Homosexuality Similar to Alcoholism?

Several Christians throughout the years have told me that they equate homosexuality to alcoholism. The message to me is that they believe that being a homosexual is sinful and addictive like alcoholism, a stand a bit less harsh then what is preached at some pulpits. It is met to be consoling, (believe it or not). I understand what they mean because I grew up in a “Full Gospel” conservative Christian church. However, in a way it is a backhanded slap in the face.

I do not believe that homosexuals or the act of homosexuality is sinful. I’m a Bible College graduate, and have studied the Bible on this subject using study helps that are acceptable to conservative Christians. That doesn't mean that you have to come to the same conclusion, but at least make a good study of with an open heart, and mind before you speak on the subject to a homosexual. Telling a homosexual that homosexuality is sinful and similar to alcoholism is like telling someone who is divorced and remarried that they are sinning and committing adultery. Or telling a fat person that they are a glutton and sinning, (thin people can be gluttons and not all fat people are). Making statements like these are rude, judgmental, divisive, and just plain wrong!

The Bible may be written in black and white, but it is difficult to interpret. The Bible is 66 books written by about 40 authors over a period of approximately 1500 years. It was written in a different time, county, language, and very different customs. Studying the Bible and being familiar with these differences are imperative to understand it.

Some people pick up the Bible and read it believing that they can understand it that way. However, proper interpretation is in the studying. In order to understand the Bible you have to go back to the original languages, customs, keep it in context, etc. I’ve written about this before (see links below) and don’t want to get into a discussion concerning dogma, like I did in other posts (see links below).

I just wanted to remind Christians of a few things when talking to homosexuals and others with whom you may not agree. 1) Be careful not to come across as being to harsh, or judgmental. This attitude can turn some from God and the Church. 2) Study the Bible with an open mind and heart, instead of only reading it. 3) Try to love, and accept the people for who they are. If you can't accept the person, then be honest with yourself and don't befriend them, or you may do more harm then good. Mt.18:6

For more on my views concerning homosexuality, and also tips on how to study the Bible visit the links below-

As a Bible College Graduate, Why Can't You See That Homosexuality is a Sin?

What I Believe About Homosexuality and The Bible.

photo credit

Sinnerviewer's interesting conversation with gay bashers

"God hates fags". You've probably seen a hate group on T.V. carrying those signs. Well, my blog buddy Sinnerviewer had an interesting conversation with two gay bashers. She did a beautiful job! Pop on over to her blog and check out her post about the conversation!

A Conversation with the Lost

.

What I believe about Homosexuality & the Bible

Recently I received an e-mail from a man I didn't know. He had never commented on my blog. At the end of the e-mail he asked me to come back to God. Obviously he didn't know the first thing about evangelism, or me. I was going to delete his e-mail because I felt that he was not open to hearing me, nor did he show any interest in me as a person. But I decided to answer him anyway.

I realize that some of you may also be wondering about my view concerning homosexuality and the bible, so I'd like to share it. The e-mail referred to my post titled. "As a Bible College graduate, why can't you see that Homosexuality is a sin?" He felt that I didn't adequately state my position. Well, the main point of that post was to encourage others to study the topic, (as well as other Biblical topics) for themselves; and to give them some study tips, and tools to assist them. There are many on-line Bible study tools.

Many Christians sit in the pew listening to their pastors without truly studying the Word for themselves. So many believe what their pastors tell them, without question. I did the same thing until I went to an interdenominational Bible College. That's where I started to hear some teachings that were not consistent with my pastors teaching. I finally realized that I knew, and accepted what my pastor had taught. No more, no less. I learned in Bible College that it's good to listen to others, but ultimately one needs to study the Bible for themselves with an open mind to the Word. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God..." 2 Timothy 2:15 The key in understanding the Bible is to make a serious study for yourself, trying to keep an open mind, open heart, and with prayer.

Therefore, what I strongly suggest is that you study the topic yourself. Again, I have many studies tools, and tips listed in my previous post click here. Then after that, I suggest that you read a book by Daniel A. Helminiak called "What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality." It's one of the best books on the subject, and only 152 pages long. The listed price that I saw is $14. You might be able to find it in your local library, or on sale on-line. It would take many post worth of information for me to explain my view on homosexuality, so I will refer you to this book. It's excellent!


Photo credit

Remembering the Attack On America

It's Sept. 11.

It's been 7 years since the attack. We have been very blessed that things have been so peaceful in the U.S. But the feeling has died. I mean about 7 years ago when I heard the song "God Bless America" I would stand to my feet, and sing the song/prayer with tears streaming down my face. For the most part that feeling is gone, but so has most of the fear.

I remember 7 years ago walking on the sidewalk at my home, hearing an airplane. I stopped dead in my tracks, and looked up. It was a small plane flying kind of low. I stared at it. Then I saw my neighbor, on the other side of the street. She had also stopped dead in her tracts, and was glaring at that same plane. I knew what she was thinking. I didn't need to ask. Will it attack us? Those intense feelings both positive, and negative are now gone. I guess that's part of the passage of time.

It's been 7 years. 7 in the Bible represents the number of completion. But we are not done. Still at war. Still not safe. I wish it was over with. Will things ever be like they were before the attack?

Prayer Request & Why I'm Visiting You Less

Recently Deborah of Debo Hobo dot com left a comment asking me why I wasn't visiting her blog much anymore. It's nice to be missed, but I don't want to lose my cyber friends, so I thought I would give you a personal update.

Soon a huge amount of money may be required of me. I've gotten into debt, and filing for bankruptcy might not get me out of this obligation. My financial position has been made worse by two things.

1) In the past, the depression, and anxiety problems which made me want to stay away from people has kept me form working as much as I should.

2) Work at my current job has now slowed down considerably.

Therefore, I need to find a new job A.S.A.P. because it's been difficult to pay the bills much less catch up on my debts. As a result, I have used the Internet more for finding a job, and less for visiting blogs and blogging. I hope that you will understand if I don't blog as much, or visit you so often at this time. I need to focus on solving this financial problem.

I am praying that God will meet all my financial needs, and get me totally out of debt in a very short amount of time so I will not have to suffer any negative consequences. I am also praying for the perfect job for me. (A very good job, that I like it.) I would greatly appreciate you joining me in prayer! In fact if your Church takes pray requests, or you know someone who likes to pray, please mention me. I believe in the power of God, and prayer, and He is able to get me out of this mess. In your prayer request you can call me any name you wish, God will know who your talking about. ;o) If you don't pray, then hopefully you will send good thoughts and vibes my way. Thank you!!!

I will still keep you up to date on Twitter. Feel free to follow me there. It takes much less time then blogging.

By the way, I have not seen a therapist yet. If your a regular reader you know that I have had reservations. It is coupled with the fact that I would have to pay for therapy. Although it will be a reduced rate, it is especially difficult now. My current mental state is good, (for me), at this time. I hope that it stays that way.

Matthew 18:19-20 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

An Uncomplimentary Blogger, Dr. Phil, and Forgiveness

This is a continuation of my last post called- What Do You Do When Someone Blogs About You? If you haven't read it, and the comments, please do so before reading further. You will not understand this post unless you read the last.

First of all I want to thank everyone that commented on my last post. Your suggestions, and remarks were kind, thoughtful, and thought provoking.

Secondly, I don't want you to think that the uncomplimentary blogger is a monster. When I knew her in real life, she was nice, sweet, and sensitive. Since then it seems that life has kicked her in the gut one to many times, and she has reacted to it. When I saw her online I was so thrilled to see my old friend that I tried to get close to her quickly. It was bad timing because she was dealing with some recent kicks in the gut, and wasn't ready to be friends with anyone. However, the way in which she treated and rejected me was hash, threatening, and undeserving.

I'm not a huge fan of Dr. Phil McGraw, but on Wednesday the 23rd he said some things that made sense to me. The segment was about Mormon, (LDS), boys that were kicked out of their homes. They were force to leave because they were seen as a threat to some of the older polygamist men. This is the same compound in Texas that has been on the news.

Dr. Phil was talking with these boys, and asked them if they wanted to go back home if give the chance. The boys said yes, but knew that they would be treated like outsiders. They knew that the door would be locked on them. Dr. Phil said that even though they were rejected, they could get closure just by making it known that they still wanted a relationship, and keeping the door of their hearts open, and forgiving. I saw the parallel. I was rejected by a former good friend, someone who I regarded as family. I now believe that I need to continue to leave the door open, forgive, and turn the other cheek. Maybe this can bring me closure. This person knows my e-mail address, and can get in touch with me if she wants. There is no need to overreact, and to stop blogging. I once wrote her in an e-mail that "it would be a shame if we could not find a way to be friends". I still believe that, but maybe this isn't the day for it. It's poor timing.

UPDATED- FatDoctor.org: Erased? Her Blog Erased?

UPDATED- SHE'S BACK! ... The problem is solved, she now has all of her posts. FatDoctor is now back online with a new blog! Please stop over and say hi, give her your suport. Reconstructing a blog must be a pain in the butt. Tell her that I sent you ;o)

http://fatdoctor.blogspot.com/

My blog buddy FatDoctor of FatDoctor.org posted this on Twitter yesterday.... "Accidentally erased my whole blog. And I don't have a backup. No sense crying - it's not like a family member dying...or is it?" It was a shock to me. She had one of the best blogs I have ever seen, and is a very sweet, caring, down to earth person.

I have been working closely with FatDoctor, and managed to retrieve most of her posts, but without the graphics. I would like her to be able to retrieve ALL her posts, or her blog. I'm not very computer savvy, and am running out of ideas. So I am asking for your help. If you have any ideas on how she can get her blog back, or posts, please leave a comment. I have her e-mail, but will not give it out due to privacy issues. However, I will drop her an e-mail, and let her know about your comments.

As you many know my blog is only a few months old, so currently I don't have a huge following. I am asking that you consider telling your readers about her dilemma. Maybe creating a post about it. She is not the first one who has lost a blog, and will not be the last. I think that we can all sympathize with her.

I have heard that whatever has been placed on the internet never really gets erased, and can be retrieved. We would appreciate your help.

HAPPY EASTER! The Easter Song by 2nd Chapter of Acts

This song brings back memories. It was written in 1974, but I never heard it until I was in Bible College. It was one of my favorites. It was written during a time in which they had the best Christian music that I have ever heard. It was during the era called Jesus movement. Enjoy!


The Easter Song by 2nd Chapter of Acts

Cute Joke

“The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals, and 362 to heterosexuals. This doesn’t mean God doesn’t love heterosexuals, it’s just that they need more supervision.”
~ Lynn Lavner, a lesbian comic

As a Bible College graduate, why can't you see that Homosexuality is a sin?

One of my blog buddies Scott, left an interesting comment on my "Ellen DeGeneres Calls State Representative Sally Kern" post.

Here is part of his comment-

"I'm sorry, but I disagree. Maybe the Representative went a little far, but I fully believe the essence of what she was saying. The Bible is VERY clear that homosexuality is a sin. I am confused how you DON'T see it that way if you've been to Bible College. Of course I don't think it is any worse of a sin than anything else that God considers sin. I was a drunk for 6 years; I believe that when I was sinning in that manner, it was just as offensive to God as if I had been gay. Personally, I don't see why it is a sin, but I am going to go with the Bible on this. It is not MY place to judge, but if the Bible is the inspired Word of God, how can we overlook the passages that say being gay is detestable in the Lord's eyes?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well Scott, you got my synapses firing with that comment. I don't know how long you have been a Christian, or what denomination you are. But I will try to answer you in what I believe is the best way for you, and for anyone who may be reading this.

The Bible might be written in black and white, but it is difficult to interpret. The Bible is 66 books written by about 40 authors over a period about 1500 years. It was written in a different time, county, language, and very different customs. Studying the Bible, and being familiar with these differences are imperative to the understanding of it.

Years ago, I made a serious study of homosexuality. I had been listening to much to others, which confused me because I heard dogmatic teaching both pro, and con. Ministers seemed to vehemently believe that they were correct, and determined to prove others wrong. I was searching for the truth, and was getting no where. So I decided to make a study for myself. I knew that it would be tedious work, numerous hours, but took on the task.

First I wrote down the main scriptures that I thought had to do with homosexuality. It was awhile back. I used books not a computer. I read each passage, chapter, and became familiar with them. I read the main verses in 6 different Bible versions writing them all down. That was interesting in itself. For example. In 1 Corinthians 6:9 the Greek word Malakos is translated- effeminate (KJV), male prostitute (NIV), is a pervert (Promise) and homosexuals (Living Bible). So which one was it?

I had to find out what was meant by going back to the original language of the Bible, Old Testament Hebrew, New Testament Greek. I'm not a Greek, or Hebrew scholar so need to use some very good study books. I used The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of Bible, W.E. Vine Expository Dictionary both Old and New Testament, and Nelsons Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament by Unger, and White. What I found was fascinating. For example the word Sodomite in my American dictionary means male homosexual, but the definition in the original language is very different.

During a study of the history, I realized that in some cases the main theme was prostitutes who worshiped idols by having sex, (including homosexual sex). This is sometimes refereed to as shrine prostitution, or religious prostitution. Excerpt from Today's Handbook of Bible Times and Customs by William L. Coleman - "The pagan religious that surrounded and contaminated Israel's history frequently practiced some form of cult prostitution, usually centered on the theme of fertility. . . One means of pleasing the fertility gods was to engage in sex with the female or male prostitutes available at the temple. As bizarre as this may sound, the practice was common; it endured into New Testament times and frequently was assimilated into the worship of Jehovah "

The key in understanding the Bible is to make a serious study for yourself, trying to keep an open mind, open heart, and with prayer.

I have several books on how to study the Bible. Unfortunately I don't have one very good book. Therefore, I will compare them, and show you several recommends. The majority of these recommendations are widely accepted. You may be able to find many of these books over the internet.

The study books emphasis that before you study a book of the Bible, read a summery about it. (Bible study guides). You should know 1. Who- Who is writing the book, and who is it being written to. 2. Location. 3. Main Events 4. Major Ideas 5. When it was written.

BIBLE STUDY TOOLS-

It's good to have at least one in each category. You can fine may of these tools listed in the "On-line Bible Study Tools" section below. (If this section seems overwhelming go to the bottom and read the "Shortcut Version of Bible Study Tools.")

Study Bibles

Scofield Reference Bible, Ryrie Study Bible, NIV Study Bible, Life Application Bible.

Bible Handbooks

Eerdmans, plus Bruce & Stan's Guide to the Bible, are my personal favorites. Halley's, Unger's.

Concordance

Strong's Concordance, Young's Concordance, Cruden's Concordance.

Bible Dictionary

New Compact Bible Dictionary by Bryant, New Bible Dictionary by Douglas, Unger's Bible Dictionary.

Commentaries

Unger's, Jameson Faucett Brown, Matthew Henry, Wycliffe

Bible Manors and Customs

Eerdman's Family Encyclopedia, Haper's Encyclopedia of Bible Life, Manners and Customs of Bible Lands.

Meaning of Words, (no knowledge of Greek or Hebrew necessary.)

As stated before in my study - Strong's and Nelson's. Vine's (old and new testament). Vine died before he could finish his book on the Old Testament, it's excellent, but incomplete. That's why I bought Nelson's, to supplement. Nelson's is a gem, my favorite. It's best to use all these books, or the equivalent because this study is heavy on original language. If I had to choose only one I would chose Strong's. It's complete. It has both Old and New Testament, and is wildly accepted. However, I find having a second set, with the authors comments, improves my understanding.

METHODS OF BIBLE STUDY

How to study the Bible - A good comprehensive teaching. An excellent website!

The Eight Rules of Bible Interpretation - Good practical tips to always keep in mind.


ONLINE BIBLE STUDY TOOLS

Top 4 On-line Bible Search

Bible Toolbox

Bible.org

The Unbound Bible

crosswalk.com

Bonus- rbc Ministries - Good devotionals

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SHORTCUT VERSION OF BIBLE STUDY TOOLS
(Bible Study, a less comprehensive method.)

It's good to read "The Eight Rules of Bible Interpretation" and keep them in mind when studying. Go to crosswalk.com . Use the search tools to find the scriptures that you want to study. Read several Bible translations. You can read various references like dictionaries, commentaries, concordances, etc. BiBlos.com may be a better site for a word study.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you want to make a lighter, or everyday, Bible study about something, then you don't need as many Bible study tools. (See link- How to study the Bible, second paragraph) But if you want to really dig into the meat of the word, especially difficult portions of scripture, then I would advise using more Bible study tools, as I have listed. I had a pastor who used to repeatedly say, "In order to understand the Bible you need to know the 1.) Context, and keep it in context 2.) History 3) Original Language." He didn't mean that you need to be fluent in Greek, and Hebrew, but have the study tools to find out what actually was being said. If you look at the link "The Eight Rules of Bible Interpretation", it has those three elements included, and are good rules to keep in mind.

THE FINAL WORD by Rev. Dr. Kathlyn James
"The only way we will arrive at a consensus on how this question should be answered is by taking time, over the coming year, to examine ourselves, study the Bible, think, read, pray, listen, and share our diverse life experiences with each other, asking together what God is calling this congregation to do and be."

Some Bible study material was from- How to Study the Bible and Enjoy It by skip Heitzig, How to Study The Bible For Yourself by Tim LaHaye, and Guide To Understanding Your Bible by Josh McDowell. Mr. McDowell has a huge list of Bible study book helps in the back of his book. Many that I was not able to mention. The list that I gave was basic, not comprehensive.

Disclaimer: Even though I have posted many online links, and mentioned many books that does not mean that I agree with everything said in those books, or links.


Related Post: What I believe about Homosexuality and the Bible

Studying - Things to come

1 Corinthians 13 (The Love Chapter), Quantum Physics - Entanglement, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama. I'm studying them all.

My favorite chapter in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 13, also known as the Love Chapter. When I feel the need to adjust my spiritual focus, I sometimes study this chapter. Now is such a time.

Studying the Love Chapter, led me to study the Quantum Physics entanglement phenomenon. Which leads to the theory that we are all connected. Therefore, what I do to others effects me. These concepts are shown in the movie "What the Bleep Do we know?" and it's follow up, "What the Bleep Down the Rabbit Hole". I would highly recommend both movies, however, I didn't appreciate some of the negative comments that were made about God.

I'm also studying Hillary, and Obama because I will have to vote in 10 days! I'm still not positive who to vote for. Ever since I saw Hillary on, "Meet The Press", I switched my vote to her.

I've been posting quite often, about 3 posts a day. I am going to cut back a little. I will still be posting, but not as often until I'm finished with my studies. I hope to share with you the results of my studies of 1 Cor. 13, and Quantum Physics. I think it will be a series of about 4 posts.