Gay books being found in Christian Bookstores

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I guess I don’t understand the shock. I was born sometime between 1982 and 1992 and I grew up in a Christian church and a Christian home that did not regard homosexuality as sinful. I did everything-church every week, Sunday school every week, youth group every week, church camp every summer, etc.

‘Christianity’ is an enormous umbrella.
 
BlueEyedLady said:
I guess I don’t understand the shock. I was born sometime between 1982 and 1992 and I grew up in a Christian church and a Christian home that did not regard homosexuality as sinful. I did everything-church every week, Sunday school every week, youth group every week, church camp every summer, etc.

‘Christianity’ is an enormous umbrella.
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Christianity should not be such a “large umbrella;” it should be about the Truth.

The Bible is very clear on homosexual actions.

We are not allowed to pick and choose sins based on how things affect us growing up or personally.

Only God can ultimately determine what sin is and isn’t.

:tiphat:
 
SuperLuigi said:
Christianity should not be such a “large umbrella;” it should be about the Truth.

The Bible is very clear on homosexual actions.

We are not allowed to pick and choose sins based on how things affect us growing up or personally.

Only God can ultimately determine what sin is and isn’t.

:tiphat:
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👍
 
SuperLuigi said:
Christianity should not be such a “large umbrella;” it should be about the Truth.

The Bible is very clear on homosexual actions.

We are not allowed to pick and choose sins based on how things affect us growing up or personally.

Only God can ultimately determine what sin is and isn’t.

:tiphat:
Click to expand...
I’m not arguing what “should be”, because I don’t have a horse in the race.

The fact is that there are many different belief systems that fall under ‘Christian’, just as there are many groups that fall under ‘Judaism’, ‘Islam’, ‘Buddhism’, and so on. And just as you probably don’t care to argue which group of Muslims is correct, I don’t care to try and take sides between Christian groups.

But just as not all books on Judaism would be acceptable to all Jews, not all books on Christianity will be acceptable to all Christians. This fact should not be a shock.
 
We are clear on what God teaches about homosexuality, it is not the sinner but the sin that is wrong. However I find that we are hard on people with same sex attractions and are easy on all other sins like divorce and dealing with females after an abortion for example.

I do agree there need to be more books about how to deal and live with this cross of same sex attraction, but the article was about books that agree with the sin which is not good at all. Imagine a christian bookstore having books teaching about divorce or abortion and making it ok. That is no bueno.
 
DaddyGirl said:
How are Protestant churches “being broken apart” by gay priests and bishops?
There have been gay priests and bishops for centuries.
People may have talked about it less, but they’ve been there. Why? Because God made some people homosexual.

To paraphrase 7 Sorrows, only God can determine our orientation.

.
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Where did I say only God can determine our orientation? :confused:
 
People like being condoned in their sin.

The Book industry is about money not morals so I’m not surprised. I’d be curious as to how many of these books will really sell that well. The majority of people are not gay and although the press publishes stats about how many people in this group or that group support gay relationships/marriag/rights how many straight people will really buy such books.

Perhaps they will dwindle away by the grace of God.
Mary.
 
PrayerShark said:
What do you mean by this?
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What I mean is that we are compassionate to some people who committed a mortal sin, and forget to be compassionate to others with similar mortal sins. Of course I am making a general statement that does not apply to all.
 
rock022 said:
We are clear on what God teaches about homosexuality, it is not the sinner but the sin that is wrong. However I find that we are hard on people with same sex attractions and are easy on all other sins like divorce and dealing with females after an abortion for example.

I do agree there need to be more books about how to deal and live with this cross of same sex attraction, but the article was about books that agree with the sin which is not good at all. Imagine a christian bookstore having books teaching about divorce or abortion and making it ok. That is no bueno.
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As someone who has observed for years, the adulterer is almost last on the list when it comes to being treated with compassion.
Homosexuals are usually treated much better.
Of course, it could be the geographic location…

God bless.
 
Before reading the article, I would have said well some Christians have no problem with gays acting as gays. But Catholics…catholic books? Mh…we love everyone, but homosexuality being a sin, acting as a gay is not acceptable for us. I hope, I really hope it is intended to undertand gays and love them, but i suspect some of these books go too far, by saying it is actually ok to live gay.
 
I think the key to this whole issue, and why Christians in general are unable to articulate any kind of clear message on many topics, comes in the bolded part of the following passage from the article: “Many of the largest Christian publishers are coming out with books supporting same-sex relationships. More are on the way. These books have spurred praise from pro-gay Christians and strong resistance from the movement’s right flank.”

Christianity in the West is not about Christ anymore, but about a series of political positions that people can take, either willingly or by force (the saying “You can’t stay neutral on a moving train” fits here, I think). That Christianity is thought of in terms of (politically) left or right “flanks” makes any position you take a sellout to this or that part of the world. I wouldn’t stand with either ‘side’ on this issue, or gay marriage itself, for precisely that reason. It is too easy to become a demagogue for a politicized worldview that loses sight of people’s humanity in favor of unfailing, undiscerning opposition/support of a cause. Do you think if prop 8 (to use but one example) had been upheld, this issue would’ve magically never come back up to the surface of society? Nah. This has been brewing since at least 1969, if not long before that, and as churches scramble to adopt this or that code of ethics or reinforce their traditional teachings, more and more people see religion for essentially what is is being used for: a cudgel with which to beat (metaphorically!) the ‘other side’ for, in this case, either denying human rights and trying to force your religion on people who don’t share it, or changing the definition of marriage and trying to force your sexual lifestyle on people who don’t approve of it.

It’s a little draining after a while.

I’d suggest that instead of buying pro-gay or anti-gay books at their local Christian bookstore, Evangelicals, Catholics, and others read any of the numerous collections of the sayings of the Desert Fathers. There’s some homosexuality in there (or at least strong allusions to it), so hopefully it would at least show some people how deeply-rooted the struggle with this issue is in Church history. And maybe they’d also pick up on how it was dealt with: not by turning the homosexuals into political footballs to be thrown about, but by dealing with them with the compassion extended to all sinners.

“When someone comes to us asking us to bless a union that is against the gospel, we say a candid word and move on.” – HH Pope Shenouda III (paraphrased)
 
SuperLuigi said:
Christianity should not be such a “large umbrella;” it should be about the Truth.

The Bible is very clear on homosexual actions.

We are not allowed to pick and choose sins based on how things affect us growing up or personally.

Only God can ultimately determine what sin is and isn’t.

:tiphat:
Click to expand...
Daddygirl - I was quoting luigi’s post. “Only God can determine what sin is and isn’t”

It doesn’t use the word “orientation”.
 
DaddyGirl said:
How are Protestant churches “being broken apart” by gay priests and bishops?
There have been gay priests and bishops for centuries.
People may have talked about it less, but they’ve been there. Why? Because God made some people homosexual.

To paraphrase 7 Sorrows, only God can determine our orientation.

.
Click to expand...
That part of the post probably refers to the number of congregations forming a new Anglican communion over decisions made in this area.

When Gene Robinson, an openly-gay priest in Episcopal Church in the United States of America, was made a bishop, it started a huge controversy. After his election, a group of conservative Episcopalians in the United States left that branch and formed the Anglican Church in North America. (I have to admit that this involves something a bit different than a schism in the Roman Catholic Church, but I do not understand the ins and outs of it.)

There are other Christian denominations that have gone through similar splits over the decision to bless rather than forbid same-sex relations. The dominoes are not falling plunk-plunk-plunk, with no resistance among the faithful, let’s just say that. These changes are not being put through with total consensus among Christians any more than among political groups.

BTW, Gene Robinson’s election as an openly gay bishop and subsequent “marriage” to another man is believed to be a first in the history of the episcopate.
 
rock022 said:
What I mean is that we are compassionate to some people who committed a mortal sin, and forget to be compassionate to others with similar mortal sins. Of course I am making a general statement that does not apply to all.
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The OP’s point, I believe, is that it is not compassionate to condone anyone’s sin, even a venial sin, and especially not a mortal sin!

To admonish the sinner, to educate someone who is ignorant, and to counsel someone in doubt are a spiritual works of mercy, and not offenses against compassion!

My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20

That is what the Apostle said, but many Christians today talk as if only a Pharisee with a beam in his or her eyes would breathe the idea that a brother or sister might be committing a sin.
 
MarcoPG said:
Before reading the article, I would have said well some Christians have no problem with gays acting as gays. But Catholics…catholic books? Mh…we love everyone, but homosexuality being a sin, acting as a gay is not acceptable for us. I hope, I really hope it is intended to undertand gays and love them, but i suspect some of these books go too far, by saying it is actually ok to live gay.
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I think that may be the case here!
 
EasterJoy said:
The OP’s point, I believe, is that it is not compassionate to condone anyone’s sin, even a venial sin, and especially not a mortal sin!

To admonish the sinner, to educate someone who is ignorant, and to counsel someone in doubt are a spiritual works of mercy, and not offenses against compassion!

My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20

That is what the Apostle said, but many Christians today talk as if only a Pharisee with a beam in his or her eyes would breathe the idea that a brother or sister might be committing a sin.
Click to expand...
👍👍
 
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