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Religion and same-sex relationships

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Joe2001, Jun 24, 2018.

  1. Joe2001

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    I was discussing my issues with Catholicism with someone yesterday and they said that same-sex actions are a sin. I then asked them about relationships. Below is their response:
    No, you shouldn’t be in a relationship with another person of the same gender because that would mean to be acting on the homosexual desires, this is why you need to pray to God about this because honestly this is gong to be the greatest struggle but the only way you get through it with a relationship with God is to pray about it. I do know of someone who was gay but is now happily married with 2 kids and he would tell you that with God you can change and that it brings so many more blessings. Just remember you are not the only one with this struggle if I remember the statistic it was something like every 77 people in a church there is 1 person struggling with that feeling, so there will be so many people in church struggling with the same thing.

    I don't personally have much religious beliefs, but I am dubious if it is right for me to ever have a same-sex relationship knowing that others view it as sinful. Please advise me on this one.
     
  2. Kieran2000

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    Don't let them twist how you feel you should accept yourself for who you are and they should too ,if they don't then f**k them cos they are wrong to judge u.the only person who should judge you is yourself

    Hope this has helped
     
  3. Joe2001

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    I absolutely do accept myself, but I do admit to being easily manipulated and what this person is saying worries me.
     
  4. Kieran2000

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    Don't listen to them ok if you wanna have a same sex relationship and same sex actions then go ahead cos they can't stop u
     
  5. Cinnamon Bunny

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    People have all sorts of views on theology, even within the same religion. If you are religious/spiritual you need to figure out for yourself what is good and sound theology to you. If you let others decide for you, you aren't being responsible for your own faith and life. I get that it's hard and confusing, but if you're the praying sort that might help. I think in time, what we need to know will come to us.

    Speaking as a christian, I do whole heartly believe God is okay with the LGBT+ and gay relationships. This isn't wishful thinking, as I would give up sex without much trouble, but this belief is the result of giving my future over to God, a firm understanding of grace, and a lot study.

    There are books out there like "Torn" or "God and the Gay Christian" if you want other perspectives on the topic.
     
  6. PotatoPotato

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    All I can tell you, is that the methods of praying to god (which is also the big basis for the most common methods of "Conversion Therapy") to change ones sexuality have been repeatedly rebuked by the scientific community as pseudoscience. It's ineffective.

    I'd also like to note that rather then 1/77, the percentage lies somewhere between 2% and 5%, in accordance with the statistics provided by the UK ONS: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...ity/sexuality/bulletins/sexualidentityuk/2016, That'd be 1/50 to 1/25. (Sorry, I really just get pet peeved when people don't take like 20 seconds to actually fact check the claim, no matter who it is.)

    If you want to, I can provide some notes on certain scriptures to show the issues with them around the topic of homosexuality. (But I won't do that if you don't ask, as I've had people find it offensive before if I suddenly questioned religious beliefs like that.)

    Either way, I think it's important to note that everyone that has a faith, beliefs in their own way. I'll say it here and I'll say it again, If faith is endangering your life or your ability to live as a happy human being, just like any other form of relationship, it may be best to step away from that faith, that denomination or faith entirely. Then again, that's something I say from experience with friends, and many people wouldn't do this as they feel too attached to their faith or belief their faith is based on the ultimate truth, which is not directly wrong, this is just my 2 cents out of experience with others.
     
  7. PatrickUK

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    Well, that is actually the opinion of one person, looking at things from the perspective of Catholicism, but it isn't the universally accepted opinion of all Christians (including all Catholics), or denominations. As I've mentioned to you before, in Scotland The Episcopal Church and Church of Scotland have very different perspectives on same sex relationships. Both churches have ordained clergy who are openly gay and partnered/married.

    Praying to God will achieve nothing. Many people have prayed to God to change their sexual orientation, to absolutely no avail. It's a prayer that will never be answered because God doesn't require us to be anything other than who we are. We are not broken or sinful people and there is nothing in scripture that actually suggests we are.

    Check out this website: https://www.gaychurch.org/
     
  8. Denial

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  9. Chiroptera

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    Others have provided useful links, so check them out!

    In a simple way, think like this: If God is good and all-powerful, then why would God care about the fact that you love a person of the same gender? That isn't evil in any way, as long as there is mutual respect and consent, everything is fine, and love is beautiful in any way.

    Also, many people say that being LGBT is a sin because most of us don't reproduce, and that we have a "duty" to reproduce. First, we may adopt (because reproducing and abandoning children isn't helping, right moralists?). Secondly, considering the amount of humans we have on Earth today... we may have (bigger) problems if we continue to increase our numbers nonstop, so we can definitely relax about the "preserving our species" stuff.
     
  10. OGS

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    Others have addressed the substance of the religious objection, what concerns me more is this notion that you should avoid doing things that others disapprove of even if you don't. You can't live your life that way. You simply have to get past it. Every meaningful thing you do in life, no matter what it is, someone somewhere will disapprove of it. That's just life.
     
  11. HM03

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    I don't believe in God. If I entertain the though that there was, then I refuse to believe that gay old me, is seen as a worse person/unable to get into heaven compared to all the greedy, unkind, rude etc etc people that the world seems to be filled with.
     
  12. youknow201

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    This has been my biggest struggle when dealing with my same sex attractions, religion. I grew up and went to a christian high school and I personally love the lord. Even when my closets family members have told me to my face several times that they don't care at all about my sexuality all they want is for me to be happy I still find myself struggling with it. It really bothers me, I've read the bible and its pretty clear about there stance on homosexuality however with that being said the bible is very clear on quite a few different topics yet many Christians don't follow those rules either. Its a difficult thing to come to terms with, but check out the links that people have already provided and do some soul searching. At the end of the day you are going to have to be the one who makes the decision on whats right or wrong for yourself and nobody else. Good luck