RELIGION AND HOMOSEXUALITY
The Nigerian Christian is immediately judgmental, their default position is to quote bible scriptures mindlessly when confronted with any issue bothering on the moral without due consideration of the meaning of what they are saying, its effects or the full knowledge of the tenets of the religion. It is not surprising then that they condemn homosexuality in its entirety without entertaining any argument to the contrary.
I recently had two experiences that led me to wonder about the problem that religious people have with homosexuality.
The first of these was when I had a friend put up an essay I wrote which I had intended to post on my Facebook page as a coming out message. I had in that post outlined a lot of arguments against the usual rhetorical statements used by anti-homosexual individuals. The reactions to this post were interesting. The kinder ones commented on the beauty of the essay but disagreed with the opinions raised without making any counterclaims. Some lazy ones didn’t bother to read it but rather offered their usual inane arguments when confronted with the subject of homosexuality. The less charitable ones spewed forth their vitriol. The most interesting response however was the one of a commenter that took the time to write quite a long sermon based on some Bible quotes, stating that if I came to God, he would heal me and I would become new. She further stated that right at the moment, I was under the control of the devil who is my father and I was in bondage and couldn’t break free. I was impressed by the fact that her comment would have taken her a long time to write, but nevertheless it baffled me that an adult would hold such a fantastic world view in this day. I concluded that she probably wrote what she did because it is the right thing to be seen to do and that she didn’t actually believe it, because if she did, then it would really be disastrous for her sense of wellbeing. One thing she forgot to note is that the Bible doesn’t grant her the right to speak in public as she is only allowed to air her views to her husband at home. If she is unmarried, then tough luck. The healing part got to me because if any self-respecting Christian would be true to themselves, prayers don’t work and there are no miracles. The reason being that if God were as powerful and loving as He is said to be, miracles would be the order of the day and not a special feat sought after in special gatherings. They would acknowledge that things follow a natural, not supernatural order, and that for circumstances to change, it takes humans sometimes with knowledge acquired by science to effect it.
The second situation was while chatting with a close friend whom I had come out to. Not exactly come out though; he had guessed as much after I had a long discussion with him on religious matters which, as they tend to do these days, veered into sexuality at some point. My anti-religion, pro-gay stance was not lost on him because months later, while discussing a completely unrelated matter, he suddenly asked, “Is it because of your sexuality?” It seemed he had been waiting for an opportunity to ask that, and if one would not present itself, he couldn’t hold his tongue any longer. I obliged by answering that although the issue at the time had nothing to do with my sexuality, that I would satisfy his curiosity by confirming that I am indeed gay.
The matter rested that day, but sometime later, while still on another unrelated topic, he suddenly came up with, “I think you need some reorientation.” It took me a while to understand what he was on about, and when I did, I felt insulted, upset and angry. Insulted by the implication in his remark that I was not alright; that there was something wrong with me while he was normal; that he for some reason knew more about my life and the experience of it than I that was living it; that he felt he had a knowledge I was lacking; that I was so stupid not to have come up with this revolutionary solution to my life that he, an outsider, came up with without much thought. It was presumptuous and delivered in such a glib manner that I found irritating. I guess my annoyance also came from being reminded of this trait, which I dislike and associate with my fellow countrymen, of not bothering to educate themselves on issues before offering ‘insights’ usually conjured out of thin air. I was certain he hadn’t bothered to look up the issues around the conversion therapy that he was proposing, because had he done so, he would not have been in doubt as to how ineffective it is. He later said he didn’t like my response to his statement, which he described as ‘emotional’. I don’t know how he got the idea, as it was a chat and I typed in small case. However I didn’t fail to point out to him that while for him it was just an ‘opinion’, for me it was my life.
His responses gave me an insight into his state of mind. Being religious, he was of the persuasion that homosexuality is wrong as prescribed by the Bible and sees the increasing acceptance in the world as the result of the success of weak-willed individuals who rather than change were fighting to gain acceptance. Like he put it, “…there are two opinions about this and one is globally accepted.” In his psyche, he is fighting for truth against worldliness (like Christians are wont to do). The problem with this is that in this one track mind of unquestioning loyalty to the Bible, one bends facts to fit the ‘incontrovertible’ records in the Bible rather than admit any other account is true. If he had bothered, he would have learned that the reorientation he was proposing does not work but had instead inflicted so much misery on people, a lot of whom had taken their own lives as a result. He would also have learned the accounts about how former proponents of the therapies had either been caught in scandalous situations or had come to their senses and realised that it does not work. But he knew neither of these things, and for this, felt justified in prescribing reorientation for me in order to maintain his perfect view of the world.
In fighting for his truth, I wonder what his objective, as well as that of most Christians, is. Is it to have a world were homosexuality is judged abnormal, to have laws enacted against it, to have homophobia and discrimination as normal, to have preachers rain curses on gay people every Sunday, to create an environment where it is acceptable to lynch and kill people because of their sexuality, to have gay men subjected to unfounded therapies in an attempt to cure them, to have parents abuse and disown their gay children especially those who refuse to change? Is this what would make him happy? Do they persist in this anti-gay crusade for personal gains? Do they derive happiness from it? Are they doing it for God, to make the world a better place? Do they have an overwhelming concern for all the vaginas that won’t be or are not being plugged by a penis, or all the penises that go unattended to by a vagina? Or is it a concern for an anus that doesn’t belong to them? Is it the case that they struggle with homosexuality themselves and in trying to change others, are in fact trying to change themselves? I wish I could understand why some people in the name of religion make what another man does with his body their overarching concern.
This further set me on a path to decipher the problem religion has with homosexuality. One thing that struck me is that the admonition of religion to accept its tenets by faith, the exhortation that God uses the simple things to confound the wise, the statement that one should not add or remove from the Bible as adding would mean adding more sorrows in the afterlife and removing would mean removing blessings from the afterlife, has created exactly what it intended – people too afraid to question religion because of the fear of going to damnation. It has engendered a simple minded cult, bound by fear, comfortable with it and unwilling to entertain any argument to the contrary. That is why you would find Christians who will condemn Islamic extremists like ISIS for their terrorism but applaud them when they learn about how they hurl gay men from the tops of buildings to their death. They don’t stop to question and ask themselves whether it isn’t time to contemplate further this belief they hold in common with terrorists, or wonder about their true nature if they can applaud such dastardly acts. But such is religion, it imbues a feeling of self-righteousness into its believers which some extend to condemning others.
I however don’t think it is right to lay the entire blame on religion. The Bible, many agree, can be interpreted any way one chooses. There is enough in there to justify any action, even homosexuality (David and Jonathan are a good example of manly love), and it leads me to the assumption that sometimes, it is merely used by some as an excuse for bigotry and may not always be the cause of it. It is clearly stated somewhere in Leviticus and Romans that being gay is an abomination and gay people should be killed, a fact that most Christians don’t hesitate to point out. However they fail to point out to themselves that other behaviours which are accepted as normal today like fornication, adultery, and disobedience in children were also condemned in the bible and likewise liable to the penalty of death. One would think that if the Christian is comfortable dismissing some of the laws as no longer tenable, he or she would pause for a while and wonder what else ought to be dismissed. But such is the selfishness of the Christian that such magnanimity works only for oneself and does not extend to others who must bear the full brunt of the written text. No one would consider killing a child for disobedience today, but that is what the Bible preaches and yet it is not called into question.
The position of some is that morality is only found in religion and therefore homosexuality being explicitly condemned in the Bible is wrong. Morality as defined by the Bible is whatever God wants or, better put, whatever the writer of any book of the bible felt that God feels is wrong. The religious often say the bible was inspired by God. However no one bothers to find out in what form the inspiration came. They do not ask if there was a break in transmission or poor connection leading to some errors in the messages. Be that as it may, in some passages, a raped woman would also be liable to a death penalty if she did not scream loud enough while being raped, as apparently she must have enjoyed it. This standard of morality is not tenable in the world today. This attitude towards a rape victim would be considered reprehensible today, especially because it is the argument that is used by rapists to justify their actions to themselves, i.e. “She was enjoying it.”
All these should really make one think twice before upholding religion as a basis for morality. God has at various times in the Bible supported rape, lying, murder, prostitution and adultery when the situation suits His purpose. But it is the truth that for many religious individuals, the veil is pulled over their understanding when reading these passages.
The Bible has a lot of passages that anyone can hold on to if they want to be kinder to gay people. Judge not so that you will not be judged. Bless and do not curse. Love your neighbour as yourself. And then the story of the Good Samaritan. They all admonish Christians to look beyond themselves and extend love to even those that society deems unlovable. Jesus Himself was an embodiment of that, dining with tax collectors and prostitutes, those considered to be on the fringe of society at the time. The Bible says He replied those who questioned His affinity for the groups with the response that it is the sick that require doctors and not the people that are well. This is not to insinuate that gay people are sick; the idea is that if Jesus were here today, He would certainly not ban gay people from attending church services today like many churches do, or pretend that they do not exist like most societies do. Jesus said that He would not cast out anyone who comes to Him. It then makes you wonder why the church, which is supposed to be the body of Christ would do just that.
Christians today, in their bloated self-image of righteousness, would rather look down on those they consider less righteous than themselves. Self-righteousness in itself was clearly against the teachings of Jesus. It was evident in His constant battle with the Pharisees, who were champions of hypocrisy, the same group He accused of imposing laws on people which they were not wont to keep themselves. This is similar to an argument I have heard a friend make, the thrust of which is that even if people are born gay, they should live lives of celibacy. This coming from a man with three children! The story of the two men praying in church in which the first man’s prayer was a catalogue of his good deeds that even went as far as pointing out how much better he was than his fellow supplicant, who only pleaded that God be merciful to him as a sinner, was used by Jesus to illustrate the need to have a contrite heart. Thus it is baffling to a casual observer how this attitude of superiority in one’s perceived righteousness has become acceptable, how these mere humans can feel so assured of their goodness and certainty of going to heaven that they are comfortable playing God, judging the actions of their fellow men or casting the proverbial first stone. The homosexual is a perfect target for that, it is a sin considered as the lowest of the low by most Christians. It is not only sexual, an activity that religion mostly abhors and would probably stop in its entirety if it could, but a deviant form of sexuality at that. Nothing else could therefore be more worthy of condemnation. The other forms of sexual immorality at least have the sanction of being “normal”. The Christian forgets that the Bible is clear that no sin is greater than another and that Jesus Himself exhorts that he who is without sin should cast the first stone.
I used to be a Christian, which may be clear from what I hope is an above average understanding of what is written in the Bible. During my time in the faith, what never failed to strike me is the stringent criteria that is required of one who is going to make it to heaven. Such a person must be as blameless as a spotless white garment. Little wonder Paul asked his followers to work out their salvation in trembling and fear. We all know how difficult it is to keep a physical white garment clean when worn out for just one day; consider how much more difficult it is to keep a spiritual one, worn every day, clean when it could be defiled not just by the obvious shitload of stains from acts like lying, stealing, adultery and fornication, but also by the less sinister acts like impure thoughts. This is why I fail to understand why the Christian would feel so confident of going to heaven enough to judge his fellow man, because if the truth be told, no one is that righteous enough to make heaven. It would require asking for forgiveness at an alarming frequency in one day alone, which I feel is enough to drive anyone insane. This is because if you commit a sinful act and for some reason die before your next wash of the spiritual garment by asking for forgiveness, then down you go. Personally I had to make a choice between my sanity and Christianity, and fortunately for me, sanity won.
Another thing I failed to understand is why the religious, not just Christians, feel the need to do God’s work for him. He only asked that He be worshipped. He never asked anyone to punish anyone else for their sins, which is His purview. I have the image of a god rubbing his hands together in gleeful anticipation for the time he would get to finally throw all sinners into hell and finally get his revenge for disobedience. Why would the religious rob him of that pleasure? In the world today, humans perpetuate a lot of atrocities in the name of religion, killing people with opposing views, beating up gay men, hurling them from the roofs of buildings, ostracising them from families, denying them service at businesses and treating them like animals and not fellow humans. All this is done in the name of religion and for God, who till date has not been moved to anger enough to tear open the heavens and smite even one gay person to show His support for the persecution. Instead, he rewards Ireland with two rainbows on the day they voted to legalise gay marriage and flooded the state of Texas on the day they voted to restrict gay rights. And yet, people still don’t get the message. They say He did that to Sodom and Gomorrah, but they also said He created a flat stationary earth with the sun running around it; so who are we to believe?
To add to my confusion is the fact that these religious people commit acts condemned by their religion in trying to uphold it. They commit sins by their hatred, impure thoughts and violent acts all in a bid to fight against sin.
Imagine the irony.
A lot of Christians believe homosexuality to be a disease, be it psychiatric or whatever. They also believe in a good and loving God, one who is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. They believe in a God of miracles who can change the natural order of things, heal diseases, raise the dead, find people spouses, make visa applications successful and give prosperity in cash and kind to His followers. If all that be true, then why does He not heal the gays? Or do they believe we have not prayed, or that all the time we spend in choirs, writing songs of praise and worship to His Holy name are done just in the name of being fabulous? Shouldn’t His failure to grant healing either be because He is unable or unwilling to do so? And if that be the case, why should the blame be on people who are only trying to live their lives like everyone else?
I think that the greatest problem religious has with homosexuality is a refusal to confront the issue that the Bible may actually be wrong. The question then would be if indeed gay people were born gay, then why would the Bible condemn the act that God created them with a predisposition to? Why would God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for that act if indeed it was a normal predisposition? Forget that the same situation occurs with the commandment on sexual fidelity because God, if He exists, would have created humans with sexual organs that only mature with marriage, bearing a lock-and-key mechanism unique for the couple that won’t fit that of any other person, to prevent fornication or adultery. It could be in the form of a special password for sexual arousal which the Holy Spirit would reveal to a couple, which can only be spoken and understood by the couple. Is that too much to ask? The absence of these creates a permissive environment that leads to a lot of infidelity, which God abhors. But I guess since He didn’t bomb a whole city for it, those other sexual sins are not so bad.
Back to the discussion, accepting that the Bible got it wrong there would lead to other questions about what else the Bible may have gotten wrong. And that line of inquiry is a slippery slope that would lead to a life too fearful to contemplate for one who has believed in a divine orchestration of daily life. A life without the protection of the Divine is a fear that would bring so much conflict to the psyche of a Christian. They would, if they are true to themselves, realise that such beliefs have not really served any purpose except for that of belonging to a social group.
That, I believe, is the ultimate problem that exists between religion and homosexuality, and probably the reason why homophobia will continue to thrive in the African community till hopefully enlightenment comes.
Written by Dimkpa
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76 Comments
tarter
November 29, 08:32can gays just accept the fact religion doesn’t accept or condone homosexuality in any way? no matter how u sugar coat it or bring up other points in the bible it still doesn’t change anything, fornication and adultery can be condoned because its btw a man and a woman,but homosexuality isn’t.. does that stop u from attending church or serving God? i dunno,its a personal decision each person has to make..y’all saying in support of religion n homosexuality, why don’t you come out to your pastor/church members and see their reaction? many gays just love being delusional.. i can’t deal.
Pink Panther
November 29, 09:01fornication and adultery can be condoned because its btw a man and a woman,but homosexuality isn’t..
I’m sorry but what exactly was that section of your comment trying to prove? I’m genuinely confused.
ambivalentone
November 29, 10:11Please, where tha fuck is this mentality coming from? I had a chat with a married man the oda day and because I had vehemently refused to deal, he had to go the way of “Gay ppl and drama sha. Una too like to carry person matter for head. If I was commiting adultery with a woman, I bet you wouldn’t be so averse”. Seriously??? I need to slap the origins of that sense
tarter
November 29, 09:53that Christians or religious people will easily forgive fornicators and adulterers than have anything to do with homosexuals……
Tiercel de Claron
November 29, 10:59I really will like to know where you got all this from.Some research or survey you conducted,perhaps?.
Or like the typical Nigerian,you make it up as you go,willing everybody to believe as you do.
tarter
November 29, 12:22no sane person needs any survey to know its d truth.. keeping being delusional, if ur religion supports u wholeheartedly come out to them na,u can’t, na only kd una get mouth
Tiercel de Claron
November 29, 12:36“no sane person needs any survey to
know its d truth”
Now,who’s being the delusional,or I should say irrational,one here?.
You made an assertion,I but asked for proof.
Or you haven’t heard that he who asserts,must prove?.
tarter
November 29, 12:26keep**
Mandy
November 29, 08:33Gaddemn! This post packs a serious punch! I’ve never read anything so defiant of religion in my life. And some of the truths in this are quite startling.
lonz
November 29, 08:47Religion abhors gays. When I see a gay person say they are religious I feel for them. They just don’t mix.
I am an atheist not just because I am gay but because religion is senseless to me, snakes and donkeys don’t talk, the world once had dinosaurs, evidence for evolution is astounding.
Religion is full of hate. To deny that is to lie. Ever wonder how a God could pick a tribe in the middle east and favour them, steal others land and give to them. And yet Christians claim this promise and on Monday come en masse to the hospital.
Jamie
November 29, 13:10You spoke my mind…!!!
Chuck
November 29, 14:22200 points to Lonz. Well said!
Masonkz
November 29, 09:20When someone starts blabbing to me about the bible says this, the bible says that… I just gently refer him/her to 1st Corinthians 14:34-35. They should start their explanation from there. Most times they start stuttering… and then I give them other verses to explain… and walk away. Ain’t nobody got time for slow minded individuals.
There are just some bible verses that don’t get preached in churches, but nahhh, the ones delving on gay people must be discussed. Iranu
Mitch
November 29, 09:30Christianity, like several other religions, has lots of flaws to the rational mind. But isn’t that the exact point of religion? To simply believe, to simply have faith in a supreme being/beings and try to live your life according to their laid down standards? That, is simply all that religion teaches us. To believe in the tenets of our religion and in so doing, discount and discard every other religion as wrong. To blame the Christian for his religious stance is to blame every religious person for the wrongs in the world.
To me, Christianity is my way of connecting with my maker, to understand his plan for my life and to walk in it. His plan and path for me differs from that of my pastor, neighbour, choir director and even my family. So I follow Him, not to critisize others as I neither know nor understand His plan for them but to ensure that I don’t derail from His plan for me.
Concerning my sexuality, I know that the further I walk with Him, the better He will make me and the more will He open up His plans for me. If my sexuality was not of Him, we would not have the relationship we have. That is my view of religion and homosexuality.
façade
November 29, 09:48His plan for u, us is hell. At least that’s what the ‘bible’ says
Tiercel de Claron
November 29, 11:17“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,saith the Lord,thoughts of peace,and not of evil,to give you an expected end.
Then shall ye call upon me,and ye shall go and pray unto me,and I will hearken unto you.” – Jeremiah 29:11-12
I know you don’t believe what you wrote,anyway.
façade
November 29, 11:36Uhm, Hello “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them” doesn’t scream heaven to me
Tiercel de Claron
November 29, 12:04C’mon F,that all you got?.
You can do better than that
Mitch
November 29, 12:17Jeremiah 29:11 gives me all the hope I need in wading through this path.
façade
November 29, 13:40More reasons y I don’t do bibles. It just keeps contradicting itself. U preach love n then talk about stoning people to death
Jamie
November 29, 13:15Stop frustrating yourself. If there was a single verse that accepts you in the bible, they’d have figured it by now. That verse may be the only one, but be true to yourself and agree that it’s talking to you…lol
Dick Advocate
November 29, 09:38“Personally I had to make a choice between my sanity and Christianity, and fortunately for me, sanity won.”
Firstly this had me in stitches. Lol that was really funny.
It’s an interesting arguement put up by Dimpka, perhaps the best have read so far on this issue.
I am a church loving-God loving homosexual so of course I do not agree with some of the things you said but some of the points raised is worth looking into.
Without dabbling too much into the topic because let’s be honest there would never be an end to this arguments. Both parties in the opposite divide would be defiant and the rightly so, with both parties raising valid points.
Let me conclude with this however, in the little understanding I have of God. He doesn’t hate HOMOSEXUALS OR Gays. Yes he created some people Gay but not everyone who is Gay is born Gay. What God hates.. It’s the act in itself. The Gay sex but never the Homosexual (the person). God doesn’t like sin, which includes fornication, adultery, Murder and homosexuality. just as how God doesn’t has a Murderer but hates the act he commited which is killing. God gives all humans the free will to chose what they want to do with their lifes. He puts extra burden on some (like being born gay) just to see if they can willingly without his influence not do what he detest.
I don’t claim to know God in toto but I think what God wants is that, he gives humans the free will and option to do what they want but then states the things he doesn’t like, being a Jealous God (as he is the creator of heaven and earth and everything that lives) he wants to see those that love him enough to willing stay away from the things he doesn’t like.
All what God want is LOVE, Adoration and PRAISE! Which I think is not too much to ask as the creator of all things.
Shalom!
façade
November 29, 09:54So I should be gay but I shouldn’t act on ma feelings? What kinda choice abi gift is that???
Jamie
November 29, 13:18Help me see gift ooo!! You give your child a letter bomb and watch from afar to see if he/she will open it and die, or not. Chai!! Some people haf haf sense o!!
Mandy
November 29, 10:18What God hates.. It’s the act in itself. The Gay sex but never the Homosexual (the person). God doesn’t like sin, which includes fornication, adultery, Murder and homosexuality.’
Lemme ask something. So if two gay men were to get married and have sex, something married couples are approved to have, God would still hate them for it? He hates all gay sex but doesn’t mind straight sex as long as they’re not fucking outside marriage???
Tiercel de Claron
November 29, 11:07He did say his little understanding of God,didn’t he?.
Easy on him,we’re all here to learn
Andrevn
November 29, 10:36“He doesn’t hate HOMOSEXUALS
OR Gays. Yes he created some
people Gay but not everyone who is
Gay is born Gay. What God hates..
It’s the act in itself. The Gay sex but
never the Homosexual (the person).”
And did you also say that you are a “church loving-God loving homosexual”?.
If yes. permit me to ask this final question: Are you celibate or in the knowledge of your sexuality lived a life of celibacy?
Nna Dimkpa… This one is just too much to upload in one reading. I will come back to it again but first lemme listen to the pastor this fine Sunday morning.
Max
November 29, 11:51Such a senseless comment coming from @Dickhead as usual. “Some people aren’t born gay”? Seriously. Well if that makes you sleep well at night, carry on. Keep loving your God ok, the one that hates your gay sex but loves you. The one that Cant allow you to marry who you want to marry and have sex in his glory.
Whenever bible or God is being discussed, brain and common sense always leave the room. I can’t deal this morning, I just can’t .
Dick Advocate
November 29, 13:04I dont know which is more sad for you Max! The facts that just like a rabid dog, you are being intentionally goaded by people (Kdains esp) to attack Christains and Christianity (in its true essence) and God to your detriment and you are foolishly falling for the plot or the facts that I saw you this morning dressed well in all your glory heading to church while pretending otherwise here. I don’t know which is more pathetic for you.
My thoughts and prayers are with you always for this path you have chosen for yourself.
#PrayForMax #JeSuisMaxGuardianAngel
Jamie
November 29, 13:25Better pray that your god saves you from your sexuality (which no kdian taught you but you dey enjoy), or else…that mental picture of hell, na you go enter am!! LOL
Make I dey enjoy ma heaven for earth jor…
Max
November 29, 16:50Touché @Jamie ????
Jamie
November 29, 13:20LWKMD!!! I support!!!
Chizzie
November 29, 13:04God created some ppl gay? Oh I see. Please what church do you attend so I can tell my loved ones to never go near that church with a 20ft pole.
ambivalentone
November 29, 09:50“Do they have an overwhelming concern for all
the vaginas that won ’t be or are not being
plugged by a penis, or all the penises that
go unattended to by a vagina?” This part had me streaming tears tho
KennedyI
November 29, 09:58Y just Christianity and d Bible…. No mention of Koran, or d Jews or traditional religion followers…. Change d title of the write up. “Christianity and Homosexuality”.
Mandy
November 29, 10:15Christianity is a religion. He writes from the point of view of religion he’s well versed in. Quit nitpicking.
Tiercel de Claron
November 29, 11:03You disappoint me,Mandy.
Christianity is not a religion,but assuming without conceding it is,this whole post is about assumed “Christianity” and homosexuality.So yes,it should be rightly titled.
Max
November 29, 11:54STFU @TDC
Chuck
November 29, 14:25Christianity no be religion? Plot twist don come o! This shows TDC isn’t quite rational
Jamie
November 29, 13:27Same complain that people give about we atheists. If you were a muslim, read the quran, and now you know how stupid it is, you can write your own essay na. At least this one has meaning…lol
Tiercel de Claron
November 29, 10:54They were first called Christians at Antioch cos they lived as Christ did.
Christianity is not a religion,but a way of life.Many may profess to be Christian,but if the way they live differs from Christ-like life,Christian they are not.It’s a no-brainer,everyone knows this.
“By their fruits,ye shall know them”,wasn’t that what Jesus said?.
We should be careful how we conflate every act of hate,anger and willful ignorance as that stemming from being a person of faith.
Btw,some misconceptions you have that need to be cleared up Dimkpa.
Making heaven is not a function of how well one lives here,how sinless one go by the day.It is of faith and grace of God.
“8 For by grace you have been saved through faith,and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship,created in Christ Jesus for good works,which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10.
Also,God didn’t destroy Sodom and Gomorrah cos of homosexuality.The lie had been put to that argument long ago.That someone uses it n you believe it true says quite a lot.
“49 Look,mthis was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride,fullness of food,and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” Ezekiel 16:49.
Lots of you will agree with me that Nigeria has done worse than this as a country.
Thing is,I’m well tired of these arguments,of religion and homosexuality.We all are at liberty to believe or not what we will,just doesn’t serve our fight for equality if we think we must first prove people’s faith as false in order to validate our being.That fight is lost ere we even take to the field.
Those that fought and won their own battles didn’t go about it this way,didn’t go about delegitimizing faith.Rather they made sections of faith their allies along with instruments of the law of the modern state.
If a homophobe would twist a verse or two of the Bible to score a point,there exist whole chapters of the Bible that put a lie to that.Otherwise,we show ourselves no better than they are,two sides of a coin.A very bad coin.
#Chestnut
November 29, 10:57*stirring my pot of soup vigorously* food don land o! Where’s Max? Is he still in church? Hehe…
Tiercel de Claron
November 29, 11:09I hope there’s okporoko,ngwagwa n other etchtram,etchetram in that soup.
#Chestnut
November 29, 11:19Oh,dimkpa already added all that. it’s going to be a hearty meal, for many here.
Max
November 29, 11:56@Chestnut, I was busy living my life till I stumbled on this. Haven’t read it though, still reading the comments
bruno
November 29, 11:17when i see a homosexual vehemently defending religion, i think “stockholm syndrome”… sad.
#Chestnut
November 29, 11:31@Bruno: “sad”? Really? I hope u don’t really mean that; my dear,u don’t have to drink panadol over another “homosexual’s” headache. There are waaaay too many things to be sorrowful about in this world, than being “sad” because another man goes to church.
sensei
November 29, 11:45From my perspective, I have no issues with whatever a person chooses. But I will make a few points.
1. I have noticed that many in the LGBT are atheists or have negative views of religion.
2. It is not surprising when people reject something that labels them negatively. So this reaction is expected. Even single celled motile organisms run from negative stimulus.
3. The advantage of this reaction is that it forced many to wake up and think for themselves. Because otherwise, they would probably be with the rest, fanatical and foaming at the mouth with dogmatism.
4. A possible disadvantage (if it is truly one) is that, Christians by being such bad representatives of the gospel, have chased many away in the process. If Christianity has any gain whatsoever to a person, these would have lost it.
5. The fanatic Christians are ignorant. And let’s be honest to ourselves. The conflicts within concerning our sexuality was the window of our escape into sensibility and knowledge. Your “infliction” probably is the reason why you are wiser. In that sense, as regards openness to knowledge, it is an advantage, one that if SOME fanatical Christians had, they would probably know as much as you. Ignorance of one kind or another is the human condition. It is not justified, but that is what it is. On encountering ignorance, let us not hate it but seek to heal it with knowledge. Of course I know it can be frustrating, but that’s the way to go.
6. And this is a great article, holding forth a perspective that is far better than dogmatism and other weak ideas that have not suffered even a little mentation.
Jamie
November 29, 13:31Rational comments always have a better flavour…
Dick Advocate
November 29, 12:15I think am with TDC today. I mean, I couldn’t have said it better myself. Being a true Christian is being christ-like. I.e true Christainity. Being just religious isn’t the same as being a true Christian. A man can be an ardent church goer and prayer worrior and not be a true Christain, while another might decide not to go to church but live his life by the commandments of God and live a christ like life while also accepting Jesus christ as his personal lord and savior. Jesus never descriminated! NeVER! But Sadducees, Pharisees always discriminated, insulted even molested and killed Jesus himself. This were religious people but never true Christian. I think we are mixing up the two things interchangeably. Which is unfortunate.
Jesus feasted with Sinners, with those people other (Religious) people condemned and saw as unfit to be humans (just like gay people today). Jesus loved them regardless (Tax collectors, prostitute etc) and that was why jesus was also hated and crucified. Can you imagine? The Religious people then and ” Saints” killed even the son of God. So you can see that being religious is somewhat different from what God intends for his children, which is us. God sent his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him (just believe, acknowledge him thats all he needs) shall not perish but have everlasting life. God just wants us to try to live our life just as how christ lived. That’s the true essence of Christainity. Jesus will never stone gays! Jesus will never insult gays! Infact there was an instant in the bible Jesus defended a prostitute from being stoned to death by “Religous people”
Religion is just about keeping hold of some Olden days laws, rules and decrees which might or may not be applicable to this current days.
Without saying much, I think TDC said it all. In a our bid for acceptance and equality, let’s not create a divided house. Whether we cry and shout from now till eternity, there would be God loving homosexuals, there would be Athiest Homosexuals, there would be Muslim Homosexuals and so on and if we all can’t come together for a common goal instead we cause division within ourselves then we won’t achieve anything. Whoever wants to believe in God should, whoever doesn’t that’s their business but let’s not use the community as an umbrella for our differences of opinion on validity of divinity. Live and let live. In other words, let sleeping dogs lie.
Christainity (I.e true Christain righteous living) is somewhat different from Religion (I.e most people’s perception of what religion is)
Chuck
November 29, 14:29How can you fight for gay rights when you believe it is wrong, and go to churches that condemn homosexuality?
Think things through
Max
November 29, 16:53@Chuck he doesn’t think. Telling him to think would be like telling him to shoot himself in the face.
Chizzie
November 29, 12:55So here we go again
Anywayssssssss since we all like to play this game of “frying things” too brown, overflogging and listening to broken records..
Here are my two cents :
Its in the way we are raised, the way religion was and still is presented to us. We are taught religion as a set of dogmas and a routine eg. You must go to church, read your bible, pray. We forget that religion really is a way of life. It’s not how many times you read your bible or pray or go to church, its how you live your life. Christians of old, were called christians by ppl because they behaved like Christ.
Now let’s look at how Christ behaved. Was he a cock sucker? No. Was he a fornicator? No, was he a homosexual? No. You can’t really call yourself a Christian if you do not embody Christ like behavior ie if you do not behave like Jesus.
This applies to everyone, straight ppl that fornicate and are so quick to judge gay ppl, and gay ppl that claim to be Christians too.
If you go to church, pray all the damn time, quote scripture and yet are mean, a hoe ( national and international) and are gay amongst other things, then you are religious but you aren’t a Christian.
Christianity is how you live your life. Let’s be honest
In that vein, I can categorically say I am not a Christian. I believe in God, because I want to believe in something, and sometimes when I stay out in the evenings and watch the sunset, I think someone must have created that, and that such intricate beauty doesn’t just happen. I’ve also been faced with situations that were so hopeless and out of desperation I prayed and to my amazement my prayers were answered, I am sure we’ve all had similar experiences.
But I know to truly be a Christian I must stop doing what the bible says is sin. But I can’t be bothered right now, as I am an adult and can do what ever I bleedy please. But the one thing I will not do is deceive myself and lie to myself that I am a Christian in the actual sense of things. Taaa! aluu!!!
Mitch
November 29, 13:24So going by your analogy, to be true Christians, we’ve gotta live EXACTLY like Christ.
Was Christ married? NO! Did Christ ever have sex? NO!
So do not play the condescension game with people. You think you have things in the right? Truth is, you know nothing! If we go by your words, then even straight married folks would go to hell. Think before you make statements!
Chizzie
November 29, 14:40Please read your comment again and I hope you can see that it lacks sense. I guess going by your logic and your understanding of my comment, we should also carry a sash and grow a beard cus Jesus did too? Being dumb isn’t cute.
Mitch
November 29, 15:59Oh! You do realize being dumb isn’t cute. And you come on here everyday, spreading your daft points like water in a garden. Mirror in your face!
Jeova Sanctus Unus
December 18, 07:01He followed your logic. If he’s dumb for that, then hello to you sir.
Was Jesus straight? Did he eat hot-dogs? Did he wear sneakers, pants, jackets? Did he own a cellphone? Did he attend a federal college, or a private one? I’m certain he’d never go close to a state university, or did he? How would anyone know these things, the stories aren’t complete.
On your being a Christian, you went from being Christ-like to “stop doing what the bible says is sin”. Some of those were dropped by Jesus, remember the corn they ate on a Sabbath day?
That they are following Christ doesn’t make it not a religion. Does it have the attributes of a religion?
A religion is a way of life. A hippie can decide not to do everything hippies do, doesn’t stop them from being hippies.
BTW, keep your 2 cents, we don’t spend coins here, not even quarters and half-dollars.
You’re always welcome.
Mandy
November 30, 05:23‘…and yet are mean, a hoe ( national and international)’
Hahahahahahaa! Wiaris keredim?
Mwaniki
November 29, 14:26What does the Bible actually say?
The Bible is a text used for spiritual purposes. It’s writers and those written about said the things recorded in it. It’s them that should be quoted; not the text, whose current compilation they never anticipated.
This brings us to understand that not everything said in the Bible is said by God. There are many things said by people (even the devil!) speaking their own minds.
And of the things God said, none is against homosexuality.
Dickson Clement
November 29, 15:01After the search the scriptures today at church, I asked a question and the pastor hurriedly asked me to stop and never answered my question! We studied the book of Revelations 13! It’s about the great tribulation. My question was on verse 1, I asked the pastor if the Bible says that God created all things, In heaven and on earth and the devil has no power to create, then who made the beast in that verse 1, if God made the beast, what was his purpose for creating the beast?! Asking such questions in deeper life church just starred a lot of disdain from the elders! I love God, I believe in miracles because av seen them both in my life and in my years of practice. As the article above mentioned, I am afraid of questioning the bible, but I have loads of question. Why would God create Gay men? My mum told me during one of our heart to heart talk- ‘God gives you the grace not to sin”, so he makes u Gay and gives you the grace not to act on ur feeling!
sensei
November 29, 15:15With that question, you are so close to realizing the truth. If only you knew…
Max
November 29, 16:44“I think that the greatest problem religious has with homosexuality is a refusal to confront the issue that the Bible may actually be wrong”.
@Dimpka, you’re my KDian of the year! ??????.. Outstanding. I’m going to copy it out or send the link to all my straight homophobes to read.
ArabianPrincess
November 29, 17:47The title of this article is wrong. It should be “Christianity and Homosexuality” there are religions in the world that isn’t islam or Christianity. And these religions don’t mind gay people. Stop the generalization, pls
Rev: Hot
November 29, 17:54or that all the time we spend in choirs, writing songs of praise and worship to His Holy name are done just in the name of being fabulous? I laughed hard here..
Anyway, I’ve been reading the comments and I’m just baffled why some of you are soooooooooo hell bent on dissing Christianity.. .. I don’t care what anyone tells me, the old testament IS not what we all should live by, but instead – The new testament where Jesus speaks of love and forgiveness..
I am a Christian and as for as far as I’m concerned, the God I worship doesn’t hate homosexuals.. . #LetTheInsultsBegin
Max
November 29, 19:021 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Thats your new testament right there.
Khaleesi
November 29, 20:08Chaiiiii, am so late to this party!!! I shall forever bless the day i kicked religion – that monument to hypocrisy, manipulations and insidious lies out of my life!!! Good riddance! Life has been sweet ever since!!!
To all those of you who choose to ignore the blatant truth that glares you in the face and instead choose to dumbly embrace religion; have fun … I dont have the energy to reason with you lot …look around you and see the spasming and tortuous death of religion happening everyday as its firm grip is slowly being broken by the strength of reason…
Dick Advocate
November 29, 20:35The end time is near!
the end time is here!
The comments I see,
The things I hear!
It’s obvious,
the end time is here!
Max
November 30, 06:01Yeah, and you’ll be the first person to be thrown into the pits of hell dick head…
posh6666
November 29, 21:18Lol so many end time comments today,in order not to commit blasphemy ignorantly against my God lemme just mechi onu……
michael
November 29, 21:34Every single time I come here I learn something new and other times I affirm to what I already know.
thanks Dimkpa for this.
Charles
November 30, 20:59So, because I’m gay, I shouldn’t believe in God, come on! Stop this. We’re all sinners and even our righteousness is a filthy rag to the maker. Your sexuality doesn’t matter to God. Man, we’re under grace.
lonz
December 01, 07:48Charles. There is no God. The sooner you understand the better for you. Oh and christianity is anti gay. There is no dodging this bullet.
Frank
December 01, 16:19My opinion -seeing that you are a former Christian whom circumstances surrounding your situation led you to leave Christianity. It pains me because many Christians have used false interpretations and understanding of the Bible and the Christian faith to drive God’s Children away from him and they feel accomplished.
Many people go down this road admittedly because many Christians are biased and have not sat down to even apply Christian principles to the issue of homosexuality.
I get a lot of your points…And they are indeed quite valid.
But in my opinion, they don’t have to be…I don’t like when gays are made to feel that way…truly it doesn’t make any sense….it even is appalling when Christians turn out to be the ones who are architects of the discrimination – people who are meant to be ambassadors of a God who is love
But the person who has the propensity for homogenic love does not have to be anti-Christian, does not have to leave his Christian faith, does not have to judge God by his people.
Irrespective of what others say,such a one can have a beautiful friendship with the God who is Love and such a one in his relationships can even be the ideal for true friendship which the world has many a time now lost.
jephtah
December 02, 05:04Okay… one nice thing is that when I read kdian post and comments I see brilliance and intelligence (in human understanding)….. so my little contribution goes thus ; religion first isn’t christianity so for me d research is lacking in that respect, secondly as a christian who believes in the existence of a supernatural being “GOD” if u follow the trend in d bible, rules change, events and time do not remain d same, different people receive different responses, punishment and pattern of instruction on how to live their lives, (I won’t quote bible, no be me type pass #u know it’s there shaa) so as an ardent christian and not religious fanatic….. the important thing is christianity is your own personal relationship with the father @mitch I see you! yes,,, when u relate directly to the father and follow his commandments, he gives u special instructions on how to live ur life and not d generality of so many different people, tribes and dispensation in d bible, but ur own personal life. When u pray and communicate with him, he guides u through the right part…. wait’ some peeps say there is mystery, a supreme being but how do we know it’s God, and fine I agree, but I choose to name my own supreme being God, (my dog is bill and urs is Jones, both na Dog), so I would rather follow a pattern of morality laid down in d bible and help spice it up with my personal agreement with God. We all know that science hasn’t come around to explain many things, hello? Shey we believe in magic? Juju? U see, there is a force behind it! These things are spiritual and we are human, don’t try to hard to understand it. Otua ka oham n’ onu.
Mitch
December 03, 00:07Brother of life! Thank you for this response. I just wish the nay-sayers would read this. Oh and, you owe me a call
HIS COMING OUT STORY (Edition 6) | KitoDiaries
October 28, 07:49[…] male and female alike. The reaction of one of them prompted me to write the post I did about religion and homosexuality. The responses have been varied and have included, “I will pray for you”, “You should go and […]