Where does it say that I'm trying to change people's minds? You are the one that is arguing with me and changing the subject.
I was replying to your perception, and showing you my perception of what you are saying. I am also saying that you created this thread, but you are still arguing about religion and homosexuality in a negative way.
Many of the others here are right in their postings, Jesus preached love, tolerance and acceptance.
And to sum this up...
Poem On Acceptance, by Anonymous
(The only person on earth you need to be accepted by is yourself.)
When you get what you want in the struggle for the self,
And the world makes you king and queen for the day,
Just go to a mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that person has to say!
For it isn't your father, mother, friend or host,
Whose judgement upon you must pass;
The person whose verdict counts the most,
Is the one staring from the glass.
Some may think you are a wonderful chum,
And call you as radiant as the sun;
But if the person in the mirror says you're dumb,
And you can't look him in the eye - you're done.
He is the one to please, never mind the rest,
For he will be with you until the end,
And you will have passed your most difficult test
If the person in the mirror becomes your friend.
You may fool the whole world along the years,
And get pats on your back as the ages you pass,
But your final reward will be jahannam and tears,
If you've cheated the person in the glass."
We all have to look in ourselves every day and accept ourselves for what we are, what we were before, what we will be, and what we can be.
Matthew 7:1-5
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from you eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
1 Thessalonians 4:9b-12
…for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.
John 8:7-11
So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Hs no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."
In all this, Jesus preached tolerance, love and patience. We are not to judge by appearance, but to make informed decisions for ourselves. We are to accept all people as they are, and acknowlege that we are sinners ourselves, therefore, if we say that you or you are doing it wrong, we are passing judgement on OURSELVES.
If you are saying that we are wrong because we love who we love, then you will have to pass judgement on others, also...for there are many here, yea, on AllDeaf, that are living without benefit of marriage, those who have had abortions, those who have had children out of wedlock, those who have hurt others, etc., etc.
You cannot summarily pass judgement on others. I applaud you for saying you have sinned, also, and am glad you have stated that you have done wrongs also...HOWEVER... you cannot just say ... "YOU are wrong, because you are doing this and that, and Jesus will not forgive you for that and this."
We all have to accept whoever we are, and in doing so, we accept others as THEY are. That's the gist of what I understand, from my own point of view.
