Astaroth

I do not think that gay people should go to hell....not at all
I have no problem with them........and never did

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tsurara

Seeing as the same segment of the bible (Leviticus) that calls homosexuality an abomination also details the proper procedure for animal sacrifice, disallows the eating of any land animals that aren't cloven-hooved and tells men that women are virtual untouchables during their period and should be locked away during those times lest the "pollute" the community...I'm thinking perhaps certain fundimentalist groups are being a little choosy when they decide to emphasize the all-important single line in the bible that tells us homosexuals are evil. It is a collection of dark-ages-level superstitions outlining what makes one ritually clean and foul. We disreguard nearly all of Leviticus as ridiculous, misogynistic or impractical today... except that ONE DAMN LINE.

There is far more in the New Testament about loving thy neighbor and the folly inherent in passing judgement on others.

Reguardless of whether homosexuality "creeps you out", looking for a way to literally dehumanize or demonize an entire segment of the population based on lines in a book (ANY book) is quite indicative of the hatred and judgement in your own soul. And I think THAT'S more likely to send you to hell in ANY religion than desire for someone of the same sex.

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Chiefblackhammer

Please do more research on the subject before stating something is only listed once in the bible or that since it is old testament Judaic law it can be ignored given most of the Leviticus based scripture is no long in use (mainly since it is Judaic law and not applicable to gentiles). I say this as there are numerous sections of the bible which deal with this as being an unacceptable course of action, most are "loose" in their terminology so here is a section of New Testament which explicitly address this, I will point out this is a partial statement about a larger subject and you should read the whole chapter for complete context.

I hate no one, nor do I judge them, I am not God. If the teachings of my religion state that something is wrong and I believe them to be the views of God, then I really don't see how that makes me a judge or harbor of hatred towards anyone. They are my beliefs and I force them on no one nor do I persecute them for their difference of opinion. Yet I have the RIGHT to voice my views the same way they can voice theirs, it is a choice we all have to heed or dismiss other’s views.

To make the statement that because people state something is wrong based on the teachings of their religion (which are contained in "books") makes them out to “literally dehumanize or demonize an entire segment of the population” or that it causes them to harbor “hatred and judgment” towards others isn’t right by your own definition.

Could I not say your opinion of other’s beliefs just shows to me your demonizing of them and your own hatred and judgment towards them for their beliefs and it really isn’t those with religious beliefs who have the problem?

I am not saying that to fling mud at you …BUT to say… who am I or you to judge anothers’ inner feelings? No one can say what you really think or feel but you.

I live my life to the standards of the Bible yet have never cast stones at others, I realize I am not perfect with loads of my own “sins” and thus I only seek to find my way to the standard of life I have chosen.

If it is something that helps me why shouldn’t I be able to share it with others?

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tsurara

The entire segment on Sodom and Gammorah contains, in itself, no specific condemnation of homosexuality. The act may be called "unnatural" but no punishment or prohibition is set for those actions. The tale itself functions just as well as a caution against being a poor hosts in general as it does a caution against same-sex coupling.

God is well aware of the cities' sate BEFORE he sends messengers there, he punishes them only after they treat those messengers poorly (saving the one man who treated them well... by, incidentally, throwing his own virgin daughters to the horde to be raped. Another bit of the story that gets "thrown out" when we're condemnning homosexuals to eternal hellfire).

I've read the bible... but no, I don't pour over it looking for reasons to be a bastard to people or bring judgement down on them. Maybe I missed a few stipulations about how certain decisions who make you a terrible person in the eyes of all.

But according to the bible, don't ALL who don't believe in God go to hell? All who lie, cheat, steal, adulter, and have premarital sex? All who believe in the "wrong" religions. I guess that means us homosexuals, transexuals and bisexuals will be in great company when God leaves us all in eternal fire.

Heaven is sounding more like the Nazi vision of a New World Order every day...

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atomik_sprout

Thanks for beating me to the punch! ^_^

I totally agree with NevesElocin. WTF does it matter if they're gay or not. They're happy aren't they? They're not forcing thier gayness upon anyone, they're no more or less sinners than anyone else on the planet.

Screw what the bible says! Homosexuality has been around since before the birth of Christ! Since before the Roman Empire!! Homosexuality is probably just as old as heterosexuality. I'm not gay, nor will I ever be, but you can't use being gay as a valid reason to condemn them to hell. That's like saying I'm going to hell for liking women. I don't hear anyone telling me that being straight is a sin, why should being gay?

I know homosexuals that are really good people and no homosexual should deserve criticizm, bashing, stereotyping or condemnation of any sort. It's unfair. I swear man, gays are like the new black people or something! I remember learning in history that we were treated like sinners just for being black, now it's the gay people's turn? Who's next? Are we gonna start condemning Mexicans next?

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http://www.myspace.com/boondocksamurai

divine_punishment

I believe that's the immigration argument . . . but I agree that people give homosexuals a bad image when a lot of them are really awesome people.

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Chiefblackhammer

God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah long before he sent his "messengers" in there. In fact he only spared the city up to that point per Abraham's request and "deal" with God to find 10 righteous people in there. He couldn't even find that, just 10 people and yet they couldn't be found so the city got nuked. The moral of the story isn't about anti-homosexuality and the city wasn't explicitly destroyed for that, it was that the city was at such a "wicked" state of being in general that God good no longer bare look at it. It serves as an example that anyone can get messed up by living too close to extreme wickedness...yes I can see how showing us an example (Lot's messed up life) of how NOT to live and the consequences of living that way is the same as "condemnning homosexuals to eternal hellfire" (the act of which is never mentioned).

Like what I said in my first post...in bold red font...YES the only thing that sends one to hell is unbelief in Jesus Christ as your lord and savior...homosexuality has nothing to do with it. All that the bible says about it is that it is wrong. How does that make heaven like a "Nazi vision of a New World Order" You can be homosexual and go to heaven, much like you can be a liar or a cheater. The bible is very clear that the wages of sin is death, not hell so what exactly make you think the bible teaches "bastard to people or bring judgment down on them"?

So far all I have seen is you do that towards the bible and those who believe in it. Frankly I don't understand how you think people should just harken to your ideas of acceptance of homosexuality as a proper way of being when you seem so bent on "damning" those of a Christian faith for simply voicing their disagreement with it as being acceptable (no where again saying it would send them to hell).

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tsurara

We don't all believe in Jesus Christ, Christianity, The New Testament, or even the Old Testament. Religon is one of the few acceptable reasons left for being a bigot. Yes, I'm passing judgement, but guess what? I don't believe in any of the religions that condemns it!

(and for the record, there are THREE major world religions using the old testament... and only one of them believes that simply accepting Jesus into your heart is going to get you saved. I'm not necesarily addressing YOU and your beliefs in what I'm saying here, I'm talking about religion in general...)

But I guess that means I'm going to hell anyway. Along with all the Japanese, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and Muslims.

Even according to you: the only people going to heaven are people who accept Jesus.

Seems pretty totalitarian to me.

And why on earth should gays turn to a religion that calls them abominations? It's kind of like how there aren't many black mormons... seeing as the mormon dogma says they were cursed with their black skin for refusing to take sides in the war between Jesus and satan -_-; No one wants to be a part of something that treats them as second-class citizens from the get-go.

Meanwhile serial killers can say "halleluiah" for days on death row and be saved?

Screw that. Enjoy heaven.

I don't believe in hell... but if I'm to go there, it will be for being who I am without fear and doing what I believe in my heart is right BECAUSE I think it's right.

I don't want to play a game I don't think is fair. Reguardless of how fabulous the prize being offered for winning.

I believe that it's perfectly within anyone's right to dislike, put down or exclude anyone you want from privately-run clubs, organizations, businesses, your church, whatever. But it's perfectly within the right of the gay community, the non-Christian community, and people who are less literal in their faith to think you are full of **** and call you out on it.

In some nations, being gay is punishable by death thanks to what's written in religious doctrine... some nations still stone rape victims as adulterers... Religion can be used to incite tremendous hatred. And for that, I will ALWAYS be wary of it.

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Joe Mage

It states, in Leviticus, that "No man shall lie with another man as he would a woman," but I've a question... Where does it state that "No woman shall lie with another woman as she would a man?" We have a tendecy ta forget that the Bible is the word of God as written by the hand of Man. God is perfect; man is not. I believe that the Bible is subject ta personal interpretation. Ppl in societies fear domination and I believe that this is the drivin' force behind why ppl fear male homosexuality. In the back of most of societies minds, the act of two male lovers bein' together ignites that fear, which is why so many in societies react towards male homosexuality in such a negative manner. Yet, I have read the Bible and I have seen no references (although I could b wrong) towards female homosexuality, I find this puzzlin'. How could one reference one and not the other? Perhaps we need ta look at our own society for answers. For example, I was watchin' Cops wit my dad one day and they were in New Orleans durin' Mardi Gras. The cameramen shot a scene of two women inna deep French kiss wit the crowd, made up of a mixture of men and women, cheerin' the two women on. How come is it that when it's two women doin' that, crowds cheer; yet when it's two men, the crowds jeer? I believe that the act of female homosexuality is not seen within the same perspective as male homosexuality and that is why u don' c anythin' written in the Bible 'bout this subject. That is why it condemns one, but not the other. I believe that God has a place for us all in Heaven and that he doesn' favor any one of his children over any of the others.

Chiefblackhammer-- The majority of Biblical Scholars agree that the story of Sodom and Gammorah had little, if anythin', ta do wit homosexuality. They believe that it is a lesson in hospitality and bein' hospitable towards strangers and one's neighbors. If u read the Bible closely, u'll find several stories scattered throughout the Bible that r, almost, virtually the same as the story of Sodom and Gammorah; with only a few changes in the story structure.

Tsurara-- Not all those who don' believe in God go ta hell. God wants u ta follow him 'cause u choose ta, 'cause u love Him as u would ur own parents. Alot of the schisms, 'bout Christianity, r caused by various religous zealots who believe that their belief is absolute. I believe in a very gracious and lovin' God and I don' believe that He would condemn any of his children for choosin' not ta believe in Him. If that were so, He would have never given us Free Will ta choose for ourselves. Think of the Bible, not necessarily, as a rule of law; but as a guideline on how one should live. U could take some, all, or none of what u will from it. And Christ wanted ta show us the way and he died on the Cross doin' jus' that. It was Christ who made worshipin' God non-exclusive when he invited the Gentiles ta worship wit him. He did alot of things for non-Jews which were against the Jewish doctrine of the time. So I would not b surpised ta find myself seated next ta u on the bus ride ta the Pearly Gates. I believe that God has a place for u in heaven, even though u may not have a place for him in ur heart.

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"Believe in yourself, if in nothing else."
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anime_being_god

Why should gays go to hell? What is the motive of the person who brought that to suggestion? Idiots i swear. Just because your gay or a lesbian doesnt mean you disobey God. Where in the holy testament aka bible does it say thou shall not be gay

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hellknight

Well, I don't know much about gay guy's, but I have one reason for one gay person to go to hell, my cousin, somehow he became guy and right now he's being a real A-hole about it, *oh wow cry me a river* he doesn't take things to serious when comes to family, he's always on the internet or out somewhere to look for a nother guy to hit on, *snagging*