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 Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:02 am
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Clover_IceQueen xKuroxBarax Clover_IceQueen xKuroxBarax Clover_IceQueen Idk... Bad things happen to me and people I care about all the time sad ah, i know how that feels. but trust me, as you get older it'll get better :] and trust me, people have been telling me this my whole life so im sure that you'll go to heaven, and its written in the bible that god loves you no matter what What if I don't get older? What if I die tomorrow? im not sure that you will. statistically speaking, you'll probably be fine, but if you do then im sure you'll get into heaven. It could happen any time eek
i understand that, but it tends to happen more to people who are sick or injured. as long as you don't put yourself in danger by, say, running into traffic, then chances are, you'll be ok. i know there are chance encounters with death, but i wouldnt worry about death too much. |
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Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:12 am
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xKuroxBarax Clover_IceQueen xKuroxBarax Clover_IceQueen xKuroxBarax Clover_IceQueen Idk... Bad things happen to me and people I care about all the time sad ah, i know how that feels. but trust me, as you get older it'll get better :] and trust me, people have been telling me this my whole life so im sure that you'll go to heaven, and its written in the bible that god loves you no matter what What if I don't get older? What if I die tomorrow? im not sure that you will. statistically speaking, you'll probably be fine, but if you do then im sure you'll get into heaven. It could happen any time eek i understand that, but it tends to happen more to people who are sick or injured. as long as you don't put yourself in danger by, say, running into traffic, then chances are, you'll be ok. i know there are chance encounters with death, but i wouldnt worry about death too much.
Mkay. Now, I must go comfort my friend who just got her heart broken sad byes |
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Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:49 am
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Clover_IceQueen xKuroxBarax Clover_IceQueen xKuroxBarax Clover_IceQueen What if I don't get older? What if I die tomorrow? im not sure that you will. statistically speaking, you'll probably be fine, but if you do then im sure you'll get into heaven. It could happen any time eek i understand that, but it tends to happen more to people who are sick or injured. as long as you don't put yourself in danger by, say, running into traffic, then chances are, you'll be ok. i know there are chance encounters with death, but i wouldnt worry about death too much. Mkay. Now, I must go comfort my friend who just got her heart broken sad byes
aw ): that sucks. and ok, bai |
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Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 9:57 pm
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 I don't think it's right when people bluntly say, "Homosexuals are all going to hell." I am a Christian Catholic, some things I agree with, and some things I don't. But one thing I'm for sure of is that NOBODY knows who is and isn't going to Heaven. No one. Not me, my best friend, my dog, you, the mailman. Anyone. No one can damn you to hell. That is in God's hands only. {That's my opinion though, I just don't want it to seem like I'm bashing someone on here, and if I am, I'm sorry. >.< } |
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:21 pm
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:35 am
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I wrote this article a few months ago for a bi-annual book that my college produces, it comes out this fall.
How can you be gay and a Christian?
I grew up going to a Southern Baptist Church and I became a Christian when I was 10 years old. I was young to be a Christian but I knew the basic principles of becoming a Christian and of receiving salvation. I also had very strong faith at that age as well. Committing my life to Christ was what I wanted and I understand fully what I was doing. I felt a clarity and happiness I hadn’t felt before when I became a Christian.
A month or two before my 12th birthday I started puberty and that changed everything. When all of the other boys started to notice girls I didn’t. I started to notice some of the other boys my age and that I was very attracted to them for some reason. This really confused me because I didn’t know what being homosexual was and I thought there was something wrong with me.
Later on I noticed sermons at church that referred to homosexuals and that homosexuality was considered to be a sin. Discovering this information scared me in many ways. I wasn’t sure how to deal with it either. I didn’t feel like I could tell anyone because they might not understood or they might have an extremely negative reaction so I kept my sexuality secret for nearly ten years.
During those tens years I heard that sermon many times and the same verses echoed again and again until my self-worth was very low. I had been taught that homosexuality was a sin and that it was a choice. I had also been taught that God leaves homosexuals and many other sinners to their wickedness and they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. This knowledge caused me to go into depression for many years. I would pray for God to heal me and make me a heterosexual so I could be normal, so I could have a better future, and so others would continue to like me. The fear of someone finding out about my sexuality was even greater at that point. Thoughts of suicide were often on my mind and some days the pressure would be so much that I would ask God to just end my life because I was tired of hiding and lying about being gay. The whole ordeal was an incredibly heavy burden that was crushing me. There were times when I was lying in the bathtub crying and I would beg God to end my life because I was tired of suffering. I would be lying there thinking about how easy it would be to just plug in the hair dryer and dropping it in the water with me. Many nights I could not sleep and I would cry and wallow in despair. I suffered this way up until I went to VCU in the fall of 2008.
When I got to VCU I finally felt like I wasn’t alone and that I wasn’t different because there were many other homosexuals going to school there too. After making this realization that the homosexual population was so much larger than I had thought, I began to reevaluate things and to question what I had been taught for so many years. Was homosexuality a sin or not? What makes it a sin? Was this God’s decision or someone else’s? I started to think about these questions and many more and I was determined to get some answers.
I found the answers I was looking for in the fall of my sophomore year of college when I took a class on the New Testament. I learned many things by taking that course including the origin of the Bible, how it came together, about the writers of the different books, and that the Bible has been translated into many different languages and into many different versions.
Now I know that the Old Testament is basically consists of books on Jewish history such as Exodus and books about laws such as Leviticus and that the New Testament consists of books on the teachings of Jesus and his followers such as the Gospels along with the letters of Paul such as Corinthians and books relating to Prophecy such as Revelations. This wasn’t what I was led to believe in church growing up. The phrase “ Word of God” was used to describe the Bible and by doing so it makes the Bible come off as absolute and the words in it be viewed as perfect. The truth of the matter is that the Bible can only be described as the inspired word of God that was written by man. But that description only describes the first versions of each of the books of the Bible ever written. Since then the books of the Bible have been passed on orally, translated hundreds of times, altered by different people that were assigned to translate the text into other languages and versions. Often times deviating from the original Hebrew or Greek versions of the verses.
I also learned that the verses that have been used to condemn homosexuals have been misrepresented by many denominations of Christianity. The term homosexual isn’t used in the Bible and neither are any equivalent terms. The verses that are being misrepresented have no connection to homosexuality because in relation to the verses surrounding them they either reference greed, lust, or some type of sexually based on pagan ritual and not actual homosexuality.
Genesis chapter 19 gives the account of Sodom and Gomorrah. Many Christians claim that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality but in reality they were destroyed because the people were extremely wicked and overcome with lust. Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13 both refer to men lying with other men as an abomination but in a Biblical context abomination means “unclean” not sin. Leviticus 11:10-11 says that aquatic creatures that do not have both fins and scales are abominations and they shouldn’t be consumed. I don’t think these verses are deterring to many Christians from eating catfish, shrimp, or lobster and I certainly don’t think that God would send them to hell for it. Leviticus also say that the following aren’t supposed to be done either: men shaving or trimming their facial hair, wearing garments that consist of two or more different kinds of fibers, and planting different types of grain in the same field. There are also verses in Leviticus chapter 5 that reference slavery and that slaves are property. Those verses were used in the 19th century to condone slavery. Leviticus is full of abominations that Christians either don’t know about or they just ignore them. Romans 1: 24-31 is a section often used to condemn or put down homosexuals but the message in those verses are completely contrary to what I am. They imply that homosexuals don’t seek out God or want God in their lives and I clearly do, so I really don’t see the validity in that interpretation of the verses. 1Timothy 1:10 uses the term manstealers and many conservative Christians take this term to mean homosexuals but I personally think that’s a bit of a stretch. Christian leaders need to realize that picking these verses that vaguely hint at homosexuality aren’t helping anyone, that they only fuel hate and prejudice.
Matthew 7:1 “Judge not lest ye be judged” and then verse 5 says that if you judge someone then you are a hypocrite because we have all humans have sinned and fell short of the glory of God. Christians shouldn’t use the Bible as a final authority because God is the final authority and God will give the wisdom and understanding that is needed to anyone if they simply ask. Matthew 7:7 says “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you with find; knock, and it will be opened to you”.
The Bible is important and Christians should study it and learn from it but sadly that isn’t all that is being done. Bible’s verses are being twisted to reflect bias opinions instead of the intentions of the religious figures that wrote them. Also the intentions of the religious figures that wrote the books of the Bible aren’t perfect or absolute so their teachings shouldn’t be believed blindly either.
The Bible is too saturated in human influence to be the word of God. This just means that the Bible isn’t a perfect guide for people to live by. Most people don’t try to learn the origin and history of their religious texts so it is no wonder the phrase “Word of God” is so accepted when referring to the Bible. The point being that if you are spoon fed your beliefs by someone else without taking the time to learn about them then you are likely to believe a lot of things that aren’t true.
I am still a Christian even though I don’t put blind faith in the Bible like many Christians. I do on the other hand have blind faith in God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit because I have had a loving personal relationship with them for many years and I have always felt their presence in my life. I attend church at the Metropolitan Community Church every Sunday. Monday nights I go to an LGBT inclusive Bible study to help me learn and grow as a Christian. I spend a lot of time praying to God. My prayer time with God is sacred but not formal. I simply talk to God openly and give God the respect that God deserves. There are a few things that I do continually pray for, such as wisdom and understanding, for strength, that God will help me to love others regardless of how they may treat me, for those who are lost and that they may find their way to God, for those who are dealing with tragedy and loss, and that God will find a partner for me to love and live my life with. I know that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit love me and that they will continue to do so forever even if I am a homosexual.
To those of you out there that are considering suicide, please don’t do it. Life gets better and it is worth living. Your future isn’t predetermined and life is full of possibilities. Also people are changing little by little for the better so don’t give up. I realize now that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem and that if a person can out last the temporary problem then things will get better.
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 12:14 pm
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 12:39 pm
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 12:44 pm
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 6:54 pm
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I am Catholic, and I believe in God. I am pansexual and am currently dating one of my long time best friends, who is also a girl.
She is an athiest, and does not believe in God. But That doesn't really matter to me. And it is also my belief that if you truly believe in something, it will happen for you. No one is wrong. Cus I hate it when people are all, "Because you're a Buddhist(etc) and not Catholic, your wrong!! D:<" ....That's not how I roll~
I'm the kind of person who doesn't care what you believe in. Like, I'll respect you're religion (or the fact that you don't have one), I just want respect in return. Then we're all good razz
I don't believe that being anything besides straight is a sin. Would God really be so heartless? I mean, why is loving somebody considered a sin? I just think thats ridiculous.
And like Splendid Venus said, over time the Bible has been tampered with so many times over the course of who knows how long. No one should take every little tiny thing seriously. But I'm not saying that it doesn't have good morals and teachings in it.
And I really hate it when people think that all Christians and Catholics aren't accepting of gays, or that they're all trying to force their religion on you. (I know some people like that, and holy, crap. They can be really stupid). 3:< Cus I'm definetly not like that, and neither are some of my close friends.
I just want everyone to get along! D8
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 6:01 am
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Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 2:10 pm
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Subtle Rain iLegoBlock So, I was discussing the matter or people going to heaven and hell with one of my friends.
He was saying how he's a devoted christian, and all that.
Then he said one thing that amazed me "Im not going to heaven because Im gay"
This confuses me because I dont understand how someone can love something like god, yet accept that they wont get to go to heaven just because of who the partner they choose.
Got any thoughts on this?
TL;DR
People follow and love god, but they accept that he wont let them into heaven for being LGBT Completely untrue. The Bible is not an anti-gay book as many Christians believe (I can say this because I, too, am a devout Christian). Jesus Christ himself never even addresses the issue. In fact, the only places that it's mentioned is by people, not God. I'm also gay, and I'm going to heaven. (I hope you'll share this with your friend?)
I will make sure I do.
3nodding |
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 5:24 pm
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:03 pm
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Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 8:16 am
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