Well then, it's a damn good thing he doesnt have a snowball's chance in hell of winning. I'd be one major league felon otherwise. :grin:
I dunno about the rest of ya'll, but if my position on a particularly divisive ethical query was endorsed by bigtexxx and swoly-D... well, I'd feel pretty ****ing stupid.
You'd think so right? Anecdotal evidence follows : The cousin I spoke of previously is VERY active in his church, and it is my understanding that he isnt the only gay person that attends that church. I dont know what denomination it is, I assume it isnt a mainstream protestant one since I have yet to hear of one that doesnt feel gays are going to hell.
I'm obviously not a biblical scholar, justtxyank. Could you speak to Christ's attitude toward greed? Does that appear in any of his teachings? Maybe I chose the wrong sin, but it seems to me that the modern church is extremely focused on something he never said or barely said or said but the meaning is murky (esp. since his words weren't taken down on paper during his life or any time near it as they exist in the bible). And that they are considerably less focused on dealing with, let's say, poor people? I know that churches do 'good works' to do with the poor, the hungry, etc. But it seems more and more that the church exists to oppose things rather than to support them. Isn't it the job of the church to encourage brotherhood and love? And, if so, what is with the anti-this type of person or that? Why do people leave churches angry at others instead of full of love for them? And was Christ's rage reserved for gay people or were there not, as I suspect, other things against which he raged? And is it not also true that he never 'raged' or was passionate in any way about commanding his followers to oppose homosexuality ore that he even ever did it? Because my understanding is that it's a stretch to say he even opposed people having homosexual relations; but it is a lie to say that he suggested anyone speak out against them. And it is an enormous jump to say he suggested action should be taken against homosexuality. Correct me if I'm wrong. I often am.
I think "support" has turned out to be a troublesome word in finding peoples' positions here because it requires an actively positive attitude rather than just being okay with it. A better question, in retrospect, might have been "Do you oppose gay marriage? Yes or no?" Because it doesn't matter whether or not you support it. It matters whether or not you oppose it. Indifference will, and should, be the majority answer for heterosexuals that don't have a dog in this race, because otherwise why the hell is it their business even to care about it except to either take part in making sure everyone has equal rights in this country or to take pains to be sure they do not?
If I believed in God (I don't) and if I believed that God was sending people to hell for being who they are, I would do everything in my power to oppose that god. Knowing he could smite me down and send me to the eternal flames (how silly) I would take my best shot at him first, I would throw one punch at least first, so that I would know that I at least had my ethics and morals straight even if "He" did not.
There are some smaller protestant groups, like the UCC, that try to remai nneutral about gay marriage and homosexuality- or at least that's how my church was. Most small protestant denominations don't have a set doctrine, so it could be radically different everywhere.
Gay people don't go to hell for being gay. But insufferable douchebags who think they know more than God burn for eternity.
This is a bad statement and represents either a lack of understanding on your part or a lack of effective communication on the part of the protestant religions you've heard of. Most protestant faiths teach that the way to heaven is through belief in Jesus Christ. The belief hangs on the idea that it is by "grace you have been saved through faith" and the notion that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." These faiths teach that all mankind has sinned and that all sin is the same before God. It is only through the price paid by Jesus Christ that we can enter into eternal life. That belief would mean that a gay person is no more destined to hell than any other person, even if you accept "being gay" as a sin. The single sin that damns one to hell in most protestant religions is the sin of unbelief.
Wow, you must be the smartest person that posts here or even the smartest person I ever met. I don't think I've ever known anyone, especially a Christian, that knows God's wishes or who He will send to Hell or not. Are you an angel? An archangel? Where do you come by this wisdom? Oh, wait a minute. Are you just an ******* pretending to know things? Oh, man. You are, aren't you? Got me that time, you little stinker!
