Lesbian Teens Allowed At Prom -Scottsboro, AL

[Rico]

Originally Posted by GodsBabyGirl

There IS deliverance AND salvation for lesbians and homosexuals.

It is not according to OUR faith. It isn't our demon to deal with.

It is according to THEIR faith. If a homosexual or lesbian has the FAITH and know their Word and their rights and does NOT let religion or religious folks hinder their deliverance....

Then they SHALL be saved and SHALL be delivered....and maintain their deliverance...in Jesus' name!

Amen....

If homosexuality were a spirit or a demon then being delivered would simply be a matter of being prayed over and the spirit or demon being cast out.

[SavedLou]

Originally Posted by Antipas

How can a parent justify sending their child to the [B]public school system where they will be indoctrinated to embrace homosexuality and socialism? is that so? as a teacher in the "evil" public school system i just had to respond. i have known so many private christian school kids that have told me all about their safe, "wholesome" schools. same number of teenage pregnancies, spoiled 16 year olds driving brand new, loaded out tahoe's that are doing just as many drugs...sometimes selling them at school. i've heard about it from the largest private assembly of God, baptist, and catholic schools in my area. fact-rebellious teens will be rebellious teens no matter where they are.To save money? I'd think a parent would do without internet access, cable television, that new car, and that expensive house in the suburbs so they could send their child to a Christian school.

some could do all of this and more and still not be able to afford the tuition. gimme a break!

[TK Burk]

Originally Posted by Scott Hutchinson

It happened in AL. Lesbians teens were allowed at The Prom.
http://www.wrcb.com/news/index.cfm?sid=3607

And some still wonder why the "old timers" preached against going to the prom??

[Timmy]

Originally Posted by Rico

I am not against preaching against homosexuality, any more than I am against preaching against any other sin. I am, however, against the way homosexuality is preached against. You don't win people over by demonizing them.

It's funny how some "sins" need preaching before people even know they're sins. E.g., depending on whose list you use, homosexuality, women wearing pants, TV, drinking, short sleeves, etc. Others seem to be pretty universal: stealing, lying, killing, etc. Anybody here ever have to preach against murder?

Now, that isn't to say that nobody has a problem with stealing or lying. Or killing, for that matter. Obviously, many people do. But I think they usually know it's wrong. But they are tempted, and some give in to it.

But where is the temptation angle, with homosexuality? I've been straight my whole life, never been "tempted" in the area of homosexuality. Born that way, I suppose. It would be completely out of character for me to look at some hunk, or any male, and lust for him. There is no temptation that even needs resisting.

For some guys, it's the other way around. Women don't tempt them. Men do. Nobody just up and decides, "Hey, wouldn't it be fun if I got turned on by another guy?" Not most guys, anyway. Some just have something in their character that gives them that attraction. It's who they are. When they hear the preaching, if they believe it, they think that "who they are" is inherently evil. They want to change. Sometimes they are desperate to change. Most times, they fail, even if they do everything right - trust in God, pray through, lay their burden at His feet, whatever.

It doesn't work. At least in the vast majority of cases. Sometimes, as mentioned before, they pretend it worked, ending up with a devastated family. Sometimes it leads to depression. Sometimes suicide.

I happen to believe that homosexuality is not a sin. But even if it is, wouldn't it be better just to let God take care of it? Don't OPs teach that the Holy Spirit convicts and changes? Someone here the other day said they don't even have to preach about dress standards. The HS takes care of it. Why can't He do that for homosexuality, too? How powerful is He, anyway? How loving is He? If it's important to God, He'll take care of it!

[Antipas]

Originally Posted by BrotherEastman

LOL! You know, I just think we should call sin what it is. I'm not opposed to showing love, mercy, or compassion on anyone that has weaknesses, I just don't think we should sweep it under a rug and pretend it is something else other than our own choice. Temptation is real, and the devil knows how to tempt us, it wasn't a scientific anomoly that MADE Adam and Eve to sin, it was temptation. Mankind was made perfect in the image of God. I just wish that peole would get real!

Bro. Eastman, there are many genetic issues that have developed as a result of sin. Paul said that in our flesh dwells no good thing. The flesh has lusts and corruption of it's own. Are we to be surprised if science finds that the genetics of the flesh are predisposed towards sin?

Also there have been blind tests showing that homosexuals hormonally respond to same sex hormones given in blind samples. There appears to be something biological to this. Also we see teens that have killed themselves because they couldn't just "choose" to be straight. Certainly if they could have chosen to be straight they would have. Also we have spouses who endured years of pretending that they were not homosexual because they thought they could just choose to be straight. Most will tell you that if there was anything they ever wanted in this world it was to be straight. But they just weren't.

My pastor has talked about this on occasion and has stated that he isn't shocked at all if science proves it's genetic....all they prove is that the flesh is predisposed to sinful inclinations. We serve a healing and forgiving God who died to save a fallen, twisted, warped, creation deformed by sin.

Here's a question to consider. Did you "choose" to be straight? I didn't. I couldn't be gay if you paid me a million dollars. If you feel it is a choice...does that mean that you could choose to be gay? If you couldn't "choose" to be gay and I couldn't "choose" to be gay...what makes us think it's entirely a choice? I think science proves that it is a lust of the flesh that some have as a result of man's fallen nature. This lust burns in their flesh regardless of their desire to be straight. They can only get victory over this through the power of the Holy Ghost, living clean lives. However, they may only face absolute deliverance through a healing of their complete person. Jesus can heal one's genetics, delivering from this lust of the flesh.

[Antipas]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

I'm not sure I agree with the lack of choice in the matter, based on Romans 1:20

"Likewise...men leaving the natural use of the woman...."

"Leaving", meaning: "...to send forth, in various applications: - cry, forgive, forsake, lay aside, leave, let (alone, be, go, have), omit, put (send) away, remit, suffer, yield up."

(That all sounds pretty purposeful.)

And "natural" meaning "physical, instinctive." (From Strong's.)

I think if we look closely at what Paul addressed here we'd see that he may not have been addressing "homosexuality" per se. Let's look at the verses as a whole,

Romans 1:21-32
21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.


I'm just being the devil's advocate here. This is an interpretation I've heard so I figured I'd share it for evaluation.

In the blue we see Paul speaking about their decent into paganism and idolatry. In the purple we see Paul talking about how their paganism led them into sinful debauchery. Notice several details here. First we see that this appears to be a reference to the sexual rites of paganism as was common among the Romans because Paul mentions it in context with paganism. We see that women left the natural use to embrace that which was against nature as a result of these pagan practices. We see that men likewise left the use of their women (indicating that they were married) and as a result of these pagan practices burned in "lust" one toward another. The orange of the passage builds the case of how the remainder of this pagan godlessness degenerated into even greater sins of character.

This appears to be addressing homosexual conduct in relation to pagan rites and rituals. It condemns acting against one's nature and condemns men leaving the use of their wives to burn in lust toward one another in these pagan rituals.

This doesn't address same gender attraction outside of a pagan context nor does it preclude that some may suffer from same gender attraction due to genetic defect or hormonal issues.

In the Bible we see people suffering from spirits that cause palsy and other physical issues. Because of ths for many centuries the church believed that those who had abnormal physical defects or mental conditions were vexed with devils. But medical science has revealed that the origin of many of these maladies is physiological and not originating from spirits. Does this mean that demons don't vex people in these ways? No. But it means that some conditions are of a spiritual origin while others are deeply rooted in physiological/psychological disease or deformity.

So it may be entirely possible that when dealing with homosexuality some behaviors may be a "choice" in which human beings engage in these acts out of "lust" as Paul condemns, but it also may be possible that some suffer from a genetic disorder in which this isn't a choice or lust but rather a predisposition they are unable to overcome merely by "choice".

Life is complex and sometimes there isn't a one size fits all answer to the issues we face.

I've just presented what I feel is a viable possibility. I'm still looking for answers. Feel free to comment brothers and sisters.

[Antipas]

Originally Posted by BrotherEastman

Would you not be Christian enough to do it if the government didn't "force" you to?

Yes I would. As a matter of fact I'd give even MORE if the government didn't tax me to death.

At least...that's the answer I'm supposed to give out of my handidandy conservative response handbook. LOL

[Antipas]

Originally Posted by Rico

Same sex attraction is not a choice, Bro. E. Can you seriously say that anyone would choose to be attracted to the same sex, given what homosexuals have to go through while growing up? How about heterosexual attraction? Is that a choice too?

I've never entirely understood those who believe it's just a choice. I always wonder...do they believe this because at one time it was a viable choice for themselves and they feel they choose to be straight? LOL

Any real straight dude can say that being gay couldn't ever be a choice.

[Antipas]

Originally Posted by My Own Eyes

To be fair, liberal though I am, I would say that homosexuality is sometimes a choice, and sometimes genetic.

Though I don't know that "choice" is the word that I would really use. I think sometimes sexuality can be influenced, by childhood experiences, abuse, etc. (And I am not talking about just abuse by a member of the same sex, but I have heard of girls, when badly abused by men, who have become lesbians)

But I think that if we acknowledge that there are sometimes physical defects in regard to sexual organs (hermaphrodites and such) that we must admit that there are physical defects in regards to hormones and other brain chemistry.

I think the more you delve into it, the more questions that arise (rather than answers). What physiologically in the body causes physical attraction? What influences our own feelings of gender and sexual identity?

We live in a complicated world, and I just don't believe that there are easy answers.

I have to hand it to you, very well thought out.

[Antipas]

Originally Posted by Rico

So, what do you think was done with the tithes in the OT?

I'm arguing the conservative point in contrast to reality. LOL