This is in response to post #1810.
Sorry it took me so long to respond. I got side-tracked by what other members have said.
Looking back, I don’t feel that their comments were worth responding to, but “Oh well”.
Thank you for sharing. I think it helped to clarify your position to me. And even though there are quite a few things I would take issue with, I’m not going to bother pointing them out because I don’t think it’s important to this particular discussion. I just wanted to try to understand where you’re coming from, and I think I’m getting there.
Sweet.
You can feel free to start a conversation with me about your concerns. I think that’d be fun and edifying.
So from what I gather you believe that the only sinless relationship available to human beings is two people of the opposite sex refraining from any kind of sexual relationship until marriage after which time they have the opportunity to procreate, raise children and spend their lives together as “eternal mates.” This is the sin-free relationship.
I do not believe that anything we do can be “sinless” in this life. I believe that only the mortal life of Lord Jesus Christ was and will be the only sinless life lived in this world.
In terms of sexual sin, God wants His children to only have sexual relations within the bounds of marriage. According to God, marriage is only between a man and a woman.
However, there are still ways for even husbands and wives to commit sexual sin.
Like all types of sin, sexual sin varies in degrees of seriousness. Having a “naughty” thought about someone other than your spouse is not as severe as abusing yourself sexually (masturbation), yet both are still sinful.
The Lord Jesus Christ has taught Man what the “ideal” is and we are just trying to live as closely resembling that ideal as best we can.
The further we stray from that ideal, they more serious our sin.
Two people of the same sex entering into a relationship where no sexual intercourse is involved is less sinful that two people of the same sex being involved in a sexual relationship, but is not ideal and still has some level of sinfulness attached to it.
Have I got that right?
Yes, both are sinful.
The Lord
wants us to use the procreative powers that He has given us. He has not, however, demanded that precreation be our only goal in mind.
God created everything. He is the Creator. Creation is an eternal characteristic of God. Yet, He does not
only create. He also rejoices in the bounty of His creations. He cherishes them and nurtures them.
Our sexual relationship with our spouses should not be
only about procreation. We should also experience them in such a way that both partners rejoice with, cherish and nurture one another.
A sexless heterosexual marriage is sinful. (Exempting disability or health concerns of course) The Lord gave marriage to Man so that men and women can eventually become perfect. They do this by –
melding – one toward another. The man receives from his woman that which he lacks. The woman also receives what she lacks from her man. Both of their weaknesses should be overcome and made into strengths when they are together. This should be spiritual as well as physical. They become
one flesh.
A huge part of this process of
molding and
reflecting one another is in child rearing. You learn a lot about yourself and your spouse during those years and parenting.
So, two people forming a relationship is a part of God’s plan, yet two members of the same-sex doing this does not conform to the ideal and you go even further away from the ideal by including sexual relations between those of the same-sex.
That leaves me with one question, I think. What about the people who can’t procreate? What about an opposite sex, married couple where one or both of the people is/are unable to have children. What do you think your god’s plan for them is?
I mentioned this briefly in in post #1741. I said,
“God has given to each person, male and female, the ability to Create life. This is a divine characteristic for God Himself is the grand Creator.
I understand that not everyone is blessed with this ability in this mortal life. God decided to deny certain people this ability in this life for a number of reasons which are His own, but that does not change the fact that it is both a divine and
also eternal characteristic. Those who cannot procreate in this life will not be denied that blessing in the next life if they remain worthy to receive it.”
All of us lived with God as spirits before we came to this world. He raised us and taught us and this is how He came to know us so well. Even though we were all raised by the same perfect parents, we were all different. We responded to everything differently. We all progressed differently.
When the time came for us to embark on our mortal test, God had prepared each of our mortal lives in accordance with where we were in terms of our progression. He gave us all strengths and weaknesses geared toward realizing our potential.
The hurdles we face in our lives were specifically placed there to test us. Many of our circumstances in this life were placed according to how we faired in the life before this one. Each struggle was designed to help us develop what we lack in order to be perfect.
For some reason the Lord decided that certain people would not become parents in this life. This could be for many reasons, yet I personally feel it is because either because they had already learned whatever it was they would have learned from having children in this life from the life before. Either that or perhaps they would gain more in this life with that loss. Maybe they were meant to mourn with those that mourn?
The Lord has promised those that could not conceive in this life that if they remain faithful and worthy of it, they will have children in the life to come.
Oh no, I’ve got another question. What about someone who is unable to find an “eternal mate?” What becomes of them? Are they committing sin?
That all depends on what they are doing. If a person does not want to find an eternal mate, for whatever reason, then yes, that could be sinful. This mentality usually leads to other sin as well, such as issues of chastity.
However, for those who do not find a mate in this life through no fault of their own, they commit no sin and they are promised to have the opportunity to find a mate after this life as long as they remain worthy to receive it.
I don’t know if these responses were worth the wait, but if you have any further questions or if you want to bring up any of those “issues” you mentioned before, go ahead and start up a private chat.
I just wouldn’t want to discuss your
real questions on this thread. You seem to be one of the only sincere members responding to this thread.