The Question:
➣ How should gays be treated?
The Answer:
Gays are persons, and, being in the image of God and creatures with feelings, the capacity of pain, and more, they need to be treated as we would treat anyone else: with dignity and respect. It does not mean compromising the Truth: moral truths, other spiritual truths, and related. It does mean speaking the truth in love and loving them as our neighbours. (Eph. 4:15; Matt. 22:39) It is guiding them as we would anyone else, being kind to them, helping them in their times of need, and not ostracising or abandoning them.
Instead, as Christians, we are to focus on ourselves. We inform them and then we spend time showing them by making amends, seeking union with God, and preparing to give an account of our own faith and deeds before our Lord.
"Do not be irritated either with those who sin or those who offend; do not have a passion for noticing every sin in your neighbour, and for judging him, as we are in the habit of doing. Everyone shall give an answer to God for himself. Everyone has a conscience; everyone hears God's Word and knows God's Will either from books or from conversations with other people. Especially do not look with evil intention upon the sins of your elders, which do not regard you; 'to his own master he standeth or falleth.' Correct your own sins, amend your own life." (St. John of Kronstadt)
And, in preaching the Word, if we are to be given wrath, then we are to give them love, approaching them as peaceful as doves. (Matt. 10:16) How we treat the least of His people and our neighbour will be a part of the Judgment. We should not destroy them, harm them, but love them, and love them increasingly as friends, relatives, enemies, strangers—whatever they may be to us.
"A man who is wrathful with us is a sick man; we must apply a plaster to his heart — love; we must treat him kindly, speak to him gently, lovingly. And if there is not deeply-rooted malice against us within him, but only a temporary fit of anger, you will see how his heart, or his malice, will melt away through your kindness and love — how good will conquer evil. A Christian must always be kind, gracious, and wise in order to conquer evil by good." (St. John of Kronstadt)
This applies, also, to those who receive the same treatment from Christians while not being one. Love, kindness and good is a conqueror of evil, and how goodwilled it is to endure it and melt their hearts. God bless you and may you be guided to union with the loving God
YOU ARE READING
LGBT+ and the Church
SpiritualThis book will be addressing the LGBT+ issues and the Church. The primary chapters will discuss God's design, the sin and reasoning, and more, and will eventually begin going into a question series. In the question segment, it will address questions...
