CIVIL RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION: All things Christianity

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Stupid question

Is homosexuality, itself, the sin? I always just heard sodomy.

Does it specify?

In my understanding, it was God’s plan for a man and woman, separated in the garden, to be united and become one flesh in this life. It’s the way we were made to be complimentary, so that the marriage of the two would be natural and conducive to Gods plan for us. I’d also read that marriage of men and women is symbolic of the upcoming marriage when we are united with Christ. Being predisposed to act in rebellion to Gods plan is an issue for all of us in this fallen world. Some steal, whore around, lie, gossip, cheat, erect idols, etc. Being tempted towards any of those sins is a life we all must repent from. If you’re identifying as gay, are you really with Christ? I used to do many things considered sinful but I don’t identify myself as a porn addicted, binge drinking, lustful, slob. That doesn’t mean I’m not still tempted and old desires don’t sneak up on me. But I have turned away from them and turned to Christ.

Kind of rambled there. I don’t know if that answered your question or not.

 

[Ziggidy]

1 Cor 7:17 - let each of us live the life to which we are called. Indeed, she may be doing that for reasons beyond our ken. So, too, might the church.

NO ONE is CALLED to live in sin. Jesus Christ makes sure of that; IF we accept His gift. And one cannot receive it if they continue to live in sin.

I believe that passage is being taken out of text.

I will be interested in hearing the decision.

Peace!

 

[JettaKnight]

Stupid question

Is homosexuality, itself, the sin? I always just heard sodomy.

Does it specify?

Without getting into details, sodomy's not a problem, but sex outside of marriage is. (My take: if it's between just you and your spouse... play ball!)

And, since God is very explicit in creating marriage in a way that reflects his glory, mimics the bond between Christ and the Church, and is heterosexual, then any form of gay relationship falls outside of that bounds.

There's a trend now to self-label as "gay Christians". Does that mean you're in a homosexual relationship or that you struggle with desires that fall outside the norm? If it's the former, repent; if it's the latter, let us as a body come along side that person and help them in their struggles.

 

[T.Lex]

NO ONE is CALLED to live in sin. Jesus Christ makes sure of that; IF we accept His gift. And one cannot receive it if they continue to live in sin.

I believe that passage is being taken out of text.

I will be interested in hearing the decision.

Peace!

I actually avoided going into greater description of 1 Cor 7 because I was afraid it would approach foszoean proportions.

We are not called to live in sin, but certainly being tempted is part of the human condition. And, for the vast majority of people post-puberty, sexual attraction is one of the strongest temptations. (BTW, another endorsement here of the Theology of the Body text - it does a great job of describing the biblical nature of adult relationships.)

From what I can tell, the Roncalli counselor seems to have been called to a life of helping students. Outwardly (only God can know her heart), that appears to be as much a vocation for her as a profession. The sexual immorality and lying were the sins that created separation from Christ. Of course, none of us know her confessions. Along those lines, I've heard it said by priests that most confessions are repetitive. That is, people struggle with the same things over time. Penance is not necessarily a quick fix.

What I'm struggling with, as I hone in on it, is the consequence in this world. Something doesn't make sense to me about the scale of the punishment, the deprivation of the fruit of her good works to those in her parish and diocese. This isn't a "good works alone" thing. Not one stinkin' bit. Other than the aforementioned sinfulness (which she hid with more sin), she appears to have been a good servant of God.

I'm not saying I can't get there on the consequence part - I'm just saying I'm not there yet.

 

[Ziggidy]

^^^ Gotcha - we'll leave it at that (I agree with some)

 

[Ziggidy]

Just want to say, that don't think for one moment I would enjoy letting that person go. My heart goes out to her. I truly hope that no one ever, in any condition ever feels good about such a traumatic decision, to change a persons life by one sided termination.

Bad consequences are never easy (for anyone) - even when it results from making a mockery of the Man that was nailed to the cross.

 

[T.Lex]

Just want to say, that don't think for one moment I would enjoy letting that person go. My heart goes out to her. I truly hope that no one ever, in any condition ever feels good about such a traumatic decision, to change a persons life by one sided termination.

Bad consequences are never easy (for anyone) - even when it results from making a mockery of the Man that was nailed to the cross.

Agreed.

Along those same lines, I also continue to get caught on the idea that if she'd been more honest at any point in the past 15+ years about her situation, even if it was in the privacy of the confessional, that things might be better/different today. One object lesson for all of us is to not live a lie. Painful honesty is better than easy lying, because eventually the lies are more painful when revealed.

I also pray for the person who [strike]ratted[/strike] alerted the situation to the parish officials. I hope that their motivation was consistent with God's calling.

 

[Ziggidy]

Agreed

 

[BigRed]

So she signs a contract.
Breaches the contract.
Sues the other party to the contract she breached (note: Hasn't happened yet, but it will before long)
Receives payment for considerable damages resulting from her breach. (again, hasn't happened yet but it will)

I honestly don't feel too sorry for this person.

 

[Ziggidy]

There seems to be other employment contracts in the news recently. I am finding that more and more people do not take responsibility for themselves and actually lack much integrity and character. When they get spotlighted, it is seemingly always looking bad for the employer and not the one who lies and lacks the integrity.

In the end - good becomes evil and evil becomes good.

This social worker (whatever she is) will become a hero for the gay community and miss big celebrity in the WH will be a hero for the BLM and other low life groups.

Sad. Very sad. If people who support the constitution stick together, regardless of our differences, we can and will get through this round. As long as we support the constitution, we can continue to have our religious discussions without fear, our political discussions without fear and drink any size drink in NYC with a plastic straw.

We need to solidify the foundation and make sure it remains solid.

God Bless America

 

[T.Lex]

I see a fair number of employment/professional service contracts in my job and I don't think there's one side or the other that typically breaches first. For every one like this, where an employee might muck it up, there's another one where the employer doesn't want to pay or otherwise hold up their side.

But, in terms of what gets reported, it will usually be whatever the news editor/producer thinks will bring in more eyeballs.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

One point Hammer & Nigel made this evening...

This is probably the best thing that's ever happened to her. She's gonna make bank on a civil suit.

 

[Ziggidy]

But, in terms of what gets reported, it will usually be whatever the news editor/producer thinks will bring in more eyeballs.

Excellent point. If I did this, I am confident to say it would never ever make the news.

Exploitation at its best! When there is no news, create it.

 

[historian]

Excellent point. If I did this, I am confident to say it would never ever make the news.

Exploitation at its best! When there is no news, create it.

Well...if you married a lesbian...

 

[CampingJosh]

One point Hammer & Nigel made this evening...

This is probably the best thing that's ever happened to her. She's gonna make bank on a civil suit.

A civil suit against whom?

From what I understand, the school has not failed to fulfill its side of the contract. As far as the person who "ratted," a civil marriage is a matter of public record.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

A civil suit against whom?

From what I understand, the school has not failed to fulfill its side of the contract. As far as the person who "ratted," a civil marriage is a matter of public record.

They compared it to another Indiana example of a person that wanted in-vitro fertilization but the employer wouldn't pay for it or something... apparently made a lot of money.

 

[T.Lex]

I don't see a significant lawsuit here - especially if the school just lets the contract play out and doesn't renew.

However, her big money payoff will be on the speaking tours.

 

[breakingcontact]

NO ONE is CALLED to live in sin. Jesus Christ makes sure of that; IF we accept His gift. And one cannot receive it if they continue to live in sin.

I believe that passage is being taken out of text.

I will be interested in hearing the decision.

Peace!

Romans 1:24 Some are given over to sin, that being their judgement here on Earth.

 

[breakingcontact]

[video=youtube;dkR9TBrKM7E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkR9TBrKM7E[/video]








Go home and love your wife!

Classic Voddie, this is from a 5 part series on marriage.

 

[foszoe]

Blessed Feast of the Dormition of the most holy Theotokos!

Brief excerpt from https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/worship/the-church-year/dormition-of-the-theotokos

The feast of the Dormition or Falling-asleep of the Theotokos is celebrated on the fifteenth of August, preceded by a two-week fast. This feast, which is also sometimes called the Assumption, commemorates the death, resurrection and glorification of Christ’s mother. It proclaims that Mary has been “assumed” by God into the heavenly kingdom of Christ in the fullness of her spiritual and bodily existence.

As with the nativity of the Virgin and the feast of her entrance to the temple, there are no biblical or historical sources for this feast. The Tradition of the Church is that Mary died as all people die, not “voluntarily” as her Son, but by the necessity of her mortal human nature which is indivisibly bound up with the corruption of this world.


The Orthodox Church teaches that Mary is without personal sins. In the Gospel of the feast, however, in the liturgical services and in the Dormition icon, the Church proclaims as well that Mary truly needed to be saved by Christ as all human persons are saved from the trials, sufferings and death of this world; and that having truly died, she was raised up by her Son as the Mother of Life and participates already in the eternal life of paradise which is prepared and promised to all who “hear the word of God and keep it” (Lk11.27–28).

From St. John of Kronstadt

We say that our dead have “fallen asleep” or “passed away.” What does this mean? This means that for the true Christian there is no death. Death was conquered by Christ on the cross. But there is a translation, i.e, a rearrangement of his condition, i.e. his soul is in another place, in another age, in another world beyond the grave, eternal, without end, that is what is meant by “falling asleep”. It is as if it were a temporary dream after which, by the voice of the Lord and the fearful yet wonderful trumpet of the Archangel, all the dead shall live and come forth each to his place: either to the resurrection of life or to the resurrection of condemnation (John 5:29). This is what the Christian means by translation. We should be ready for this translation, for the day of the general resurrection and judgment, for this indescribable world event, recorded in the Holy Scriptures.

This preparation for the meeting of the heavenly King before the dread judgment seat, after death, is essentially the person’s preparation throughout the whole of his life. This preparation means a change in all his thoughts, and the moral change of all his being, so that the whole man would be pure and white as snow, washing clean everything that defiles the body and spirit, so that he is adorned with every virtue: repentance, meekness, humility, gentleness, simplicity, chastity, mercifulness, abstention, spiritual contemplation, and burning love for God and neighbor.


Our preparation for meeting the heavenly King, and for the inheritance of eternal life in heaven, should consist of these things. The heavenly King desires souls adorned with immutable virtue, souls prepared so that the Very Lord Himself could abide in them. Do not marvel that the Very Lord wants to live in us. In fact the human soul is more spacious than the heavens and the earth, for it exists in the image of God. And if one removes sins from the soul, the Lord of all will settle in it and will fill it with Himself. “We will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14:23), says the Lord about the souls who love Him.


And so, ye participants in the Christian feasts, and especially the present feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, ye who are brightly adorned with every virtue and translated to the heavenly kingdom, to Her Son and God, proclaim to each and every one about preparing their souls to be the dwelling place of the Lord, about continual repentance, and about the incorruptible adornment of Christian virtue. Let your death also be unashamed and peaceful, serving as the pledge of a good answer at the dread judgment seat of Christ. Amen.

To read about Mary in scripture enjoy the following references.

• Genesis 28:10-17
• Ezekiel 43:27-44:4
• Proverbs 9:1-11
• Luke 1:39-49, 56
• Philippians 2:5-11
• Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28