Dealing with homosexuality in the family: How to handle it?

Look, he’s just a leader, and true believers should absolutely have the right to push back—it might even be their responsibility to do so... While things usually run a bit smoother when there’s one person at the helm, every single person in the community ought to have a seat at the table and a voice in the conversation.

The Bible teaches us that sometimes a believer needs to wrestle with God to truly prove their devotion... After all, God doesn't want followers who just blindly follow without thinking, because that kind of blind faith could be applied to anything at all. The whole point is to have a faith rooted in actual understanding.

But then again, I suppose we were talking about LGBTQ+ issues rather than theology, so I guess this is drifting a little far off-topic...

neonhound10 said:Look, he’s just a leader, and true believers should absolutely have the right to push back—it might even be their responsibility to do so... While things usually run a bit smoother when there’s one person at the helm, every single person in the community ought to have a seat at the table and a voice in the conversation.

The Bible teaches us that sometimes a believer needs to wrestle with God to truly prove their devotion... After all, God doesn't want followers who just blindly follow without thinking, because that kind of blind faith could be applied to anything at all. The whole point is to have a faith rooted in actual understanding.

But then again, I suppose we were talking about LGBTQ+ issues rather than theology, so I guess this is drifting a little far off-topic...

Look, I realize this is a bit off-topic—honestly, it’s a pretty silly subject to dive into since I’m not a believer myself. To me, organized religion is just a bunch of nonsense, essentially a tool used to keep the masses under control through dogma...👎
But, let's be honest, it's difficult to stay strictly within the lines of a single topic when there are so many interconnected threads pulling at it...

Anthony Sanders53 said:I can't agree with you ... MORE!!!
Great post, everything was so well put. Honestly, I'm sick of the church, this hypocritical society, public morality, and everyone who tries to limit human freedoms.

You're practically a modern-day Giordano Bruno

slywolf45 said:Look, I realize this is a bit off-topic—honestly, it’s a pretty silly subject to dive into since I’m not a believer myself. To me, organized religion is just a bunch of nonsense, essentially a tool used to keep the masses under control through dogma...👎
But, let's be honest, it's difficult to stay strictly within the lines of a single topic when there are so many interconnected threads pulling at it...

So does that mean I'm unthinking too, even if I don't consider myself part of some mindless crowd? It feels like the exact same kind of prejudice I have toward vegetarians or the LGBTQ+ community, except at least I'm actually aware of my own biases...

slywolf45 said:Look, I realize this is a bit off-topic—honestly, it’s a pretty silly subject to dive into since I’m not a believer myself. To me, organized religion is just a bunch of nonsense, essentially a tool used to keep the masses under control through dogma...👎
But, let's be honest, it's difficult to stay strictly within the lines of a single topic when there are so many interconnected threads pulling at it...

It's true. Religion is responsible for so many things that modern society has finally moved past, like slavery, the oppression of women, heteronormativity, stoning, and the fight for basic equality for everyone.😕

James Booth40 said:It's true. Religion is responsible for so many things that modern society has finally moved past, like slavery, the oppression of women, heteronormativity, stoning, and the fight for basic equality for everyone.😕

Alright, since we’ve already opened the door to discussing the Church, let me offer a small clarification. From what I understand, the Church doesn't actually condemn homosexual people themselves, but rather views homosexuality as the issue at hand. An individual is perfectly acceptable to them, provided they aren't acting on those impulses or actively pursuing them—whatever that entails. It’s a similar story with heterosexual relationships outside of marriage; the expectation is that intimacy should be reserved for marriage, primarily for the sake of procreation. It really is a set of incredibly high standards for just about everything.

neonhound10 said:So does that mean I'm unthinking too, even if I don't consider myself part of some mindless crowd? It feels like the exact same kind of prejudice I have toward vegetarians or the LGBTQ+ community, except at least I'm actually aware of my own biases...

Perhaps... though one could argue that religious crowds tend to be a bit more massive than the other groups we're discussing..

You aren't an individual standing apart from the crowd; you're just another part of it.

George Newman58 said:Alright, since we’ve already opened the door to discussing the Church, let me offer a small clarification. From what I understand, the Church doesn't actually condemn homosexual people themselves, but rather views homosexuality as the issue at hand. An individual is perfectly acceptable to them, provided they aren't acting on those impulses or actively pursuing them—whatever that entails. It’s a similar story with heterosexual relationships outside of marriage; the expectation is that intimacy should be reserved for marriage, primarily for the sake of procreation. It really is a set of incredibly high standards for just about everything.

Yeah, you've got a point there. The Church always follows its own internal logic, I suppose, but there is something fundamentally absurd about listening to an institution that preaches such rigid laws and moral standards while simultaneously being so incredibly hypocritical.👎

George Newman58 said:Alright, since we’ve already opened the door to discussing the Church, let me offer a small clarification. From what I understand, the Church doesn't actually condemn homosexual people themselves, but rather views homosexuality as the issue at hand. An individual is perfectly acceptable to them, provided they aren't acting on those impulses or actively pursuing them—whatever that entails. It’s a similar story with heterosexual relationships outside of marriage; the expectation is that intimacy should be reserved for marriage, primarily for the sake of procreation. It really is a set of incredibly high standards for just about everything.

And you really think Catholics actually live by all that? 😕

slywolf45 said:Yeah, you've got a point there. The Church always follows its own internal logic, I suppose, but there is something fundamentally absurd about listening to an institution that preaches such rigid laws and moral standards while simultaneously being so incredibly hypocritical.👎

At the end of the day, everyone chooses their own teachers; what sounds perfectly reasonable to one person might seem utterly insane to another.
That said, just as I would find it suffocating if someone tried to terrorize me simply because I couldn't adhere to every single religious mandate, I also find it equally stifling when people suggest that it isn't enough to just treat someone's sexual orientation as a non-issue—as if we should focus on who they are as a person rather than their orientation—but instead insist on handing out medals for it.
I find myself standing against both negative and positive discrimination in this regard.

James Booth40 said:And you really think Catholics actually live by all that? 😕

Not quite; I think that was actually the entire point.

George Newman58 said:At the end of the day, everyone chooses their own teachers; what sounds perfectly reasonable to one person might seem utterly insane to another.
That said, just as I would find it suffocating if someone tried to terrorize me simply because I couldn't adhere to every single religious mandate, I also find it equally stifling when people suggest that it isn't enough to just treat someone's sexual orientation as a non-issue—as if we should focus on who they are as a person rather than their orientation—but instead insist on handing out medals for it.
I find myself standing against both negative and positive discrimination in this regard.

What kind of medals are you talking about here? This isn't about seeking awards; it's strictly about stopping harassment and discrimination. Why on earth would I expect a medal just for being a lesbian? 😕
All I'm looking for is basic decency—not having to look over my shoulder while walking down the streets of Washington, D.C., after leaving a club, fearing that three idiots might jump me like they did to my friend a few years back.

That's all I want, nothing more.

slywolf45 said:What kind of medals are you talking about here? This isn't about seeking awards; it's strictly about stopping harassment and discrimination. Why on earth would I expect a medal just for being a lesbian? 😕
All I'm looking for is basic decency—not having to look over my shoulder while walking down the streets of Washington, D.C., after leaving a club, fearing that three idiots might jump me like they did to my friend a few years back.

That's all I want, nothing more.

And you are absolutely right to demand that; being treated normally, just like everyone else—I couldn't agree more. No one is better or worse than anyone else.
However, I wouldn't exactly be seeking out fame either if I spent all my time wandering around, say, a gay club, loudly proclaiming how heterosexual I am, how wonderful it is, how everyone who doesn't get it is a primitive, and how it's my personal business, while simultaneously making a systemic effort to make sure everyone knows about it—which is exactly how some homosexuals behave. To be clear, I'm not talking about the people who live their lives openly and naturally; I believe no one has the right to harass them in any way. But there is a distinct difference between living your life and constant advertising or public spectacle, treating an orientation as if it were the sole defining feature of a person's entire identity.
At the end of the day, you are first and foremost yourself, and only then, as you put it, a lesbian.

neonhound10 said:Honestly, you're talking nonsense; even in the Bible, there are mentions of people being born that way, and nobody is out there judging anyone else, so maybe don't present your own perception as if it's some universal truth, but rather just state that it's your personal view...

live long and prosper

The Church used to burn homosexuals at the stake... I really have to wonder who here is pretending they can't see the reality of it. Compared to what the Church actually did, Hitler was practically a pacifist.

George Newman58 said:And you are absolutely right to demand that; being treated normally, just like everyone else—I couldn't agree more. No one is better or worse than anyone else.
However, I wouldn't exactly be seeking out fame either if I spent all my time wandering around, say, a gay club, loudly proclaiming how heterosexual I am, how wonderful it is, how everyone who doesn't get it is a primitive, and how it's my personal business, while simultaneously making a systemic effort to make sure everyone knows about it—which is exactly how some homosexuals behave. To be clear, I'm not talking about the people who live their lives openly and naturally; I believe no one has the right to harass them in any way. But there is a distinct difference between living your life and constant advertising or public spectacle, treating an orientation as if it were the sole defining feature of a person's entire identity.
At the end of the day, you are first and foremost yourself, and only then, as you put it, a lesbian.

Look, some people are genuinely trying to explain things to those who think being gay means someone is a monster or some kind of predator lurking in the shadows to target children—it simply isn't like that. I respect that effort, even if I'm not the type to march in a Pride parade; I understand why people feel that need. Because once the physical and verbal attacks against gay people stop, the necessity of shouting your rights from the rooftops at parades and such will eventually fade away.
And I'm sorry... but if you can't wrap your head around the fact that human sexuality might differ from your own... then you're just being primitive.

George Newman58 said:And you are absolutely right to demand that; being treated normally, just like everyone else—I couldn't agree more. No one is better or worse than anyone else.
However, I wouldn't exactly be seeking out fame either if I spent all my time wandering around, say, a gay club, loudly proclaiming how heterosexual I am, how wonderful it is, how everyone who doesn't get it is a primitive, and how it's my personal business, while simultaneously making a systemic effort to make sure everyone knows about it—which is exactly how some homosexuals behave. To be clear, I'm not talking about the people who live their lives openly and naturally; I believe no one has the right to harass them in any way. But there is a distinct difference between living your life and constant advertising or public spectacle, treating an orientation as if it were the sole defining feature of a person's entire identity.
At the end of the day, you are first and foremost yourself, and only then, as you put it, a lesbian.

Of course it isn't the only thing. Some people are perfectly fine with being gay, while others struggle with it. For those who struggle, it unfortunately ends up becoming a massive part of their identity because when society slaps a label on you, everything tends to get reduced to that single point. You can't truly discuss it or grasp the weight of it unless you've actually lived through it.

slywolf45 said:Look, some people are genuinely trying to explain things to those who think being gay means someone is a monster or some kind of predator lurking in the shadows to target children—it simply isn't like that. I respect that effort, even if I'm not the type to march in a Pride parade; I understand why people feel that need. Because once the physical and verbal attacks against gay people stop, the necessity of shouting your rights from the rooftops at parades and such will eventually fade away.
And I'm sorry... but if you can't wrap your head around the fact that human sexuality might differ from your own... then you're just being primitive.

Of course it isn't the only thing. Some people are perfectly fine with being gay, while others struggle with it. For those who struggle, it unfortunately ends up becoming a massive part of their identity because when society slaps a label on you, everything tends to get reduced to that single point. You can't truly discuss it or grasp the weight of it unless you've actually lived through it.

Man, I have to agree with this!

Sarah Wood8 said:The Church used to burn homosexuals at the stake... I really have to wonder who here is pretending they can't see the reality of it. Compared to what the Church actually did, Hitler was practically a pacifist.

Honestly, you’ve completely missed the point of this entire discussion...

For those who can't seem to connect the dots, it's probably better to just stay quiet...

neonhound10 said:Honestly, you’ve completely missed the point of this entire discussion...

For those who can't seem to connect the dots, it's probably better to just stay quiet...

So, I was just speaking the truth? That's all I wanted to know. 😛

Drew Bennett2 said:One doesn't simply "become" gay. There has to be an underlying genetic predisposition that you're born with, much like how some people are naturally left-handed while others are right-handed. It isn't a choice, nor is it something one suddenly becomes 👍.

Actually, that's not quite right—I mean, even Leonardo da Vinci was known to write with both hands.

Look, it's not like you're born an alcoholic or someone struggling with schizophrenia...

those are things that develop over time.

Samuel Nelson24 said:Actually, that's not quite right—I mean, even Leonardo da Vinci was known to write with both hands.

Look, it's not like you're born an alcoholic or someone struggling with schizophrenia...

those are things that develop over time.

Oh, please don't start with me...
http://www.geneticsandhealth.com/200...ness-is-found/