In addition to physical pain, suffering and death imposed on homosexuals by governments, the influence of organized religion has added a burden of judgment of the homosexual as a sinner facing judgment from God in an afterlife.
The simplistic concept of Black vs.White — God vs. Satan which drives religion is the deciding factor in what a member of society may think or do. In this, religion has inserted itself into the mind and body of individuals it wishes to control. Using fear it has hijacked the freedom of gullible followers by insisting it and only it has authority to speak for God and thus justifiably condemn practices it deems dirty and ungodly.
Unfortunately, we cannot realistically discuss the issue of homosexuality without making a judgment call on the authenticity of the Bible. The general reverence given to the Bible is that it is the inspired word of God (Mormons say as far as it is translated correctly). Many well meaning people repeat the standard reverence without thinking.
IT IS TIME FOR REAL WORLD!
The bible was written and compiled by men not God. The best that can be said about the Bible which is a compilation of numerous ancient books is that they were written by men. These writers at times attempted to place in the mouth of God, words which they them-selves thought God ought to utter according to their unique biases. Nowhere in the scriptures is there a word or statement directly from God.
NOWHERE!! I repeat NOWHERE!
Reliance on the utterances of the word of God written by “inspired” men as per the Bible is based on faith not fact!
St Paul expressed a definition of faith as the, “substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things unseen”. That statement would gain no traction whatever in a court of law.
That human beings are being tossed about between the fabricated opposite poles of heaven and hell, is a situation designed by and for the benefit of the priestly class. From time immemorial that class has taken upon itself the right to guide the poor unsuspecting soul toward heaven’s ambiguous salvation. It is and has always been a money making/prestige garnering/mind controling occupation. Its key to success is promulgating fear! Of course the Bible has been kept and preserved for centuries! Why? Qui bono!
Let’s take a common sense approach to the issue of sin. The worst that can be said about sinning is that any conduct classified as a sin by men pretending to speak for God is merely non-progressive/non benefiting conduct and becomes its very own reward or punishment.
Man may beat, torture and kill others as punishment for offenses perceived as sin, but God doesn’t punish for there is no need nor is it in the capacity of God. One may flunk a college exam but the reason for flunking is not a sin merely a deficiency. The punishment is in not obtaining the advantages that passing would have granted. However that is not the end as one can keep on trying until such time as the appreciation (and striving) for the benefits to be gained has outweighed the deficiency. It kind of equates with the idea of not putting pearls before swine (a matter of appreciation)!
In considering homosexual attitudes the same thing applies. On the part of the homosexual couple. The sin if there be any would be to choose a lifestyle (except as an inborn gender factor) that is not progressive (damning). But the sin would also be the reward if that was all you wanted to experience. The punishment would not be a spear that god would throw at you but rather the deprivation of some benefit that might have been gained by not having “sinned”. Even then there is an opportunity to change (repent) at any time should one want to experience the other benefit such as heterosexual marriage and children. God has simply laid out the choices for actions to be chosen through free agency.
As to the inborn gendered homosexual, lesbian, bi-sexual and transvestite there is no sin in living your life in response to the natural sexual impulses. God would have to admit [ res ipsa loquitiur (the thing speaks for itself) ] that somewhere in the cosmos things got a little skewed in DNA makeup and for this the cosmos is to blame if there be any blame! You have a God given right to live your life according to the dictates of conscience.
On the part of the anti gay individual: The sin is in the extension of hate toward an individual or individuals or conduct whom/which you have no appreciation for. The punishment and reward for hate is a deprivation of the experience of love and learning.
To the clergy: Your sin is your own damnation in failing to understand the love that God extends to those who exercise a right to free agency within the purview of His domain. You would rather order homosexual persons into a prison of the mind to be subject to your fear mongering tactics arising not out of love of or for God but rather your own fear of losing control over those you have usurped a right to dictate to in the name of God. Your reward and punishment is ignorance and blindness.
To Mormon leaders who abuse homosexuals: Your sin is self righteousness in believing you have any authority to act in the name of or in judgment for God; Your pretense of love for individuals you condemn based upon spurious belief systems which you have created and promulgated; Your belief in the efficacy of patriarchal control over the masses including women whom you have suppressed as second class members of society.
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