Post by Rev. Jim Cunningham on Feb 19, 2015 20:40:42 GMT -5
Rev. Jim Responds to recent email from an anonymous person:
COMMENT:
"I have recently come out of the closet to my dad, not with any increased self-esteem to say the least. I feel of course threatened, out of place, disrespected, and unacceptable because of how I feel towards the same gender and the way my dad perceives it. I don't feel okay. I've been reading the Bible carefully, and I don't understand how in any way it is possible to interpret it in a gay-friendly manner when it is so clearly hostile towards the act of homosexuality. God doesn't hate homosexuals, God loves me very much, but God also loves murderers, rapists, thieves, and atheists. Jesus encouraged us to love everyone and tolerate sinners. In truth, we are all sinners. God's love does not mean that everyone is with him. It's not okay to analyze the Bible so deeply that it can be manipulated to suit our needs. The Bible must be interpreted as it is written. I don't feel okay with myself, and I don't feel safe in my family, and I'm not okay with the way religion makes me feel. I follow God through fear, and I am unfaithful because God threatens to burn non believers in hell. I don't want to be fearful of God, I want to respect Him and go to Him when I need Him the most. At the moment, my faith is not very strong because my discouraging family only teaches me fear. I want to accept myself and my religion. According to my dad, I am either heterosexual or going to die. I can't force myself to love someone and I can't abandon someone I do love truly. How can love be a sin in any way possible? Because homosexuality doesn't always represent love. Lust is a sin, and I believe that any act of sex with the use of contraceptives presents lust. Sex has one purpose, and one purpose only; to reproduce. I think that if anyone has sex for a different reason, it is a sinful act. I don't feel safe the way I am because there's nothing to show me it's okay. I need something to prove to me that it's okay."
______________________________________________
RESPONSE:
Hi. I don't know your name, but thank you for writing to me with your thoughts. I am greatly disturbed by your portrayal of the Gospel message and your view of the Lord.
Firstly, if you are following Him out of fear, you are not following Him at all - as it is written that God is love and perfect love casts out ALL FEAR. You cannot possibly know Christ or have His salvation if your faith is ruled by fear.
Secondly, yes, the Bible must be interpreted as it is written, but the issue is really over WHICH Bible you are reading and HOW you interpret it. If you are using any English Bible other than the King James Version, there is no point in any further discussion. I fully explained this on my website. Furthermore, there is always more than one way to interpret something, and if you come to the Scriptures already believing that being homosexual is a sin, that is how you will interpret the Scriptures - and when you do this you are not believing the Bible, you are believing the Pharisees who indoctrinated you with their Nazi doctrines. The Bible is 100% anti-fornication but 100% pro-gay, and I have demonstrated this clearly on my website. You said, "I don't understand how in any way it is possible to interpret it in a gay-friendly manner when it is so clearly hostile towards the act of homosexuality." You obviously did not read my website or else you would have seen that not only did I prove that the Bible is pro-gay, but I also proved that anti-gay doctrine is blasphemy.
You appear to have a problem with self-loathing; but worse, you seem to enjoy it. Quite frankly, the tone of your letter indicates to me that you are not really gay but that you are a homophobic person pretending to be gay. I have addressed all of your issues on my website and I will not repeat it all here.
Rev. Jim Cunningham
COMMENT:
"I have recently come out of the closet to my dad, not with any increased self-esteem to say the least. I feel of course threatened, out of place, disrespected, and unacceptable because of how I feel towards the same gender and the way my dad perceives it. I don't feel okay. I've been reading the Bible carefully, and I don't understand how in any way it is possible to interpret it in a gay-friendly manner when it is so clearly hostile towards the act of homosexuality. God doesn't hate homosexuals, God loves me very much, but God also loves murderers, rapists, thieves, and atheists. Jesus encouraged us to love everyone and tolerate sinners. In truth, we are all sinners. God's love does not mean that everyone is with him. It's not okay to analyze the Bible so deeply that it can be manipulated to suit our needs. The Bible must be interpreted as it is written. I don't feel okay with myself, and I don't feel safe in my family, and I'm not okay with the way religion makes me feel. I follow God through fear, and I am unfaithful because God threatens to burn non believers in hell. I don't want to be fearful of God, I want to respect Him and go to Him when I need Him the most. At the moment, my faith is not very strong because my discouraging family only teaches me fear. I want to accept myself and my religion. According to my dad, I am either heterosexual or going to die. I can't force myself to love someone and I can't abandon someone I do love truly. How can love be a sin in any way possible? Because homosexuality doesn't always represent love. Lust is a sin, and I believe that any act of sex with the use of contraceptives presents lust. Sex has one purpose, and one purpose only; to reproduce. I think that if anyone has sex for a different reason, it is a sinful act. I don't feel safe the way I am because there's nothing to show me it's okay. I need something to prove to me that it's okay."
______________________________________________
RESPONSE:
Hi. I don't know your name, but thank you for writing to me with your thoughts. I am greatly disturbed by your portrayal of the Gospel message and your view of the Lord.
Firstly, if you are following Him out of fear, you are not following Him at all - as it is written that God is love and perfect love casts out ALL FEAR. You cannot possibly know Christ or have His salvation if your faith is ruled by fear.
Secondly, yes, the Bible must be interpreted as it is written, but the issue is really over WHICH Bible you are reading and HOW you interpret it. If you are using any English Bible other than the King James Version, there is no point in any further discussion. I fully explained this on my website. Furthermore, there is always more than one way to interpret something, and if you come to the Scriptures already believing that being homosexual is a sin, that is how you will interpret the Scriptures - and when you do this you are not believing the Bible, you are believing the Pharisees who indoctrinated you with their Nazi doctrines. The Bible is 100% anti-fornication but 100% pro-gay, and I have demonstrated this clearly on my website. You said, "I don't understand how in any way it is possible to interpret it in a gay-friendly manner when it is so clearly hostile towards the act of homosexuality." You obviously did not read my website or else you would have seen that not only did I prove that the Bible is pro-gay, but I also proved that anti-gay doctrine is blasphemy.
You appear to have a problem with self-loathing; but worse, you seem to enjoy it. Quite frankly, the tone of your letter indicates to me that you are not really gay but that you are a homophobic person pretending to be gay. I have addressed all of your issues on my website and I will not repeat it all here.
Rev. Jim Cunningham