Comments on: Coming out http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/ A website about my interests: baking, software, photography, religion, politics and sex. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:57:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: kyhwana http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3880 Mon, 18 Sep 2006 23:34:09 +0000 http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3880 What does being gay and ok with yourself have anything to do with your faith in god? Ohwait, obviously their faiths are different from yours. What does being gay and ok with yourself have anything to do with your faith in god?
Ohwait, obviously their faiths are different from yours.

]]> by: Stephen http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3879 Mon, 18 Sep 2006 15:19:47 +0000 http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3879 Thanks, Andrew. That said, from a Christian perspective, being a "good person" is not sufficient since we have all "fallen short". We Christians believe that righteousness is imparted only by faith, and that through our faith the Holy Spirit will then prompt us to "do good things". At least, that's my current understanding of the complicated arguments. After all, Abraham's faith was counted as righteousness to him, yet (in our modern terms) his behaviour would have made him a rather nasty person. Because of this "righteous by faith" argument, my anti-gay Christian friends have to argue that because I am gay and (worse) I think that's ok, I can't have faith and can't be a real Christian. I guess that hurts the most. I have lots of theological arguments to elaborate on, maybe later ;) Thanks, Andrew. That said, from a Christian perspective, being a “good person” is not sufficient since we have all “fallen short”.

We Christians believe that righteousness is imparted only by faith, and that through our faith the Holy Spirit will then prompt us to “do good things”. At least, that’s my current understanding of the complicated arguments.

After all, Abraham’s faith was counted as righteousness to him, yet (in our modern terms) his behaviour would have made him a rather nasty person.

Because of this “righteous by faith” argument, my anti-gay Christian friends have to argue that because I am gay and (worse) I think that’s ok, I can’t have faith and can’t be a real Christian. I guess that hurts the most.

I have lots of theological arguments to elaborate on, maybe later ;)

]]> by: kyhwana http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3878 Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:43:49 +0000 http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3878 ]]> by: ebs http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3877 Sat, 16 Sep 2006 20:30:16 +0000 http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3877 If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a tinkling symbol. And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains,but have not love, I am nothing. And if I dole out all my goods, and if I deliver my body that I may boast but have not love, nothing I am profited. Love is long suffering, love is kind, it is not jealous, love does not boast, it is not inflated. It is not discourteous, it is not selfish, it is not irritable, it does not enumerate the evil. It does not rejoice over the wrong, but rejoices in the truth. It covers all things, it has faith for all things, it hopes in all things, it endures in all things. Love never falls in ruins;but whether prophecies, they will be abolished; or tongues, they will cease; or knowledge, it will be superseded. For we know in part and we prophecy in part. But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will be superseded. When I was an infant, I spoke as an infant, I reckoned as an infant; when I became [an adult],I abolished the things of the infant. For now we see through a mirror in an enigma, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know as also I was fully known. But now remains faith, hope, love,these three;but the greatest of these is love. Anyone who knows Stephen, knows that he is motivated by love. He's not perfect but I'd put him up against most people and he'd come out ahead. If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a tinkling symbol.

And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains,but have not love, I am nothing.

And if I dole out all my goods, and if I deliver my body that I may boast but have not love, nothing I am profited.

Love is long suffering, love is kind, it is not jealous, love does not boast, it is not inflated. It is not discourteous, it is not selfish, it is not irritable, it does not enumerate the evil. It does not rejoice over the wrong, but rejoices in the truth.

It covers all things, it has faith for all things, it hopes in all things, it endures in all things.

Love never falls in ruins;but whether prophecies, they will be abolished; or tongues, they will cease; or knowledge, it will be superseded.

For we know in part and we prophecy in part.

But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will be superseded.

When I was an infant, I spoke as an infant, I reckoned as an infant; when I became [an adult],I abolished the things of the infant.

For now we see through a mirror in an enigma, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know as also I was fully known.

But now remains faith, hope, love,these three;but the greatest of these is love.

Anyone who knows Stephen, knows that he is motivated by love. He’s not perfect but I’d put him up against most people and he’d come out ahead.

]]> by: Kyhwana http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3873 Wed, 13 Sep 2006 08:33:15 +0000 http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3873 Coming out gets easier the more people you come out to. I hardly even care any more, myself. Although there is the odd thing or two i'm wary about telling people. Coming out gets easier the more people you come out to. I hardly even care any more, myself.

Although there is the odd thing or two i’m wary about telling people.

]]> by: Terence http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3872 Wed, 13 Sep 2006 04:29:09 +0000 http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3872 Congratulations! I know coming out is difficult, but it takes tremendous courage to be authentic in the face of prejudice. Although your dad may not understand or agree today, at least he has affirmed his love for you even so, in the true spirit of Christ. It's unfortunate that your friend has made the choice to sever your friendship, but as time goes on I pray he at least learns how to "agree to disagree." Life is much too short to lose out on meaningful friendships because of a rigid need to be right. God bless you bro. :-) Congratulations! I know coming out is difficult, but it takes tremendous courage to be authentic in the face of prejudice. Although your dad may not understand or agree today, at least he has affirmed his love for you even so, in the true spirit of Christ. It’s unfortunate that your friend has made the choice to sever your friendship, but as time goes on I pray he at least learns how to “agree to disagree.” Life is much too short to lose out on meaningful friendships because of a rigid need to be right.

God bless you bro. :-)

]]> by: Kyhwana http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3868 Tue, 12 Sep 2006 18:39:57 +0000 http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3868 I'm glad none of my immediate family is religious. My family have pretty much accepted me coming out without spouting BS like this or disowning me. I’m glad none of my immediate family is religious.
My family have pretty much accepted me coming out without spouting BS like this or disowning me.

]]> by: Jay http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3867 Tue, 12 Sep 2006 16:27:36 +0000 http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3867 George, It is really sad when someone spews so much hate about a subject of which they know nothing. Stephen, I am so happy that you had the courage to come out to your father. It's painful that he doesn't accept who you are, but perhaps with time this will change. I know beyond doubt that God loves you the way you are. You are a precious child of God. God has great plans for you life and people to reach because of your unique position as a child of God who has been marginalized, hated and reviled for being who God made you to be. You have an understanding of the ways of God that most people do not ever experience. Blessings to you my friend. Jay George,

It is really sad when someone spews so much hate about a subject of which they know nothing.

Stephen,

I am so happy that you had the courage to come out to your father. It’s painful that he doesn’t accept who you are, but perhaps with time this will change.

I know beyond doubt that God loves you the way you are. You are a precious child of God. God has great plans for you life and people to reach because of your unique position as a child of God who has been marginalized, hated and reviled for being who God made you to be. You have an understanding of the ways of God that most people do not ever experience.

Blessings to you my friend.
Jay

]]> by: Markus http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3866 Tue, 12 Sep 2006 16:16:37 +0000 http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3866 Hello Stephen, know that our triune God embraces you as you claim who God made you to be and that God's angels sing with you as you celebrate your true identity. God does not make mistakes and you are created the way you are. Praise God! To George Tyler (Jnr) I want to say that it pains me to see you hurt so much, so much so that you strike out and hurt in return. And all in the name of God, who loves you and has a plan for you as he loves Stephen who at least is starting to claim God's plan for him. I am sorry that you feel you have to do this. And I am sorry that you can't see your interpretation of scripture for what it is. YOUR interpretation of scripture. And that interpretation is as flawed or as right as anybody else's. Do not call anything unclean that God has made clean. And God has called Stephen clean. For that I thank God. Markus Hello Stephen,

know that our triune God embraces you as you claim who God made you to be and that God’s angels sing with you as you celebrate your true identity.

God does not make mistakes and you are created the way you are. Praise God! To George Tyler (Jnr) I want to say that it pains me to see you hurt so much, so much so that you strike out and hurt in return. And all in the name of God, who loves you and has a plan for you as he loves Stephen who at least is starting to claim God’s plan for him. I am sorry that you feel you have to do this. And I am sorry that you can’t see your interpretation of scripture for what it is. YOUR interpretation of scripture. And that interpretation is as flawed or as right as anybody else’s. Do not call anything unclean that God has made clean. And God has called Stephen clean. For that I thank God.

Markus

]]> by: Kyhwana http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3862 Mon, 11 Sep 2006 19:22:11 +0000 http://stephen.geek.nz/personal/angst/coming-out/#comment-3862 Different folks, different God(s). Different folks, different God(s).

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