Should we move on from conservative religion?

Last updated on October 6, 2020

Question:

Is homosexuality a sin? I came across your web site and saw a bunch of kids my age. I’m 13 and leaving my gender in this email unclear because at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter.

Anyways I have many LGBT friends. I am kind of bisexual myself. All my friends agree now that it’s 2016, we should all move on now from conservative religion. I kind of agree, and now I am stuck questioning my religion. Ever since I started questioning it, I keep having nighttime visions of Satan taking my friends and me to hell to rot for all eternity because of modern acceptance. The visions are scaring me, and I don’t know what I want to do with my life now.

Also I’m anti-gender roles as well. Are gender roles mandated by God or something?

Answer:

Before getting directly to your questions, I would like to make a general observation. You and your friends find yourselves disagreeing with religion, so you handle this conflict by deciding religion is wrong. In doing so, you make yourselves that standard by which everything is judged. If you like it, it is good. If you don’t, it is bad. Thus, instead of seeing Jesus as Lord over your life, you each put yourselves in the place of God.

In regards to homosexuality, here is something I wrote to a young girl who dared me to prove her wrong. She thought that homosexuality was only wrong to religious people: Don’t you dare change my mind, but why is homosexuality bad?

Regarding transgenderism, here is an answer I gave: If a person feels they should be a different sex, didn’t God make a mistake? Though I reference a few secular articles, here one from the American Medical Association that should be noted (and it is from 2016!): Statement Against Encouraging Transgenderism.

To claim you are bisexual is stating that you have had sex with both boys and girls — not just fantasies of doing so, but actually doing it. I don’t know if that is what you are intending to say or not.

Are there gender roles? Of course. Each gender has its own strengths and people naturally gravitate to those roles that make the best use of those strengths. To deny that there are differences is to deny that male and female DNA is different. The Bible does talk about how each gender can make the best use of the abilities God has given them.

For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things” (Philippians 3:18-19).

Question:

First of all remember me, the guy who was mad about gender roles and supported LGBT people? The question was “Should we move on from conservative religion?” I’m sorry about that. You have every right to your religion, but I’m annoyed because some stuff happened and now I go to a Christian school. Many people there are close-minded bigots. I am sad about this and they condemn everyone to hell.

I don’t feel as I am built for religion. I’m almost 14 now and have not seen a single sign of God in my life. I know some good LGBT people and I have feelings for both guys and girls, and I’m not Satan. Gender roles limit people by putting people into boxes based on their genitalia.

Why is everything a sin? Apparently, it’s a sin now for someone to disobey gender norms such as a dad cooking dinner and a mom going to war.

Also, the Bible treats girls as sex objects, which infuriates me.

Anyway, I do believe in Jesus and God, etc., I just don’t believe everything the Bible has to say. It must also be a sin for girls to wear bikinis because they are so sexualized and stuff. It’s also a sin to be alone for your whole life.

One big point which I disagree with is you say that guys feel physical attraction and girls feel more emotional attraction. Wrong. I’m a guy and my emotional attraction far outweighs my physical attraction. So sorry, if I never stick my private part into someone else’s during my life and not reproduce. This is where all that stupid hatred comes from.

It’s also a sin to eat too much, so fat people automatically qualify to be Satanic beasts from hell.

Look I may appear sinful to you as I am mocking religion, and I am bisexual, but I’m trying my best. I just can’t wait to live in a world where people are more accepting.

p.s. Oh hey, it is not necessarily true about the emotional and physical attraction part. I just want a reaction.

Answer:

If you aren’t interested in religion, I’m puzzled why you choose to rant at a preacher. Clearly, you aren’t interested in what I might say and you seem to have no interest in improving yourself.

Just because people recognize that certain actions are harmful to people and those around them, it doesn’t mean they are closed-minded. In fact, the one who seems to be the most closed-minded at the moment is you. You don’t seem to want to consider that there can be points of view different than your own. You see anyone who views the world differently from yourself as being evil and full of hatred.

If you are not seeing God, then it would follow that:

  1. God does not exist
  2. God has left no evidence of Himself to be found
  3. You refuse to see the evidence that obviously before you.

The first one cannot be true. There are too much order and design in the world to conclude that there was no creator.  That same design then means there is evidence that God exists, so the second one is also false.  The Bible teaches us that it is the last one which is true. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:18-21).

It is strange how inconsistent you are. After claiming to have no evidence of God, you claim to believe in that same God. You deny the Bible, but it is the same book that tells you about Jesus and God whom you claim to believe without evidence. Let’s face it. The only reason you are rejecting the Bible is that it says that unrestrained sex is both harmful and therefore sinful.

Clearly, everything is not a sin. For a man and woman to marry for love is not sinful. For a married couple to engage in sex and raise children is not sinful. “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4).

If you want to argue against something I’ve said, it would improve your position if you accurately stated my position instead of making up a straw-man argument to rail against. I won’t bother to defend what you think I said. I will just conclude that you didn’t read what I wrote with any accuracy. It is just as you clearly have not read the Bible if you think that the book which says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28) means it treats women as sex objects. Nor does the Bible teach that being single is wrong. It only states that sex is to be restricted between a man and a woman in marriage. “But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion” (I Corinthians 7:8-9).

You have decided at the ripe old age of 13 to turn against God and go your own way. I’m sorry you prefer the life of sin, but your decision does not mean other people have to agree with you or honor your sin. There is no hatred. I would love to see you have a good, calm, peaceful life that eventually leads you to heaven. I just happen to know that the path you have selected won’t bring you happiness. You are already angry with the world and sadly that anger will continue to consume your life. I do hope you’ll one day realize there are better ways to live.

One of the things you seem to miss is that I don’t need your approval to be happy in my life. But you are claiming that I have to approve of your choices so that you can be happy. All that tells me is that deep down you realize you are on the wrong path.

Question:

Seriously calm down. I’m not Satan’s reincarnation. I’m really sorry about this. I’m confused and I have low self-esteem issues and you’re just making them worse.

You know what? Don’t talk to me anymore. You obviously never help anyone. You obviously don’t understand me. You obviously have nothing to offer but your bigoted religion. Prove me wrong. This will be the last time I step foot on your lousy website because I have better things to do. Don’t cry because I know you think I’m on my way to hell. What is the point of life?

Answer:

You seriously misread people who disagree with you, because I’m quite calm and not the least annoyed. You really need to realize that that people can disagree with your positions without any feelings of anger. You’re going to have a hard time getting through life if you don’t.