Almost a year ago I bought this book but never got around to reading it.
And yesterday I added another book and there will be more later.
Like many I have been brought up that LGBT is a sin. However I begun to look at it with an more open mind when a close friend told me about the struggles of a colleague agonizing over whether he should go for a sex change operation. He helped me put a human face to those in the community. That was many years ago and I have decided not to view LGBT as any other sin. Since I never have to directly deal with this issue I have put it aside until the last few years.
So what is the starting point of loving the sinner and hating the sin? Know the 'sinner'. But instead of knowing the 'sinner' I see too much homophobia from Lawrence Khong and Noor Deros and their ilk.
When you fall in love with a boy or girl don't you want to know everything about the person? Show your love by knowing them instead of judging them. Judgement if any can wait. Grace from the Cross give us time. Only haters are impatient and love is patient.
Update: 9:45am
6,400 FCBC members making their statement showing in church in white. I got this pic from Yahoo. I wonder how many among them understand what it is to be LGBT. There are sins and there are sins. Hate and murder will always be sin but eating food offered to idols, eating those animals that came to Peter in a sheet from heaven before he was asked to visit Cornelius? Let's gain knowledge and understanding before we judge.
What sin? Just don't break the law. If the law says it is wrong when it is none of their business, fight the law. Simple as that.
ReplyDeleteI chanced upon this book at Kino a while back - Gay is OK! A Christian perspective. Written by Rev (Dr) Ngeo Boon Lin who acclaims as the first openly gay pastor in Malaysia. As the apostle Khong expounded biblical verses condemning LGBT, it is interesting to hear the alternative interpretations from Ngeo. There are no doubt books written by western pastors of his league along similar lines. What strikes me in the first chapter and I quote "before engaging in this debate, one must decide whether or not homosexuality is a religious issue. If it is, then one must keep what one believes to oneself instead of imposing it on others or calling others who do not share what one believes immoral. If it is not a religious issue, or if it is a moral issue as many religious people claim it to be, then one should not argue one's case by appealing to her or his religious text". With religious fundamentalists like the apostle Khong, all the more I would think there should be proper separation of church and state. We don't need religious inquisition growing out of a group who claims wearing white spells purity.
ReplyDeleteWhoever said he or she would stone gay people, and I hope he or she is a Christian and time to go back to the gospel, Jesus Himself said let the first person without sin cast the first stone. See how people abuse religion - in this case Christianity!!! Shouldn't he or she be shameful to carry the tag of a Christian - shame!!!!
ReplyDeleteIndeed it is so scary - just reading about apostle Kong, and the anonymous that sent him a threatening message of stoning the gay.... how people seem to speak for God when probably it is the devil ingrained in their minds. All the more we need to ensure there is segregation between church and state. Imagine the likes of apostle Kong taking over the government!!!.
ReplyDeleteJust my 2 cent worth ( which may not be correct) , to know whether it is a sin - you must acknowledge it is one.
ReplyDeleteHence there is a difference between knowing lgbt is a sin, or that thinking it is not a sin.
Telling people to accept who they are is okay, as we all are sinners. But the point is sinners try to become better but lgbt continues to sin & the message sent across is : that's who I am, so accept it.
No condemning one and I have to say that I do have lgbt best friends, I never condemn them or scold them ( cuz I do not have the right) but at the end of the day - it is a sin. But God is the one who judges all our sins