Sorting Through the Issues~ Abby Massung

Once upon a time, it wasn’t really a choice most people had to face. These days, however, it seems like it’s about as common of an option as what clothes you want to wear. Unfortunately, being homosexual is rising in popularity because being that way is becoming a statement to stand out among teens. This topic is an especially difficult one for Christian teens. Homosexuality is wrong, but how are we to treat them? Should we shun them, should we talk to them? I hope this article will help you with these confusing questions.

A Brief Glance at Some Questions…

  A common belief gaining more and more popularity is that homosexuality isn’t a choice. Many homosexuals are now declaring they were born that way. The truth? It goes against nature to be homosexual (note that God calls it unnatural). Although one might argue that man is now born sinful so they could be born homosexual, it is my personal belief this isn’t the case. Besides, even if a man (or woman) is born inclined to that, they must learn to control wrong impulses just as we all must.

  If you’re thinking the choices of others to be homosexual doesn’t affect us, think again! A good example of this can be found in the TV series Supernatural. Dean and Sam Winchester are brothers who travel around the country fighting demons and monsters. They have no home besides their car, so they frequently stay in motels, and more than once the owners of the hotels have suspected the brothers are truly a homosexual couple looking for a room for the night. This isn’t fiction guys, this is reality. It used to be perfectly acceptable for a couple of girls or a couple of guys to travel together and share rooms and etc., but those days are quickly disappearing thanks to the question of homosexuality. Just as suspicion surrounds men and women, suspicion surrounds women and women or men and men. Now, for a pair of girls to share an apartment together and not be dating guys looks bad (trust me, my older sister got in this position). Whether anyone will admit it or not, homosexuals have affected the rest of us.

Close to Home…

  A couple of years ago, I was attending classes set up especially for home school kids, most of which were Christians. So when I saw my closest friend’s Myspace page announcing she was a lesbian, I was floored. After all, this same girl had chosen to read a series of Bible verses for her reading in speech class (where we’d met). How could that very same girl turn around and declare herself to be a lesbian? It didn’t make any sense.

  Followed closely on the heels of that discovery was learning that another close friend had decided she was bi. Now this didn’t throw me off quite as much since she was from a family of atheists and leaned towards more masculine styles. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder how my seemingly normal friends could end up deciding they were anything but straight. I remained their friends, but it was hard to really know how to act about the whole thing when there never seemed to be any middle-ground according to anything I was hearing. We all fell out of touch after some time, but the question still remained. What was the right reaction to this issue?

  I finally started to really think about this several months ago when I became interested in a guy, only to find out he was gay. He was a really nice guy from what I could tell. He didn’t overact being gay in public like so many do, and he had a huge bright smile for everyone.

   

  What the Bible Says…

  Ok, first, let’s start in Genesis. You know, where God laid out the foundation of how things were meant to be. After explain how Eve came into being and God brought her to Adam, Adam declares how together they were one and calls her woman. After that, this statement is made:

  “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and they will become flesh.” ~Genesis 2:24

  Note that God doesn’t make a guy and a girl for Adam and says “Now pick which one you’d rather have.” No. Instead, He created a perfect match for Adam to have for a partner, and in doing so, laid down the foundation of a Biblical marriage for His creations.

  Next we will head over to Leviticus for a moment. The entire 18^th chapter of this book goes into great detail about what is not acceptable in the area of sexual relations. Among this list God gave the Israelites was this:

  “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” ~Leviticus 18:22

  So even back in the beginnings of the Old Testament God proclaimed choosing to be a homosexual was wrong. So what does the New Testament have to say about it?

  “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received within themselves the due penalty for their perversion.” ~Romans 1: 26-27

  (note: I would strongly recommend reading Romans 1:18-32. It explains how these people came to such a low point of immorality. Interestingly enough, it sounds like it perfectly describes America today).

  This makes it perfectly clear that even after God’s covenant with Israel was complete, He still saw homosexuality as being perverse and unnatural.

So What Do You DO?

  Be careful you don’t judge others for being a homosexual. The Bible is filled with warnings about judging others. The reality is, we’re no better than they are. Sin is sin. Our own personal sins maybe be different, but to God, they’re all equally wrong and in need of repentance and forgiveness.

  This doesn’t mean however, that we ought to accept them into our churches as equal Christians (though if they are interested in attending we shouldn’t discourage them as long as they aren’t preforming indecent acts within the church). If you have friends declaring themselves to be Christians and homosexual in the same breath, you need to point out the contradiction to them kindly yet firmly.

 

  “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage –with great patience and careful instruction.” ~2 Timothy 4:2

  “So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.” ~Luke 17:3

  “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, and idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not eat.” ~1 Corinthians 5:9-11

  This doesn’t necessarily mean to completely shun them, but it does mean you ought to maintain your distance and try to win them back over to the faith. Although you don’t need to preach to them every day about how wrong they are to be thinking they can be homosexual and Christian, you do need to make it clear to them that it goes against the Bible and try to help them see that whenever an opportune moment presents itself or you feel called to.

  For those who aren’t professing themselves to be Christians, we should attempt to lovingly point them in the right direction. As is obvious to anyone paying attention to what’s going on with this issue in our country, yelling at them and being cruel doesn’t help anything. Besides that, it’s unbiblical. Of course, sitting back and accepting is equally wrong.

 “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these things but also approve of those who practice them.” ~Romans 1: 32

    “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked man from among you.’” ~1 Corinthians 5:12-13

   In the end, we can witness to them, pray for them, and try to bring them to God. We also need to pray for ourselves, that we do not come to accept the sin of the world as something that is okay. Guard your heart. Guard your soul. Guard your Mind.

Did you know that Abby plays both piano and guitar?!