Do you feel at all responsible?

[Margies3]

One of the things that has been on the news a great deal this week has been several stories about young people (high school age) who committed suicide, supposedly because of the terrible way they were treated because they were homosexuals.

I've been thinking about this alot and wondering if we, as the church, might bear any of the responsibility in this? I do not think we are ENTIRELY the fault. But I've been thinking that we are so against homosexuality that maybe, just maybe, we've gone way overboard. I do believe that homosexuality is a sin and that God is terribly grieved at it. But I think that instead of loving the person while hating their sin, we've gone to the other extreme. Even if we don't way it, we act as if we hate the person because of their sin.

Many of these young people who are claiming to be gay are really just looking for attention and for someone to love them. Instead, we've taught OUR young people to be judgmental and hateful towards those who are hurting the most (those gay young persons).

What do you think? I know there will be some who will understand what I am saying as well as some who will completely MISunderstand. One of my big questions for those who "get it" is how do we change this? How do we go about teaching our own children to understand God's take on homosexuality while also teaching them that they have to hate the sin, but LOVE the sinner?

I really feel like we as a church are partially responsible for the choice that these young people have made to commit suicide. Instead of teaching our children to be-friend these others who so desperately need friends, we've taught them to make fun of them (by our examples, if by no other means).

[Truthseeker]

Fellowship(befriend) a homosexual is not something I would teach my kids.

[missourimary]

Yes, Margie. Hatred, and fear. And too often, these "gay" young people are not coming out-they have been labelled homosexual because they are different.

It isn't just the church though. It's the kids that make fun of little girls for holding hands or walking arm in arm, the "tough guy" play that makes boys think it's funny to hit or kick or touch each other wrongly (very common around my area now), the peer pressure that says you have to experience certain things by a certain age...

[missourimary]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

Fellowship(befriend) a homosexual is not something I would teach my kids.

Seeking out fellowship from homosexuals is much different than avoiding and mocking anyone labelled by someone else as a homosexual, being friendly and kind to them, or labeling them as homosexuals and gossiping/slandering them because they're different. I wouldn't tell my kids they had to sit with them at lunch just because they were homosexual and we "should be nicer to them", but neither would I tell them they couldn't be friends with a young person who was homosexual or whom I suspected might be either because of rumors or "wimpiness" or whatever.

[Margies3]

Originally Posted by missourimary

Yes, Margie. Hatred, and fear. And too often, these "gay" young people are not coming out-they have been labelled homosexual because they are different.

It isn't just the church though. It's the kids that make fun of little girls for holding hands or walking arm in arm, the "tough guy" play that makes boys think it's funny to hit or kick or touch each other wrongly (very common around my area now), the peer pressure that says you have to experience certain things by a certain age...

You're right, Mary. I agree. It isn't just the church. But do you think that we should be teaching our children (and adults!) to be DIFFERENT than those others who make fun of people who are not the same as themselves?

Again, I am not saying that we need to become like them. Or agree with them at all. I think it is perfectly acceptable for us to speak with them about their sin - AFTER we have let them know clearly, by our actions, that we are doing that because we love their souls and not because we are judge and jury.

And if we cannot bring ourselves to care enough for their souls to be their friend in order to reach them for the Lord, then the least we should do is to NOT make fun of them and belittle them. It is that kind of behavior on our parts that makes me think, sadly, that we, as well as many many others in the world, have contributed to these young people and their suicide. I really believe that as Christians, we should be above that kind of behavior.

[Margies3]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

Fellowship(befriend) a homosexual is not something I would teach my kids.

Why not? I'm curious. I'm not saying you should teach your kids to become LIKE them. But if we are to teach our children to love like JESUS loves, then why is being friends with a homosexual such a bad thing? You think that Jesus doesn't love them? of course he does. He doesn't love their sin, but he does love them.

[Truthseeker]

Originally Posted by missourimary

Seeking out fellowship from homosexuals is much different than avoiding and mocking anyone labelled by someone else as a homosexual, being friendly and kind to them, or labeling them as homosexuals and gossiping/slandering them because they're different. I wouldn't tell my kids they had to sit with them at lunch just because they were homosexual and we "should be nicer to them", but neither would I tell them they couldn't be friends with a young person who was homosexual or whom I suspected might be either because of rumors or "wimpiness" or whatever.

I agree we don't need to harass/slander them but neither to we have to be friends. We can be kind for the bible says be kind to all men, but being friends or running buddies is not an option. I have worked with homosexuals having alwsy treated them repectful. I would teach my kids to teach them treat with respect as far as being humans but befriending is not something I could go with.

[Truthseeker]

Originally Posted by Margies3

Why not? I'm curious. I'm not saying you should teach your kids to become LIKE them. But if we are to teach our children to love like JESUS loves, then why is being friends with a homosexual such a bad thing? You think that Jesus doesn't love them? of course he does. He doesn't love their sin, but he does love them.

Jesus loves child molesters too, yes. Am I gonna be buddy buddy with one, nope.

[Truthseeker]

Originally Posted by Margies3

You're right, Mary. I agree. It isn't just the church. But do you think that we should be teaching our children (and adults!) to be DIFFERENT than those others who make fun of people who are not the same as themselves?

Again, I am not saying that we need to become like them. Or agree with them at all. I think it is perfectly acceptable for us to speak with them about their sin - AFTER we have let them know clearly, by our actions, that we are doing that because we love their souls and not because we are judge and jury.

And if we cannot bring ourselves to care enough for their souls to be their friend in order to reach them for the Lord, then the least we should do is to NOT make fun of them and belittle them. It is that kind of behavior on our parts that makes me think, sadly, that we, as well as many many others in the world, have contributed to these young people and their suicide. I really believe that as Christians, we should be above that kind of behavior.

Titus 3:2

2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men
KJV

[Margies3]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

Jesus loves child molesters too, yes. I'm gonna be buddy buddy with one, nope.

I think that's an entirely different thing. Child molesters are looking to target your children. The peer to your child who has declared themselves homosexual is most likely not interested in a physical relationship with your child.