|
Hello Richard, Thanks for your email, and I'm glad you are reading my site and liking it. In brief, I believe that gay people gan go to heaven just like anyone else. How quickly and easily a person attains to paradise after they die depends on a multitude of factors that make up a person's character, not any one particular trait or action. I believe scientific evidence shows that having homosexual desires is likely caused by genetics or congenital factors that are outside a person's voluntary control. Furthermore, early life experiences can also predispose a person towards having a homosexual orientation. Therefore, God would not punish someone who is gay because they did not choose to be that way. However, I do believe that people have some degree of control over how they behave. A person can choose to live a life devoted to pleasures of the flesh rather than spiritual things, and free will is somewhat responsible for these choices. If a person with homosexual desires chooses to focus on their sexuality to the point of obscuring the true spiritual purpose of life, that would hinder the soul's development and progression to heavenly realms in the afterlife. Jesus taught that celibacy and chastity are the preferred way of life, and "whoever can accept this should accept it." (Matt. 19:12). That is because such a lifestyle of self-restraint enables a person to develop greater self-control than an ordinary person, which means that the soul becomes stronger and more capable of rising higher and doing great things in the afterlife. Of course, both gay and straight people are called to be self- controlled about their sexuality. It's not just gay people. If a heterosexual man goes out and has wild orgiastic sexual affairs, with prostitutes and loose women and whatnot, that is just as much in violation of Jesus's teachings than if it were a homosexual doing this with members of the same gender. Such behavior would hinder the soul because it shifts the focus of one's life onto the flesh, which is not where the focus of a Christian should be. In recent years, gay people have come to see themselves as a specific minority group facing persecution, and this has led to an unfortunate tendency of some gays to overemphasize gay sex and sexuality as a way to overcome low self-esteem and fight back against those in society who hate gays. I believe this trend is not beneficial to the spirituality of people with a homosexual orientation. Being gay should just be a small part of who one is, not one's whole identity. I have a confession to make: When I was younger, I was very anti- gay, to the point of having some degree of hatred for homosexuals. This attitude was common among teenage males where I went to school. I remember how in gym class we all used to enjoy taunting other guys who were perceived to be "faggots" -- and I'm sure all that teasing probably was responsible for inflicting severe psychological scars on these kids that they carried with them into adulthood. Later on, as I became more mature, I realized it was morally wrong to verbally bash people because they are homosexual. But I contined to retain a significant degree of inner hostility towards gays which I mostly kept repressed. It was only when I accepted the universalist interpretation of Christianity that I came to understand that gay people are just like everyone else -- loved and forgiven by their Creator -- and that we have a responsibility as Christians to love them too and treat them with the basic human dignity that all people deserve as children of God. I have repented to God for my former harsh anti-gay attitude, and have asked God to help me become more loving and compassionate towards gays. Yes, Jesus loves gays. He forgave the woman who committed adultery, so why wouldn't he forgive someone who has gay sex outside the bonds of a natural heterosexual marriage? If a person has homosexual desires because of genes or other factors outside their control, I'm sure God is especially forgiving. Since being gay is inherently unnatural because it does not fit with the normal pattern of sexuality for reproductive purposes that is the main reason why sex organs exist, that is all the more reason why God would be understanding towards the plight of gays -- they were made with unusual inclinations such that they cannot enjoy sexuality in the natural way, so if they wish to have sex at all, they will face a certain degree of social opprobrium. I don't think that will ever completely go away, because people always tend to favor what is normal and typical rather than that which breaks the mold. Jesus befriended the social outcasts of his day: the tax collectors, adulteresses, prostitutes, and lepers. He went to them and showed them love, and encouraged them to become the best they could be. I believe if Jesus were here on earth today, he would go to the gays because gay people are hated for their unnatural desires and for challenging tradition by seeking rights and legal protections. Jesus would show the love of God to gay people and help them overcome whatever fixations on the flesh they might have, while understanding the fact that they did not choose their own desires and sexual orientation. He would encourage society to be more tolerant of homosexuals -- and at the same time, he would urge all people, gay or straight, to be more restrained in their sexual behavior and more focused on what is truly important in life: the soul. It is only the development of the soul that can allow us to enter heaven. There are many important aspects of this. One part of developing the soul is self-discipline in sexual matters, and another part is to show love and compassion for people who are different and face unusual challenges in their life, which includes gay people. That is my view of homosexuality as the subject relates to Christian Universalism. I hope my answer is helpful to you. Peace in Christ,
Hi Richard, Drag queens and crossdressers will also be saved by Jesus. There is nobody who will not be saved by Jesus. But there is also the question of whether we cooperate with God's will for us or we resist it during our life on earth. Generally speaking, I would say that a drag queen or a crossdresser is probably focusing too much on the sexual aspect of their being. God wants us to focus instead on the spiritual life, not the things of the flesh. So, if a person is overly focusing on sexuality by flaunting an unusual sexual lifestyle, that person would be too much oriented towards the flesh. The problem with being a drag queen or a crossdresser is that it draws attention to oneself in a way that is carnal, rather than spiritual. I don't believe that is the best choice for a person to make. If a person is just gay because they were born that way, but they do not overemphasize that aspect of who they are in the way they dress and present themselves to the world, then I would think that person would have an easier time focusing on the spiritual life and doing the work of the Lord. It is hard to focus on the things of the spirit and for other people to see a person in a spiritual way, as a devoted servant of God, if the person is focusing so intensely on sex that they have to dress in a provocative way. That also applies to straight people who dress provocatively, such as a heterosexual woman who goes around wearing extremely tight clothing and showing an unusual amount of skin. How can a person who acts in this way be focusing on the Lord and the things of heaven? It doesn't mean they are necessarily unsaved, but it means their priorities in life are not what they should be, and they should try to change their priorities to be more focused on heavenly rather than fleshly things. That's how I see it. Peace in Christ,
If you are an effeminate man, that is how God made you to be, and it's not your fault. It's probably in your genes. People have different levels of hormones and stuff like that. Maybe you have less of the masculine hormones and more of the feminine hormones, even though you are a man. Or, it could also be related to your early childhood experiences, or whatever other factors. But the point is, if you feel feminine, that is not something you chose, and therefore God does not judge you for that. I would recommend that you try to accept the fact that you are an unusually feminine guy, without focusing too much on it. I know it can be very hard not to focus on something when it stands out from the norm of society. For example, morbidly obese people often feel embarrassed about the way they look. People with deformities and disabilities can also feel embarrassed, and sometimes they overcompensate by focusing too much on the way they are different. I can somewhat empathise with you, Richard, because I am a person who has suffered from depression since I was 13 years old. Mentally ill people are often told by fundamentalist Christians that they are not good enough to be saved, because they are abnormal and imperfect and therefore "the curse of God is upon them." It's the same way with homosexuals, transvestities, the morbidly obese, the grotesquely deformed, and all other kinds of people who do not fit into the desired normal way of being. My own feeling is that Jesus probably has extra compassion for abnormal people, because they carry a psychological burden in their life that others don't have to deal with. If you struggle with homosexuality and transvestite urges, probably the best thing you can do is to trust in the love of Jesus and believe that one day, in heaven, you will be set free from all that troubles you in the flesh. Perhaps God creates people with abnormalities because it is a challenge for them to rise above these things and focus on the spiritual life rather than on a physical carnal attitude that most people have. Perhaps it is also intended as a challenge for others who are not so challenged, to learn compassion for those who are not blessed with normal healthy desires, moods, looks, or whatever else that is important in life on earth. As Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." (Matt. 5:3). And "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.... whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." (Matt. 25:40,45). Jesus Christ loves lowly and imperfect people. The popular "prosperity gospel" that is preached in many churches today -- the teaching that if you are not blessed with good health, correct desires and emotions, and material riches, that means you are on God's bad side -- is an abominable perversion of the true Gospel of our Lord. People who struggle with homosexual desires and don't fit into normal gender categories are loved by God, and are not accursed as some so-called Christians like to say. People should use their struggles and imperfections as a way to refocus themselves on the things of the spirit. The fact that you were created as a homosexual man shows that God has a lot of confidence in you to be able to deal with this and overcome it -- not to deny the fact that you are an effeminate homosexual man, but instead to acknowledge it without letting it hold you in spiritual bondage. You may have abnormal feelings about sex and gender, but just remember, that is NOT who you are. It is only a small part of Richard Z. The real Richard Z. is a glorious human soul, created in God's image, who will one day stand with Jesus Christ and all the saints in paradise, free from any worries about sexual and gender issues. So, try your best to live up to this vision here and now, on earth. And if sometimes you try to do the right thing but you fail and sin, remember that we all are sinners, and none of us are perfect, and God is forgiving because Jesus Christ is Lord and he is full of love for all souls. That certainly includes gays and effeminate men. Peace in Christ,
|
|
Christian Universalist FAQ -- Frequently Asked Questions
|
|
Heavenly Father, please bless this ministry, lead multitudes to this website, and help them see the truth of Your love and forgiveness for all people through the power of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the whole world. Open their eyes to Your true nature, take away their fears, and fill their hearts with the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. |