In Reply to: Re: gay (not: "happy"?) -marriages posted by Jennifer on July 20, 2009 at 17:24:30:
Jennifer...I am not concerned with whether you find my post ironical..to the least...(whatever else)...couldn't care much about that verdict.
What I am concerned about is, whether my post was unbiblical...since it's the journey's site, I feel the right to tell my christian opinion about a world/word-matter.After all, the letter Homos of David Berg deeply affected my life in the late seventies...you know??...I don't think you begin to understand the anguish I felt, when a homosexual man liked me, when I started to witness to him at the Munic trainstation...that was the post-chain-liberty time then...I thought, I might be obliged by the Lord to sacrifice my "natural" aversions, overcoming them & saying yes to his advancements and engaging in a "FFing-affair"...so he might get saved...ugh...gulp...shudder...anyway...later at the phone I told him no...
I knew, that the post, if read, might be very controversial for some...so thanks, for proving me right...
Second, I pointed out, that I am for segregation of state and religion...that is not enough for you???Must the unbelievers, (or those (name-only-) "Christians", not adhering to the Word) also tell me, what I have to believe, together in a congregation of my choosing??Look, you were forbidden to smoke in pubs in Bavaria /Germany till recently, very strictly...that prompted some pub-owners to resort to opening smoking clubs, where a membership was required...the law (enforcement) couldn't do anything about it.It's fine for me, they damage themselves...if they have to.
But likewise, I don't want a homosexual tell me, he wants to join my "religious-club" and turn the tables and statutes around.Really, that is your concept/notion??Did you get me at all right??
Third, I wonder when you read your Bible last or whether you read it through from Genesis to Revelations, further whether you own some good concordances...if not there are also online Bible search-tools.
But you should take notice, that the word "hate" appears both in the OT as well as in the NT...you are surprised?...you shouldn't if you really studied the Word (I am not hating the sinner...I am not hating myself, but I hate his and my sin...should be evident)
I was not talking about equal rights in society (I never had a problem with that, yet you sound as if you never got that point of mine)...but I was talking about calling yourself a brother/Christian and adhering to a lifestyle, which is condemned by the Word.Please also note, how often our Lord called in Rev.1-3 churches to repentance...I am solely talking about the affairs within the church...not in the world.
Fourth, you do know, that the apostle Paul wrote against homosexuality??Romans 1 and 1.Cor 6 should really be the minimum in that context...so if Paul warns about it, I should be silent or what??Please do see the difference...and may be you can clarify that, because I doubt, that you got my stance on that, that I am talking/fussing mainly about the situation within the church, body of believers...for why should I - following what Paul also advises in another instance - judge them which are without...for God does that.
Fifth
"Yours in Christ - the loving, forgiving, tolerant, non-judgmental, peaceful Christ,"...the way you portay it, one might think, Christ is also forgiving the devil himself...one of the points/hopes of Berg...in the early centuries it was Origenes...who promoted universal reconciliation...I really clung to that also for a long time...sounds perfect, beautiful...it was "my dream"...but it got to be not my dream, but HIS, in accordance with the Word
So please do note what God doesn't forgive & that is rejecting Christ e.g. and then pls see from Paul's writings, whether you can continue in your old lifestyle and claim to be a Christian...at least not, if your life is longer on earth...and although we err/sin plenty while following, we should confess that at least to HIM and also have the will & earnest desire to "break the habits"...
Feel nevertheless free to ask, if you don't get my point of view/my faith, walk with the Lord...the Word...it should be my duty and pleasure to respond...
Wish you Christ's blessing in your life
Jürgen