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[devek]

Here is something I don't understand... but I am an atheist so maybe a Christian can shed some light on this issue for me?

Sins are things we are tempted to do right? I've been tempted to steal, murder, lie, and do many things that are considered sins but my values and morality(both based on empathy and experience) stop me(usually hehe).

I don't really consider homosexuality to be a sin because it isn't something I am tempted to take part in. I can go to gay bars and hang out with gay people, and yet not once have I had to fight the urge to have sex with a guy because I simply don't have the urge.

Now I am not trying to judge and I know not all Christians are anti-gay, in fact most are pretty cool people. I have to wonder though, isn't temptation the cause of sin? So how can you label something as a sin unless it tempts you?

[Ricky]

A sin is something you know is wrong, but you do it anyway.

Say a serial killer kidnapped your whole family and told you to kill this guy to get them back. You are not tempted to kill this man, you are forced to.

Also, at a christian viewpoint, being gay is not a sin, but being gay and not married when you do your stuff is a sin.

[devek]

That is such a cop out though. Gay people are not tempted to live unmarried, they are forced to heh. There is no evidence that gay people would have sex outside of marriage anymore than Christian people(especially when you consider adultery).

[Tellemurius]

As a catholic i never found any problems with gay people, i hang out with them everyday in school anyways. Why should i bring it up? its their issue, they want to be gay, fine by me, i don't give a damn.

[Strife26]

As resident semi-christian, I'd do my best to answer, but I don't really get the question. From my understanding of standard theology, a sin is anything that goes against the will of God (stemming from the original sin, Adam and Even eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil). Homosexuality falls under a sin (depending on a viewpoint) as part of not keeping marriage sacred.


Note that this isn't my belief.

[Neonivek]

The official Catholic viewpoint as of this moment is that it isn't a sin to be gay, it is a sin to have gay sex (Likely of two types...)

[Cthulhu]

Sin isn't doing what you know is wrong, but wanting what you know is wrong.  Once you perform the action you've already sinned by wanting to do that thing.  So yeah, in a way temptation and sin are the same.  Thankfully the idea of infinite forgiveness is stressed, as long as you know that your desire is wrong and make an honest effort to do the right thing you're on the right track.

As for gays, maybe being gay is a sin, maybe having gay sex is a sin, maybe that's something that worked its way into the Bible and isn't as wrong as people think it is.  Regardless, there aren't categories for it.  One person isn't more sinful than another depending on how they sin, and categories of sin are a human invention.  A window with a crack running through it is broken, regardless of how big the crack is.  There's no reason to discriminate against gays or anyone else, even if you believe what they do is wrong.  You do plenty of wrong yourself.

[Vattic]

One person isn't more sinful than another depending on how they sin, and categories of sin are a human invention.

Unless you include the eternal sin(s).

Edit to add: It's not like this isn't controversial but I only mentioned it because you mentioned the different categories of sin being man made while I'd argue the less literal interpretations of the various passages about eternal sin are also man made.

[devek]

As for gays, maybe being gay is a sin, maybe having gay sex is a sin, maybe that's something that worked its way into the Bible and isn't as wrong as people think it is.  Regardless, there aren't categories for it.  One person isn't more sinful than another depending on how they sin, and categories of sin are a human invention.  A window with a crack running through it is broken, regardless of how big the crack is.  There's no reason to discriminate against gays or anyone else, even if you believe what they do is wrong.  You do plenty of wrong yourself.

Ya, that is a perfectly reasonable way of looking at things and probably the most correct based on my understanding of Christianity. You just have to understand that I live in a part of the world that is considered by some to be REAL America(REAL=Blacks, gays, and Muslims need not apply). While the REAL Americans are in the minority, they are quite loud and outspoken to the point that many of us make sport of them.

What I am working on is honing my argument such that I can get them to admit that sins are tempting, then later say that homosexuality is a sin. If I can do that, I have forced them to say that gay sex is tempting hehe.

[Phmcw]

There is a passage of old testament that condemn srongly homosexuality. Given that there is another one, not too far, that strongly condemn eating things that lives in rivers and are not scaly, women spaeking in public, or leaving a barren women live in your country, most christian doesn't find it a big deal, just another suranned passage of the old testament but some of them use it to justify their homophobia. End of the story.

At the time it was probably something to avoid the spreading of sexualy transmissible disease, now it's obsolete.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Back in my years as a Christian, I was told quite specifically that a sin is anything that goes against the will of the christian god (and with much more unfortunate implications, those who claim to represent said god), and actually has little to do with temptation overall. That kind unquestioning obediance was one of the factors that contributed to my deconversion.

As for homosexuality, it just happens to be what is being currently cherry picked from be Bible to attempt to influence legislation by making the anti-gay movement appear to have a legitimate base outside of their own distaste. It'll probably be somthing else, supported by some other obscure Old Testament passage, in a couple of decades.

[Megaman]

Being an orthodox christian, I have a slight tinge of homophobia, but not from religion. As far as I understand, the entire not reproducing or marrying thing is what Mr.priest would be angry about.

[Kearn]

what was i even talking about

[Cthulhu]

baptist here

look, i might be tempted to donate to the poor but that doesn't make it a sin

things that God has instructed us to stay away from should be avoided. period.

just because you have or don't have the temptation to do something doesn't mean it's a sin

Temptation implies that the thing in question is wrong.  Being "tempted" to help someone isn't a good choice of words.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I dissagree.

temp·ta·tion (tmp-tshn)
n.
1. The act of tempting or the condition of being tempted.
2. Something tempting or enticing.

Temptation is neutral by itself, somthing that entices you.