Rev. Yvette's Mailbag

This page contains samplings of comments and questions that visitors have emailed to Rev. Yvette. Perhaps you will find an answer to a question you have here as well. Questions and comments are always welcome and Rev. Yvette will do her best to answer them.

Q I was reading the “About the Author” section, where the author compares the scriptures to a gold mine. The author stated, “Not every stone taken from a mine is either diamond or gold, but that which is precious must be extracted from that which is not”. How can this be true in light of 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which says that “16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” If scripture must be sifted for its truths, then how could all of it be God-breathed and useful teaching, rebuking, etc.?

A Dear Friend: Thank you for your wise comment. I agree with the author of Timothy that all Scripture is God-breathed...in the original texts in the original languages. However, we do not have all the original texts in the original languages. What we have today are copies of copies of copies-many of which are remarkably close to ancient texts-the Qumran texts, for example. However, we also have a multitude of translations of texts, all of which read differently from one another. A passage, which is interpreted one way by one body of translators, can and often is interpreted entirely differently by another body of translators. That’s where the “mining” comes into play-studying and testing the various translations to try to determine what the author really meant, and separating the “truest” version from the less accurate ones. Perhaps my analogy of mining and sifting through the scripture to determine that which is precious from that which is not, was not the best way to explain what I meant. I hope this helps clarify what I meant-not to discard the words the authors meant, but to separate out the verbiage of the less-accurate translations, to find the ones, which most closely reflect the authors’ intentions.

Q You know when I read about your website, it made me laugh, then I felt sorry for everyone that belives like you do. I have read the Bible many of times and I can give you plenty of Bible verses where God clearly is telling His followers to not be homosexual or even sit at the same table as them. I know everyone sins, thats why there is forgiveness. But also you REPENT, meaning you do not do it again. Nobody is perfect but how can you call yourself Christian, when as a Christian you are supposed to live your life like Christ did. Jesus was not gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Do you cut out the part of the Bible where is says that God made man and woman for each other. Not man and man or woman and woman. I just am flabbergasted at this belief yall have of calling yourself Christians. I feel really sorry that yall really think that it is says no where in the Bible not to be gay. I can give you many many verses.

A Thank you for your concern, but you don’t need to feel sorry for us. Why would you feel sorry for someone who has a relationship with Christ? There is a section on my website called Homosexuality and the Bible. If you go there, you will find all the Bible verses that supposedly address the subject of homosexuality, and if you read it you will find out what these verses really speak about. And at that, there aren’t “plenty of verses.” Out of the thousands and thousands of verses of the Bible, there are only 8 that supposedly address the subject. If you’d like to read what is there, and then if you have any questions or comments, I’d be happy to discuss them with you.
To correct some things you say:
How can we call ourselves Christians? Any sinner who is a follower of Christ is a Christian. Or don’t you know that? You don’t know what Jesus’ sexuality was-neither do I. But, if you stop to think about it, He wasn’t married when all Jewish men of marrying age were, and He ran around with twelve other men. Now I’m not saying at all that Jesus was gay–just that you shouldn’t make statements about things about which you know nothing.
You say, “Do you cut out the part of the Bible where is says that God made man and woman for each other. Not man and man or woman and woman.” That sounds a lot like “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” That’s wrong, of course. God made Adam and Eve and Steve, and George, and everyone else in the world. I’d like to show you something: Since Adam and Eve are believed to have lived around what today is Arabia, they would be brown skinned, with brown or black eyes. To take your analogy a little further, anyone who didn’t look like Adam or Eve–anyone with white, black, yellow or red skin, or blonde or red hair or blue or green eyes–weren’t made by God, because they are Nordic or North European people who weren’t in Eden–who aren’t even mentioned in the Bible. Pretty ridiculous, isn’t it? In fact, there are gay people in the Bible. If you have read the Bible many times as you say you have, then you must have read the story of King David and Prince Jonathan, and you must know that the Bible says they loved each other. Now, God chastised David many times for his sins, but never for his love for Jonathan. Do you remember David saying to Jonathan, “Your love for me was more wonderful than the love of women?”
So, I’d be happy to talk to you about the subject, if you wish, but don’t make fun about things you apparently know so little. I’ll leave you with a couple of little quotes, from Romans 14:16: “Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil,” and from Romans 2:1: “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” God bless.

Q I know I am not gonna change your minds but from what I have studied and from what I have talked on with my pastor. It’s still not right. As the story goes of Sodom, God destroyed the city because of the homosexuality and the evil in the city. The gay men in the city tried to rape an angel of God.

A Well, I believe that your pastor needs to do a lot more studying on the subject if he’s going to address it. What you’ve written about Sodom is an excellent example of what I mean. You need to go back and reread the story. The Bible doesn’t say that the gay men of Sodom wanted to rape the angel; the Bible says ALL THE MEN of the city were there-gay and straight. Yes, you are correct that the men wanted to rape the angel, but that doesn’t mean they were homosexual. During those days men raped other men to show domination. That’s what they did to people they captured. They were treating the men like women to show them that they were inferior. It had nothing to do with one man loving another man. Surely, you can see that.
But you don’t have to believe me. How about the Prophet Ezekiel? Would you believe him? If you turn in your Bible to Ezekiel 16:49 and 50, Ezekiel says, “Now this was the sin of your sister, Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.” Not one word about homosexuality there. Now, before you say detestable things is about homosexuality, if you look up the Hebrew word for detestable in an exhaustive concordance, what you will find is that it is primarily a reference to idolatry.
You want further proof? Turn in your Bible to Judges 19, beginning in verse 16. There you will find almost the same story as the one of Sodom and Gomorrah, with a couple of exceptions. A man is traveling with his concubine to the city of Gibeah where they are taken in by an old man. During the evening, men of the city began banging on the old man’s door demanding that he let the stranger out so that they might “know him.” Now here is where the story differs from the story of Sodom. The man threw out his concubine and the men of the city raped her all night till she died. Homosexual men would not be raping a woman, would they? No, of course not. Homosexual men have no interest in having sex with women. Not only that, but in Judges 20:5, when the man was asked to explain what had happened, he told the people that the men of Gibeah “intended to kill me.” So, you see, even though this man heard the same words that Lot and the angels in Sodom heard, he never thought they wanted to make love to him. He never thought it was a bunch of homosexuals. He knew that it was about doing violence to him.
This should be ample proof now that the story of Sodom is not about homosexuality. As I said before, you need to learn about your subject before you try to teach others. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah had nothing to do about homosexuals-that is, men who love and cherish men, and women who love and cherish women-but had everything to do with people who wanted to engage in violent behavior.
One more point: do you always equate making love with rape? And, should we condemn all heterosexuals because there are heterosexual men who rape women? If we hear about a woman who was raped by a man, should we say that she was raped by a heterosexual? Should we then condemn all heterosexuals because, you know, they rape women? No, of course not. Well, if it is wrong to do that to heterosexuals, then you’re wrong to do it to homosexuals.
The bottom line, brother, is that you simply don’t know your subject, and it is wrong for you to condemn what you don’t know. Read Luke 6:37-42, where Jesus talks about the blind trying to lead the blind, and where He talks about trying to remove a cinder from your brother’s eye when there’s a plank in your own. The plank in your eye is the misinformation that you have been given, or that you taught yourself. Learn your subject-then you will be able to teach it to others. If you need help, the information is on my website.

Q You call yourself a "minister" of the gospel. I must speak up and warn you that some of your teachings do not conform to the gospel that I know to be true. Your justification of homosexuality is a great acrobat act where you twist what is plain into something that you want to appeal to others. How can you honestly justify homosexuality? Do you think that God, who created man and woman for each other, accepts that one man would commit sex acts with another man to be ok? God made the penis for a vagina, not a penis for an anus. You will give an account to the Lord Jesus Christ on why you misled so many people with your feel-good theology. You have a responsibility as a minister to deliver the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You are not doing so. You may feel good that I tell you you are a part of what Jesus said would happen in the last days.

A Dear Harvey: Obviously, you haven't read my entire study on what the Bible has to say about homosexuality, or you would think differently. And, it is apparent that you aren't too knowledgeable about what the Bible has to say to and about ALL of God's people. I don't doubt that you know what Jesus said in John 3:16, but do you know what 3:17 and 18a say?
Let me help you: "For God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Jesus is not condemned..."
Perhaps you may be familiar with Romans 8:1 and 2, but perhaps not, since it contradicts you: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."
You might wish to mitigate what it is said above, but let Paul reply;
Romans 3:21-24: "But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by God's grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
See, you and I don't even have to argue whether or not homosexuality is a sin (though I've proved it isn't time and again, if you chose to look and study.) The point is that it makes no difference. Every human being is a sinner, and is justified freely by God's grace that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. And there is no yes, but's... in there. There's no "except homosexuals" in anything that is shown above. It says that every human being is a sinner, bar none, not even you, but every believer is justified–that means–declared innocent through their faith in Christ Jesus.
Rather than mislead people, Harvey, I'm telling them the truth about the Trinity. Where misinformed Christians like you have shut the door on homosexuals, through the grace of God I am helping God to open that door again by telling them what I know to be true–that who God made them to be is God's gift to them, and what they make of themselves is their gift back to God. God does not create us to be other than what we are–and God doesn't ask us to be something other people demand for us to be. What you don't like, or you don't accept, or you can't handle is not God's problem, nor is it mine.
And I, likewise, have a warning to you–actually it is from Paul: "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things." (Romans 2:1)
In case you aren't aware, to help you put the above verse into context, Romans chapter one is all about idolatry, and how God's wrath is against those who suppress the truth about God and engage in idolatry. In the verse above Paul is saying that those who pass judgment on other people are usurping God's prerogative and authority, and playing at being God, and that is idolatry.
So brother Harvey, perhaps it is you who needs to be careful, and you might want to apologize to God for your arrogance in trying to judge me. I will keep you in prayer. God bless.

Q Hello I was wondering if you helped people with bibles my bible was so old it fell apart I tried to tape it but it did not work thank you.

A Hello: I'm not sure I understand your question.
1. Are you asking me how to fix your bible?
2. Are you asking for a recommendation as to which translation you should seek in purchasing a new bible? I would recommend The New Oxford Annotated Bible.
3. Are you asking me to recommend a place where you can purchase one inexpensively? You can purchase paperback Bibles for as little as $5.00 at your local Christian bookstore. If that is too expensive, you can usually find one at a thrift store, swap meet or yard sale very inexpensively–I've purchased one or two for as little as ten cents apiece.
4. Are you seeking money to purchase a new one? That's not necessary. You can even download a free Bible from the internet. Just go to the World Wide Web and type in Bible. There you will find thousands of websites with information on obtaining inexpensive and/or free Bibles, downloads, and CD's. Further, there usually are many translations to choose from at your local public library.
Hope this helps! Revyvette

Q Clear some confusion up for myself, please. We are not perfect but if we know something is wrong and continue to do it that’s really not a good thing? We shouldn’t willfully sin.

A It is true that you shouldn’t willfully sin, though people do so over and over again trying to “get it right.” You ask God for forgiveness, and try not to do it again. By the way, the definition of the word, which today is translated as “sin”, was an archery term meaning, “to miss the mark...”

Q How is our sexuality not a sin when so many say it is us who causes all the other sins?

A Just because someone says something, that doesn’t make it true-even if very many people say it. “Everyone” once said that the world was flat, but they were wrong. People used to say that the Bible teaches it is OK to make slaves of people. They were wrong about that, too. Romans 14:16 tells us: “Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken to as evil.”

Q It has been said over and over again. It’s okay to be gay but not to act on those feelings?

A Those who say that are ignoring the Bible. When God made Eve, God said, “It is not good for a person to be alone. I will make a helpmate suitable for him (or her).” (Genesis 2:18) Isn’t it funny that many churches have finally come far enough to realize that sexuality is not a sin? Those who say that realize they were wrong, but they just can’t allow themselves to think of two people of the same gender together, so they say don’t “do” it.
By the way, I’m sure you’ve heard said, “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” Cute, but wrong. Of course, God made Adam and Steve. The thing is the Bible doesn’t list in Genesis every different kind of person in the world.

A What I think you’re asking is how can a person be gay and not be a practicing homosexual. I once had a minister tell me that a person can’t be gay if he or she is not having sex with anyone. That’s totally incorrect. Being gay is an orientation-it is who you are, regardless of what you do. A person can be gay all their lives without ever acting on it. That doesn’t make them not gay. That just makes them non-practicing homosexuals, but still homosexuals, never the less.

Q We are still in a small dilemma with Romans 1:18-32. You say those passages are about idolatry, not homosexuality. Yet it seems to say that God gave us over to do that which is wrong. HELP?

A Romans 1:26 says, “God gave THEM over...” Who is the THEM Paul was referring to? The word THEM is a pronoun, which takes the place of a noun. But which noun? Basic English grammar says you go back to the closest noun, keeping the proper context, to determine which one the pronoun is replacing. In this case, the answer begins in verse 18 and continues through verse 25. The THEM referred to in 1:26 are “MEN (and women) WHO SUPPRESS THE TRUTH” about God–-and continues all the way through to “EXCHANGED THE TRUTH OF GOD FOR A LIE AND WORSHIPPED AND SERVED CREATED THINGS, RATHER THAN THE CREATOR...” In other words: IDOLATORS. In all those verses, all the pronouns refer to IDOLATORS. Paul is speaking of IDOLATORS. IDOLATORS are people who worship created things instead of the Creator, who is God. And it is these IDOLATORS whom “GOD GAVE OVER TO SHAMEFUL LUSTS...WOMEN EXCHANGED NATURAL RELATIONS FOR UNNATURAL...MEN WERE INFLAMED WITH LUST FOR ONE ANOTHER....” The condemnation in Romans 1 is idolatry, not homosexuality. Two of the idolatrous practices engaged in by people involved in pagan worship were men and women who engaged in same-gender sex with temple prostitutes; some also had sex with animals, all as part of idol worship.

Q The Bible is so hard to understand sometimes because it just shows one plan with God, talks so much about just man and woman. I fear God’s wrath.

A The bottom line for all of is that we have to decide Who God is-is God a loving Parent, or is God the enemy of humankind, just waiting for us to make a mistake and zap us?1 John 4:7 and 8 tells us that “God is Love.” If we believe that God is Love, then what does love mean? The apostle, Paul, tells us what love is in 1 Corinthians 13:4 to 8a: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
If God is Love, then all those things Paul said about love applies to God. Notice especially the words “... (Love) it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”
One needs to decide if God is a loving Parent or not. Many churches today accept that GLBT folk were born that way, but they want us to believe that God doesn’t want us to have anyone to love and share our lives with-that if we dare to find the same happiness that heterosexuals have in having someone with whom to share our lives, then God is going to deny us the Kingdom and condemn us to hell. That’s their idea of a loving God.
What we have to remember is that if we were born GLBT, then that means that God made us that way, and God doesn’t make mistakes. When God said, “It is not good for humanity to be alone” God didn’t mean that for heterosexuals only. Do you honestly believe that a loving God would make us gay and then punish us for being who we are? That simply doesn’t make sense, does it? Either you believe that God is Love, or that God is sadistic. Which do you want? Ultimately, you have to make a choice. When you choose to continue to accept the cruel things that people have told you all your life about God, then you are choosing to believe in a sadistic God. If you is choose to believe in a sadistic God, then you are choosing NOT to believe what the Bible says about God.
Yes, the Bible is very confusing and often seems very contradictory. I’m the first one to admit that! Therefore, if you want to believe in God and what the Bible says about God, then you’ll have to choose which image of God the Bible seems to present to you. Do you want to believe in the sadistic God homophobes offer you, or do you want to believe in the God of Love the Bible offers you? Now, homophobes will tell you that you can’t pick and choose-but they would be wrong. YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE!
When I was at this place in my life, I chose to believe in a loving God. Then I decided that if I saw something in the Bible that made it sound like that God was not a loving God, I put that part on a shelf-I didn’t throw it away-I just put it on a shelf, and continued to study the parts that showed that God was Love. From time to time, I would take the parts that were on the shelf and would look at them again. After a while, I had grown in the Holy Spirit enough, and I had researched enough, that I came to understand that the passages that I had put on the shelf did not mean what I thought they originally meant-that through mistranslations or being lied to, I had misinterpreted those difficult passages. The longer I prayed and the longer I studied, the more I came to find that seeing God as Love was the right way to see God. God is Love. That’s the bottom line. Don’t ever allow anyone to take that from you!

Q How do you talk with someone to get them to understand what the Bible really says to all God’s children?

A Unfortunately, there is only so much you can do. Remember that God does not save souls in pairs. Ultimately, it is something they have to do for themselves. You can only show them the positive passages in the Bible, such as I have shown you, and hope and pray that they will accept them. But you also need to understand that acceptance is a process, not something that happens instantaneously. That is, the person might one day have an “aha” moment, where all of the pieces fall together, but more than likely the acceptance will come after many weeks, months or even years of working on it.

Q Is the reason why Lesbians are never really talked about in the Bible because we really weren’t important? I feel like we were only there to bear children, and clean up after the men folk. We really did not have a place in society.

A Women during biblical times were not considered real human beings but property. You’re right in that for the most part women were expected to stay home, clean the house and have babies. Of course, there were many women who had very important places in the Bible, like Esther, Deborah, Ruth and Naomi. Homosexuals, both male and female, were hardly spoken of in scripture-Jonathan and David and Ruth and Naomi were two exceptions. (See the studies on Homosexuality and the Bible for their stories).

Q Why do some (religious leaders) try to make having Christ and God such a difficult task? What I’m saying is they make it appear that they have the right way. If the research is out there to show that the bible doesn’t condemn homosexuality, why do they persist in saying that it does?

A This question is very easy to answer. When you’ve been told all your life that homosexuality is wrong and you read in the Bible what you think it says about homosexuality, then you believe it is wrong. Heterosexuals (including heterosexual ministers) never had the need to research the topic to find out what the Bible really says-they just took it at face value. And tradition dies hard. You may not know this but in the 70’s and 80’s, several denominations formed committees to research the subject, and every single time they did the committees came back and said “we’ve been wrong.” A couple of denominations, when they found that out, changed their ways, but the vast majority of them decided to ignore what their committees found. After hundreds of years of telling their congregations one thing, how could they go back and face them and say they were wrong? Their congregations might stop believing anything they said. That’s why.

Q If God created us to be GLBT folk, and it is OK with God, we still have the legal problem. How can we be righteous people if we are breaking the law?

A Laws are man-made, not God made, for the most part. Unjust laws can ethically be broken. Remember the Boston Tea Party and the Revolutionary War? If we use the theory that laws are never wrong, then slavery would still exist in this country, children would work in factories, and women wouldn’t be allowed to vote, just as brief examples.

Q Sometimes I feel as though I carry fear in my back pocket–I fear that I am doomed for the way I feel. Sometimes it seems the only way I can survive is to lock my feelings away and never deal with them.

A It takes a lot of courage to stand up for yourself–some people never do. That is why so many die from domestic violence. But you don’t have to live that way forever. Let me offer a suggestion. If it is at all possible, try to become affiliated with an MCC church. It is when you are surrounded by people who will guide you and support you that you will be able to grow, both spiritually and in strength. To find a church in your area, go to www.mccchurch.org.

Q I do understand that adultery is a sin and not fair to others that are involved. The Bible does say the adulteress and a whole lot of others are not going to inherit the Kingdom. You said (adultery) is a sin, (but) we would not go to hell for it. Can you help me understand some of this a little bit better?

A Every human being is a sinner. There’s no getting around that. It is just human nature to sin. Something you might not understand about the word “sin.” In the original language, the word means, “to miss the mark, and so not share in the prize.” It is an archery term. It means that the archer doesn’t hit the bull’s-eye every time. Does that sound like you and me? Sure it does. None of us hits the bull’s-eye every time. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to hell for it.
If you’re familiar with the Bible, then you’re probably familiar with John 3:16.But do you know John 3:17 and 18? In case you don’t, here are all three verses: “For God so loved the world that God gave Jesus, that whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but to save it through Him. Whoever believes in Jesus is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Did you notice that part that says Whoever believes in Jesus is not condemned?
That’s what I mean when I say that just because you sin, it doesn’t mean you’re going to hell. Jesus Himself said those words, so who’s to argue with Jesus?
Paul explains it further in Romans 3:21-24, when he says, But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known to which the law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
What Paul is saying here is that every person is a sinner. We all fall short of God’s glory. But when we have faith in Jesus Christ, God is going to assume that we are righteous. Why would God do that? Because it means that, we are trying to be better people. God doesn’t judge all the silly mistakes we make-God judges our intentions. It is human nature to do wrong and make mistakes, but God blesses us for trying. The word justified means that we are declared innocent before God. Now, that doesn’t mean that we can go about doing anything we want because God justifies us–God still expects us to STRIVE for perfection–that’s what loving God is all about. God loves and accepts us just as we are–then we can be free to love God in return and honor God’s love by striving to be better people–striving to leave our old, sinful ways behind.

Q You say that the information about cult prostitutes in temple worship was found in a library in Ugarit. I was trying to find websites about their religious practices and things they did in the Temples against the one God. I just typed in Canaanites religious practices in the Temples and got some. Were there any that you might know better?

A The information I got on Ugarit I didn’t get from the internet. I got it from a book called “The Bible Almanac” written by J. I. Packer, Merrill C. Tenney, and William White, Jr. In that book, it said that the early Canaanites had temple prostitutes, where men would go to the temple to worship the goddess. There they would find a priest and engage in sex with him as part of the worship. A woman would go to temple, find a priestess, and engage in sex with her as part of the worship. But this book was written in 1980, so I don’t know if it is available any longer. This is where I first read about the cult prostitution, and then I followed up what was said there and would find minor references to it in many other books, but it was like putting pieces of a giant puzzle together-finding one piece here, another piece there.
Here is an example of what I mean. I had found references to the cult prostitutes also in MCC (Metropolitan Community Church) books, but I wanted to prove what they were saying for myself. I looked up Deuteronomy 23:17in the King James Version of the Bible. There I read the following: “There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.” But then, when I looked up the same passage in the New International Version, which was written in the 1970’s, I found “No Israelite man or woman is to become a temple prostitute.”
You can readily see that the condemnation from the KJV seemed to pertain to sex being performed by men with men (sodomites) and women with...well, it doesn’t say. But by the time you get to the New International Version, which is about 40 years after the library in Ugarit was found; the words were corrected to read temple prostitute for both men and women. So here we can see confirmation of what the Bible Almanac had said–that the condemnation in Deuteronomy 23:17 is not a condemnation of homosexuality, but it is a condemnation of temple prostitution, which is a condemnation of idolatry.
To take this a step further, with the information I got from what I saw between the two Bibles (KJV and NIV) in Deuteronomy 23:17, then I looked at Leviticus 18:22. If you look at that passage, the first thing you notice is that verse 21is about worshipping the false god, Molech. Then verse 23 talks about not having sex with animals, which was something else the Canaanites did to worship false gods. So verses 21 and 23 are about idolatry. OK What does that have to say about verse 22? Well, we already learned in Deuteronomy 23:17 that one of the ways people committed idolatry was to have sex with same-sex priests and priestesses. But how can we know that Leviticus 18:22 is also about cult prostitution? Well, I decided to look up the word abomination in my “Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.” My concordance is geared to the KJV, so I had to use the word from that translation that appears in Leviticus 18:22. Guess what I found (and you can find it yourself). The definition for abomination reads, “That which is detestable, especially IDOLATRY.”
See what I mean about having to put together a gigantic puzzle, finding pieces here and there and everywhere? I had to research Deuteronomy 23:17 to find out about the cult prostitutes, then I looked at Leviticus and discovered that there are three verses, one right after another, which condemns idolatry: Leviticus 18:21, 22 and 23.

Q When Jesus speaks in Matthew about adultery and divorce, what is your understanding on this?

A Adultery and divorce are really two separate issues, yet in some ways the same. Do you remember when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was? He said, “To love God with your whole heart, mind and spirit. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second one is like it. You are to love your neighbor as yourself.” Then He said, “On these two hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Now, I understand the last sentence above as meaning that everything in the Law is based on what I call “The Law of Love.” That is, all the rules and everything in the Law is about treating YOURSELF, as well as others, in a loving manner. Notice that I highlighted yourself. People forget that in order to love your neighbor as yourself you must first love yourself.
When you commit adultery, you hurt both yourself and the person you are married to. You hurt yourself because of the guilt and fear of being found out. You hurt your spouse because you are giving to someone else what rightfully belongs between you and your spouse, not to mention the feelings of hurt and betrayal that you subject your spouse to when you are found out. You are also denying your spouse your intimacy. That is not a loving thing to do. So yes, Jesus would be opposed to adultery.
Divorce is a separate issue entirely, because of the Jewish culture of the first century. During the time Jesus lived on earth, women were not really considered human beings. They were property to be bought, sold and used at will. A woman could not divorce her husband, period. If a man wanted to divorce his wife, all he had to do was give her a note that said “I divorce you,” and that was that. She was out on her ear. Because she herself was property, she didn’t own any. She had nothing. Unless she had relatives close by, she could be in desperate straits. Since everything she did had to be done under a man’s protection, if she didn’t have another man to help her she could do little else but become a beggar, a prostitute, or starve to death. That’s how serious divorce was in those days-not for a man, but for a woman.

A Deuteronomy 24:1 tells us, “If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her, and sends her from his house.” Indecent could have meant little more than he didn’t like her cooking. So again, if a woman was divorced by a man, she could find herself in a precarious position, and that is why Jesus opposed divorce. When Jesus said what He did, it was to protect women. Notice that He didn’t condemn it. He just said that it wasn’t God’s intention, meaning that God doesn’t want people to treat each other in unloving ways. You have to look at what Jesus said about divorce in the context of the culture of the people to whom He was speaking.
In our culture today, where woman have more say in the world, where we hold jobs and can live independently, Jesus’ stricture would not apply, though in cases where either of the parties may be in situations where they could not care for themselves, the principle might still exist. The bottom line for Jesus is always to treat people the way we would want to be treated if the situation was reversed. That’s “Do unto others as you would have them done unto you.” That’s the same thing as “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Now, to carry this idea one step further, often divorce can be the most loving thing two people can do for one another. When two people can’t get along, when one is taking advantage of the other, when one person realizes they made a mistake in getting married (as realizing it can’t cure you from being gay), when one is in an abusive relationship, and/or for a multitude of other reasons, the best thing they can do for one another is to get a divorce. Divorce doesn’t have to be the worst thing in the world. When, for whatever reason, you decide to get a divorce, what you are doing is freeing both yourself and the other person to find and make for themselves a better life.
A marriage can only work when both partners want it to work and are willing to work on it. When one of them wants out, it is better that they leave. What often happens is that one person wants out, but the other person forces or cajoles them into staying, well, the one who wanted out, really is gone. Their body may still be there, but their hearts are elsewhere.
Now, don’t misunderstand. It is possible that people will go through a stage of wanting to leave and later think better of it. And I believe that good marriage counseling can often help relationships get back on the right track. I’m not advocating that people divorce the first time the relationship goes rocky. That’s just a part of two people growing together-love and commitment grows hot and wanes, grows hot and wanes. But when one knows there’s no going back, then that’s the time they need to leave. And the leaving should be done with as little rancor and accusation as possible. That’s one good thing I think California has done. We have “no fault” divorce. That eliminates accusations and private detectives and all the hurtful things people have to do to each other to get divorced in some states.
Anyway, I hope this helps. Just remember that Jesus’ rules against divorce were for a time and a culture where a woman had no rights, and if a man divorced her, she often was having her life thrown away. Since our culture is totally different, and since women can live independently of men, and often very well, I might add, then the rules against divorce don’t necessarily apply. Remember the bottom line is the “Law of Love.” If we live our lives in a loving manner, loving to ourselves as well as others, if we treat others lovingly to the best of our abilities, God won’t ask any more from us.

Q Do think God tells us what to feel or think for every avenue of our life? Does He want us to think with him as a guider? Is what we feel, what our heart's substance is made of or not? Is that how He knows our hearts? Am I thinking confused or just thinking with my heart of hurts?

A No, I don’t believe that God tells us what to feel or think for any avenue of our lives. God gave us free will. If God told us how to think, then we wouldn’t have any free will–we wouldn’t have any choices. Think of all the bad choices people have made in their lives–to be drastic, think of Hitler or Stalin or Jeffrey Dahmer, for that matter. These people were pure evil. Can you for a moment believe that God told them what to feel or think? I don’t think so.
I believe that if we sincerely ask God for guidance, then if we listen with open hearts, God will answer us–though we might not always like the answer we get. Too often, we ask God for help, then we put conditions on that help, or we don’t wait for an answer, or we get an answer we don’t like so we ignore it. Then we say that God doesn’t answer prayers.
Here’s something to think about, about answered prayers. God ALWAYS answers prayers. Sometimes, however, God says, “No.”

Q Are you saying that abomination means “idolatry” in every place in the Bible?
“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Lev. 18:22
“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” Lev. 20:13
What does the word “abomination” mean in the two above scriptures?

A Dear Reader: While I’m not saying that abomination necessarily means “idolatry” every place in the Bible I am saying that it does so very often. And it does so in the passages you mentioned, as well as in other passages as relates to what people believe refers to homosexuality.

If you remember, when Moses brought the Israelites to the Promised Land, it belonged to the Canaanites. The Canaanites worshipped many gods, including the goddess, Asherah. A very popular way of worshipping Asherah involved same-sex, sexual contact. People who wanted to worship the goddess would go to temple, where men would find a male priest and women would find a priestess and engage in sex with them.

In the original biblical language, the words qadesh (masculine) and qedesha (feminine) mean holy one. These “holy ones” (i.e. priests and priestesses) acted as cultic prostitutes. In Deuteronomy 23:17 we find (King James Version) “There shall be no whore (qedesha) of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite (qadesh) of the sons of Israel.” Now, sodomite you would expect to mean homosexual, wouldn’t you?

But look at this: The King James Version of the Bible was written hundreds of years ago. Read the same passage in a modern Bible such as the New International Version, and this is what you’ll find: “No Israelite man or woman is to become a temple prostitute.” The idea of male homosexuality is suddenly eliminated and clarified that the condemnation was about temple prostitution, and the idea of the female whore has been reclassified to only temple prostitute.

Why the change? As happens with ancient cultures, things that happened that were not written down were lost, such as religious beliefs. One of the reasons why Judaism has managed to exist for so long was because the Israelites were among the first to write their religion down. Archaeologists knew a lot about the Canaanites, but most of what they knew either came from artifacts (pottery and such), and what was the Israelites wrote about them. There was apparently nothing written about their religion. Then in 1928 in Syria they found the Canaanite city of Ugarit, and there they found a library, and from the library they found out about Canaanite worship. That’s why the modern translation of the bible corrects the KJV of Deuteronomy 23:18.

The condemnations in Leviticus speak of this cultic or temple prostitution. Notice that Leviticus 18:21 and 23 condemn idolatry also. Another form of pagan worship was to sacrifice a child to the god, Molech, and a third was to engage in bestiality. All three are condemned, right in a row. Further, if you read Romans, chapter one, beginning with verse 18 to the end of the chapter very carefully, you will see that it is all about idolatry and God’s wrath against those who practice idolatry, and especially those who engage in cultic prostitution. Hope this helps, God bless. Rev. Yvette

Q If abomination means “idolatry” in every passages, including Lev. 18:22 & 20:13, it is strange that the word “idolatry” does not appear in these passages.

A I’ve never said that abomination means idolatry in every passage in the Bible. You asked me that question before. Here, again, is how I replied the last time: While I’m not saying that abomination necessarily means “idolatry” every place in the Bible I am saying that it does so very often. And it does so in the passages you mentioned, as well as in other passages as relates to what people believe refers to homosexuality.

That’s in response to the first part of your sentence. Secondly, the word toevah or toebah does appear, which includes “especially” (see Strong’s) the concept of idolatry.

Q There is nothing in the context that indicates this was “temple worship” as this was in the days of Moses and they were not in the land of Canaan. You need to read Leviticus and see that there was no “idol temple” in the area. Therefore, Lev. 18:22 & 20:13 still stands for any who do this in the old testament.
Now, I find the Bible is a good commentary, so if abomination means “idolatry” then where did you find that?

A Let’s not make this a circular argument. The definition of the word toevah/toebah is the answer to your question.

Now, you apparently are taking the position that since the Israelites were not yet in the land of Canaan when Leviticus was written, then what is written there can’t have anything to do with the religious practices of the Canaanites. You are incorrect. Go back and read Leviticus 18:3b: “…and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.” So the warnings in Chapter 18 DO specifically relate to the practices of the Canaanites. Further, have you noticed that verses 21 and 23, in addition to verse 22, all speak to idolatry? Verse 21 speaks of idolatry in the form of child sacrifice to the fire god, Molech, verse 22 speaks of temple (or cultic) prostitution, and verse 23 addresses bestiality. You may notice that the word idolatry does not appear in any of these passages, though that is the message being given.

By the way, before you argue with me that bestiality doesn’t have anything to do with idolatry, let me give you clarification of the word from “The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia:”
Bestiality: Sexual relations with a beast. This form of vice was considered loathsome and abhorrent, partly because of its associations with certain pagan rites and mythology…”

We, of course, do not know how the particular verses and chapters of the bible were arranged originally, but verses 21 to 23 are a natural grouping of condemnation against idolatry.

Q In Prov. 6:16-19, I find that there are seven things which are an abomination. “ 16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
Please notice that “idolatry” is not in Prov. 6! Therefore, “abomination” is more than Idolatry.

A Surely you are not trying to say that because Proverbs 6:16 to 19 does not include idolatry, then idolatry is not an abomination. Again, I’ve never said that abomination refers only to idolatry, but I am saying that the most important form of abomination is idolatry. What is the First Commandment? What is the first and most important prayer of the Jewish people? “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. By the way, if homosexuality was such an abhorrence to God, why is it not one of the Ten Commandments?

Q Not to Strong’s: 8441.
Strong gives a general meaning: “properly something disgusting, that an abhorence.”
Then he says “especially idolatry or (concretly) an idol.” Idolatry is simply a primary example of what is an avbomination. There are many other things listed by Strongs that are abominable, wheter they are done in the context of worshipping a false god.

A I agree, but using your own words–idolatry is a PRIMARY example of what is an abomination.

Q Are we to conclude that Prov. 6:16-19 is done only in context of idolatry or worshipping a false god? I absolutely think not.

Q Brown-Brigg’s Hebrew Lexicon:
1. A disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.
2. In ritual sense (of unclean food, idols, mixed marriages.
3. In the ethical sense (of wickedness, etc.)

Q The Complete Word Study Dictionary
1. A feminine noun meaning abomination.
2. This word is understood in the context of Law:
a. It identifies food Deut. 14:3
b. The activity of the idolater Is. 41:24
c. The practice of child sacrifice Deut. 12:31
d. Intermarriage by the Israelites Mal. 2:11
e. The religious activities of the wicked Prov. 21:27
f. The homosexual behavior Lev. 18:22 (This is not in any way refering to worship in
idol temples but refers to anyone doing this at any time.)
g. Prov. 8:7 - “For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.”

A Well, now, this is fun.

#2: Assuming that your church is Christian, I’m sure that you are aware that Christians are freed from the Law. (Galatians 2:16 “…know that a person is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.”)

#a: Romans 10:9 - 15: Peter had a dream where a sheet containing all kinds of unclean animals were being let down to earth and a voice said, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice replied, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” So we see that food is NOT any kind of abomination to God.

“#’s b, c, e and f all are about idolatry, though #e can also refer to other things. The fact that you choose not to accept that Lev. 18:22 is about idolatry doesn’t make you right. There is plenty of evidence that the subject is cultic or temple prostitution right from the Bible, which I have already shown you, but which I will clarify again below.

Q References in the Strong will give much more about what is an abomination. There is no question that idolatry is an abomination, but abomination refers to many other sinful practices, and a study of the all the scriptures that are listed in Strongs under the word “abomination” & “abominations” & “abominable” reveals this. I did not list all the references, but enough to show you have read Strongs incorrectly.

A How so? Are you still stuck on the mistaken idea that I think abomination means idolatry in every place in the Bible?

A Surely you are familiar with the New International Version of the Bible. If not, you need to look. It reads, “No Israelite man or woman is to become a temple prostitute.” That’s just one translation, but there are others, if you care to look.

Further, the latest translation of the Jewish Bible, the Tanakh, also reads, “No Israelite woman shall be a cult prostitute, nor shall any Israelite man be a cult prostitute.”

So, you have concrete evidence here that though older translations (written prior to 1928 when the Ugaritic library was found) indicate that Deuteronomy 23:17 was assumed to be a condemnation against homosexuality, the modern translators show that the condemnation was against (same-sex, sexual activity) in the practice of idolatry. HERE YOU HAVE CONCRETE EVIDENCE OF BIBLICAL CONDEMNATION OF IDOLATROUS PRACTICES OF MEN LYING WITH MEN AND WOMEN LYING WITH WOMEN. THE CONDEMNATION IS NOT ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY PER SE, BUT OF IDOLATRY, WHICH IS WHAT TEMPLE OR CULTIC PROSTITUTION WAS ALL ABOUT.

Q Romans 1:21-28 “21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;”

Yes, they turned to idols, but that is not all they did! Vile affections - of women, men leaving the natural use of the women burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” This is not idolatry - this what women & men were doing to each other!

A You’re totally missing the point Paul is making here. Notice the first three words of verse 26? “For this cause” For this reason. For what cause? What was the reason that these things were being done? Paul tells us that the reason the people were doing these things was in the practice of IDOLATRY. From verse 18 to the end of the chapter, the WHOLE thrust of Paul’s message is IDOLATRY.

You don’t agree? Then let’s do a basic English lesson. Now, I’m using the N.I.V. translation of the bible, but it should work in other translations, too. Looks like it works in the translation you used above. Remember that a pronoun takes the place of a noun. Which noun? The last previous noun shown. Let’s begin with verse 18. There we find that God’s wrath is against those who suppress the truth about God by their wickedness. Verse 19 has two “them’s,” referring to those who suppress the truth about God–will you accept the word idolaters here? Verses 21, 22 and 23 further clarifies that those whom Paul is speaking about are idolaters (notice that the pronouns still refer back to those who suppress the truth about God–I.e. idolaters.) Verse 24 brings in the sexual component of the idolaters (notice the pronoun them). Verse 25 pronouns still refer back to verse 18, and further clarify that they are idolaters.

Now we come to verse 26. We have no new nouns here. Just more pronouns which HAVE TO (if you’re using correct English) refer back to those who suppress the truth about God–I.e. IDOLATERS.

Paul specifically points out that it is IN THE CAUSE OF IDOLATRY that these people were being condemned for their sexual practices, NOT HOMOSEXUALITY. In fact, Paul’s theme that idolatry is the condemnation here is continued in verse 28, and carried through to the end of the chapter. Do you suppose that Paul would interject a condemnation of homosexuality right in the middle of a discourse on idolatry without there being a connection to the topic at hand? Of course not. This is the proof, if you would accept it, that the condemnation of men lying with men and women lying with women refers only to the idolatrous practices of people seeking the services of the temple prostitutes. It does not speak at all to the subject of homosexuals or homosexuality, since surely most of the idol worshippers who engaged in the practice would have been heterosexual, assuming the population would have been 90% heterosexual as it is today.

Q GOD SAID: “ Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (GEN. 2:24-25)

A Are you trying to pull passages out of context to try to say that the bible only approves of heterosexual relationships? You will note below that the verses were speaking of different things. The theme of these verses above is that the people were not conscious of their nakedness, to contrast the fact that after eating the forbidden fruit they became ashamed of their nakedness (Gen 3:10). Also, don’t you find it strange that God speaks here of mother and father to the FIRST people (before parents existed)? Further, did you notice that the term “wife” is used without benefit of marriage? I’m pointing these things out to show you that you cannot take the verses literally, because they weren’t meant to be taken literally. Nor should they be taken to mean that the only “approved” relationships are between men and women, to the exclusion of homosexual relationships.

Q JESUS SAID: “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?” (Matt. 19:4-5)

A Here Jesus is addressing the subject of divorce, saying that it was not God’s intention originally that men divorce their wives (in that culture women did not have the option to divorce). By the way, in just a few verses later–11 and 12– some scholars believe that Jesus addressed the subject of homosexuality, speaking of eunuchs (unmarried men) in a positive way. I won’t get into it here, because it would take too long, but I just wanted to make you aware of the work.

Q THE APOSTLE PAUL SAID: “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” (Ephesians 5:31)

A In this passage Paul is using this as an analogy to speak of Christ and the Church (verse 32).

Q NO WHERE IN THE BIBLE THE SCRIPTURES DO NOT AUTHORIZE THE MARRIAGE OF MAN TO MAN OR WOMAN TO WOMAN!

A Nowhere in scripture are homosexual marriages condemned. Tell me, in the light of your comment above, why is it that in so many heterosexual marriage ceremonies, with all the passages in the Bible that speak of love, the ones used most often are words spoken by one woman to another: “….Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” (Ruth 1:16,17) If these aren’t marriage vows, I don’t know what is (in the light of Genesis 2:24). And apparently an awful lot of heterosexual couples agree with me.

Before you tell me that this was just a close friendship and had nothing to do with the love of one woman for another (which, by the way is what makes a person homosexual–and not whether or not they actually engage in sexual acts), let me refer you to Ruth 4:17. Ruth had married Boaz (because that is what women had to do to survive in those days) and had a son. But the women of Bethlehem recognized the relationship between Ruth and Naomi. Verse 4:17 tells us, “The women living there said, “Naomi has a son.” They understood that the parents of this son, Obed, were Ruth and Naomi, two women. Obed was the father of Jesse, the father of King David, and the ancestor of Jesus Himself.

Q THERE IS NO SCRIPTURE THAT ALLOWS MEN HAVING SEX WITH MEN AND WOMEN HAVING SEX WITH WOMEN OR BOTH HAVING SEX WITH ANIMALS.

A And while the bible does condemn bestiality (and rightly so, since there can be no mutuality), the bible doesn’t even address the subject of homosexual love as we know it today in a negative way. One of the things I have discovered over the years in discussing this subject with people is that many are so blinded by their revulsion of the idea of sex between same-gendered people that they never even think about the concept of love. People who would never even consider dwelling on the sexual practices of their heterosexual married neighbors or pondering over what they do in bed, have no difficulty trying to imagine what must go on between homosexual partners, and finding disgust in that.

The reality of life is that God created most people to be heterosexual, but God also created homosexuals. It has been scientifically determined that a person’s sexual orientation is established by the age of three, so a person’s sexuality is a gift from God, not something that is chosen. While many Christian denominations today now recognize that the homosexual orientation is immutable, they take the stance that it is a cross that the homosexual has to bear in loneliness. In other words they say, “It’s o.k. to be homosexual as long as you don’t practice it.” They forget that God said, “It is not good for (a person) to be alone…” (Gen. 2:18).

The Bible tells us that the most important thing in life is love–indeed, that God is Love. Jesus told us that all of the Law and the Prophets are encompassed by the Law of Love–love for God, love for neighbor, love for self. Then people come along and tell homosexuals that the most important thing they have to do is to despise themselves–to “turn away” from what God created them to be. Supposed Christians throw homosexuals out of their churches and then condemn them for not having a moral center. Where is the homosexual to find a moral center if not in church? Supposed Christians work to make it impossible for homosexuals to marry, then condemn them for engaging in sex without the benefit of marriage.

Christian clergy, who supposedly have studied the Bible and should know better, keep using out of date, not to mention scant, scriptural references that supposedly condemn homosexuality when it in fact doesn’t, but the clergy are so busy holding onto tradition that they can’t allow any new scholarship to shake what they have previously been taught. At the very least, if they can’t reconcile new teaching to the old, they should practice and teach the Christian concept of non-judgment, for which there are bountiful numbers of passages invoking same. They would do well to heed Paul’s warning of Romans 2:1 that whenever people pass judgment on others they are condemning themselves, for they, too, are engaging in idolatry–for they take for themselves the prerogative which only belongs to God. Only God has the right to judge others. Only God has the right to condemn. Only God knows what is in a person’s heart. And only God can judge the homosexual. All others need not apply.
God bless.
Rev. Yvette Dube

Q I teach Youth Sunday School and I have a question that needs an answer. If you could provide some insight on this topic I would greatly appreciate it.
Will suicide cause you to burn in Hell if you are a Christian?

A The short answer to your question is "no." People who commit suicide are suffering, and God would never punish people for being emotionally or mentally sick.
What is especially sad for those who want to commit suicide is that if they could hold on, the pain that would cause them to commit suicide would pass and they would want to live. Or if they could summon the courage to ask for help, they would discover that there is so much help available, that suicide is such a waste of a life. God created each of us with a purpose for our lives to be a blessing to the world. Suicide thwarts God's purpose and diminishes the world.
A friend of mine committed suicide by drinking cleaning fluid. As soon as he had drunk it he changed his mind. When he was brought into the hospital he told everyone that he didn't want to die, but it was too late. He couldn't be saved.
There are also those who have been deceived, as in the case of terrorist suicide bombers. God would not punish those who believe they are doing "the right thing," even if what they do is wrong. However, in every instance, only God can judge what is in a person's heart, and we are condemned or vindicated by our attitudes and intentions, rather than our actual behavior.
Remember that Jesus said that any man who just looks at a woman with carnal desire is just as guilty of adultery as the one who has actually engaged in adulterous behavior (Matthew 5:27-28). What is in a person's heart makes them guilty or innocent, regardless of their actual behavior. God judges everyone always by the intention of their hearts, and that includes the real reason behind the desire to commit suicide.
I hope this helps you. Do let me know if I can be of further help. God bless. Rev. Yvette Dube

Q I have been studying you treatment of Romans Chapter 3, and I am right with you when you say that if Homosexuality is a sin, it isn't, because sin is sin and Jesus died for ALL sin. What I am asking you to clarify for me is when you say:
"If the above is true, this means that 'Even if,' even if homosexuality is a sin–it isn’t–but even if it was, homosexuals can say, 'So what? Who is sinless to cast the first stone? No one! We’re all equal in God’s sight. And we can all be saved, by accepting our sinful nature and accepting Jesus as our Savior.' Does Romans chapter 3 really say all these things? Come with me and we shall see!"

Are you suggesting that if a person living in any particular sin willfully continues in that sin that God doesn't count that sin against us because Jesus paid the price for that sin and if we accept what He did by Faith, then it really isn't a sin anymore even if we continue in it?

Thank You For Clearing This Up For Me

A Thank you for your most thoughtful question, and I most especially appreciate the opportunity to clarify this for you, though be forewarned: it may raise even more questions. But that is how we learn and grow.

I cannot answer your question with a simple yes or no, because it is based on what I believe is a faulty premise. People generally don't live in sin, but we commit sins. To more clearly define what I'm saying, if I pull out a gun and start shooting people I am committing a sin, or even "sins," but when I stop shooting, the sin itself stops. Each time I go on a rampage I may commit more sins, but I'm not living in sin, which would mean: to living my life in a constant state of committing sin(s). (The term living in sin is a rather out-dated expression and was used primarily to refer to unmarried persons who were living together as husband and wife.) While this may seem an exercise in semantics, there is an important difference between the two, which will be clarified shortly.

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, when we decide to put our faith and trust in Jesus, a spiritual change happens within us. Rather than–to use your expression–living in sin, we begin to live in the Spirit. Remember the expression, "A house divided against itself cannot stand?" You cannot place your faith and trust in Jesus and continue on the same path you were on before, in the same way you cannot unknow something. Knowledge changes you, and you cannot willfully stop knowing something you have learned. It is the same thing with faith. When we place our faith and trust in Jesus, our thoughts and our attitudes begin to change. As our faith strengthens and deepens, we continue to change. Sinful things that used to enthrall us begin to lose their appeal. We begin to turn away from the sinful things we used to do and turn to doing good things we may have ignored before. How this happens, or how long it takes is different for each person. We will continue to sin, because that is just part of being human, and we are not perfect. But, to use the child's expression: Every day in every way we get better and better.

So, do you see what was wrong with your premise? A person of faith cannot, by definition, continue to willfully live in sin, even though that person may continue to commit sin. If there is no change whatever within that person, then there really isn't faith in that person, because faith, by its very nature, changes a person.

Now, before we leave this, there's an especially important point I need to make on this subject. Remember how Scripture warns us repeatedly not to judge one another? That's because we each must walk our own walk of faith with God. No human being has the ability to look into another's head or spirit to know and understand that person's level of faith or to determine whether or not that person is willfully sinning, or even sinning at all.

A lot of people have difficulty even considering the notion that sin is not the same for everyone. That is, one may do something, and for that person that behavior is a sin, while for another that same behavior is not a sin. This concept is discussed in depth in my study on Romans 14. There, Paul uses food as an example. In the first century, many new Christians believed it was a sin to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols then sold in the marketplace, so they wouldn't eat meat at all rather than to take a chance on sinning. Other Christians didn't worry about it and ate what they wanted. Paul said that neither should look down on the other--neither should assume that the other is a sinner--that we shouldn't be made to answer to each other, but each person need only worry about what God thinks. Paul ends the chapter by saying that people are happy (blessed) when they don't condemn themselves for doing something they know is alright. But if people have doubts about doing (eating) something, then they shouldn't do it. They would be condemned for not acting in faith before God. Paul says, if you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning. So, you see, according to Paul, sin itself isn't cut-and-dried, but can be influenced by the differing belief systems of the people committing the acts.

Now, let me attempt to clarify the remaining thought in your question: if we continue to sin, does God count that sin against us? Romans 3:24 tells us that even though we are sinners we are justified (that is, declared innocent) of all the sins that we have committed because of our faith in Jesus Christ. So we are made right with God through our faith, and not by obeying the law (Rom. 3:28). Does that mean we can continue to do what we want and go on sinning without a care in the world? No, of course not. (Rom. 6:1). However, as we grow in faith, we will continue to make mistakes, continue to sin from time to time, and God is quick to forgive these mistakes if we but ask for that forgiveness. God knows we are human and prone to sin, but God recognizes our intent and attempts to grow towards perfection. And God loves, blesses and accepts us as God's precious children who are spiritually growing and learning. Remember that no one can play games with God. If we're trying, no matter how often we fail, God rewards that trying. God is quick to pick us up whenever we stumble and fall. Our only requirement is to ask for help and forgiveness, and then accept it, knowing it has been given.

Hope this helps. God bless. Rev. Yvette

Q I have 20 years in teaching and experience in changing from homosexaul to heterosexual that is why I can say with complete certainty that David was only a heterosexual man. I also have a male friend who stick's closer than a brother and could say that I love him like no woman for the love is not sexualized nor homosexual but intimate is friendship.

I also can say with certainty that homosexuality is 100% of the time accompanied by self rejection. There Si such a self rejection very close to a self hatred. This all is of course suppressed. In men especially there is an inadequacy that causes a idolatry of other men that brings about just one aspect of the homosexual complex. Homosexuality is fully changeable as has been accomplished in me and millions of others showing it is not a state nor complex that God would create a person to endure. No amount of scientific testing can prove homosexuality is inborn but a state that may millions find themselves trapped in. All the telling a young girl or boy with homosexual feelings to rest and that God created them this way will calm them down or lower the suicide rate of young men and women struggling with homosexual feelings because their spirits know it is wrong with God. God's love though will bring healing and help the person feel completely adequate in the sex they were made to be. That same God's love will heal whatever caused the inadequacy whether it be same sex parent abuse, same sex lack of bonding, or the dozens of reasons which may result in homosexuality. David, Jesus, John nor no other Biblical figure was ever homosexual. Leviticus, Romans, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 teach unmistakably that homosexuality is a sinful way of life and even Christ's blood will only cover it IF the homosexual remains repentant.

A You know, brother, it is not a good idea to try to teach that which you obviously know so little about.

1) One need not be repentant for what God has created. Homosexuality differs from heterosexuality only in the way that blue eyes differ from brown eyes, or redheads differ from blondes. All were created by a loving God for the benefit of humankind.

2) You are mistaken when you say that Leviticus, Romans, 1 Corinthians 6:9 - 11 address homosexuality. I must assume that you are not familiar with the Ugaritic texts, or you would know that what is condemned in Leviticus is temple prostitution as part of idol worship, not homosexuality.

If you read Romans 1 carefully, beginning at verse 18, you will discover that the people Paul condemns are idolaters, not homosexuals ("The wrath of God is being revealed against...those who suppress the truth...For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him...Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles...They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator...") It is these people--idolaters--that are condemned beginning at verse 26 and so on to the end. In other words, these are the same people doing the same things that were condemned in Leviticus--they were temple prostitutes engaged in same-sex sexual behavior in the practice of idol worship.

With respect to 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, again I have to assume that you do not know what the original language said in these verses. If you would like to discover what this text really says (it again addresses temple prostitution), let me suggest you pick up a slim book called "Homosexuality and the Conservative Christian," by Rev. Robert Arthur, scholar in biblical languages, formerly at Bob Jones University.

3) Your statement in the last half of your last sentence is not only very sadly mistaken, but it is unbiblical. Perhaps you need to acquaint yourself further with Romans. Let me quote from the third chapter, verses 21 - 24, 28: But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to ALL who believe. There is NO difference, for ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD, AND ARE JUSTIFIED (that means "declared innocent") FREELY BY GOD'S GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION OF CHRIST JESUS...For we maintain that a person is justified by faith APART from observing the law. And just for icing on the cake let me add 5:8: But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

So you see, Paul disagrees with your interpretation that "Christ's blood will only cover it IF the homosexual remains repentant." Even if you were correct that homosexuals are sinners simply for being who they are, they don't need to be repentant to be justified by the grace of God. What they need is to accept Jesus as Savior. If you don't believe this, then let me refer you to John 3:17 and 18a. It seems that most everyone knows John 3:16, but they're totally ignorant when it comes to the next two verses.
The verses continue Jesus' quotation, and say: For God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn the world, but to save it through Him. ANYONE who believes in Jesus is NOT CONDEMNED. Notice that there is not one word about being repentant as a requirement to salvation. Only faith in Christ as Savior.

If you stop to think about it, if true repentance were required of sinners for salvation, none of us would be saved. Regardless of how hard any of us tries not to sin, sin is a part of human nature. We all sin. We may confess, repent and vow not to sin again, but we will sin again anyway. Why? Because we are not perfect. Only God is perfect. The best we can hope for is a striving toward perfection, and a trusting faith that God will love us and embrace us in spite of the mistakes we make.

4) While I'm at it, since you did not know David personally, you can't possibly know "with complete certainty" what David's sexuality was. That's a ridiculous statement for you to make.

5) Lastly, I know of no one who has successfully converted from being a happy homosexual to being a happy heterosexual. I do know of many who were involved in "ex-gay" ministries, either because it was forced on them or they had been so indoctrinated to hate themselves as children that they tried to change. All they learned from these so-called ministries, if they hadn't learned it at home, was to despise themselves and to think themselves as unworthy of God--not because that is the truth, but because there was no one to teach them that who they are is who God created them to be, and that God loves God's creation. God doesn't make junk.

Let me just tell you unequivocally that if you "changed" from homosexual to heterosexual, it was because you were never really homosexual in the first place. You would do well to read Kinsey, so that you could discover that not all people are made the same.

I just pray that you will stop trying to teach a subject you obviously know nothing about.

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