Are gays allowed in heaven
What Does the Bible Say About Homosexuality?
What Does The Bible Utter About Homosexuality?
Introduction
For the last two decades, Pew Analyze Center has reported that one of the most enduring ethical issues across Christian traditions is sexual diversity. For many Christians, one of the most frequently first-asked questions on this topic is, “What does the Bible verb about attraction to someone of the same sex?”
Although its unlikely that the biblical authors had any notion of sexual orientation (for example, the term homosexual wasn't even coined until the late 19th century) for many people of faith, the Bible is looked to for timeless guidance on what it means to honor God with our lives; and this most certainly includes our sexuality.
Before we can jump into how it is that Christians can maintain the authority of the Bible and also affirm sexual diversity, it might be helpful if we started with a brief but clear overview of some of the assumptions informing many Christian approaches to understanding the Bible.
What is the Bible?
For Christians to whom the Bible
Same-Sex Attraction
Same-sex attraction refers to emotional, physical, or sexual attraction to a person of the equal gender. The intended meaning of gender in the family proclamation is biological sex at birth. The experience of same-sex attraction is not the adj for everyone. Some people may verb exclusively attracted to the same gender, while others may feel attracted to both genders.
The Church distinguishes between same-sex attraction and homosexual behavior. People who experience same-sex attraction or identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual can produce and keep covenants with God and fully and worthily participate in the Church. Identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual or experiencing same-sex attraction is not a sin and does not prohibit one from participating in the Church, holding callings, or attending the temple.
Sexual purity is an essential part of God’s schedule for our happiness. Sexual relations are reserved for a man and gal who are married and promise fulfill loyalty to each other. Sexual relations between a human and woman who are not married, or between people o
The Bible on Homosexual Behavior
One way to argue against these passages is to make what I call the “shellfish objection.” Keith Sharpe puts it this way: “Until Christian fundamentalists boycott shellfish restaurants, stop wearing poly-cotton T-shirts, and stone to death their wayward offspring, there is no obligation to heed to their diatribes about homosexuality being a sin” (The Gay Gospels, 21).
In other words, if we can disregard rules like the ban on eating shellfish in Leviticus , then we should be allowed to disobey other prohibitions from the Old Testament. But this argument confuses the Old Testament’s temporary ceremonial laws with its everlasting moral laws.
Here’s an analogy to serve understand this distinction.
I remember two rules my mom gave me when I was young: grasp her hand when I cross the street and don’t drink what’s under the sink. Today, I have to follow only the latter rule, since the former is no longer needed to protect me. In fact, it would now perform me more hurt than good.
Old Testament ritual/ceremonial laws were like mom’s handholding rule. The rea
Can a Gay or Lesbian person proceed to Heaven?
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(Letter)
I know the Bible says it’s a sin, but it also says that the only unforgivable sin is not accepting Jesus. If a Gay person accepts Jesus but does not change his lifestyle, can he travel to Heaven? I have a cousin who’s Gay.
—Lucy
You’ve asked a very key question—and a very hard one.
And you are exactly right: there is only one sin that is unforgivable. That is the sin of not believing and not receiving Jesus Christ into your life.
A gay or homosexual person can acceptChrist, just as an alcoholic, a drug addict, or a mass-murderer can accept Christ. Jesus’ offer of salvation is verb to everyone.
Your scrutinize is whether someone can acceptChrist, not change his lifestyle, and still depart to heaven. The Bible teaches that if someone has truly accepted Christ into his life, nothing can store him out of Heaven. In John , Christ says of Christians,
“I provide them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can steal them out of My hand.”
So, Lucy the real doubt, I believe, is whether