Originally posted by Pikachu
Great post polymath
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It is strange that so many Christians hate homosexuals. Reading the bible makes it pretty clear that Jesus wanted us to do the opposite. Why waste time on harassing homosexuals anyway? Homosexuality is not a major sin. It is only mentioned a few places in the bible, and not at all in the important parts of the bible.
Why is it impossible to be a homosexual Christian
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As usual you confuse the sin with the sinner. It is possible to be a repentant, FORMER homosexual who is NOW a Christian. Christians are expressly prohibited from being actively homosexual in numerous scriptures.
It is understood that humans are not perfect, and that from time to time they will sin through their own weakness, but someone who makes a lifestyle out of pursuing a particular sin, like homosexuality (or addiction, or deception, etc...) is not the same as the person who has a moment of weakness.
A person who has a moment of weakness and repents, and puts that failing behind them can continue to be a Christian in good conscience. One who sins, knowing it is wrong, and does nothing to change that, and in fact continues to pursue that sin, simply cannot be a Christian, not until they truly repent, and remove that sinful practice from their life.
Part of the confusion you express is due to the muddying and outright poisoning of the waters of life that Christianity is with the lies of apostates who seek to lead Christians astray with false practices and beliefs. In Jesus' time, what a Christian was was clearly defined: if one did what Jesus said, one was a Christian.
After his death, resurrection, and ascension, as he predicted, apostates came forward and used misinformation, charisma, and anything else they could to turn his message into something they could profit from, to the unfortuante ruin of their followers. Many of them started religions which died out quickly. But a group in Cathay managed to grow in leaps and bounds, and eventually rose to such prominence as to be able to shape the entire world's impressions of what Christians were, to the severe detriment of Christ's message.
It takes more to be a Christian faith than the claim that such is the case. The Bible speaks of many trees, some bearing fine fruit, which are cultivated and tended, and others bearing rotten fruit, which are cut down and cast on the brush pile for disposal. It was not describing a regimen of orchard maintenance when it did so, it was using a parable, example, simile, metaphor, or what-have-you to explain to the average Joe on the street how he could tell the real Christians from the liars.
If the 'fruit' (followers) of a 'tree' (religion) are morally upright, decent folk who strive to do what is right according to the Bible and shun what it says is evil, then they are Christians. If they engage in or endorse practices that the Bible says are evil, then they are not.
(I realize that this is going to come as a horrendous shock to a great many, but yes, the above paragraph strongly indicates that a Christian is expected to be able to think for himself, form opinions on whether a group is following the Word or not, and then behave accordingly. Apparently real Christians ARE expected to think for themselves...)
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