In response to Rev. Ogden and those who think that homosexuality is a sin, I'd say, "Judge not." Jesus never uttered a word against anyone except the moneychangers and the Pharisees — the professional priests of the time who were caught up in rigid dogma as opposed to the living truth. Jesus taught forgiveness and for us to love our neighbor as our self — and he didn't add "unless they're gay."
To be a Christian, you must love even those whom you consider enemies. You cannot follow the teachings of Christ and hate or be judgmental. One final word: "Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?"
— Morgan Caraway
Mars Hill
Thanks for reading through to the end…
We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.
We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.
Amen!
That is the one thing that is the most hypocritical about so called Christians.
One the one hand they will quote that god will be the ultimate judge … and then from the other side of their pie-hole they freely pass judgment on others!
Judge not lest ye be judged.
Jesus doesn’t say a single thing about homosexuality in the Bible. Wealth, war, and divorce on the other hand…
Thank you for writing this. So very true. Judge not lest ye be judged.
It seems that you are only pulling out what you want the Bible to say, but if you read further you notice that Jesus also told Christians to follow the laws of the Old Testament and to add this one commandment: “To love one another.” (John 13:34) The law of the Old Testament states that homosexuality is an abomination(Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). So as a Christian you should love the person, but not the sin! Jesus didn’t love the sin, but he did love us. Let’s stop pulling things out of the Bible that are only half the story!
hello james, you seem like a decent person. I respect you as a christian and believe that everyone is entitled to their ideas on life. On the other hand i do have my own opinion on the subject. Jesus is a spiritual figure for all of christians and he did state follow laws of the old testament and if your a christian who believes that, thats fine. But in the end god gave us free will to chose what we want in life and if that implies believing in homosexuality then christians should just mind their own beliefs and keep their noses out of peoples business. It isn’t my preachers position force people on how they live their lives and pressure public policy just on the basis of christianity. It is everybody’s right on freedom of religion and from religion and the pursuit of happiness.
James, it seems as though you are pulling out what you want to believe from the bible. For example, the Bible says we should not “handle pigskin” (Lev.ll:7-8). So is everyone who throws a football in their backyard a sinner?
Im not trying to disrespect the bible, for everyone has a right to believe in what they want. But, perhaps you are taking your ancient text too literal, and or picking and choosing things to your liking.
James, according to the old testament, eating shell fish (Lev.11:10), wearing mixed fabrics (Lev.19:19) and doing anything on Sundays (Ex. 31:14) were all abominations, punishable by death. Have you ever done any of these?
You are correct that the Bible has been selectively used to justify all kinds of atrocities – The Inquisition, slavery, oppression, The Crusades, etc but it’s hard to find anything in the words of Jesus that would endorse such things. Also, in The Bible, one can’t find any mentions of abortion or a pope but lots of people supposedly infer stances on these issues from it. Jesus said that there are actually only two commandments: “Love the Lord thy God with all of your heart and all of your soul and all of your mind.” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mat. 22:37-40)
Since several commenters here ascribe to Jesus’s warning against judging others, presumably accepting that part of the Bible’s New Testament as a record of his teaching, I’d like to call to remembrance other teachings of his that provide balance and context. First, his very next statement is that with the same measure we mete out judgment, we will be judged. What is the measure to use in judgment? In John 12:48 Jesus said it is to be his word of truth: “the word that I have spoken , the same shall judge him in the last day.” He presumes judgment – by a righteous standard: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” A reading of all that Jesus said about judging and not judging,(more than 20 statements) provides a much more balanced understanding of the place for judgment he practiced and taught.
The New Testament record contains no mention of his condemnation of homosexuality, just as we have no record of his condemnation of incest, idol worship, slavery, or hundreds of other violations of moral and Levitical laws. He actually raises the bar to pass for right living in his equating lust with adultery and hate with murder. He did say in the same “Sermon on the Mount” in which he admonished care and reservation in meting out judgment, that he came, not to abolish the law, but to fulfil it. That law was emphatically clear about the abomination of many sins, including homosexuality. A follower of Jesus does not consider any fellow sinners to be the enemy, but captives to be offered his love, grace, truth and freedom. That love includes identifying the homosexual lifestyle as sin.
James, you have some things very, very wrong. Jesus did NOT say that we’re to follow the “laws” of the Old Testament, He said the EXACT OPPOSITE. The story of the Samaritan is a perfect example of how wrong those defending bigotry and homophobia as “Christian” are, where Jesus says that old testament purity codes being followed by the priest and levite are NOT the law, but “Love your neighbor” is. Romans 13:8-10 confirms that love your neighbor is the ENTIRETY of the law of Jesus Christ.
That said, you’re also dreadfully wrong in your attempts to justify bigotry with OT verses. Leviticus NEVER mentions homosexuality–it’s about a sex act, within the context of idolatry NOT a loving, committed relationship. Nor does Corinthians (which is in the New Testament, by the way) mention homosexuality. In old, out of date translations the word is used, which is of course totally impossible since the word didn’t EXIST in Paul’s time. Paul was referring to prositution of young boys at the temple in Rome. Homosexuality, and sex within a loving same-sex relationship is never mentioned in scripture, at all, ever and IS NOT A SIN.
This malarky of “love the sinner, not the sin” is also NOT from the Bible. And homophobia is NOT loving people, it is hateful and bigoted. If you love gay people, you are REQUIRED to opppose discrimination and bigotry, spreading hate and excusing it with obscure misquoted Bible verses is NOT love. The hateful claim that God views the way She created millions of people as a “sin” or, worse, an “abomination” is not love. The blasphemous lie that God will torture people in “hell” for eternity because they happen to be gay, a lie which causes massive suffering and destroys many lives in addition to driving hundreds of thousands away from the church and the love of God, is not loving.
I agree ONLY with your last sentence, which points out how wrong everything else you said was. STOP using scripture as a weapon of hate–love your neighbor, gay or straight…and you’ve followed Christ’s law.
Morgan, you’re half-right. Love your neighbor IS the law of God. The idea that God REQUIRES us to love Her is preposterous. What kind of nonsense is that? I REQUIRE that you love me?? It’s the LAW that you love me? No wonder the “love” so many have for God is, in fact, fear and blind obedience which has no true love at all. Jesus never truly said this, God does not require it. God loves us, and people who truly love God do so NOT because it’s “the law” but because of real love, because of gratitude for God’s grace and Christ’s sacrifice and forgiveness.
My favorite part is when they (the “christians”) start quoting from the olde testament ….. but choose to ignore the parts about marriage (of minors to older men), divorce (unacceptable), eating unclean meat (pork, shellfish etc), and most of all the owning of slaves … again, I thought the lord god almighty was the one and only judge ….. yet they seem to forget that part.
To All that commitment back to me:
Under the law we are condemned, but through the grace and mercy that Jesus Christ gave us through His sacrifice we are saved. In saying that, we must understand that if we could follow the law, then we wouldn’t have needed Jesus to save us. In my earlier statement, I was not judging anyone or their lifestyles. I merely want you to understand, as a believer of God’s written word, what he is telling me. Not what any other person is telling me, but what God is telling me. You ask for understand and not to be judged, but are you not judging believers by saying that they can’t pray in school or in public. Believers can not have an opinion on how God tells us to live our lives? When a nonbeliever starts trying to walk in the true footsteps of Jesus you will see that he was able to follow both the Old Testament Laws as well as show love. What you learn from reading about Jesus Christ in the New Testament is that he loved you for you and not for what you did. Saul (later Paul) was a prime example of the love that God shows on us despite of our sins. I was merely showing you what the word of God says about immortality and sins against God. Genesis 2:21-23 says: “21. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23. And Adam said, this is now bone of my ones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.” God gave man a woman and not another man, nor did He make a woman and then made another woman.
My point is this; I have no problem if you choose not to follow God’s written word, but at the same time don’t think that you have the only right to express your opinion or belief. If a believer, such as myself, express their opinion about what God is telling them; then all of the sudden they are passing judgment on your lifestyle. I don’t have the right to judge, but I do have the right to follow the commandment of my Lord and Savior to “19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20. Teaching them to observe ALL THINGS whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20). This is the great commission for all believers and that is merely what I was doing. Not judging!
By the way Morgan, Exodus 31:14 is referring to Saturday’s because that was the Sabbath day in the Old Testament and not Sunday. Sunday’s were chosen because of Jesus’ death on the cross and rising on Sunday Morning. If you also read Matthew 22:36-40 it asks “which of the laws are more important” and Jesus answered with those two commandments to follow. He didn’t say all the others are void. I just thought you would like to know that before started quoting things that you are unclear about. I still love you, thank you and wish that God continues to bless you. James
James, neither you nor anyone else is the absolute authority on the Bible or on what Jesus meant. You may claim it is so but it is not yours to claim. The God that I find described by Jesus is a God of love: “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (John 4:8)
Being judgemental is not love – it is self righteousness which has nothing to do with humility. None of us is perfect, therefore we can’t “cast the first stone”. If we were perfect we’d always be loving and NO STONES (judgements) would be cast.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another” (John 13:34) – with this one sentence, Jesus sums up a moral life.
Love to all of you.
God loves homosexuals, they are his chosen. He gave us many talents and gifts. Please don’t hate us for being fabulous. By the way, I think Jesus was a gay man. I mean, think about it, he never slept with a woman, he hung out with his “disciples”, he preached nonviolence, and had daddy and mommy issues.