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👏 SEX 👏 DRIVE 👏 AND 👏 SEXUAL 👏 ATTRACTION 👏 ARE 👏 NOT 👏 THE 👏 SAME 👏 THINGS 👏

ASEXUALS ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE HIGH SEX DRIVES AND IT DOES NOT INVALIDATE THEIR ASEXUALITY

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We support all m-spec women in this house

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GF Perks.

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[ID: The John Mulaney meme. The first panel shows John Mulaney yelling “No!” at “feeling like you have to come out because it’s coming out day”. The second panel shows John Mulaney yelling “Yeah!” at “choosing to come out because you want to”. End ID]

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Don’t feel forced to come out, regardless of the day.

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When I look for a doctor who will take me seriously and find the best way to treat my illness:

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Gay🌈irl

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KATE MCKINNON on WEEKEND UPDATE Saturday Night Live | S46E02

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I'm in a debate with a friend; our Bibles translate 1 Corinthians 6 differently; his says, effeminate and homosexuals, meaning, feminine men and gay people will not inherite heaven. Mine says male prostitutes and abusers of self. I was taught Pornoi meant a male prostitute, and Malakoi was a young BOY prostitute, and that it has NOTHING to do with being girly! thoughts?

http://rainbowpeople.org/clobberpassages

1Co 6:9  “Do you not know that unrighteous men will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Cherish no delusion here. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor any who are guilty of unnatural crime, 10 nor theives [sic], nor avaricious people, nor any who are addicted to hard drinking, to abusive language or to greed of gain, will inherit God’s Kingdom” (Weymouth).

1Tim 1:9  “…and remembers that a law is not enacted to control a righteous man, but for the lawless and rebellious, the irreligious and sinful, the godless and profane—for those who strike their fathers or their mothers, for murderers, 10 fornicators, sodomites, slave-dealers, liars and false witnesses; and for whatever else is opposed to wholesome teaching.” (Weymouth).

We can deal with the Corinthians and Timothy passages simultaneously since they utilize the same Greek words, arsenokoitai and malakos. These terms are precarious in their meaning; see how various translations differ in their renderings. The Weymouth translation does not impose a bias on what is meant in 1 Corinthians 6 but instead translates both words with liberty as “any who are guilty of unnatural crime.”

The word arsenokoitai seems to have been coined by Paul himself. It is not used before he used it in I Corinthians, and is very rarely used after him by other non-biblical authors. It is probably that Paul coined the word by combining two words from the Greek Septuagint in reference to Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 – ­arsen “male” and koite “bed. It has been translated most often as “sodomites” (though the sin of the Sodom had nothing to do with homosexuality), “homosexuals” (a blatant mistranslation, the word wasn’t even coined until a little over 100 years ago), “homosexual offenders,” and “abusers of themselves with mankind” (KJV). Luther actually translated it as “child abusers,” which if taken to mean pederasts may be closest to the original meaning. None of these translations are completely accurate however.

Whatever the case, arsenokoitai is not a reference to loving, committed gay relationships. Had Paul wanted to express homosexuality within a mutual relationship, there were other commonly used Greek words available to him. He coined arsenokoitai for a specific reason.  Just as in Romans 1, Paul takes his idea of same-gender behavior from Leviticus. As we’ve already discussed concerning and Romans 1:26-28 and using Leviticus 18:22 as a cross-reference, we can safely infer that Paul condemned same-gender behavior only as it related to temple prostitution or idolatry.

Malakos is the word for soft; it is not used as an idiom for effeminacy. It probably has to do with morality. Arsenkoitai literally means man-bed; probably refers to temple prostitution which at the time commonly involved persons of the same gender. 1 Coinrthians 5:1–6:20 are dedicated to Paul’s condemnation of the people there. The worship of Aphrodite (aka Venus, Acidalia, Cytherea and Cerigo), the goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation, was common in Corinth.

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The “Clobber Passages”

There is absolutely nothing in the Bible that suggests that a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity prohibits them from being a follower of Christ. So why do we often hear: “The Bible is clear on this”? Well, there are a handful of verses that are often (mis)used to exclude LGBTQ+ people. In this four-part series, we’ll unpack each of these verses, often referred to as the “clobber passages.”

Part 1: Genesis 19:1-29

Part 2: Leviticus 18 & 20

Part 3: Romans 1:27

Part 4: 1 Corinthians 6:9 & 1 Timothy 1:10

Genesis 19:1-29 - Sodom & Gomorrah

In this well-known story, two ancient cities were destroyed because of their wickedness. Quick Recap:

God had already decided to destroy these cities. But two angels (disguised as men) went to Sodom to see how bad things were. They were surprised to meet Lot who welcomed them in his home.

Before bedtime, the men of Sodom surrounded Lot’s house demanded that he send out the guests so the people could have sex with them. 

Lot refused and the angels protected the household by blinding everyone outside. 

The next day, the two angel-men took Lot and his family out of town. The cities were destroyed.

The Non-Affirming View

Some Christians point to Sodom and Gomorrah as a “clear” sign that God hates same-sex behavior. Taken to an extreme, this view has been used to claim that queer people are ungodly, vile, and a threat to society. Some believe that if God destroyed Sodom for this, then God would not be pleased with societies today that tolerate queerness. 

NOTE: According to the ACLU, starting in the 1960’s, many states put laws in place aimed at limiting the rights of queer people (e.g. the right to raise children). They were called “Sodomy Laws.”

Why Were the Cities Really Destroyed?

The Old Testament includes over a dozen references to Sodom and Gomorrah after Genesis 19. If you look at each of these passages, you’ll find that none of them mention sexuality as a sin of the two cities. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and Zephaniah* discuss the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah as murder, theft, idolatry, power abuses, and oppression of the poor. Jesus also mentions Sodom (Luke 10:12) in reference to cities that refuse hospitality to strangers. 

“Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” Ezekiel 16:49

*Check out Jeremiah 23:14; Amos 4:1-11; Zephaniah 2:8-11; Ezekiel 16:49; Isaiah 1:10-18)

What About Sexual Sin?

The only biblical links between Sodom and Gomorrah and sexual sin are 2 Peter 2:7, which doesn’t mention same-sex behavior, and Jude verse 7. Jude says that the people “indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural lust,” which most likely refers to their attempt to have sex with angels - a different type of being - rather than people of the same gender.

FUN FACT: None of the over 20 biblical references to Sodom and Gomorrah suggest that sexual orientation or same-sex behavior were the reason for Sodom’s destruction.

Misusing These Passages

Early Christians understood the Sodom story as a warning about arrogance, power, violence, and inhospitality, not same-sex interest or behavior. However, throughout the centuries, this story has been misused to suggest Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of the actions of gay men. But the fact is, the men of Sodom weren’t gay; they were an enraged mob who wanted to dominate and humiliate two foreigners through sexual violence. This story has nothing to do with the LGBTQ+ community today or the respectful, consensual love between queer people.

Hospitality, Honor, Respect

What can we learn from Sodom and Gomorrah? That we should never become a society that mistreats foreigners, tolerates sexual violence, and neglects the needs of the poor and suffering. Followers of Jesus are called to practice hospitality to strangers, especially those who are marginalized or suffering. We are to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23).

“Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah! […] Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:10-17

Conclusion

The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah had become dark, depraved places known for their arrogance, lack of hospitality, abuse of power, and oppression of the poor. The story of their ultimate demise invites us to reflect on our own societies. Are we people of goodwill? Are we known for our hospitality and generosity? Do we live out of the love of God? The Bible never teaches that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was about same-sex behavior. So these passages should not be used to “clobber” queer people.

View the slide guide form here.

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Romans 8:38-39 tells us that nothing, nothing of this world or outside of it, can separate us form God’s love. They love us so deeply, so truly, so marvelously, that They made it impossible for us to separate ourselves from Their love. We are Theirs and we are Beloved.

To remind yourself of this, here is a small meditation prayer:

[Breathe in] God loves me. [Breathe out] I am convinced. [Breathe in] God will never leave me. [Breathe out] I am convinced. [Breathe in] God delights in me. [Breathe out] I am convinced. [repeat tomorrow and the next day until you are convinced]

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Source

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Can LGBTQ+ people be Christians? YES!

The basic tenet of affirming theology is this: Your sexual orientation or gender identity does not prevent you from being a Christian. You can be a gay or bisexual Christian. You can be an asexual Christian. You can be a transgender or gender-fluid Christian. You can be unsure of your gender identity or sexual orientation and still be a Christian. So, yes, you can be unapologetically LGBTQ+ and a follower of Jesus.

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for you all are one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

Non-affirming View: Queerness is Sin

Some Christians believe that embracing one’s queerness is a sin, and therefore, queer* people must repent of their “sin” to become right with God. This theology is called “non-affirming” because it does not affirm the inclusion of LGBTQ+ Christians as equal members of the church. Non-affirming theology elevates sexual orientation and gender identity as essential or fundamental doctrine. Taken to an extreme, non-affirming views are used to justify practices that marginalize and shame faithful Christians just for being queer.

*We use the word “queer” to include anyone who is not straight or cisgender (gay, bi, trans, asexual, etc.)

Affirming View: Queerness is a Gift

The “affirming” Biblical view, on the other hand, holds that God intentionally creates some people to be queer. Millions of Christians around the world don’t believe that queerness is a sin, but a beautiful expression of the creative imagination of God. This position affirms that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, can be faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

Sexual Orientation & the Bible

Sexual orientation describes who a person is drawn to romantically, emotionally, and sexually. There is absolutely nothing in the Bible that suggests a person’s sexual orientation prohibits them from pleasing God. The six* verses in scriptures that talk about same-sex intercourse describe unhealthy or counter-cultural sex acts- gang rape, excessive lust, exploitation. They don’t say anything about sexual orientation or the love between queer people.

*Over 100 verses in the Bible talk about unhealthy sexual acts between heterosexual couples. Yet, we don’t conclude heterosexuality is a sin.

Gender Identity & the Bible

Gender identity is how a person relates to their internal self: female, male, transgender, non-binary, gender-fluid, etc. Until recently, many people in Western cultures assumed gender identity was binary (male or female). However, gender is a social construct and is much more fluid and diverse than people are often willing to consider. Nothing in the Bible denounces gender queer people.

Affirming theology is grounded in the belief that one’s sexual orientation or gender identity do not prohibit them from being a faithful follower of Christ.

Your Relationship With God

For many queer Christians, attending a non-affirming church and maintaining relationships with non-affirming people can be painful. Here are a few things to remember:

Your relationship with other Christians doesn’t have to interfere with your relationship with God. YOU can decide how (and if) you want to nurture your faith!

You don’t have to be alone. There’s a growing community of allies and LGBTQ+ Christians who will embrace you.

Nothing can ever separate you from God’s love!

(Hint: Read Romans 8:31-39 every day.)

From Shame to Service

LGBTQ+ people who embrace an affirming faith begin to realize that queerness is not something to be ashamed of, but something to be thankful for. Queerness is a blessing that can be used to serve others. The queer Christian community has a tapestry of perspectives, experiences, talents that heterosexual and cisgender believes just can’t offer. God doesn’t want to use you in spite of who you are, but because of who you are- gloriously, wonderfully, beautifully queer!!

Conclusion

What is affirming theology? It is a Bible-based, gospel-centric belief that God is for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. LGBTQ+ Christians who hold an affirming faith can have the confidence that they are full participants in God’s family without having to change who they are. So whether you are gay or trans or straight or anything else - GOD IS FOR YOU!

See BelovedArise.org for suggested books and resources for LGBTQ+ Christians. To view the slide guide version go here.

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By 4:00 everyday...

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Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons is autistic!