Anonymous #1 5w

In your words, what does it mean to die to yourself in all ways? Does it mean you can’t be gay and a Christian?

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Anonymous #2 5w

If you don’t mind me asking, what do you mean when you say you believe in Jesus’ message, but not the Bible? Was it not in the Bible that Jesus’ message was written?

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Anonymous OP 5w

I believe the Bible is the word of man. It’s been translated incorrectly so many times to add people’s personal opinions. The team who translated it in the 1900s admitted to fhis

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Anonymous #2 5w

Not to get too deep into my personal beliefs because I wanted to keep this as unbiased as possible, I’m just trying to clarify a little: I consider the Bible’s message to be divinely inspired, so in that way the perfect word of God. However, I think that to find its true meaning we have to look at it in historical context and consider the human biases in its recording and many translations. I’m curious about interpretations of the Bible that permit modern forms of LGBTQIA+ identity.

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Anonymous OP 5w

I just know that people have admitted to putting their own biases and more into the translation so I don’t believe it’s gods word more than man’s. Plus they admitted to translating man shall not lie with boy to man shall not lie with man to push their own biases. Changing it from being against pedophilia not being gay

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Anonymous #2 5w

I think the verse you’re referring to is Leviticus 18:22 and I know many scholars argue it was mistranslated from a Hebrew term with some level of ambiguity. Assuming mistranslations and bias account for homosexuality being misinterpreted as inherently sinful, do you believe we have a moral or spiritual obligation to get married to the opposite sex within the Church (not a specific church, just the collective of followers of Christ)? (looking at 1 Corinthians 7 for example)

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Anonymous OP 5w

It means to be willing to let go of anything that is keeping you from growing to your full potential in God. To an extent this is different for different people, but, for example, everyone must let go of hate and judgement. Two same sex people can have a deep, fulfilling, loving, close, life long, intimate, self-sacrificial relationship, and stimulating each-other’s genitals is not required for any of that. (Which, if it was, would mean ace people could never have real relationships)

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Anonymous OP 5w

Let me clarify again because I’m already getting downvoted: I’m struggling internally with my beliefs that many say contradict each other, and I’m curious if anyone who has read the Bible can offer me help with advice about my sexuality. I’m not saying I’m skeptical of interpretations of the Bible that allow LGBTQIA+, I genuinely want to know more and understand them because they might help me in my life.

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Anonymous #1 5w

I love this response, thank you. Are you saying however that A) a same-sex pair cannot engage in forms of sex within marriage, B) that same-sex coupling does not qualify as sex, and/or C) that a same-sex relationship cannot qualify as a marriage? (or none of these) thanks!

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Anonymous OP 5w

As far as I understand, a same-sex pair cannot be married in the sacramental way, because just like baptism was instituted using water, such that being dunked in honey would not be baptism (yet doesnt mean that honey is itself bad), but it doesnt clean like water, which is a major part of the symbolism of baptism. Marriage was instituted using a male and female body, and is deeply symbolically connected to the thing those two can normatively do, create a new life that is a joining of them.

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Anonymous #1 5w

Thank you for that, I like the analogy to baptism—I hadn’t thought about it in that way before.

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Anonymous #1 5w

It is critical to note that this is distinct from a civil marriage, which is not done as a symbol given to us by God’s as a way to participate in heavenly workings, but is a function of human state and organization. Jesus Himself was never married, and its traditional belief that Mary and Joseph never had sex, their kids were step-kids. Sacramental Marriage is a way of participating in heavenly things, but my no means the only, or even the highest way.

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Anonymous #1 5w

*addendum: Jesus is married to the Church, which is referred to in the feminine, receiving Him by Communion and bringing forth life. Sacramental marriage is a microcosm of this greater meaning. This does also mean we are called to be Jesus’ bride, regardless of our sex or gender. Additionally, that parallel is why sex outside of marriage, or even in marriage but without an aim towards unity, is a distortion. It’s like going to Communion not to encounter Jesus, but because you like the wine.

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Anonymous OP 5w

Also youre welcome, its a tricky topic, and modern politics has not done it any favors (and imo approaches from the completely wrong angle)

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