How Do You Show Christ's Love To Your Gay Friends, Relatives, Co-workers?

[Farida]

Yes, homosexual sex is sinful. But I feel like many Christians have elevated it to a special sin. In my opinion we have a larger problem with premarital sex but is more acceptable.

How do you love and support your gay neighbors without compromising your faith? How do you include them and make them feel welcome in your home, life and church? Especially when they have a partner or spouse?

 

[Shimmie]

I'll be back to share and thanks for keeping this in the Christian forum. I'm not at my computer at the moment.

 

[beingofserenity]

I treat them with respect, the same way I want to be treated. I don't think it's my job to police someone else's sex/love life. Plus, I'm a sinner lol. Doesn't God look at all sin as the same? I feel like I need to be more concerned with my attitudes and behaviour. I personally do not care about the issues of homosexuality. I am extremely liberal.

 

[newgrowth15]

@Farida, to answer your question, just like to everyone else. We who are believers are called to love one another and to share the love of Christ with others. We are also called to repentance and to walk in obedience to Jesus Christ. When we repent of our sins, we are to no longer walk in them--that means we ask God to deliver us from our sins. When we have loved ones who are practicing any type of sex outside of God's plan, we are to love them without approving and/or accepting their behavior. It is not our job to judge them, but to love them. If we ask God to show us how to love them, He will. We can leave the judgment to God.

Ezekiel 18:4 says "Behold, all souls are mine...the soul that sinneth, it shall die."

 

[mrselle]

A very dear friend of mine is gay and I show love to him the same way I show love to anyone else. He has been to my home, given gifts to my children, checked on my husband when his father passed away, etc... In turn, I am there for him when he needs me. His lifestyle is no reason for me to not extend love to him.

 

[Farida]

@Farida, to answer your question, just like to everyone else. We who are believers are called to love one another and to share the love of Christ with others. We are also called to repentance and to walk in obedience to Jesus Christ. When we repent of our sins, we are to no longer walk in them--that means we ask God to deliver us from our sins. When we have loved ones who are practicing any type of sex outside of God's plan, we are to love them without approving and/or accepting their behavior. It is not our job to judge them, but to love them. If we ask God to show us how to love them, He will. We can leave the judgment to God.

Ezekiel 18:4 says "Behold, all souls are mine...the soul that sinneth, it shall die."

A very dear friend of mine is gay and I show love to him the same way I show love to anyone else. He has been to my home, given gifts to my children, checked on my husband when his father passed away, etc... In turn, I am there for him when he needs me. His lifestyle is no reason for me to not extend love to him.

I treat gay people with respect and love and we have had very good conversations. I especially have one friend at work who is very inclusive and very open about his sexuality. I have learned a lot from him. He is also very respectful of my religion and I don't have to worry or walk on eggshells around him and vice versa. I don't see it as a different sin.

Have you ever invited your gay friend and his or her partner/spouse to your home? How do you discuss the relationship with your younger kids? Older kids is easier because you can have a real, detailed discussion.

 

[mrselle]

I treat gay people with respect and love and we have had very good conversations. I especially have one friend at work who is very inclusive and very open about his sexuality. I have learned a lot from him. He is also very respectful of my religion and I don't have to worry or walk on eggshells around him and vice versa. I don't see it as a different sin.

Have you ever invited your gay friend and his or her partner/spouse to your home? How do you discuss the relationship with your younger kids? Older kids is easier because you can have a real, detailed discussion.

He knows I am a Christian and while we have never discussed my thoughts on his lifestyle, he did imply many years ago that he thinks that I wouldn't be able to "appreciate" the way he lives his life. The truth is that I don't agree with his lifestyle, but I appreciate other aspects of his life. That said, he has been to our home several times and never brought his partner with him. I've met his partner before, but I've never been put in a situation where I've had to explain their relationship to my kids. My husband has a cousin who is gay and she brings her friends to all the family functions. My kids have never inquired about it, so I haven't brought it up.

 

[Godsdaughter001]

I had a gay friend who unfortunately passed away. OMG, I was SO heartbroken. And it's been almost ten years and I still cry when I think of him. I miss him so much.

I didn't "approve" of his lifestyle but I never judged him or anything. We had conversations about God, we went to church together on a few occasions. I invited him to my home for the holidays with my dh and my extended family because I loved him and also because he was lonely and had no family here. I prayed for him and with him.

It is up to God to judge me and my dear friend who passed as well as anyone else. I treated him like anyone else who I consider a friend. I never thought twice about how to "treat" him as a sinner. Probably because I encounter sinners everyday.

It's not that deep. Treat others as you would like to be treated. I would like to be treated with kindness whether I am prayed up and considered God's best or whether I am backslidden and at my lowest. So that's how I treat others.

 

[CoilyFields]

The same way I treat my muslim and jewish friends. We connect where we do, and respect each others differing perspectives. Love doesn't require agreement. I don't hide my beliefs, they come up when it's pertinent. But I haven't elevated homosexuality to a "special" sin either.

I would say that I treat them the same as my fornicating friends but that wouldn't be true. I regularly talk to my straight friends about their relationships. While I don't encourage them to fornicate, they talk freely about it and I don't constantly condemn them for it. I don't think I would do the same with a gay friend, meaning I wouldn't sit and talk about their relationships/encounters etc. I would care about them but I wouldn't be comfortable with their relationship the way I am with my straight fornicating friends relationships. Just being honest.