Religion And Sexuality

[Berlin]

Now... This is where I feel very different from most people, especially in this thread.

I feel that homosexuality comes from a lack of control. People can't seem to keep their lusts in line. It is also what causes sex before marriage, which unfortunately is a huge problem in the modern world. I know I'm sounding like some old fart now, but sex before marriage has too many consequences just for a night of pleasure.

So where to you all draw the line between lust and love? I feel that love is more than just sex. Its a mutual bond that you can have without sex. In my world, homosexuality is just the sex. Not the love. That is where my problem with it lies.

[Rawien]

Why on earth would you think that any one of us would feel that lust and love are interchangable?
I know a saying about love that I find fits the emotion beautifully. "Love is giving someone the power to destroy you, and trusting them not to." In this way, I can love my parents, my friends, my partner, my family. Each love is different, but none is more or less.

By saying homosexuality is a lack of control, you're implying that they can't feel this way about their partner. That's just untrue, love is not lust, and although as in any relationship, same sex partners can jsut be for lust there are plenty of couples out there who are in a relationship purely for love. And why not? If I fell in love with someone, I wouldn't give a damn about race, about class, about status, just about everything. It wouldn't matter, because in the end it's more than lust that makes you stay with someone beyond hardships and beyond the stigma of being "gay".

I'm sorry to say that in my opinion sex before marriage is perfectly acceptable. Infact, I'd go as far to say as it's alot more than acceptable. I know people may not agree with me, but your body is to be enjoyed. You only live once, why not find out what you like and what you don't while you're young? And if not, many people can be in love for many years before they get married, you don't need to have a string of one night stands and lustful encounters, you can simply enjoy being with the one you love.

As for concequences...Yes. If you aren't careful you can become pregnant, get sexually transmitted infections, get a horrific disease like AIDS.
And yet nearly every side effect I can think of is preventable by a condom. And if not, then by another means of contraception.

Life is for living. Personally, I'd hate to limit myself and my life by rules like the ones set down by most "strict" religions.

[Berlin]

Oh, I see! Our disagreement comes from really basic principals. I believe in rules and order. You believe in choice and taking control of your own fate. I never really looked at it from that perspective.

I mean, I still disagree with you guys, but now I can see where its all coming from. Thanks a bunch. This has been a really enlightening discussion.

[Rawien]

It has, it's been nice to talk with someone with opposing views. (:

It's not that I don't believe in rules and order, but I believe there's more to life than allowing it to be governed by a book.

But surely you yourself pick and choose which rules to follow? You don't sell your daughters into slavery and you don't stone anyone who works on the sabbath. Or at least...I sure hope you don't!

[Berlin]

Hahaha! No. I follow the New Testament as well as the Old.