Roy Davey-Jenkins: What perversity has engulfed those Presbyterians who express "profound hurt" at Godly decisions! What sight malfunction has inflicted those Presbyterians who view standing on God's Word as an "unnecessary narrowing"! What madness has come upon those Presbyterians who believe that faithful adherence to God's revelation in Scripture will "damage our credibility"!

petej: Lots of church members will have family members who are gay. It is bound to hurt and upset them to see their family members excluded from the church. In fact, it would be a bit of a worry if they felt nothing.

Arthur Miskelly: I have a lesbian family member, whom I love, and have told her so. I have also told her that her lifestyle is sinful and that I could not give my blessing or support at her decision to enter a civil partnership I would be doing her no favours if I did, in fact I would be accepting her route to hell. I would vote against her if she were ever considering church membership, without repenting, in its truest form.

petej: How can she repent of something she didn't choose and has no power to change?
How does your love for her manifest itself? Does she believe your lifestyle is sinful? Has she told you?

Arthur Miskelly: I believe from scripture that it is her choice. No one is born "gay" it is a nurtured condition. I am afraid you have bought Satan's lie which scripture warns us about. I manifest my love for her by praying for her deliverance from this particular sin, not by applauding or condoning it and of course for her soul's salvation. Why am I not surprised at your perverse interpretation of "love"? She does not believe my lifestyle is sinful and surprise ! I know she loves and respects me. I hope this answers your questions.

petej: So is it her choice or a nurtured condition? In what way did her parents fail? I didn’t give an interpretation of love. You claimed to love her. I asked how that was manifest. I’m still asking really because I think just praying for someone to radically change is not really love. I pray for President Trump to radically change, but I don’t think he or I would describe that as love.

Eileen Johnston: Can only take issue with you on your view that your daughter "chose" to have same - sex attraction As I have known my son from birth I know absolutely that this is not true. But it's what we choose to do with our lives, and our weaknesses and temptations that matter to God. Blessings!

Arthur Miskelly: I'm afraid we will have to disagree on that point. It was a bolt from the blue for us. I still love her dearly. Stay Blessed

sandinwindsor: homosexuality is a choice
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Romans 1:26
Choice
In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire Jude 1:7
Choice

TS (unami): Well said, petej.

(...)

TS (unami): How sad, that you reject your child, made in the Image of God, just because of your fear of what you don't understand. God was pleased to make her with her innate orientation just as He was pleased with yours.

Arthur Miskelly: God did not make her with an innate orientation, it was nurtured over many years. I was the one who saw it, not you. I would be condemning her to hell if I embraced, as you put it “her innate orientation”. She is in sin, do not be misled, but I love her. I do not reject her, she is always a welcome child, but sadly she is an unrepentant sinner, no different to three of my sons who are heterosexual incidentally.

Mark Jones: Very well said there Arthur ... thank you for your refreshing and Godly perspective on this matter. It is truly a rarity to see true believers standing by the truth here on Premier.