The Wesleyans stance is this on homosexuality.
Human Sexuality. The Wesleyan Church abhors the trend to
ignore God’s laws of chastity and purity, and vigorously opposes public
acceptance of sexual promiscuity and all factors and practices which promote
it. The Wesleyan Church maintains a biblical view of human sexuality which
makes the sexual experience, within the framework of marriage, a gift of God
to be enjoyed as communion of a man and woman, as well as for the purpose
of procreation. Sexual relationships outside of marriage and sexual
relationships between persons of the same sex are immoral and sinful. The
depth of the sinfulness of homosexual practice is recognized, and yet we
believe the grace of God sufficient to overcome both the practice of such
activity and the perversion leading to its practice.
I am sure everyone at least knows one, or is affected by it somehow. We see it on the news almost daily. We discuss it with our friends and we try to “love the sinner.” Somehow “this sin” is ugly and disgusting. Somehow we label this one of the most detestable sins. I wonder with this stigma of homosexuality if we really love the sinner.
If we (Christians) talk about it like this we are probably turning away the individuals who are living this lifestyle. I wonder why we have chosen to chastise the homosexual, and instead of loving the sinner why we just cannot love the individual.
We know scripture. We know that Leviticus 18:22 says it is a detestable sin. But I wonder how many sins are not detestable in God’s eyes. Is there any sin that God says, “that is okay. I do not care if you disobey me and my authority.” In 1 Cor. 6:9-10 it says, “Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers--none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God.” In the same line with homosexuals there are thieves and greedy people, drunkard and abusers; which none of these will share in the Kingdom of God. It is not separated but yet they sit beside each other in the same phrase condemning both. Not one is right; in fact they are all sin and tear us away from a true relationship with our Father.
I am not trying to advocate homosexuality; the word says it is wrong. But the word also says that greed is immoral. Do we point someone out as being greedy and going to hell? Well some of you might, but I do not see it happen near as much as I would hear a homosexual condemned.
So how do we as Christians accept the individual without condoning what they do? How do we not just accept but how do we love the one we know who is in the wrong. Personally I am a sinner. I know I am in the wrong and mess up a lot. I know people have accepted and love me as I have wronged God. Everyone wants grace but not the first to give it.
6 comments:
Well said.
I think you have God's heart on this issue. It is not our position on homosexual sex that I see changing in the future but our attitude and disproportion.
I greatly appreciate these thoughts. A couple of my own:
-One of my friends compared our treatment of homosexuals now to that of minorities a hundred or so years ago. I wonder if someday we will look back and wish we as evangelicals had treated homosexuals with a lot more human dignity.
-I heard a formerly lesbian woman once say that when someone pointed out the Leviticus Scripture to her, she misunderstood it and thought that God saw HER as detestable. It was only after she saw herself as loved by God that she could overcome this.
-I actually am dealing with this subject at this time. Take a look at my site, and let me know what you think.
Regards.
-Dan
The eaasy part about some sins... they are much easier to see. How does one see an obvious greedy person? or say a swindler? an abuser?
Most sins are easy to hid. Sexaul sins somehow or another are not easy to hide, homosexuality, divorce, adultry.
MacIke
Good point about greed vs. homosexuality. Often, the difference seems to lie in "I tend to struggle with this" and "I've completely found my identity in my sin."
That's not to say that some people haven't completely thrown themselves into the sin of greed -- not at all.
But, more often than not, my friends who are gay (I can think of three people I had close friendships with that eventually came out) have truly given themselves over to their sin. I have many friends who struggle with greed, but haven't decided to label themselves "greedy" and taken it as a lifestyle.
Sanctification is a process, and it would seem someone who has embraced their sin fully and publicly, ultimately wrapping their life around it, is not on the road of sanctification. But, we all know (or are) people who might struggle with greed while the grace of God works on us day after day.
This is also not to say that there aren't folks who struggle with homosexual desires, which again, is different than someone who embraces homosexual desires.
Think, for example, of a friend approaching you and saying, "I'm finding myself attracted to people of the same sex, I want to change." That is worlds different than someone who approaches you and says, "Just want you to know I'm out of the closet now and this is my boyfriend, Tom..."
This was entirely too long...blast my longwindedness.
luke i always like your longwindedness. i liked your thought, "But, more often than not, my friends who are gay (I can think of three people I had close friendships with that eventually came out) have truly given themselves over to their sin. I have many friends who struggle with greed, but haven't decided to label themselves "greedy" and taken it as a lifestyle."
it really shows the difference of want vs i am.
dan,
great idea on minorities, but i wonder... will homosexuality still be a sin in a hundred years
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