Calling Homosexuality a Sin

[Mystery Meat]

This message is not for those firmly entrenched in the great and spacious building. I will ignore them in this thread as counseled by Lehi in scripture. I recommend like minded folks to do the same.

It would seem that for those of us who have remained faithful to the Restored Gospel, we can no longer call evil for what it is: evil. Nor can we call sin, sin. That is offensive, and it is our fault that those sinners are offended when we identify their sins as such. No matter. We cannot be deterred. Scriptural history is rich with examples of prophets and saints calling sin, sin. They were hated too. People, especially sinners, don't like being told they are doing something wrong. That they are sinning. That didn't stop Alma, Nephi, Moses, Adam, Noah or even the Savior. They had a mission to preach repentance. How can a person repent if they don't know what to repent of? How can any of us avoid sin if we don't know what sins to avoid?

Comparing homosexuality to other sins should be done with caution. This is not because homosexuality is not like other sins. In fact homosexuality is just like any other sin (lying, stealing, adultery, cursing, murder, etc.) in the one way that ultimately matters: it causes spiritual death and will ultimately prevent someone from returning to God's presence if it is not repented of. But that does not make it like other sins in almost any other way and people who do not have ears to hear will miss the message and assume (because they want to believe you are this bad) that you are saying they are just as bad as (feel in the blank type of sinner). 

I believe words matter and it is important that are youth and children know that homosexuality is a sin (even a grievous one). That doesn't mean we hate or condemn. We all sin. Each of us. My sins are just as likely (as in 100%) to keep me out of God's presence if they are not repented of as any other's sins, no matter their variety or flavor. That its what all sins have in common and that is why it is critical that we never stop calling homosexuality a sin.

 

[Sanpitch]

This always confuses me, homosexuality.  Does that refer to being a homosexual or does it mean relations between other homosexuals?

[JAHS]

22 minutes ago, Mystery Meat said:

This message is not for those firmly entrenched in the great and spacious building. I will ignore them in this thread as counseled by Lehi in scripture. I recommend like minded folks to do the same.

It would seem that for those of us who have remained faithful to the Restored Gospel, we can no longer call evil for what it is: evil. Nor can we call sin, sin. That is offensive, and it is our fault that those sinners are offended when we identify their sins as such. No matter. We cannot be deterred. Scriptural history is rich with examples of prophets and saints calling sin, sin. They were hated too. People, especially sinners, don't like being told they are doing something wrong. That they are sinning. That didn't stop Alma, Nephi, Moses, Adam, Noah or even the Savior. They had a mission to preach repentance. How can a person repent if they don't know what to repent of? How can any of us avoid sin if we don't know what sins to avoid?

Comparing homosexuality to other sins should be done with caution. This is not because homosexuality is not like other sins. In fact homosexuality is just like any other sin (lying, stealing, adultery, cursing, murder, etc.) in the one way that ultimately matters: it causes spiritual death and will ultimately prevent someone from returning to God's presence if it is not repented of. But that does not make it like other sins in almost any other way and people who do not have ears to hear will miss the message and assume (because they want to believe you are this bad) that you are saying they are just as bad as (feel in the blank type of sinner). 

I believe words matter and it is important that are youth and children know that homosexuality is a sin (even a grievous one). That doesn't mean we hate or condemn. We all sin. Each of us. My sins are just as likely (as in 100%) to keep me out of God's presence if they are not repented of as any other's sins, no matter their variety or flavor. That its what all sins have in common and that is why it is critical that we never stop calling homosexuality a sin.

 

I think it is becoming more clear though that for some people there may be biological and developmental conditions that predisposes one to being homosexual; therefore I like to stick with the idea that homosexual "behavior" is a sin but not the condition of being homosexual. We don't know enough about it yet to be certain.  A person may be predisposed to kleptomania but if they can refrain from stealing something, even though they have the urge to, they have not committed any sins.  The brain is one of those final frontiers that we don't fully understand yet. 

[Hestia]

We have enough threads on homosexuality right now.