Homosexuals as Friends

[GeneMBridges]

Hi, folks...

Former gay man here, so I am uniquely qualified to answer this thread.

Here's the deal. You NEED to be friends with gay people, period, the same way that Jesus made friends with sinners.

The problem I see is that we've elevated homosexuality to a level all its own, as if its somehow this unique problem. It has to do with sex and it has to do with idolatry. That's true. Homosexual sin is highly offensive to God.

First, you need to understand something important. Witnessing to an unsaved homosexual is not like witnessing to other unsaved people in some ways. The gospel's the same, the approach is different. What do I mean?

Well here's an article that will help you understand:

http://www.harvestusa.org/articles/reaching%20gays.htm

Read that...

See what I mean? It's very much like witnessing to a Jehovah's Witness or a Mormon than it is to just any other person. Gays have a lot invested in their sin and their beliefs about homosexuality, the same way that cult members have a high degree of investment.

The way Christians treat homosexuals is disturbing. Christians are like doctors. We either do surgury and hack the homosexual to death or we ignore the problem completely and tell them that they have no problem. The truth is that we need to minister to homosexuals the same way we do heart surgury: very, VERY carefully. We use the same gospel and the same love of Jesus, but we exercise care in how we approach them. Why? Because we've gone and made our "enemy" hate us, not because of the content of the message, but mostly because of the way we treat them. These folks already feel disconnected from society. By calling them names and such only drives them further from us.

Can a homosexual be gay and Christian.

Here's another excellent article that summarizes very well:
http://www.carm.org/questions/sex_homo.htm

Read over it and get back to me. I think Matt Slick says it all there quite well.

If you have any other questions about homosexuality and the Bible, Christianity and how to minister to homosexuals properly, I strongly encourage you to go to www.harvestusa.org . They are one of the most successful and reputable Biblical ministries in the country.

If you have any questions about being a Christian that is living with HIV, you can PM me directly here.


God Bless,

Gene

 

[intojesus]

Dear Gene,

Thats my Dads name. Anyway THANK-YOU for your post. Homosexuality is a sin as in all sin. If only people would realize that and not try to make it a BIGGER sin than other sins. Sin is ALL big in Gods eyes. My hairdressers name is Andre and I love him. I gave him a copy of The Message for Christmas, yes I know its a loose translation but for someone who has never opened a Bible. Anyway he told me that on Christmas Eve he opened it up and read the birth of Jesus and he said had never read a Bible that read like a book. God can use us in peoples lives and if we try and distance ourselves and stay in our little holy huddles then how will we share Him. Thanks for a great post.

intojesus

 

[Debby in Philly]

I have a gay coworker who actually works for me in the sense that I am a team leader. He was raised Catholic, and says he believes in God and in creation and general things like that. He knows I am involved with church and we have had conversations from time to time on these general spiritual matters. Our last conversation was about how he has a disagreement with his "partner" (with whom he shares a house and a mortgage) about creationism. I gave him a copy of "Case for a Creator" and he is reading it. It contains the gospel message, and I pray that it will get him questioning along those lines. I have never shown him any disrespect as a human being or coworker. Would I tell him God says what he is doing is a sin if he asked me? Absolutely. But in the manner described above.

 

[GeneMBridges]

Debby,

You might want to contact HarvestUSA...they are actually located in Philly. They are a ministry of Tenth Street Presbyterian Church.

 

[Fishnbread]

Please forgive me cutting but some of you are wrong God does dislike homosexuality in a more unique way than some other sins. The Bible says that God not only destroyed Sodom but the cities around them that sounds like an extermination to me if somthing is so bad that God would destroy the entire area around that must mean he takes it serious. Now im not saying that you should hit the streets and burn them all you still have to have to follow the law but " plus thats God's job" but i think that it should be taken seriously. A whole lot more serious than some of us would like to. I may be wrong if I am beg to be corrected.