Quoting Lady GooGoo™:" Yes, I can see why she did it, and it would hurt me if one of my children decided to live a homosexual ... [snip!] ... live a homosexual lifestyle. But we should always give our children unconditional love as Christ gives us unconditional love."

I'm not sure if "decide" would be the most accurate word to use regarding homosexuality, but I know what you mean. Parents generally want the best for their children. I think of how hard it must be for an individual who grew up in a lifestyle heavily saturated in a religion that abhors homosexuality to profess their sexual desires. It must be a heavy burden to bear. I think it takes a great amount of courage and determination to be that open about it in such a polarized environment... especially knowing the condemnation that they will receive from many of their friends and family. Not to mention all the negativity they might have already heaped upon themselves. Intellectually, I can't fathom anyone doing that as a choice of free will.

A friend of mine came out and her mother told her that she'd rather be dead than have a lesbian for a daughter.

Quoting Lady GooGoo™:" That is so true. So how does one go about learning Hebrew? I would love to do this myself. And I 100% ... [snip!] ... out there, but I'd love to learn the original language of the Bible and get the meaning of it for myself to fully understand."

I started by looking up elshaddaiministries.com. I have been really seeking God in my quiet times. Asking him to direct me in the way I should go. I will read my bible and have 3 or 4 pages up on the internet looking up the Hebrew meanings and what not. I am in the VERY beginning stages of this journey, but I am so excited about it. God is sooo much more than I believe we have downsized him too, especially in America. Also, a great book to read to get a good understanding of how God views us is called "The rabbi's heart beat" Brennan Manning.

Quoting lovinthem04:" I started by looking up elshaddaiministries.com. I have been really seeking God in my quiet times. Asking ... [snip!] ... Also, a great book to read to get a good understanding of how God views us is called "The rabbi's heart beat" Brennan Manning."

If I am not mistaken it started with the Catholic church when only the pastors knew the text and the congregation had no choice but to believe what they were being told. Im sure some parts of the bible were misconstrued then and it just went from there. I honestly believe that a lot of what we see in the bible today is not what was originally there but most people just see it and believe it without qustion.

Quoting Fat-and-Happy:" I'm not sure if "decide" would be the most accurate word to use regarding homosexuality, but I know ... [snip!] ... of free will. A friend of mine came out and her mother told her that she'd rather be dead than have a lesbian for a daughter."

Poor girl. And I say decide because they can decide to be with the opposite sex or the same sex. That is a decision. How you feel may not be a decision, but your actions are a decision. Like, I feel like taking drugs. But I decide not to. When I feel like taking drugs, I pray to Jesus, and resist my urges.

Quoting redneck mamma:" If I am not mistaken it started with the Catholic church when only the pastors knew the text and the ... [snip!] ... of what we see in the bible today is not what was originally there but most people just see it and believe it without qustion."

This is why I am reading more about it. To put to rest unknowns and to draw closer to God  

Quoting lovinthem04:" I started by looking up elshaddaiministries.com. I have been really seeking God in my quiet times. Asking ... [snip!] ... Also, a great book to read to get a good understanding of how God views us is called "The rabbi's heart beat" Brennan Manning."

After a particularly brutal church experience, I decided to ask God to reveal himself to me directly. I didn't want to read about it or hear about it from a person. Interestingly, my husband and I (separately) began making the same conclusions and feeling the same things about God at the same time. We were too "self-conscious" to mention these things to one another for fear that the other one might think the worst. One day, one of us said something and we had this really long open and honest discussion. We were on the exact same page. I took it as a sign.  

Quoting Fat-and-Happy:" After a particularly brutal church experience, I decided to ask God to reveal himself to me directly. ... [snip!] ... said something and we had this really long open and honest discussion. We were on the exact same page. I took it as a sign.  "

Nothing like being on the same page spiritually with your spouse.  

Really enjoyed this conversation! DH is taking the computer now. Goodnight ladies!

Quoting Lady GooGoo™:" Really enjoyed this conversation! DH is taking the computer now. Goodnight ladies!"

good night!

Quoting Lady GooGoo™:" Poor girl. And I say decide because they can decide to be with the opposite sex or the same sex. That ... [snip!] ... Like, I feel like taking drugs. But I decide not to. When I feel like taking drugs, I pray to Jesus, and resist my urges."

I think people are sexual beings. Period. I don't think that they choose what they are attracted to. I'm basing this premise on my own personal anecdotal experiences.
As far as turning to our faith in times of distress: I did the same thing when I had the urge to cut. We certainly are the boss of our own decisions. A lot of who I am today, I credit to Jesus. I just think that God reveals himself to different people in different ways. He knows how diverse humanity is. I cannot see him rejecting homosexuals who love him and look to him for guidance. There are some very devout and faithful members of the lgbt community.

Quoting Lady GooGoo™:" Really enjoyed this conversation! DH is taking the computer now. Goodnight ladies!"

Sweet dreams.

Wow I don't think I've ever gotten four pages in d&d before lol  

Quoting Fat-and-Happy:" I think people are sexual beings. Period. I don't think that they choose what they are attracted to. ... [snip!] ... homosexuals who love him and look to him for guidance. There are some very devout and faithful members of the lgbt community."

Sin is sin to God. He makes that very clear in the Bible. No sin is greater than another. That is why it 's so important to love people despite what they do. None of us are perfect, and in the end, we aren't compared to each other. We are compared to Christ, who is perfect. We will all be asked one day what we did with Jesus while we were alive. If we served him and loved him. Worrying about who is living right in your eyes is futile. Should we be living our lives the way God intended? YES! And encouraging others to do so as well. But like I said before, actions speak louder than words. So live out your life in a way that shows who Christ really is. Don't worry about offending others or stepping on toes. Jesus loved to ruffle feathers! To get people to think, and to understand the consequences of their actions. Think about it, when Jesus was faced with a personal problem of someone else, how many times was what he said to them said to solely convict them with no love attached? He ALWAYS offered himself to them. Being the bread of life, the water that you drink of and never go thirsty again. He always loved. Do we really know what it means to love? Some times love involves telling some one that what they are doing isn't good for them. As hard and awkward as it could be. But doing it with love is what matters. So basically I mean we should love people in such a way that they want to serve Jesus, and let HIM change them. Jesus changes EVERYONE who truly serves Him. And what a wonderful change it is  

If it was Neil Patrick Harris and his husband! Mainly because I'd really like to finagle my way into a threesome   I've been in love with Doogie since I was like three. Oh! Or Zachary Quinto if he decides to adopt! Yes, I'm using my pretend uterus as a way to get hot gay men to turn straight just for one night. I gotta get something outta this too!

I'm just going to be honest here, forgive me for it.

I was raised in a household that thought it was better to have a thousand kids you can't afford, than to give them up for adoption to a well to do couple that lives in sin.
Then, when I was a teenager, I fell in love with a girl  
I was disowned for a time, my mother had me utterly embarrassed and put on the alter and prayed for. I wasn't allowed to hang out with girls(because of fear I was a lesbian), and I wasn't allowed to hang out with boys (because of fear I would be a whore). I became used to the nickname Jezabel when I was 12. Then , when I was so overwhelmed with grief that I too was a sinner(at the age of 13)..I became completely rebellious. Unable to talk to my mother(or anyone) that would understand or care, I started doing drugs. I ran away from home when I was 14 and was sent to live with my grandpa after a few days in Juvenile detention. I never told anyone what it was like living with fear of hell like that. Under the idea that I would just go to hell anyway, I had no reason to live "right". No motivation to be a good person, to do well in school, and so I just did whatever I wanted. It was when I lived with my grandfather(who is a preacher) that I realized these people I live around are just living their parents lies. I saw him in all his hypocrisy . I still love my family, and I think they understand me better now, but God forbid they ever know who I really am. Today, I keep that part of myself hidden, the things I truly love. It's no way to live, but I'm true to myself, and that's all that matters.

My point to all this is that, I woke up and realized there are far worse things than homosexuality. A 13 year old girl doing drugs, is more deserving of an alter call than homosexuality. It's a shame that I was the one that had to wake up and see that, when all the others were praying for the wrong things.

Sorry if I've offended anyone, this is purely based on personal experience.