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Will I Go to Hell Because I'm a Lesbian?
Is it true that I will go to hell because I am a lesbian and how can I know for sure?
No, I don't believe that the Bible says lesbians are going to hell because they are lesbians. The Bible makes it clear that the God of the Bible is not a cross between Grandpa and Santa Claus. God's attributes - things that are true about God - include:
1. Holiness
2. Wisdom
3. Sovereignty
4. Eternality
5. Mercy
6. Faithfulness
7. Love
8. Righteousness
9. Wrath
10. Truth
The God of the Bible is described by all of these attributes and therefore, He cannot simply ignore sin - our sins must be paid for.
The God of the Bible loves us and wants to save us from our sins. Because we sin and rebel against God, no matter how good our intentions, we are not good people - at least we are not good enough to get into heaven based on our own goodness.
Jesus paid for our sins and God accepted His payment
God demands that sins must be paid for yet we are not good enough to pay for our own sins. Because God loves you with an everlasting love, He sent Jesus to take your place, to pay for your sins (and mine!) so we could get saved and have fellowship with God.
We KNOW God accepted the payment Jesus made for our sins because God raised Jesus from the dead - that proves that Jesus' payment was exactly what God required. Does that make sense to you?
Now, the ONLY thing you need to do to be saved is to accept the payment Jesus made for you.
What Jesus says about Hell
Hell is mentioned a total of 54 times in the King James Bible, 31 times in the Old Testament and 23 times in the New Testament.
Isn't it interesting that it is Jesus who mentions hell 16 of the 23 times in the New Testament (15 times in the Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke and once in Revelation 1:18)?
That Jesus mentioned hell 16 times let's us know that the subject of hell is serious and very important to Jesus. The most famous story on hell in the Bible is in Luke 16.
There is only one reason people go to hell when they die. That reason is:
They did not trust Jesus Christ as their Savior from sin.
No one goes to hell for being lesbian or gay or for being in a lesbian or gay relationship. People go to hell because they thought their righteousness (good works or good intentions) were enough to get them into heaven.
In John 3, you can read it here, Jesus talked to a very famous, very good, very religious man named Nicodemus. Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again. According to Jesus, if Nicodemus didn't get born again, he could never see the kingdom of God.
If you want to know for sure that you are born again/saved and going to heaven when you die, I invite you to take the Good Person test. Along with the test, you can watch a 4 minute video which explains about trusting Jesus.
The purpose of this website is to explain that God does not condemn lesbians and gays the way some Christians say He does. God wants to save us just like He will save anyone who calls on Him. Click any button on the NavBar and begin exploring the wonderful good news God has for lesbians and gays.
I recommend these Links to help explain how much God loves you and what Jesus did in dying on the Cross for your sins. God wants to save you and adopt you into the family of God, Ephesians 1:5. All He is waiting for is for you to say Yes.
Comments
It depends...
The bible says: "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Being a Christian, a child of God, does not mean you are no longer human. We will still struggle with sins and continue to commit them until the day we are given our glorified bodies . While the verse above does say that adulterers, homosexual offenders, etc. will not inherit the Kingdom of God (Heaven and the New Earth), it also says "that is what some of you WERE. But you were WASHED...". You may have committed sins worthy of Hell (we all have), but you can admit your wrongs, repent and turn away from them. God is looking for us to admit we are sinners and admit that we need help in order to be saved. He wants a heart that lovingly obeys His commands. He knows we will fail from time to time, but He will also give us the strength we need to overcome all obstacles and temptations.
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matthew 26:41
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
real estate
The major tenets of every major religion pretty much boil down to the same thing (in an admittedly hyper-simplistic paraphrase): "Don't be a dick."
I think Christianity boils down to submission to God since you can still go to hell by being a good person.
==========================================
Acruz
real estate
Buddha
To break the cycle of life and death you have to free yourself from earthly attachments. Praying to someone who died in Israel 2000 years will get you no closer to that freedom then bowing to Mecca a few times a day will...
At least that is what I could say if I was a Buddhist.
I'm sure that a Muslim could say something similar, as could anyone from any religion ( their path is wrong and our path is right because our holy man / book says so ).
Funny thing
The funny thing is that they are all probably half-right.
"...our path is right because our holy man / book says so."
The major tenets of every major religion pretty much boil down to the same thing (in an admittedly hyper-simplistic paraphrase): "Don't be a dick."
Maybe there is something to that for all of us to learn from, even if we discard the dogma.
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All Right VS All Wrong
SolarSanitizer said: "The funny thing is that they are all probably half-right."
I would strongly speculate that ALL the religions of the world CAN'T be right. So our (most basic) available choices are that either one is right, or they are all wrong. Occam's razor implies using the simplest explanation: they are ALL WRONG.
You misstate Occam's Razor.
The most likely answer would not be "They are all wrong." It would be:
"Not all of them can be 100% right, only one can be 100% right, but since it is highly unlikely that one religion is 100% right, we must assume that some are right in some ways, and others are right in others."
However, you erred in the beginning of your argument when you took my statement out of context. It is, actually true that religions, generically, profess good will toward man and kindness as the best policy.
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99% Right Is Not Divine
All religions claim some form of divine inspiration; and most at their core claim to be guided by a deity, as well as claiming to know the truth and all right. To be only 99% would imply they have not been divinely led.
But I'm really not about arguing percentages on this. ALL religions claim to be right. They don't claim to be party right, they claim to be all right. They simply cannot ALL be right; thus the simplest explanation is that they are ALL wrong.
By your logic:
Since not all people are right, all are wrong.
Since not all laws are right, all are wrong.
Since not all politicians are right, all are wrong.
I could go on, but won't. You either get the point, or you don't.
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I might agree with the politician line...
Most people don't claim to be "all right about everything" the way most religions do.
If you met someone who claimed to be always completely right about everything they spoke on; and then you found a single glaring mistake in something they said - wouldn't you begin to question the validity of EVERYTHING they said?
Politicians. Point taken.
I'd question the validity, sure. But we take things on an individual basis.
If you argued with a person about a certain subject and you conceded a point, would that make your entire argument automatically suspect? I contend that the answer has to be a resounding No. Because if that were the case, nobody would ever concede a point.
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Good Points. Back to religion though...
Individual people's claims are different than religion 's claims.
If a religion is not ALL right then it is not divinely led. If it is not divinely led, what makes it different from all the other religions? By the very basis of their own claims only 1 can be right. What real difference is there between each of the 100s claiming to be right? And what difference is there between the ones claiming to be right and the 1000s they are saying are wrong?
I'll stick by my original opinion, they can't all be right, so they must all be wrong.
I challenge your point on context.
Your point, however sound in its own context, does not address the post to which you replied at first.
I originally said, "The funny thing is that they are all probably half-right" and you quoted me.
You argue on the basis that this assessment was wrong, correct?
I contend that you are trying to make a black/white issue out of an issue containing many shades of grey. Right now, the argument you are standing by: "I'll stick by my original opinion, they can't all be right, so they must all be wrong", seems to be a strawman argument because I didn't argue that they were all right.
I argued that all are probably half-right.
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"Half-Right" Seems a Silly Concept
"Half-Right" seems a silly concept to me though since no religion out there claims to be "half-right." For that matter, I don't know of any that claim to be "partially right" or "mostly right" either. They claim they are ALL right. So that is why I made my statement (guess I should have stated that at the onset of this line of thought).
You may view them all as half-right (although that makes for mathematical improbabilities); but as I recall from your other posts, you prescribe to christianity . If you think others have some of it right too, why not convert? Or is it your stance that christianity is the-most-right? Why not prescribe to ALL the religions out there?
I made the claim
As my opinion.
I do not proscribe to any religion . I once sarcastically said something like "But like a good Christian, I forgive you.".
If I /had/ to pin down a religion that I am most interested in, it would probably be one of the eastern ones. Like Buddhism, perhaps. Only because the culture intrigues me deeply.
People automatically assume that if one doesn't trash Christianity, they must be a Christian zealot and treated accordingly.
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Assumptions
My mistake for making assumptions, but in many of your other posts you defend religion quite often. From my perception it seems you defend it much more than you are skeptical of it or criticize it. And I guess it seems like you are usually defending religion against someone critical of christianity . So only knowing that much of you I made assumptions.
I only defend Christianity when Christianity is being attacked.
Other times I defend religion in a generic sense, because it is being attacked in a generic sense.
I have not had to defend Hinduism, or any other specific religion, now that I pause to consider, because they do not get attacked.
I agree that I am oft defending, but I have not once promoted it. This fact kinda supports my claims against the intolerance.
I have no hard feelings for the assumption. The pattern is obvious and the assumption reasonable.
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Islam?
You say you haven't had to defend Hinduism or any other specific religion because they do not get atacked. What about Islam? They have been getting quite a bit of bad press for some time now.
On here?
Whereabouts?
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For one:
http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/does-islam-promote-violence
I see a lot of back and forth.
What I do not see, are people saying that the Islamic people are stupid and/or delusional for even believing in religion . The arguments are more centered on the paraphrased question: "Is Islam a violent religion, and is Christianity?" I think the cases are well made, and well argued. I do not see intolerance. If you do, could you point it out to me?
Also, this argument happened many months before I became a member of this community.
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"Don't be a dick."
How come almost no Christians are able to follow this then?
I have no idea.
It is not just Christians . It is in all religions. There are people who just ruin it for everyone else in that religion .
Maybe, the perception that "almost no Christians are able to follow this", is skewed because the ones who act poorly are widely publicized? Therefore they are better known. There is also an effect where people notice the religious being jerks because it seems very odd that they would, given their generalized rules of behavior.
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Not So Simple
I think Christianity boils down to submission to God since you can still go to hell by being a good person, yet obeying God is how He says to enter heaven. People are good because it pleases God.
On topic, It is true that committing homosexual acts are not automatic bans from heaven; In fact God sees homosexuality no different than heterosexual adultery or fornication. If you are a Christian, you conscience will convict you to sexual immorality. If you think homosexuality is a sin as told by the bible , you will be moved to change .
Sin
As a Christain I can say your 80% right.If you are a believer of internalsecurity than your 100% right.
Iam not a believer of interalsecurity.The Holy Spirit that dwells within one's body can't dwell in a adulterer or a homosexual.
One must repent of ones sins for the holy spirit to dwell within you.
Holy spirit?
But if no one is without sin then who can have the holy spirit?
Why are these Specific?
If The Holy Spirit can't dwell in a person harboring these sins, why not others. My understanding is the God sees all sin as equal infringments. Not that earthly consequences are the same. Do you believe that this particular sin inhibit this person from going to heaven?
NO
All sin is equal no sin is better than the other.
Some think once saved alway saved,that no sin will keep you from heaven.
I think any unrepented sin will keep you from heaven.You must repent of your sins to make it to heaven.
But your assumption
But your assupmtion that same-gender relationships are inherently sinful is not supported by the Bible.
Bible
Thats your view.And I respect your view.I dont see it that way.
one of you
“Thats your view.And I respect your view.I dont see it that way.”
Well only one of you can be right… I mean a sin is a sin, and if God disapproves of it then no mortal interpretation can contradict that.
Remember, lust in your heart
is just straight up a sin of lust.
You telling me you haven't felt any lust towards anyone or anything since getting Spirit-Injected? No greed, no envy?
Sin
Yes and when I do I ask for forgiveness,We all sin,if we say we have no sin the truth is not in us.One must turn from there sin.
Riiiight
But once you ask forgiveness, does the sin go away, never to return?
Sin
If one turns from it,it does.
Hey, an honest question for you...
What do you think about divorce?
OK
Its ok if there was Adultery in the marrage.You dont have to stay if in the marrage if there was adultery in the marrage.
What if someone divorces...
What if someone divorces (for reasons other than adultery) and then remarries? Is he or she committing a sin?
study
There are many resons one get divorced.Study in prayer and ask God.
So...
So, what if someone divorces their spouse because they just don't get along, and then they remarry? Are they committing a sin?
Talk to him
I am not the judge but the Bible says yes.God knows your heart talk to him in prayer he will be by your side all the way,
Ah, so
Ah, so you're perfectly willing to judge whether gay relationships are sinful, but not qualified to pass judgment on straight people whose marriage directly contradict Jesus' instructions
no
Why would you say that?Sin is sin Gay or straight.If one sins God knows your heart.Go to him and talk with him in prayer .
I do
I do, countryboy. This isn't about me. I know that God ordained my marriage to my partner of 18.5 years. I have no question in my heart but that she is God's perfect plan for me.
This is about those who would use their religious beliefs to deprive their neighbor of liberty, equality and equal protection under the law . You have stated that you are willing to see GLBT persons have equal rights to your own, and that works just fine for me. I'm absolutely willing to agree to disagree with you about whether or not God considers my relationship or yours, or anyone else's, sinful.
Thats great
I am for choice and freedoms for all! But I still have my beliefs.
just dont like
And what if two people just don't like each other anymore?
You also don't mention physical / emotional abuse as grounds for divorce.
Study
Study in prayer God will let you know.
8-ball
That's hardly an answer... so if I say that I prayed on it then that makes it OK?
What I'm asking is... is it OK to divorce someone because you no longer love them or even like being around them or if someone is physically / emotionally abusive?
Re-8-Ball
Why would anyone stay if they are Physically or Emotionally abusive?I dont know why.
But over and over I see people stay around out of love.Its there choice.
I would say get out of a abusive mariage.Thats just me!
getting out
There are a number of reasons why an individual remains in an abusive relationship...
The question is: Is it a sin to divorce someone because they are physically or emotionally abusive? Is it a sin to divorces someone because you no longer get along with that individual?
So you're telling me you no longer sin
or suffer from any sort of sin of the heart. Ever.