• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Homosexuality & Religion

M

Meow Mix

Chatte Féministe
sandy whitelinger said:
Marriage and reproduction go hand in hand in the Bible.
Click to expand...

I was genuinely curious about how fair it is to not have much to go off of in terms of determining whether Jesus really exists with eternity in the balance. Any thoughts on that?

Should infertile couples not get married -- does God frown on that too, since it's fruitless?
 
DandyAndy

DandyAndy

Active Member
Meow Mix said:
I know that many believers think the mind of God is unknowable or at least highly difficult to discern to us mere mortals, but I wanted to see if any religious folks had an opinion on this question.

I also know that many people who believe a religion that says homosexuality is a sin do not treat homosexual people poorly (as some Christians say, "we are all sinners"). That doesn't matter for this question; this question deals with why the holy texts of various religions denounce homosexuality -- even if you are a person who is okay with being friends with and respecting homosexuals yourself.

1) Why do you think God or Allah or whoever you believe in would denounce homosexuality? What harm does it do to God?

2) Does God think homosexual acts in non-human species is also an abomination?
Click to expand...

I'm very lazy tonight and just want to throw in my 2 cents. Here goes:

1) I believe that God created a man and a woman to go together in the confines of marriage, a committed relationship with special vows and bonds (two flesh become one etc.). If this is violated (whether it be homosexuality, audltery, beastialisty, whatever) then the marriage of two fleshes created to compliment each other by becoming one is undermined/devalued/violated. Sexuality is a very sacred thing, a gift from God, and any kind of deviation from its original intent would render it no longer sacred.

Defacing that which is sacred is a big no-no in God's eyes, which is why sin is so bad, which is why I think ALL sexual sins are harped on a lot in the Bible. When you think about a man violating the sexuality of another woman by force or a man cheating upon his wife and defacing the sacred marriage he committed to or homosexual acts or any other kind of perversion of what God created and intended sex and marriage to be, it's an awful/gross thing for me to think of or be faced with - and I'm a broken, sinful man who is no stranger to sexual sin.

I personally find it ridiculous that homosexuality is focused on so much while infidelity/adultery is mostly hush hush. Both are sexual sins according to God and both get equal mention in the Bible, so it follows that they should get equal 'airtime.'

2) I think that is irrelevant because humans are not valued the same as animals in God's eyes. Animals seem to have been given no moral code or compass as we have. They were not created in the image of God - only humanity holds that privilege. So I think it's a non-issue. Though animal sexuality between the same gender would go against God's original plan for creation, I don't think God would hold animals accountable for their actions the way He would a human - I see no indication in the text. I could have missed something though.
 
-Peacemaker-

-Peacemaker-

.45 Cal
Meow Mix said:
I know that many believers think the mind of God is unknowable or at least highly difficult to discern to us mere mortals, but I wanted to see if any religious folks had an opinion on this question.

I also know that many people who believe a religion that says homosexuality is a sin do not treat homosexual people poorly (as some Christians say, "we are all sinners"). That doesn't matter for this question; this question deals with why the holy texts of various religions denounce homosexuality -- even if you are a person who is okay with being friends with and respecting homosexuals yourself.

1) Why do you think God or Allah or whoever you believe in would denounce homosexuality? What harm does it do to God?

2) Does God think homosexual acts in non-human species is also an abomination?
Click to expand...

I've seen animals that eat their young so I'm not sure the animal kingdom (minus us) should serve as a model for what's acceptable human behavior.
 
9-10ths_Penguin

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
Meow Mix said:
Should infertile couples not get married -- does God frown on that too, since it's fruitless?
Click to expand...
From what I infer from the story of Abraham and Sarah, the Biblical answer to that is that they should get married, and if they have sufficient faith, God will reward them by allowing them to have children.

But if they stay infertile, you can be sure that they're horrible faithless sinners.

... Biblically speaking.
 
painted wolf

painted wolf

Grey Muzzle
Or they can get a second wife.... and annoy God so he makes the infertile woman preggers. :shrug:

Unless the husband dies before they can get preggers... then it's up to one of his brothers to knock the wife up... you know, because he's a good brother and all.

wa:do
 
9-10ths_Penguin

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
painted wolf said:
Unless the husband dies before they can get preggers... then it's up to one of his brothers to knock the wife up... you know, because he's a good brother and all.
Click to expand...
Good point. I forgot about the story of Onan.

Looks like sandy's right: God's all about reproduction.
 
averageJOE

averageJOE

zombie
9-10ths_Penguin said:
From what I infer from the story of Abraham and Sarah, the Biblical answer to that is that they should get married, and if they have sufficient faith, God will reward them by allowing them to have children.

But if they stay infertile, you can be sure that they're horrible faithless sinners.

... Biblically speaking.
Click to expand...
So basically your saying that only infertile christians can get married?
 
9-10ths_Penguin

9-10ths_Penguin

1/10 Subway Stalinist
Premium Member
averageJOE said:
So basically your saying that only infertile christians can get married?
Click to expand...
Oh, no - anyone infertile can get married; it's just that if they wind up having kids, it'll be a testament to their faith, and if they don't, their childlessness will be a mark of shame because it's evidence of God's displeasure with them... which is good in a "cautionary example" kind of way.

Edit: the same doesn't hold true for same-sex couples, because when they don't have kids, people will just chock it up to biology. It's only with opposite-sex couples that we can be sure that they're childless because they've gone against the will of God.
 
Last edited:
sandy whitelinger

sandy whitelinger

Veteran Member
Meow Mix said:
I was genuinely curious about how fair it is to not have much to go off of in terms of determining whether Jesus really exists with eternity in the balance. Any thoughts on that?
Click to expand...
Fair is not a Biblical principle except in the context of weather and women. Those who believe do so by faith. Biblical faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

Meow Mix said:
Should infertile couples not get married -- does God frown on that too, since it's fruitless?
Click to expand...
I not aware that the Bible address that point.
 
sandy whitelinger

sandy whitelinger

Veteran Member
9-10ths_Penguin said:
From what I infer from the story of Abraham and Sarah, the Biblical answer to that is that they should get married, and if they have sufficient faith, God will reward them by allowing them to have children.

But if they stay infertile, you can be sure that they're horrible faithless sinners.

... Biblically speaking.
Click to expand...
Maybe if he promises you a child as well. As for the faith of Abraham, ever hear of Ishmael? Didn't Sarah laugh at the notion? I'd say it was God's promise and not their faith.
 
Storm

Storm

ThrUU the Looking Glass
Wrong:


jus·tice

   [juhs-tis] Show IPA
noun 1. the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness: to uphold the justice of a cause.

2. rightfulness or lawfulness, as of a claim or title; justness of ground or reason: to complain with justice.

3. the moral principle determining just conduct.

4. conformity to this principle, as manifested in conduct; just conduct, dealing, or treatment.

5. the administering of deserved punishment or reward.
Bible Dictionary
Justice definition


is rendering to every one that which is his due. It has been distinguished from equity in this respect, that while justice means merely the doing what positive law demands, equity means the doing of what is fair and right in every separate case.




fair

[fair]   Origin Like this word?
fair

1    [fair] Show IPA adjective, fair·er, fair·est, adverb, fair·er, fair·est, noun, verb
adjective 1. free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice: a fair decision; a fair judge.
 
sandy whitelinger

sandy whitelinger

Veteran Member
Storm said:
Wrong:
jus·tice

   [juhs-tis] Show IPA
noun 1. the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness: to uphold the justice of a cause.

2. rightfulness or lawfulness, as of a claim or title; justness of ground or reason: to complain with justice.

3. the moral principle determining just conduct.

4. conformity to this principle, as manifested in conduct; just conduct, dealing, or treatment.

5. the administering of deserved punishment or reward.
Click to expand...
And where in the Bible are any of these things not determined by law or commandment?
Storm said:
Bible Dictionary
Click to expand...
When it come to the meaning of words I prefer a real dictionary.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top