Hi, how are you? I don't think we've talked much to each other, but I dig your motorcycle.
God's love was never on the table. God's never leaves us nor abandons us, and He always loves us, no matter what. His love is unconditional and Jesus personified this.
Your #1 is not my belief. The fact that someone can start to have gay feelings from a young enough age that they think they are born gay (which is odd in itself because normally children, unless coached, do not think of sexual matters with others until much older, even though they might masturbate from a young age [which can be abnormal too, if began super young] does not mean God made them that way. And you are feeding my point which is we ARE made in God's perfect image, and God is clear about homosexuality among men being an abomination unto God.
But just as He did not make us murderers, some become murderers. My point being that God makes us from birth ready to go forth unto righteousness. That, for reasons of evil, does not always come to fruition in a person's youth. Because of developmental issues stemming from parental relationships (namely the same sex parent in this case), a person might find over time they have a driving need to get something from someone of the same sex. Often that manifests as sexual feelings, because this drive is so intense.
God makes us with the ability to choose sin, while clearly giving us His Word in the form of the Bible to know right from wrong. He further clarifies this in His rhema (or living Spirit) when you grow closer with Him.
I am saying that when someone begins noticing a gay side of themselves, that most likely stems from a dysfunctional attachment disorder, usually with a parent. And this underlying disorder could ideally be addressed. In theory, if it were addressed adequately, and prayer through Jesus Christ were utilized, that person would begin to naturally move away from gay feelings, as those unmet needs from the same sex parent are met through God.
If gay therapy has not worked it is likely because the person themselves did not want it. Or the therapists were not qualified.
Finally, in our culture we tie gayness up with sexuality, and they really are two separate things. I preach it all the time, anyone can sex with anyone or anything. Sexuality is fluid and fleshly. Love need not be involved. Unconditional love and acceptance are available to us now more than ever since Jesus came, and we should understand that our true love is given to us by God, or is God Himself (in cases where someone is led to the ascetic life), it is not something we should seek because we have gay feelings clouding our judgment. Sex is subjugate to love.
We are far too ready to sex first, and love last. Therefore we get hurt far more than we should.
Can someone live a gay lifestyle? Sure! God gives free will and I am not going to get in the way of that, nor advocate it. I am just illuminating the truth about gayness and sexuality.
~selah
