Be a Good Christian Hermaphrodite
What does it mean to "Be a good Christian hermaphrodite"? How can we possibly know without consulting the Bible? Let’s do that now.
The Bible spends quite a bit of time talking about and legislating sex, and for many millions of people it is the single unquestionable source of perfect moral teachings. What then does the Bible say about the sexual relationships of intersexed people? Little to nothing.
This leaves the few Christians who even consider the question with a dilemma. "Do I try to find an answer hidden in other Bible verses, do I make up my own answers, or do I simply dodge the issue in a way that can’t be seen as sinful?"
While most seem to take the latter approach and ignore the issue or give meaningless answers, some of the more moderate Christians actually understand the issue and take a more reasonable approach, ignoring the "slippery slope" to homosexuality, and accepting gender reassignment surgery and sex with the opposite of the chosen gender.
Fundamentalist Christians on the other hand seem to have only one possible answer, as given by the infamous preacher "Brother Jed" to an intersexed friend of mine: Abstinence. He prescribed life long abstinence.
The reason that no other answer was viable for him is that he shares the common fundamentalist idea, which appears to be supported by the Bible, that homosexuality is a horrible sin. If a physically intersexed person is allowed to have sex with anyone then they would at least outwardly appear to be having homosexual sex, and there is no way a good queer-hating fundamentalist Christian could support such an "abomination".
Sister Pat, one of Brother Jed’s sidekicks, said that an intersexed person could get into heaven by "living as a good Christian Hermaphrodite", although what exactly this entails was never made clear. Brother Jed himself also opined that the reason some people are born intersexed is that their parents were bisexual.
Hermaphrodite at the Louvre
This shows a gross misunderstanding of genetics and sexuality, and basically punishes babies for their parents’ "sins" through the miracle of divine intervention. If these scapegoated children live their lives in complete devotion to God and abstain from (potentially homosexual) sex and all other sins to the best of their ability, will God, their omnipotent creator, perform the simple miracle of assigning them a singular, complete gender so they can then produce a family to worship him forever?
The answer seems to be no. Like the miraculous healing of amputees, miraculous sexual reassignment does not happen.
The reality is, like most people in general, many Christians do not know what actually causes people to be born intersexed, and they have just as little information about how these people should live their lives.
Intersexed individuals (formerly described as "hermaphrodites" from the Greek god Hermaphroditus who possessed both male and female physical traits) are those who are neither exclusively male nor exclusively female. They may have biological characteristics that are both male and female, expressing physical traits (phenotype) of one sex but possessing the sex chromosomes (genotype) of the other. Variations in physical expression occur, and it is possible that someone who appears physically "normal" is, in fact, intersexed due to their genetic makeup. The birth rate of all of these "hermaphrodites" is generally 1%, and while this sounds low, remember this is one out of every 100 births[1].
In most societies intersexed people have a hard enough time already without trying to live by the conflicting and often unrealistic expectations of Christians and their outdated and inadequate book.
The best an intersexed person can do is find what feels right, with the help of genetic testing and counseling if necessary, and with or without surgery just try to live life the best they can as the gender(s) that they feel they are.
1. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersexuality
April 11th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
I enjoyed your comments on intersexuality. I am one of the 100% you where talking about. I have learned to except things the way they are. Having to live as a intersexual does make me question the bible a lot. I don’t blame God for being born intersexual. I do however blame society for not being more educated about the subject. We all have our cross to carry. Someday I hope to set down with God and ask all these difficult questions. Everything is not black and white there is quiet a bit of gray. I have a book out called Looking Beyond the Mountains. You might want to read it. You can order it form amazon.com
June 9th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
I asked the same question to a friend of mind who claims to be very astute in the teachings of god and he said dont even talk about that thats disgusting he just dodged the question what because the bible doesnt have an answer you just ignore their existance he just had a horrible terrible awful veiw on the subject in a way its worse than racism and im sure more people are prejiduced to hermaphrodites than to any one race it just makes me feel sick so much so im not even sure how to express how i feel its still up for debate weather or not homosexuality is genentic or not but being a hermaphrodite is 100% not a choice and you cant even get a sergery if you go by the bible at least thats what christians say it would be VERY hippocritacal to say men and women cant get surgerys to change thier genders because god made them that way for a reason then go and say oh god made a mistake it has both genders lets try and fix it so what is a hermaphrodite to do my question is if a hermaphrodite has sex with another intersex person is that homosexuality, are men and women really opposite genders if so where does intersex people fit in to the equasion i have too many questions and i dont know how to phrase them im not saying gods imperfect or that the original bible was imperfect but the english copies that we read most deffinetly are and its time people start admitting it but too many people beleive that admitting falt in the bible means admitting falt in god i wonder myself why an allpowerfull god would allow an inferior copy of the bible to circulate to unsuspecting readers but the fact remains a mistake was made somewhere in translation or maybe a corrupt curch removed parts they deamed unchristian while copying bibles way back when maybe there was never anything about it to begin with who knows but people should think about it not just ignore or disregard it as erelavent to themselves anyway i cant think of a way to end this rant so ill just say by
June 10th, 2009 at 12:11 am
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
There’s… There’s no punctuation! Where dose the last idea begin? Where dose the next one end? I’m so confused.
September 12th, 2009 at 9:23 am
I have just come to educate myself on the statistics concerning hermaphrodites. In all the years I have been in ministry I have never met one, however I realize now that I just might have but they have been silent about their condition. I have not prayed about this just yet as I am still in the fact gathering stage. However I do not believe that God wants a hermaphrodite to live in guilt in any way shape or form concerning their sexuality. heterosexual people live in sexual sin just like homosexual people and a hermaphrodite can do the same. None of us should live in sexual sin. I personaly beleive that a hermaphrodite should be frr to choose a life long partner, get married and enjoy their sex life, (both organs) as long as the marriage is entered with their mates emotional health and full understanding, love and of course faith in Christ. There should be no shame where sin does not exist. no matter what we have been born into.
September 15th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Please do not question the Bible or God. Remember, the Bible and God are infallible, it is people who are not. People may misinterpret the Bible because people are not perfect, like God is. I do not have the answers and I do not claim too. But I can tell you all this. God loves you whether you are intersexed or not. Jesus died for everyone’s sins, not that I am saying being intersexed is a sin. I am just saying that He loves all of us. Rely on God who loves you and do not let people turn you away from Him. Again I say, God loves all of us – intersexed or not.
On another note. God made you the way that you are. He did not make a person that was broken, malformed, weird or disgusting. He made you beautiful and unique. Society has no right to say otherwise. I love you all my brothers and sisters in Christ and I accept you the way that you are.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
“Please do not question the Bible or God”
Every thing should and must be questioned. Other wise we can never know the truth. To try and put something above questioning is to out right ignore any possibility of it being wrong and any evidence against it.
“Remember, the Bible and God are infallible, it is people who are not.”
But is this not the interpretation of a fallible person? You believe the Bible to be infallible the fact is it doesn’t have to be and in fact would seem to be other wise. More to the point seeing how there are so many widely differing interpretations on the same book, what dose that say about it’s author(s)?
“God made you the way that you are.”
So then did god also make people with other genetic characteristics such as the gens for ASL, homosexuality, promiscuity, sociopolitical tendencies, etc?
Don’t get me wrong I’m very happy that you say you accept everyone, but if you do you have some serious question to address regarding your faith, your holy book, and reality.
October 6th, 2009 at 4:18 am
Hello EndGameOmega,
I am sorry that I have upset you. It surely was not my intention. I am saddened that it has. The purpose of my comment was to reach out with love to people who have experienced rejection and been subjected to cruel words. In any case I will try to respond to your questions as best as I can.
“Please do not question the Bible or God”
In this particular instance, I am referring to people who question the Bible or God solely because of supposed Christians saying that the Bible or God is against them. I do believe in looking to the Bible and praying to God for answers to my questions. I am not suggesting that people believe in a God that they do not know. You have to know God to believe in Him. It is through the Bible and prayer that people know Him.
“Remember, the Bible and God are infallible, it is people who are not.”
You are right I am fallible. I do not claim to be otherwise. But the Bible and God are not. I cannot convince you to believe in a Bible and God that you do not believe in–that is between you and God.
Different versions of the Bible slightly differ because fallible people translate it. Translating old texts written in Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek, written without spacing between the words and punctuation, is a difficult task. Even with the minor differences in the translations, the majority of the message remains the same.
Again, this was geared towards Christians who stray because of what people say. But I do hope that you one day find a relationship with God–even though the intention of my comment was not to preach.
“God made you the way that you are.”
Yes God did make you the way you are. Promiscuity, murder, sociopathic behavior and etc. are choices that people make, not a way that God made us. God gave us free will and some people choose to use their free will for bad. As far as genetic diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and etc.- I cannot say why disease exists. Maybe it is a result of people using their free will to contaminate the earth which causes genetic defects, or maybe there is another reason of which I do not understand. God never promised us answers to every secret in the universe, He promised to be with us, to forgive us and to give those that come to Him eternal life. I do know that when people suffer, God is there supporting them. I mention that God made intersexed people the way they are. Do you consider being intersexed a disease or a moral problem? Because you compared it to these things. I did not say being intersexed was a disease or sin. My intention was to say that God made intersexed people as whole beings who He loves.
You mention homosexuality. First off, I do not classify intersexed people as homosexual. Either way, yes the Bible does mention homesexuality as a perversion in God’s eyes. Is it a sin, I do not know. I think it is a bigger sin, to reject and alienate homosexuals. There is a large focus in the Christian community on homosexuals. So much focus, that people forget what God focused on. Very little of the Bible talks about homosexuality. It is not mentioned in the 10 commandments. Let us just say that it is a sin, for the sake of argument. Prostitution is looked down on in the Bible, but what did Jesus do. When the people were stoning the prostitute, Jesus stopped them. He said, “May he without sin throw the first stone”. Then he wrote something on the ground. What he wrote, we do not know. A pastor I once listened to, mentioned in a sermon, that he always imagined that Jesus was writing the other peoples’ sins on the ground. I wonder? What the Bible does tell us is that nobody was without sin, so they could not throw the stone. Jesus the son of God, took mercy on this prostitute. Does that sound like the mean, cruel, hateful God that some people portray! Look at the acts of Jesus, He acted with love and compassion.
You say that if I accept intersexed people that I have to question the Bible and my faith. That is not true. The Bible does not call intersexed people sinners. Jesus also tells us in the Bible, not to judge. So Christians who are judging others are wrong.
You do not have to agree with anything that I have said. It is your right to disagree with the Bible. You can nitpick it if you want. Like I said, I did not come here to preach. I hope that you find peace in your life. I did not come here to attack you or anyone else. If you have questions of me, I will answer them the best that I can. If not, that is fine as well.
October 31st, 2009 at 1:23 am
This is just my opinion, but here goes:
Many of us are born with either male or female organs, and therefore the rules of heterosexuality is enforced upon the masses in the bible, however, for the intersexuals (the special cases), the sin of homosexuality perhaps cannot possibly be committed when one is born with a Vagina AND a penis, however, (this is an example) there are intersexuals born with a penis, and develop breast’s later in life. If this is the case, God has given you a penis to create life, so perhaps for this TYPE of intersexual, he should choose a woman as a mate, since I child cannot be created with a man.
And people, keep in mind, if you pray to God and create a spiritual relationship, God will speak to the heart and lead you to the right path. God is above human opinion.
November 3rd, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Or it could just be the result of random gene sequencing and any attempt to impart a moral imperative upon someone due to there sex is not only unfair, but also unwarranted. Trying to say that someone must fit a certain gender roll based upon there sex organs and/or chromosomes formation ignore a significant amount of modern biology and human development, all of which draws in to question the nature of genders as a purely anatomical concept. That’s the point of this article, by pointing out the case of someone who is intersex it throws into question the idea of assigned someone a gender based solely on there anatomy, because an intersexed person doesn’t have a necessarily defined sexual anatomy.
Thought the possible reasons for someone being intersexed are numerous they are fairly well known in many cases. The vast majority have to do with fairly well understood genetic and biological cues all of which are natural in origin. If we where to sequence the initial DNA and monitor the hormonal balance of the mother or carrier, we could predict whether someone would end up male, female, intersexed or other wise. There is nothing supernatural about it.
As for finding a spiritual relationship with your or any other god or gods, what I can say is the actual act of praying or meditation can lead someone to believe they are having a religious experience when in fact they’re just activating various parts of the brain, such as the temporal lobes. This explanation is so interesting because it explains why all religious activity, even when devoted to different gods or even no gods produces nearly the same physiological and mental effects. These effect can and are exacerbated by physical and emotional stress, such as after fasting or child birth, serious surgery, etc. Again there are well know medical reasons for why you feel the way you do when you pray to god, and they are all completely natural explanations which require no outside interference from supernatural sources.
Anyway, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them. I will try to address any directed to me as time permits. Take care.
November 17th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Hermaphrodite- the “true” hermaphrodite person is the most baffling subject for western religions,
Jewish, Islam, Christianity and all that fall under or within each, to deal with. While they had to
exist during the time of Moses, Abraham, Jesus & Mohammad there is absolutely NO mention of
any sort (Eunuchs are not Hermaphrodites) at any place in any way or a single verifiable inference made of any kind about these people anywhere in the bible. Therefore, “simply” put, these human beings were not seen as outcasts or as sinners or as defected or as mistakes or as mutants or as the result of sins committed
by their parents or as anything outside of being the most normal of creations known to have been created by the god of these religions. How blessed it is to have been ignored by the God of the western world for all these yrs. If only the homosexuals had been so fortunate.
January 4th, 2010 at 5:56 am
I just heard about a new book that is coming out about this. It is by a British author called Susannah Cornwall and it is called “Sex and Uncertainty in the BOdy of CHrist, Intersex Conditions and Christian THeology.” I agree witht he people above who sais intersexuality is not a sexual orientation like homosexuality, it is more to do with gender ID.
January 12th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Being intersexed has nothing to do with gender identification, it has to do with a person who is born either both male and female or neither male or female.
A person can identify as man or woman, or something else if they are intersexed. It’s society that has the problem with us and we end up internalizing it and being forced to choose instead of going with what is natural to us.
I’m going to deny myself anything in my life, whether it be love, happiness, or my favorite books, etc. just because someone else thinks they know what’s right for me. It may take time for me to understand what the Bible says in relation to myself, but I’m not sitting on my butt judging people just because I may be wrong about something.
January 12th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
*it has to do with sex, not gender. There’s a difference.
*I’m **not** going to deny myself…
Some typo fixes.
March 11th, 2010 at 11:18 am
This is just my opinion, so take it or not. I mean no harm or insult, but has the consideration been made that takes into an account the story of Genesis and When God made Adam he was made complete. Then when no helper could be found for him God made woman from Adams body. Could it not be thought of that these intersexed people are not genetic deformities, but rather throw backs to an example of Genetic purity when man was made complete. Therefor still being just my opinion, but that would mean that these intersex individuals where not either man or woman, but rather an example of man as he was before Eve.
April 5th, 2010 at 9:47 am
Hello everyone,
I am an intersex person I am now 51 years old.
I have read the comments and I too have some insight I would like to add to this conversation. I must say I am a single Christian and have lived my life in pursuit of God’s will in my life. The Bible is the word of God and I have read the bible many times. Jesus him self has not said anything on the topic of Hermaphrodites or Homosexuality. It was others around him that AWAYS talked about homosexuality as lust , rape hate. sin worthy of death. People that are not homosexual are thought of as having caring loving relationships but then it comes to homosexuals the bible assumes that they some how leave the natural affections of the opposite sex for that of the same. My question is what about the people that have NEVER had the affections or inclination to desire the opposite sex. The men of the bible assumed men are born “heterosexual”. That was not true in their time nor is is it true now in 2010. Disciples may be the authority when it comes to how to walk with Jesus, but NOT the authority when it comes to human sexuality or sexual development. Please do not confuse the two. The science of a persons sexuality was NOT available to the people of the Bible times. That’s why it is so confusing for “the Church” to understand 2010 facts about sexuality. I was BORN with two intact sexual origins. It was my Father and the doctors in 1958 that decided which sex I was to become. They chose male. The never took into consideration that sometimes the sexuality in the brain is still “hard wired” regardless of what the outside looks like. Still the church feels like if your outside looks like one sex then you must marry the opposite sex and produce children. The only problem my father and the doctors chose surgery that has left me sterile. That’s How God set things up. The “Church” says. I can’t choose a male person to love because my outside look to much like a man.
If you are born intersex it is possible some people are born homosexual. I don’t understand why Bible scholars feel the need to shut down the science of 2010 or only give answers about sexual formation the Old Testament Bible. The people of the Bible were fisherman, Great leaders of their people, men and women of God but NOT the authority on sexual development.
I am not a angry bitter man, I am just sad at how some people still view people like me with out ever knowing one.
Thanks for reading my comment.
English is not my first language so I hope you can understand my heart.
April 12th, 2010 at 2:46 am
To Mark: Always remember this about the authority figures such as the 12 that walked with Jesus. When Jesus came back from the grave, he appeared to all of them at different times, and they all admit in their writings, just how afraid they were to see him again. This should be clear indication that they did not believe most of Jesus’ teachings in his lifetime. We all can read the bible how we want to, but the truth is that the bible is written from man’s point of view with inspiration of God in mind. The reason that the bible cannot state this issue, is because no one in that era really cared for anyone that would be considered “unnatural”. People in biblical times had an idea of who would be God’s elect, and only wanted to reach those worthy of serving God, that fit into a certain critiria being met. People still consider gays, lesbians, and hermaphradites to be taboo, and it was 10 times worse in biblical times. The laws of Moses were not perfect either, look at how they treated women, and supressed the woman’s value and point of view. I would imagine that if a woman today had to live by Moses’ standards, that she would not be so quick to defend the punishments listed with a reference to men lying with men, or women lying with women. How about Paul preaching how it was unnatural for man to lay with man, in it’s degrading passion. We are all mammals, which makes the human race tie in with animals, and 1500 animals were observed in sexual behavior, and found 500 species that form homosexual relationships with one another, and mate for life. That seems very natural to me, considering that animals do not read the bible. People will never except what they can’t or don’t understand, which is why the secular christian community spends more time condemning someone to hell, and less time trying to help everyone find their way to God. If we really think about it, Christian doctorine is not so clearly defined, as people try to make it out to be. There is no surprise to me, why more people become aitheist people, and the number one statement that is reoccurring among most of them is, that they would rather serve no one person or God and treat people like crap, than to become a cult of mainstream dogma and hate everyone. I hope this helps. I love you all, and please know that we are all beautiful no matter how the world sees us all. God Bless.
April 23rd, 2010 at 11:27 am
I must agree with a preacher I once heard say that if the person is born with both parts there is hope of understanding. The reason the woman is called a woman is because she carries a womb. If a hermaphrodite has no womb then that person is a man. If the person has a womb then she is a woman. Regardless of all the other things that make her seem to be more of a man. NO WOMB NO WOMAN.
April 24th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
@ Karl K,
So a woman who has a hysterectomy is no longer a woman. That’s exactly what I’d expect a true Christan to say, after all woman are nothing more then objects, and if the object is defective it must no longer have any worth.
May 2nd, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Well I have to say that this is indeed a lively discussion I stumbled upon. I will humbly offer what my studies have led me to conclude on the matter of intersex and scripture;
According to the bible, gender is the representation of the relationship between Christ and his elect. Christ being male (the bridegroom) and all those that are his elect regardless of there physical gender make up the Spiritual Church (his bride) that is the female conterpart of this relationship. (Please do not confuse this church with your local church down the street). This simple explanation is the definition and purpose of gender.. It is a spiritual reality not a physical one. Gender in our physical realm was incorporated in our creation as quite a great mercy to us because it points to the heavenly reality. Being that we are physical beings and that spiritual things are not in our native realm we naturally perceive our physical gender as the real deal rather than the rather murky shadow it is, just as any other earthly shadows of heavenly realities always are. ( For example the earthly Jerusalem in its full glory as compared to the heavenly). The existence of intersex is yet another huge blessing because it disallows the possibility that the fulfilment of gender could be in the physical realm. Not only does it not allow for gender to be nothing but a shadow on earth, it point it out as such. Since gender among humans is a shadow a cannot therefore impart any spiritual significance or distinction between physical humans, the is therefore no differetiating humans before God by any physical variation gender,height, weight, race…etc. When you read the Bible apply the spiritual concept to the seemingly sexist verses and you may be delightfully edifed. I hope this was helpful.
May 4th, 2010 at 1:15 am
@Domingo Mora
“According to the bible, gender is the representation of the relationship between Christ and his elect. Christ being male (the bridegroom) and all those that are his elect regardless of there physical gender make up the Spiritual Church (his bride) that is the female conterpart of this relationship. (Please do not confuse this church with your local church down the street).”
I’m really curious how you would back this up with just scripture.
“This simple explanation is the definition and purpose of gender.”
Except in the modern light of biology it fails to answer anything, and seem far more like hand waving. It’s like your trying to say these two things are vaguely similar and therefor must be the same, with out showing as much. I can find some level of similarity in any unrelated objects, it doesn’t make them related it just means your brain is good at picking out patterns and making rationalizations.
“It is a spiritual reality not a physical one. Gender in our physical realm was incorporated in our creation as quite a great mercy to us because it points to the heavenly reality.”
Except for the fact that gender likely originated due to evolutionary pressure as described by the red queen hypothesis. I’m sorry but I don’t see anything heavenly about the swapping of genetic material for the sake of improved protection from parasitic infection. Amazing in a naturalistic sense, sure, but not spiritual in any sense.
“Being that we are physical beings and that spiritual things are not in our native realm we naturally perceive our physical gender as the real deal rather than the rather murky shadow it is, just as any other earthly shadows of heavenly realities always are. ( For example the earthly Jerusalem in its full glory as compared to the heavenly).”
Of course, we have evidence for the physical. We can see it, feel it, and interact with it in predictable and defined ways. You make it sound like reality is just a shadow when all indications would indicate the opposite and that anything spiritual is just a shadow produced by the physical. If you have any actual data to suggest other wise then fine, you might have something, but as of now this is just a baseless assertion.
“The existence of intersex is yet another huge blessing because it disallows the possibility that the fulfilment of gender could be in the physical realm.”
What? I’m sorry but I just don’t understand what your trying to say here. By what do you mean “Fulfillment of gender”? Do you mean the idea that people are suppose to fill defined gender roles? If so then I’m sorry to break it to you but the concept that people must fit a defined gender roll likely originated with religion. Sure there might be a general tendency for males to leave the pack and hunt while the females stay behind to watch the young; the rigged idea of set gender roles would likely have to have originated from ritualistic origin (memes).
“Not only does it not allow for gender to be nothing but a shadow on earth, it point it out as such.”
Gender is determined primarily by genetics followed by hormonal concentration and queues. I don’t know how you can describe any of that as mere shadow seeing how it has defined and predictable out comes.
“Since gender among humans is a shadow a cannot therefore impart any spiritual significance or distinction between physical humans, the is therefore no differetiating humans before God by any physical variation gender,height, weight, race…etc.”
Which you’ve yet to actually prove, as such this would qualify as a baseless assertion.
“When you read the Bible apply the spiritual concept to the seemingly sexist verses and you may be delightfully edifed. I hope this was helpful.”
I don’t know, every time I’ve read the bible I just came away with more questions then answers and a headache.
June 4th, 2010 at 8:04 am
This is a topic which is mostly ignored by Christians. Personally, I feel that the existence of this condition proves that homosexuality/heterosexuality is not as cut and dry as people would like to believe. It is interesting that Christian apologetics states that the hermaphrodite should be allowed to choose which gender to identify with as they mature and become more in tune to who they are “inside.” Yet they reject this exact same philosophy when applied to homosexuals. To me, the very fact that hermaphrodites exist proves that gender/sexual identity is way more complicated than we think. It has many factors involved. Only the person can decide for themselves who they really are. Perhaps there are some who are born male but really identify with female. The hermaphrodite shows us that this can happen and anyone who ignores the facts is just skirting the issue rather than facing it head on. I am a heterosexual Christian. Typical soccer mom with kids. However I have always struggled with the way the church views homosexuals simply b/c I have known several of them. Once you actually know someone who is homosexual it may change your view. I don’t think people who do not have a single homosexual friend have any right to judge who they are having never even interacted with them. Having homosexual friends makes me wonder what exactly is the big deal. I still struggled with it until I learned about hermaphrodites. That proves to me the ambiguity is there in many people and for them, they must choose. I think that God may have given us this condition to prove that it is not a clear cut issue.
June 27th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Holly I’m with you. I have been brought up a Christian, and have always been told that Homosexuality is a sin. But more and more I am feeling this sadness for people who honestly feel they are born homosexual. My Christian background tells me that I must discriminate against these people. But my heart is telling me that maybe there is something more to it than what we were taught. Should people be torn to a point of depression, living in the closet, suicide because of their (sin) when this may be a natural disposition to be attracted to the same sex. Or for many born with both characteristics and made to choose. And if there are some born with both organs, than how many whom feel more male or female than what their bodies are born too, go undiagnosed, and live with this feeling like there is something wrong with them. Is that what God wanted of us. What about Love one another. Is it loving to discriminate against those that are predisposed to homosexuality?
Searching for answers…. Thanks for the article. It’s opened up some doors of though.
June 28th, 2010 at 6:15 am
I agree with you EndGameOmega about the more you read the bible the more confused you become. I know of many Christians with fundamental beliefs that admit they don’t understand scripture. I personally do not believe neither versions of the bible are the inerrant word of god. I believe alot of pagan beliefs were put in the bible by man, along with many authors own opinions (just read Exodus) and you start to wonder who is worse, god or satan.
I started studying these issues about christianity, the bible, heaven/hell, reincarnation when my gay brother passed away. What many bible thumpers don’t realize is that hermaphrodites can be extremely varied as far as sexual organs and looks go and many go through stages where they are attracted to one sex at a certain time of the year and then the other sex at another time. Studies were actually done on the brains of homosexual/heterosexual men and women by using thermal imaging of the brain and they found that the brain activity of gay men matched that of straight women while lesbians had the same brain activity that straight men had. Let me guess is the god of the bible trying to fool us into hell?
Dusty why don’t you “prove” to me that the bible is “infallible”? How do you know this? Is it because of what other people told you? Searching, you do not make no sense either, what do you mean you find yourself feeling more and more sorry for people who “believe” they are born gay? Why would anyone in their right mind choose to be gay? I actually feel sorry for ignorant people like you. Do any of you people ever think for yourselves, the fact that hermaphrodites even exist should make you want to question what has been written by very corrupt men in some ancient book trying to push their own religious beliefs that strayed far from Yeshua’s original teachings. I am not atheist by the way but a unitarian deist, I was a baptist at one time and I have read the entire AKJV bible. I have finally strayed from those false teachings.
June 30th, 2010 at 10:25 pm
To Holly, and Searching
Please remember that God is not responsible for these individual’s sin. It is the responsibility of the individual to be as they should and to follow the will of God. It is by their choice that they do not humble them self. God doesn’t make people homosexual, the devil does. Those who bask in their homo ways will see judgment for it. Do not judge God for these people sin, we have no right to question Him! As for people like “EvidenceNotBlindFaith”, “EndGameOmega” and others on this site, they should be ignored. Satin has corrupted there thinking. Look how they cling to there myth of evolution, and how they worship their science as a god. Do not be fooled by them! You have only one life to prove your worth, do not fail!
July 3rd, 2010 at 6:11 pm
I started a quest for answers regarding homosexuality when it became a huge sin topic with Christian pastors, in churches and in bible studies. Why were judging homosexuals so harshly?
I then thought about intersexed individuals and what the bible said about being born physically a man and a woman.
Then I thought what makes a man a man and a woman a woman? And… What makes a man attracted to a woman and a woman attracted to a man? Is it just physical characteristics? Is it upbringing or parents or your genes or hormones or x or y factor? Marriage is between a man and a woman but it doesn’t describe exactly what makes up a man and what makes up a woman. Very confusing….
I am a heterosexual married woman. My children are heterosexual. I do not have any family members who are homosexual. I don’t have any close friends who are homosexual. I generally disagree with mainstream media so I am one that can’t say that is indoctrinated by the media . So why my quest for answers about homosexuality? It was the constant discussions about it in Church and with Christians and pastors etc. Why is the homosexuality sin picked on more than even murder or pedophilia?
This is my personal conclusion and how I am handling this as a Christian. Love is the greatest gift. Judge and you will be judged as you have seen with pastors taking up this cause. This very complex issue is between the participants and God. If the church had to be filled with people who do not sin then we would have empty churches. I choose not pick on one sin. When I take the plank out of my own eye maybe I will be able to judge but until then…. I leave it up to God to decide.
A whole other discussion would be explicit sexual content in movies, television, and the internet. You just can’t watch television without being bombarded with it. Sex sells. That is really sad and I feel is very damaging to our society in general.
God Bless you all…