I have a relative who is a homosexual. I don't condone the lifestyle because I know it's not godly. Is it OK to be around this relative?

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I have a relative who is a homosexual. I don't condone the lifestyle because I know it's not godly. Is it OK to be around this relative?

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Because God says practicing homosexuality is wrong (Leviticus 20:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9), this question is focused on how God would have us treat sinners. People generally think that by showing someone concern or kindness, we are somehow condoning their behavior. But this is not always true.

Let's start with the example of Jesus, the only one who has lived a perfect life as a human. People who asked for His help generally received it, even if they were considered "lesser citizens" such as women, foreigners, tax collectors (publicans) or known sinners. Perhaps you've heard people make the statement that we should "hate the sin but love the sinner." This principle is consistent with Christ's example since He never condoned sin and yet was called "a friend of tax collectors and sinners" (Luke 7:34).

Before being crucified, Jesus asked the Father to watch over His followers. He said He did not ask that they be taken out of the world, but that they be protected from evil (John 17:11-16). Later, Paul told the Church members in Corinth that when he wrote to them about not keeping company with sinful members in the hope of encouraging them to change, he was not talking about avoiding sinful people in the world because then they would have to go out of the world (1 Corinthians 5:9-13). He was talking about people practicing sin within the Church.

From these passages we learn that Christians are expected to live in a world that doesn't follow God's instructions and yet not become a part of it by joining in the misconduct. So it's not wrong for you to be around your relative as long as you don't encourage or get involved in that person's wrong behavior (and as long as it is OK with your parents and safe).

Comments

  • rwp_47
    Rather than quote scripture on this I will just interject some things that I have noticed in my sojourn here on planet earth. Regarding female homosexuals - I confess - I haven't a clue. But I have known more than just a few men who were homosexual. I noticed fairly early that every homosexual man that I had ever known ended up confiding in me at one time or another one common thing. And what was it? Every one expressed very clearly that they hated their fathers. There was a time when I thought that I might have found an exception to that rule. A mathematics professor that I knew in college back in the 1960s (and whom I took many courses from) was homosexual. I had known him for a fairly long while and began to think that he possibly might be an exception to this rule. But a time came when after placing a few bourbons under his belt and he got chatty. And I discovered that he too wasn't an exception ... but that he too very much hated his father. I've come to personally believe that homosexuality (at least male homosexuality) is caused primarily by a break down in the family ... a problem that arises between a man and his son that results in the son finally hating his father. What it might be that causes the hatred I don't know (I suspect that it could happen in any number of ways) ... but the end result is the son hating his father. I've not to this day found an exception to this rule. So from my experience I've found that to be at least one common thread ... hating one's father. Now that doesn't mean that every man who hates his Dad will turn out to be homosexual. I would be surprised if that were true. But I've never know a homosexual man whom I knew didn't hate his Father. So if one has a relative that he knows is homosexual ... it likely is that there are more problems there than might meet the eye.
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