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roadsign
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Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


  The Story of "the Good Homosexual"



The following story represents real possibilities in our circles today:


One day Becky a troubled 16-year-old teen began making plans to end her life. For her, it hurt too much to live any longer. Her despair had become overwhelming. Oh, she had been a good student and even president of the Students Council. But she had been plagued with depression for some time. She never talked about it with anyone, but hid it under an impressive façade.

Her parents weren’t particularly approachable, she felt. She had always felt distanced from them. Her dad was a busy pastor of a thriving church. Becky just assumed he would freak out if she told him. He would remind her that suicide is a sin and she should be thankful for her good Christian background. Becky’s mom herself had suffered depression, but she kept it at bay by busying herself with running the food bank. On Sundays Becky sang in the worship team. The worship leader did notice a dulling in her countenance, but assumed that livelier praise songs would help her. So he made certain to include some.

At school Ms Jens, her history teacher had been noticing changes in her for the last while. That day she approached Becky privately after class and commented about her observations – the sad expression, withdrawal from others, and a loss of interest in her studies. Ms Jens was a lesbian feminist with a particular interest in women’s concerns. She invited Becky to come talk with her anytime she wanted. That’s when Becky blurted her suicide plans. Ms Jens listened carefully and then asked a few questions to discern how serious Becky was. Ms Jens expressed her intent to arrange for Becky to see a youth counselor right away; and then she drove her to the mental health center. Ms Jens made sure Becky was provided for and the parents were notified. As she was leaving, Ms Jens said to Becky, “Anytime you want to chat, please feel welcome. Here is my phone number.”

You know where this story is going, don’t you? It leads to a provocative question, not unlike the question Jesus asked a religious expert: Who was a neighbor to Becky?

How would you answer that question?

Diane


_________________
Diane

 2012/3/9 10:55Profile









 Re: The Story of "the Good Homosexual"

"How would you answer that question?"

2Co 11:14,15 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.



eta: 2nd problem - "and then she drove her to the mental health center."

 2012/3/9 11:15
Giggles
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Joined: 2009/12/12
Posts: 592


 Re:

The title threw me off. I thought it was going to be some sort of dig at in quote "good homosexuals." Consequently, I kept waiting for the teacher to do something bad to the child. By the time Jesus's question came around, I didn't feel the answer I had been led to was "the good homosexual" was a neighbor to Becky.

Side note, Becky's parents seemed a bit plastic. For the sake of the parable, I suppose it was necessary, but the mother's reaction in particular seemed too far-fetched.


_________________
Paul

 2012/3/9 11:23Profile
rbanks
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Joined: 2008/6/19
Posts: 1330


 Re:

Dianne I understand somewhat of what you are saying of how the Jews felt concerning the Samaritans but I would have a hard time using an illustration of this sort because of how God feels about the sin of homosexuality.

Also because of how many of the leaders in society today are classifying homosexuality with racism and the treating of women. It is not a sin to be of another race or to be a woman but it is a sin to be a practicing homosexual. Many in society today are listing these three in the same category saying we can’t discriminate against their lifestyles even saying that we hate homosexual people by saying homosexuality is a sin but that is far from the truth. True Christians love them and want to see them free from sin but it is not wrong to be a woman if that is how God created you. It is not wrong to be of any particular race if that is how you were born. Just some thoughts…rbanks

 2012/3/9 12:38Profile
Clarebear
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Joined: 2010/7/28
Posts: 6


 Re: The Story of "the Good Homosexual"

Diane,
Many people do good deeds....there are BUNCHES of men IN the church-system today who are at the coal-face of the work, but in private have addictions to pornography and other sexual vices that they hide from society....including some pastors. This is sin.....however it looks. Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, "Go and SIN no more." He didn't say "Go and do good deeds." The issue is SIN.
IF Becky is really taken in by the kindness of this person, don't you think her relationship with this person could well develop into Becky becoming caught up in the very same sin? Satan will use ANY candy he can, like a fisherman experimenting with different baits to catch his fish.... Is a prostitute any less a sinner because she has a kind heart? Is a thief less of a thief because he loves his wife and takes her flowers?
What counts is our relationship with God. IF we love God, and love our neighbor, our desire will be to ALWAYS do what pleases Him, and glorifies Him, and to bless our neighbor - and never cause them harm. We can bless our neighbor by being kind as this person was, but at the same time HARMING others by involving them in a sexual perversion that God hates and will bring about their destruction.
I feel sad that this girl has parents who have issues in THEIR lives that are being white-washed. A pastor who does not have time to be the father his children need is hiding himself from the needs of his own flesh (See Isaiah 58:6-14) Her mother hides from her own problems by covering them instead of bringing them to the light and dealing with them (Phil.4:6-7) A mature Christian who trusts in the LORD with ALL of their heart, and lives continually in His presence has a problem that they are not allowing God to help them with if they suffer from "depression". There is no room in Jesus for depression. The JOY of the LORD is our strength.
Mental health?....and they will prescribe mind-altering drugs? Becky needs Jesus. She needs a REVELATION of Jesus!....then all her depression and cares will fade away!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus;
Look full in His wonderful face!
And the things of this world will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

He IS the answer! He said, "Whom the Son of God sets free is free indeed." We ALL need a revelation of Jesus! Personally. We ALL need to see Him in ALL of His glory, die to self and our self-centered introversion, live for Jesus and the needs of others. This is the prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi......

"Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt,faith;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is despair, hope,
and where there is sadness, joy.

Divine Master, grant that I may not so
much seek to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

If our cup is full of self, there is no room for Jesus.
If our cup is full of Jesus, there is no room for self.

 2012/3/9 13:33Profile
roadsign
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Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re:

No doubt the title here sounds suspiciously like the subtitle in your bible: “the Parable of the Good Samaritan” in Luke 10. But remember, that subtitle is not inspired text. The word “Samaritan” has now become synonymous with “good” - charitableness – as in “Samaritan’s Purse”. Someone (I forget who) noted that this arrangement dampens our sense of the immediate impact that label “Samaritan” had on Jesus’ listener when he used it. This is a point we can’t overlook. To the Jews in Jesus day, Samaritans represented the vilest sinners around, and Jesus’ listeners would never have considered them a reasonable illustration for anything good. It may be worth noting that Scripture does not refrain from using sinners to convict worse sinners – including the people of God who viewed themselves as quite righteous.

My title is indeed misleading - as perhaps is the parable’s title in our bibles. Jesus’ parable was not intended to be a commentary on Samaritans’ righteousness – but a means of helping Jesus’ immediate listener see something he had not seen before about himself.

A question we might ask: How well do God’s people today notice those suffering “in the ditch”, even among their own - such as the teen example I used. Not very well! Becky’s story is representational of a real epidemic today. And today, it is indeed the people of the world who are providing treatment for them - including for those among “our own”. And for that we can be grateful. Yet, is this not also painful? Imagine the Jew listening to Jesus talk about a fallen victim among his own people receiving care by an outsider – a sinner - when the best of his own people failed to rise to the challenge.

When Jesus asked the lawyer ‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell…” the law expert couldn’t even use the “S” word. Rather than respond, “the Samaritan”, he said, “The one who had mercy on him.” I too could have avoided the “H” word - but let’s admit, there are those even in this population who stop for a fallen victim, and who love their “neighbor”.


Diane


_________________
Diane

 2012/3/9 14:51Profile









 Re:


Your parable falls short and pretty much contradicts itself. The man dying on the side of the road, was obvious to those passing by.
This girl did not speak to any Christians about her problem - so in comes the 'compassionate' angel of light with an answer that could lead her to drug addiction and secular therapy that doesn't deal with the spiritual problem in the least.

Rather than compare this to the one who came from Samaria - this analogy is more of a comparison of one from Sodom.
I don't see Jesus doing that in His parable.

 2012/3/9 15:11
Sree
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Joined: 2011/8/20
Posts: 1953


 Re:

Quote:

No doubt the title here sounds suspiciously like the subtitle in your bible: “the Parable of the Good Samaritan” in Luke 10. But remember, that subtitle is not inspired text. The word “Samaritan” has now become synonymous with “good” - charitableness – as in “Samaritan’s Purse”. Someone (I forget who) noted that this arrangement dampens our sense of the immediate impact that label “Samaritan” had on Jesus’ listener when he used it. This is a point we can’t overlook. To the Jews in Jesus day, Samaritans represented the vilest sinners around, and Jesus’ listeners would never have considered them a reasonable illustration for anything good. It may be worth noting that Scripture does not refrain from using sinners to convict worse sinners – including the people of God who viewed themselves as quite righteous.



Brother I already told you that it is hurting to extend the parable of Jesus. Jesus did not intend to use this parable on a open sinner and it is fact. If so he would have used tax collectors or prostitutes as example in his parable who were considered worst sinners in those time. One cannot be considered sinner because he was born in Samaria nor he practiced the worship of Samaritans. And Samaritans did not worship anything wrong which I have already showed based on the answer of Jesus in John 6. Jesus will never advertise a sinful life style.

If you cannot understand what I am saying then at least treat me as a brother with weak faith and stop using this parable. This is what I would have done if any believer said that he is hurt by my post (Hurt and not Godly Sorrow). Usage of a teaching of Jesus to show something that Jesus did not intended is wrong according to this weak brother. And my faith is getting disturbed because I see this as a blasphemy against the name of Jesus.


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Sreeram

 2012/3/9 15:21Profile
Lordoitagain
Member



Joined: 2008/5/23
Posts: 632
Monroe, LA - USA

 Re: HOW ABOUT THE GOOD HIRED ASSASSIN?

I don’t find the story with ANY similarity or parallel to the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this story, the girl’s need was not obvious at all to her Christian friends and family. She kept it well hidden. If her friends and family had the slightest clue, they would have rushed to her rescue. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the robbed man’s need was VERY obvious. The priest and Levite simply chose to ignore it just like many busy religious Christians ignore the billions who are dying without having ever heard the gospel while pouring time and money into fleeting vanities of earth.

Another glaring difference is that homosexuals are a group of a particular type of sin … not an ethnic group. A person cannot remain a homosexual and become good. A person could be a Samaritan with all kinds of evil in his family history, but could get converted and be made good by Christ’s righteousness manifesting itself in him.

I believe that a more appropriate modern similarity would be something like: “The good Gypsy”. Gypsies are ethnic groups who supposedly have generations of theft, deceit and evil but with such a reputation, if one were to do a kind deed for a suffering person, it would (according to the reputation) be astounding.

To me, this little story, and the suggestion of such a subtitle attempts to make acceptable a particular brand of sin (homosexuality) which is not an ethnic group (nor a genetic group, by the way), but a group of people united by that particular kind of sin who need deliverance just like any other sinner does.

How about some other suggestions: “The good alcoholic” … “the good drug addict” … “The good child molester” … “the good rapist” … “the good hired assassin” (Mexico is full of them ... it is a way of life for them) … “the good thief and robber” … or just invent a story where the thieves and robbers feel bad about what they did and return to help the poor fellow that they just robbed.
“Samaritan” is on the same level as “Jew” … it is an ethnic group.

“Homosexual” is on the same level as “thief and robber” it is a type of sin which can’t be made better by any good deed.


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Michael Strickland

 2012/3/9 15:37Profile
roadsign
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Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re:

It's intriguing how readers draw different aspects from the same story. I include a response by a middle-aged Christian woman who focuses on the plight of the pastor’s wife:
----------
"We seem to have pat answers and really don't go down into each other's pain.... to really listen to each other. Instead we give quick fixes. And again, it's the "sinner" who has come to the rescue!!

"The pastor's wife I can relate to!! When we have our own issues, it's hard to help someone else, isn't it. She really hasn't dealt with her depression. We get busy instead of dealing with issues.....either because we don't want to, or the church is not equipped to help. Maybe it is a sense of shame on the part of the pastor's wife. Or she just hasn't opened herself up to the Lord for healing. Or maybe she thinks he can't help!!"
-----------


_________________
Diane

 2012/3/9 17:28Profile





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