Sunday afternoon I came across a man at Powell and Market (the big shopping area and cable car terminus) holding a huge sign that said, among other things, “no unlawful sex,” “no homosexuality,”, no bisexuals,” “no lesbians” and “no masturbation.”
I walked up and politely asked why he was doing this, and he told me it was God’s work. So I asked if God condemns people who are gay or who have sex. He yelled, “fuck off, you don’t understand this,” and then, “all women are whores, all women are whores!”
I’d love to hear comments on what one could possibly say in response to that?
Claire Ervin Lee 7:40 pm on November 15, 2009 Permalink
Julie, that same guy has been hanging out with that sign for years. He’s just one of those “colorful” street characters that populate the city and sadly, he’s probably mentally ill.
Carmen 5:44 pm on December 4, 2009 Permalink
I consider myself a modern Christian. I rarely use the term because I do not like being lumped into the same category with, well, dickwads like that guy.
As Christians, we too often pick and choose the aspects of the bible that we want to believe or think important. Most things (like references to the abomination of homosexuality) are in the OT which was rendered obsolete by the crucifixion of Christ. The most interesting thing to note here, is that Christ NEVER spoke about homosexuality. Not one verse in any translation attributes anything negative about homosexual people to Christ. What Christ does speak out against is divorce, adultery, and hate. If homosexuality were such a sin that Christians need to picket day-in and day-out showing their hatred for it while pardoning and “saving” murders and child molesters, than surely the son of God would have mentioned something about it right?
The son of God broke bread with tax collectors and prostitutes, he saw them as people equal to his own followers when the rest of Judea saw them as evil sinners who would burn forever in Hell. Shouldn’t all Christians do the same? Even if you can’t be convinced that homosexuality isn’t a sin, you should still treat the homosexuals with equal consideration and love. Haven’t we all been told throughout our Christian lives to be Christ-like, to be forgiving, to love? Love your neighbor was a strong command, it doesn’t mean you get to pick which ones to love and hate the rest.
Remember the words of Ghandi, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
In short, even IF the translation of the OT is taken to mean that homosexuals were condemned, they were offered the exact same pardon EVERY sinner is by the blood of Christ, followers of Christ need to see past their hatred of people different than they are, and embrace every one. Each person’s sin is on their own head and is a private matter between them and their Deity. Personally I have never felt homosexuality a sin, love is not wrong, but just in case I’m wrong about it, it’s good to know I’m not going to hell just because I’ve had sex with girls.