Honestly, this looks much better than I thought it was going to be.

I think there is way too much of a ‘do whatever you want’ attitude in the world today and it seems to be seeping into the churches. What so many people fail to realize is that a lot of the time what we want to do is wrong. Also, how hypocritical are we to first say that we are imperfect and to then say that we can provide our own standards of morality? What? So basically, the one who makes such statements is admitting that he or she abscribes to imperfect standards of morality. No wonder there is so much immorality nowadays. God doesn’t give us moral standards so that we will have a hard time following them – nothing could be further from the truth. God has put moral standards in place so that we can live our lives to the fullest and avoid the consequences that come with immoral behavior. If man could live life properly on his own, then why did Jesus have to die? Why did God have to give us a Bible full of written instructions if the instructions man comes up with on his own were sufficient? Obviously, man needs God’s guidance. History shows us over and over again that man on his own is woefully insufficient.

Now, I am not one to judge. I am absolutely against judgmentalism and I constantly try to pursue graciousness when I see people doing the wrong thing. Open-mindedness is a personal value of mine. But that doesn’t mean that I agree or support everything that other people do. I believe in standards. I abhor the phrase ‘love the sinner, hate the sin’ because I feel like it has been turned into a phrase used primarily by judgmental people who never tire of voicing their opinion to show how right they are and how wrong everyone else is. So I will not use that phrase although the idea, the idea that was supposed to be there before the legalists tarnished it, is a good one. Instead I will say that I accept without approving. I accept all people (or at least I try to, I know that I fail at this many times), but that doesn’t mean that I approve of all of their actions or the way they choose to live their life. And well, that’s basically what I got to say.

By the way, now I see why you asked that Cruise Free Zone question. Now I’m kickin’ myself, hehe. If I had realized that, I would’ve posted something for sure. Wouldn’t want to miss the chance to have my ideas presented in a big ol’ presentation made by AVB. 🙂

It certainly does call into question the notion of ‘open’ relationships with Christian same-sex couples …

Ok, I’ll be the first to stick my neck on the chopping block and make some comments about this 😉 😆 8)

I agree with the idea of personal boundaries when it comes to one’s ethics and morality as a GLBT Christian. Obviously the Bible sets out some general instructions for conducting ourselves as temples of the holy spirit if we hold to the Christian faith. I’m a little uneasy though when it comes to applying the Scripture “be not unequally yoked with unbelievers” to committed relationships between a believer and non-believer, as I understand the context of the passage when it was written to mean that Christians should not partake of the false/heretical doctrines and gods of the times (past and present). I could be wrong ❓

I think that committed relationships (gay or straight) are built on more than just one’s faith and spirituality. As mentioned before, the concept of emotional intimacy appeals to me because it encompasses all of everyday life’s beliefs and values ie social, professional, sexual, financial etc. I think sexual intimacy before emotional intimacy should generally be avoided for both persons involved, as it can (and sometimes does) derail the healthy bond-forming process.

It may well be that a heterosexual model is the best for some GLBT Christians. On the other hand, we should be free to explore what works for each of us, using our Christian faith as the underpinning foundation of our relationship.

No guillotine here 😉 Yep support you in that.

I aint choppin off your head mobileguy….makes sense to me. thanks for sharing your thoughts

That’s a relief 😉 I’m too young to die as a martyr for the GLBT cause just yet 😆 😆 😆

BTW Penny I loved those thoughts you shared … really brings home how being Christ like can have an impact on every part of our life 😀