Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!geneva.rutgers.edu!christian From: mcgrath@tully.berkeley.edu (Roland McGrath) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Christian Homosexuals Message-ID: Date: 29 May 89 05:09:39 GMT Sender: hedrick@geneva.rutgers.edu Organization: Hackers Anonymous International, Ltd., Inc. (Applications welcome) Lines: 29 Approved: hedrick@geneva.rutgers.edu I think Mr. Shippen's article is an example of a common misconception among Christians struggling with the concept of homosexuality. I should point out that I am not an authority on this matter, being neither homosexual nor Christian, but I respect the beliefs of others, and I believe I can make my argument within a Christian frame of reference. Mr. Shippen argued that the Christian God hates homosexuality just as He hates fornication and adultery. This is a valid argument for His hatred and nonacceptance of homosexual sexual practices, inasmuch as they are performed outside of a legitimate marriage situation, just as He hates heterosexual sexual practices outside of marriage, and all autosexual practices (since one cannot be married to oneself). These arguments do not validly state that the Christian God hates homosexual love. The Christian God is love, is He not? How can He hate a form of love? It seems to me that the Christian God would accept homosexual sexual practices in the same context in which He accepts heterosexual sexual practices: between a married couple, as an affirmation of their mutual love. That then leaves the issue of homosexual marriage. Marriage is an affirmation of the love a couple has for each other and for their God; why should this not extend to couples of the same sex, who love each other and their God as much as any heterosexual couple? -- Roland McGrath Free Software Foundation, Inc. roland@ai.mit.edu, uunet!ai.mit.edu!roland