don't judge others and condemn them to hell like so many tend to do. That's God's job.. I can only pray that he comes to see the truth in his life because I love him.

Ok...if we are presented with a person practising homosexuality, what is the best biblical, christlike way to approach them, and council, and or help.

What kind of things should we not say?

What things must we say, without compromising the truth?

Another thing...do we really know what the real problem is? Do we take time to listen or do we just throw scriptures at them. Give them the 'bottom line' so to speak...the all encompassing 'your going to hell' approach.

Try to remember what you were like when you were living in sin. A bible bashing christian is the least effective christian in the world. We HAVE to let the HS control the discussion. Jesus had a way of speaking right into peoples hearts. We must be able to do that too if the HS is working through us.

Heneni

Originally Posted by Heneni

Another thing...do we really know what the real problem is? Do we take time to listen or do we just throw scriptures at them. Give them the 'bottom line' so to speak...the all encompassing 'your going to hell' approach.

Try to remember what you were like when you were living in sin. A bible bashing christian is the least effective christian in the world. We HAVE to let the HS control the discussion. Jesus had a way of speaking right into peoples hearts. We must be able to do that too if the HS is working through us.

Heneni

I think you nailed it there. I believe Christ was so effective because people knew He loved them. But learning by the Spirit is also a two-way street. Just look at the Pharisees. How many of them benefitted from Christ's ministry? They had no desire to change. In fact, they hated Christ because his truths destroyed their craft and would have resulted in their losing power over the Jews.

So I think you start with what a person understands, what his or her desires are, what his or her motives are, and then you move on from there. Once they see they aren't tossed overboard (by you personally) because of a personal weakness, then a dialogue can take place. Until you know some of those things, what can you do or say? Certainly not, "if you don't repent, you're going to hell!"

Why would they repent, or even consider it, until they consider their actions sinful? Why would they consider their actions sinful if there is no law governing their actions? Why would they believe there is a law governing their actions if there is no Lawgiver? Why would they care about an afterlife they don't believe in? Etc. Common ground is essential!

I agree. We have to keep in mind also, that there could be many underlying problems. For example the lack of a normal relationship between them and their parents. The absence of the same sex-parent, leaving the child with the opposite sex parent, and subsequently have only the opposite-sex parent as role model. It is true that there are many children who only have one parent of the opposite sex, who do not show homosexual tendencies, but there are other factors that contribute as well.

A very domineering parent, allows the child to be nothing other than..the parent. The dominating parent would make sure the child grows up to be 'like them'. Though this is not necessarily intentionally done.

When the same sex parent rejects the child there are serious psycological factors we need to take into account. Sexual abuse by the the parent leaves scars on the child, which they hardly know how to heal.

We have to remember that few of us were squeeky clean when we first came to christ. There IS a way out.

Paul says:

1 Cor 6:11
And that is what some of you were.

Maybe we were not homosexual, but we wouldnt need jesus to clean us up if we were squeeky clean would we?

So easy to forget that whatever god has done in our lives, is not because of us, but despite of us. He did not save us to leave us the same, but our change is hardly due to our own ability to change ourselves without the help of the HS. Lets not forget the heights from which we have fallen. And most of all...jesus said...'those who have been forgiven much..loves much'

Now if we treat homosexual people like second class citizens, how much love are we showing, and what have WE been forgiven then? Very little. But our own sins pile up to heaven while we want to tell others what their are like.

Having said that...homosexuality is a sin. Just like lying is a sin. Its not something that is outside of scope of god's ability to cleanse.

Heneni

[bubbavela]

I will say this, that living the life of a gay man is just like living the life of any other sinful man. The last i checked we are all sinners. The best thing about living the life of a christian is that your sins are forgiven. All of this being said i am glad that i do not have to live with that desire. It is no different than anything else that our Lord has ask us not to do. I am a married man so if i get the desire to chase other women it would be evil's way of seperating me from our Lord. When ever we do these things that our flesh leads us to do, and it is not with in the boundires that our Lords puts in His Words to do, than it is against His wishes. As hard as it is for me to stop doing those wicked things that evil would have me do, for me to follow our Lords desire for me, i must give every effort to overcome those desires. This is with every sin that causes evil to glorify in our flesh. Our purpose is to Glorify our Lord and when evil has its way with us then where is the glory? Let us not throw our lives away for mere moments of pleasure.

be a blessing,
bubba

Originally Posted by Heneni

Hello How should christians respond to homosexuals?

Truthfully!