Is Homosexuality a "worse sin" than other sins?

[Cow Poke]

As to your last sentence...yes, there is one, and I've NEVER heard a sermon on it. In fact, it's usually bragged about in the pulpit (not necessarily YOUR pulpit) as well. That is the sin of Gluttony. It's the one that comes to mind. I think many Christians including preachers have issues with it. Many times in my almost 40 years of being a Christian, I've heard preachers and other brothers or sisters in Christ, expound on the YUGE, delicious meal they had and how much they ate and on and on...is it as bad as homosexuality? I guess that's in the eye of the beholder. To a starving man, I would say it would be just as bad.

It's funny because I've seen fat Christians that will talk about how bad drinking is (for example) but they have no issue with eating a whole large pizza by themselves and finishing off the meal with a big dessert...walking away from the table groaning...

Yes? No?

That's a good catch - yes, it's often joked about, but I try to abstain from that with the exception that "this belt is just a fence around a chicken graveyard". That's a good point I'll mention in tonight's teaching!

[Cow Poke]

The Bible doesn't really seem to explicitly state that gluttony is a sin the way it does with homosexuality, though.

True, but it does open us up to criticism to mock it and to be so unnecessarily "out of shape".

[Cow Poke]

My dad (who was a preacher) was unafraid to speak out against gluttony for this very reason.

I need to lose about 20 lbs and I'll get back after this topic.

[Adrift]

First, I know that "sin is sin", and that the same author who said....

You trailed off there. What were you going to say before the ellipses?

But, a friend asked me about Beth Moore's latest controversy where she, apparently, deleted a section from a reprint of one of her books, and the newly published Kindle version.

Who's Beth Moore?

My position has been - as a number of us have stated numerous times - that it's not a sin to have homosexual thoughts or desires, but it is a sin to act on them, and particularly to take PRIDE in them.

I go one step further and say that it's a sin to intentionally dwell on or flirt with temptation even if you don't commit to them in keeping with Christ's saying in Matthew 5:28.

In fact, I'm thinking that that's why homosexuality is often considered a "worse sin", because it is so often coupled with PRIDE, and the resulting "marriage" to a same sex person becomes a declaration of defiance to God.

Yeah, that sounds reasonable to me.

Is there any other sin that a person takes PRIDE in, while wanting to be considered, for example, a "practicing Christian"?

I can't think of any on a national level. Perhaps the obesity acceptance/pride movement, but I don't think that's super popular outside of some blogs and magazines maybe. There's some odd practices coming out of Latin America where people are mixing pagan worship with Christianity and are celebrating it; I went into a Catholic-owned business recently that was also selling Santa Muerte/Saint Death candles. There are self-proclaimed Christians who are side worshiping death, and that ain't cool. Perhaps not ironically, there's an association with Santa Muerte worshipers and the LGBT community in Latin America.

[seer]

Was he proud "as a Christian", or as a heathen?

Heathen...

I don't think "having desires" is the same as "lusting" --- I'm human and a male, and even though I'm ancient, I still have desires. If I entertain those desires (toward other than my own wife), they can turn into lust.

Are we splitting hairs?

[KingsGambit]

Who's Beth Moore?

You really don't know who Beth Moore is?

[Littlejoe]

The Bible doesn't really seem to explicitly state that gluttony is a sin the way it does with homosexuality, though. Even assuming it is, there's not really a "red line" the way there is with homosexuality. How much is too much?

[Adrift]

You really don't know who Beth Moore is?

Nope. Should I?

[Faber]

Personally, I tend to view homosexual behavior as more disgusting than heterosexual immorality. But the fact is, it didn't make the top eight abominations of Proverbs 6:16-99:

"haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers."

On the other hand, "haughty eyes" can be defined as pride, making it in itself, an abomination. Objectively, all immorality, pornography, lust, etc. are condemned, one not more than another. In the case of child porn or molestation, or adultery, there are victims. That becomes a different story.

[One Bad Pig]

Nope. Should I?

She's a popular woman author, primarily in (Southern?) Baptist circles.

[One Bad Pig]

It's also one of the "seven deadly sins".

[Adrift]

She's a popular woman author, primarily in (Southern?) Baptist circles.

Ah. That explains it. I'm pretty out of the loop when it comes to a lot of pop Christianity.

[Cow Poke]

She's a popular woman author, primarily in (Southern?) Baptist circles.

I didn't realize she was Southern Baptistish, but appears so.

[Cow Poke]

You trailed off there. What were you going to say before the ellipses?

Couldn't remember the exact scripture at the time...

James 2:11 - For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

Who's Beth Moore?

What the Singular Excellent Porcine said.

I go one step further and say that it's a sin to intentionally dwell on or flirt with temptation even if you don't commit to them in keeping with Christ's saying in Matthew 5:28.

Absolutely agreed. I was typing quickly cause I was about to step into a meeting, and at my age, if you have a thought, you need to get it out there or it goes away.

Yeah, that sounds reasonable to me.

Only cause it is.

I can't think of any on a national level. Perhaps the obesity acceptance/pride movement, but I don't think that's super popular outside of some blogs and magazines maybe. There's some odd practices coming out of Latin America where people are mixing pagan worship with Christianity and are celebrating it; I went into a Catholic-owned business recently that was also selling Santa Muerte/Saint Death candles. There are self-proclaimed Christians who are side worshiping death, and that ain't cool. Perhaps not ironically, there's an association with Santa Muerte worshipers and the LGBT community in Latin America.

Yeah, I experienced some of that to a much smaller scale in Haiti.

[Cow Poke]

Heathen...

OK, so not surprising.

Are we splitting hairs?

I don't really think so, and Adrift helped with clarification.... If I see a very scantily clad attractive woman*, it could certainly arouse some desires, so I'm best to look away, and/or get myself out of that situation. If I continue to oggle (what, that's not a word?) and think what I could do with that..... Lust is a very likely result.



*I have seen some scantily clad UNATTRACTIVE women of late that make me.... um.... very negative reaction.