Reply #69: The answer for that will not be known definitively in this world. [View All]

[Silverhair]

The Biblical (New Testament) answer is, "Yes.", as there is only one unforgivable sin, the sin of , "Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit." I will leave aside the question of what that sin is for this discussion. The NT is very clear that Christians do not live in this world in a state of sinlessness, but are in fact still sinful and strive to daily improve themselves. There are many sins. Some of those sins have greater social acceptance than others do. Some of them, such as obesity, are ignored completely by most modern churches, while they get very upset over other sins. But Biblically, all are sins and separate us from God, creating the need for personal redemption. Nor is a particular sin of equal impact in individual lives, as the same sin can be a greater problem for one believer than another.

Sexual sins get such extreme attention because they are so powerful. Until recently, effective birth control, and "safe" abortion did not exist. Any intercourse between a man and a woman carried the possibility of a new life that would need to be nurtured and cared for. So careless sex was extremely irresponsible. It was the reverse equivalent of firing a gun at random in a moderately crowded city. And there is also the STD aspect.

The ancient Greeks practiced a type of forced homosexuality. A man who was normally straight would be forced into a homosexual lifestyle because women didn't want to get pregnant and kept their legs crossed until the guy was committed to raise the kids (Marriage). (That is a one sentence extreme oversimplification. Please understand the need for brevity here.) The passage in Romans that is used against homosexuality is referring to "changing their natural affections". That would suggest a straight acting gay, or a gay trying to act straight. It could leave open the prospect of a gay acting gay. There would still be the need to act responsibility.

Each denomination of church, has the freedom to decide for themselves who may and may not be members of their denomination. Gays have the freedom to find a church that understands them.

During my days as a professional gambler, the regular churches saw me as a backslider in need of being brought back to the true way. I found a church that understood the world of the gambler and the ethics of my then profession. (It is not very different than a pro golfer.) That church was still strong on the basics of the faith and the belief in Scripture and the Resurrection - no compromise there - but they understood that the Bible doesn't say a thing about gambling. That's just part of American culture that considers it a vice. Anything, done in excess can become a vice. (That means I give Bennet a pass on his gambling. He could afford his losses.)

Jesus will not turn away anyone who truly comes to Him, but He will require of all of us that we start getting our lives in order. He will decide what aspect of each particular life is the most critical to that person, and that person will come to understand it, if they really want to know.