Now here’s a story you don’t hear everyday…
A young Reddit user is suffering a crisis of faith. He’s not sure how to reconcile his religion with his sexuality, and it’s really getting to him.
“When I was around the age of 16, I started feeling attractions to people the same sex as me,” he writes. “I’ve been really conflicted about this.”
The young man continues:
How about we take this to the next level?
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How can God make one of his own people gay? I really do want to believe in God and I have for so long in my life but having this built-in sin, so to speak, has really put a strain on my relationship with God. I am 19 now and am still trying my hardest to believe in God but I feel a shame every time I go to Church because I know I can never get rid of this sin.
The whole thing has left him wondering: “How can I justify myself there being a God when I have feelings for people the same sex as me?”
Thankfully, his fellow Redditors are here to help.
“Our lord himself was tempted to sin, do not be ashamed of facing temptation,” one person writes. “It’s OK. … We don’t even need to feel shame for when we give in to that temptation if we trust in the lord Jesus for forgiveness.”
“As a parent of an LGBT kid, I know first hand how badly the religious environment has treated our gay brothers and sisters; and for that I deeply and genuinely apologize,” another person writes. “I have a sneaky suspicion that my LGBT brothers and sisters are going to be at the heart of some of most powerful transformation the church is going to experience over the next few years.”
“I’m a gay Christian. I’ve been there,” one person says. “But honestly, I couldn’t think of a more Christlike place to be. Jesus has been there, felt insult and rejection from the religious community. So he knows what I’ve been through. He has my back and he supports me. That’s why I trust him.”
But perhaps this is the most helpful piece of advice:
“Being gay isn’t a sin. There’s nothing wrong with you. If your church teaches that it’s sinful to be gay, then you should find a new church that doesn’t.”
Well, what do you know? Not all Christians are fire and brimstone homophobes who want to see gay people burned at the stake.
Related: Man Has Emotional Reunion With The Gay Brother His Christian Parents Disowned Decades Ago
Heywood Jablowme
I don’t get this. There are LOTS of gay-friendly churches nowadays. Just go to one and quit bothering everyone online about it.
money718
He will learn as time goes on…
Josh447
God is “a Peace that surpasseth all understanding”. Once you get that, then you begin to understand that religious gods are false man made idols designed to confuse and dumb down the masses for dollars via guilt and control. Even the sweetest Christian has been completely punked. Once you wake up, you should do all you can to clean the swamps, point out Christian mistakes and make our planet a better place to live. Christianity is a sin, nothing more nothing less, as it twists toils and perverts the true meaning of God, and love. There could be no bigger sin than that.
MediaGuy
It is so nice to see an “article” on Queerty that does not denigrate and trash religion and religious gays. But, if you look at the comments section the readers who responded all trash religion b/c gays are the the most anti-christian group in our society. Nobody cares why gays are like that, the message is to just stay away from gays if you are a person of faith. Gays are religion haters. I’ll say it again, haters. The inherent hypocrisy of a social movement which demands respect (LGBTQ), yet actively destroys, bullies and belittles Christians is stupefying. It doesn’t work that way girls. If you want respect and tolerance you have to give respect and tolerance.
Lastly, to the young man I will give the same advice my priest gave me. If you love Jesus, if you love your faith, don’t abandon it because you have dissonance. Find a way to reconcile both worlds, it’s worth it to keep both highly valued lifestyles. It’s not worth giving up your faith for your sexuality. God loves us in our entirety.
dinard38
If LGBTQ are religion haters, they have every right to be. Religion has been used to persecute, harass, and shame LGBTQ for centuries. The religious consider LGBTQ abominations, the WORST kind of sin. Churches tell them that they need to change or else they’ll burn in hell for all eternity. They preach hateful messages against our community over the pulpit every Sunday. They do these things, and we’re suppose to respect them? HELL to the No!!!
I would agree that there should be a level of decorum on both sides. I respect everyone’s right to their belief system, regardless of whether I agree with it or not. But if they were to come after me with their belief system, the gloves come off, baby!!!!
Billysees
I think these approaches to gay issues make ‘good’ sense. Why follow others and their experiences? We’re not them and they’re not us. The ‘spirit’ that works in us will not do the same thing as the ‘spirit’ that works in them. We all must determine what is best for our life. Many verses are helpful and many are not.
1. There are many things nowadays that are allowable, lawful and permissible for me. Some may not be beneficial and some will be, like same sex marriage and relationships. The ‘spirit’ will help us make the right choices. ………1 Cor 6:12……….1 Cor 10:23
2. Man’s ways are of the Lord, so how can we understand not only our own ways but the ways of others?………Proverbs 20:24
3. You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing or how you feel about yourself, so you can keep it between yourself and God.
BLESSED are those who don’t feel guilty or condemn themselves for doing things and thinking of themselves in the way they know is best…..Romans 14:22
All of the above require us to ‘work out our own salvation’ or figure out what is best for us. Not always an easy task.
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” Same-sex dating & stuff aren’t going to fix anything someone said. ”
But same-sex dating & stuff ‘can or will’ make someone a much happier person and eventually lead to a great relationship or even marriage…a Godsend to the gays if there ever was one.
Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed……Ecclesiastes 4:9
If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble…..Ecclesiastes 4:10
Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone?……Ecclesiastes 4:11
The whole point of these verses of different translations is to assert without argument that two people “together” are better off than being alone.
Being gay and having a special friend or lover is just too much fun and happiness to be ignored for religious reasons.