ashish
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I was watching a lecture by a well-known atheist today and it got me thinking about my Christianity. It’s not that I was doubting my Christianity, but I was doubting whether I understood what I believed enough to truly answer the questions he was posing. In a sense I was asking myself, “Am I capable of communicating the Christian worldview I have?” These questions has been a struggle of mine for many years. If I had listened to this lecture maybe even three years ago, I would have struggled to hold on to my faith. Here was a person decrying the foundation of my existence, and I was not sure if I had the guile to really answer the questions he fired away at his listeners.
I realized something though in the process. The God I serve cannot be seen, cannot be touched, cannot be physically felt, and does not speak when we desire Him to. The God we serve is God Himself, and my questioning His existence has nothing to do with the fact that He already is there. He can be seen when He desires to be seen, touched when He wants to be touched, felt when He allows Himself to be felt, and speaks when He desires to. One thing that remains as a testimony of His character is His Word, the Bible; another thing is the examples of those who claim to be Christ-followers; and finally what remains is creation itself speaking out. We have seen an attack on all three fronts as the Bible has been questioned, Christians have proven to be hypocrites, and science has deluded the minds of people all over the world.
The God I serve must be met, not taught. I don’t follow a religion, I follow a person whose name is Jesus Christ. I don’t follow a set of creeds because I am somehow attracted to what they will offer me, rather I follow God because I know who He is and I follow His words because they are His words. When someone truly comes to terms with the Christ of the Scriptures they are left with a decision to be made. They can either reject it or accept it.
For me the atheist-Christian debate comes down to a question. “Have you ever met God?” The atheist of modern times living in North America meets many people who say they are Christian. They faithfully attend church, read their Bibles dutifully, look out for their communities, and bless those around them. The atheist however sees God and Christianity as this ever-expansive religion, but fail to realize however that this Christian belief system is a really a relational faith system. I know who God is and God knows who I am. It is a two-way relationship that I adhere to. It is not a code of ethics I follow, nor is it a set of principles I would lay my life down for. Rather this Christian life as it is called is a relationship I have with Jesus Christ. Once I meet God, only then can I truly say that there is a God.
What’s happening in our day is that there are those who grew up in a Christian family or Christian worldview. They realized that their belief system was based on a set of moral guidelines, they did not fully understand who Christ is or what He did, and consequently they never truly met God and therefore, created a god from a figment of their own imagination and followed it. To their dismay however the god they followed did not hold up to the questions that were thrown their way. When secular humanism came along their belief system tanked. When evolution told them the earth was billions of years old, they misunderstood the Bible. When society said truth is irrelevant, they had nothing to back up the ‘truth’ they followed because it was not founded on the Truth, but fabricated out of their own imagination.
We must meet God if we are to know Him. If you look at the world today, a rising indifference to the God of the Scriptures should not intimidate the true believer. For it they are truly believing the words of the Christ of the Scriptures, if they truly had a holistic encounter with the Christ on the Cross, they would have no qualms about following Him. It’s when we don’t know something that we create something else to combat our blatant misunderstandings. Atheists look to organized religion and say, what a bunch of bull. I look at organized religion and for the most part completely agree with the atheist. The God I serve is not about religion, rather He is about true relationship and utter dependence upon Him.
There is no need to be afraid of mental gymnastics with an atheist who is well versed and smart. It’s all about the encounter one has with Christ. If you have had it…you can say that beyond a shadow of a doubt Christ is Christ. However, if you haven’t had a real encounter with Christ then everything about Him is up for speculation. There still remain some who knew Christ but left the faith because they were enticed by fleshly desires and gave into their depraved nature. For such as these the deception is greater still.
My encouragement to those struggling with their Christianity, is that truth always rises to the top when pressed, ridiculed, ignored, hated, or shoved into some corner. If you truly know Christ, there is nothing to fear because your faith in Him is something that travels deeper than your reasoning and understanding. If you haven’t met Him today, I encourage you to do so. If you have met Him but do not truly know Him, I ask you to spend time with Him. If you have spent time with Him but do not truly understand His ways, I encourage you to ask Him reveal Himself to you. If you have asked Him to reveal Himself to you but you still struggle with your faith, I ask you keep spending time in His presence and learning from Him. True understanding takes time. One thing I know…He never goes back on His word. He waits for you to seek Him out. He waits for you because He’s already initiated the entire process. He spread His arms and died upon a Cross and that invitation still stands today…reach out and meet Jesus Christ today. Only then will your belief system stand against the onslaught of ever-growing, atheistic, God-forsaking, humanistic ideas and philosophies.
My challenge to you today is this…Meet Christ Today
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Reader Comments (20)
Thanks and God Bless this site- it's a job well done
Joby- Chicago
Can you define relationship?
I would have to say that it is impossible to have relationship with God if Christ is not part of your idea of God. What do I mean by that? I believe that Christ is part of the Godhead, the Godhead being the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit. For us on earth, Jesus revealed the Father to us. So in a sense I interpret your question in this way:
-You might mean to tell me that you believe in God but not in Christ, to which I would say you do not truly have relationship with God. Christ is the 'face' of God to humanity, meaning in Him and only in Him do we find a way to become children of God. He has to become the initial starting point in this journey called the Christian life. To believe that you have a relationship with the God of the Scriptures without knowing Christ would be a supreme deception.
So I would go back to your definition of relationship. If the relationship you speak of is truly dynamic and organic and loving and accepting and etc...then I would say that you would not have that until you have met Christ. It remains impossible for us to know God without knowing Christ.
However if the relationship you speak of is one-sided and based on a works-mentality, then one may perceive it to be possible because of all the religious activities one is a part of.
My challenge to someone who says that they have met God without meeting Christ is that they have either met the wrong 'God' or they don't fully understand the 'God' of the Scriptures. I am of the impression that to meet the God, Yahweh, the Almighty One, our Abba, one has to first come to grips with the Christ who was revealed to us in the Incarnation of Jesus.
Furthermore, Christ said that his disciples or anyone else will only have a relationship with him by God's choosing [John 17:24]. So if God chooses who has a relationship with Christ, then isn't it necessary to first have a relationship with God before he leads you to Christ? And if God is leading you to Christ, and Christ is leading you back to the Almighty then isn't it all the same thing?
Finally, the Bible never says the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are a "godhead". Rather, Jesus consistently points out that the Father has the ultimate authority and it is only by the Almighty's permission was he allowed to do anything. If Jesus was part of the godhead, then how could he be given authority that he already had it to begin with? Of course, this doesn't make any sense.
"I am of the impression that to meet the God, Yahweh, the Almighty One, our Abba, one has to first come to grips with the Christ who was revealed to us in the Incarnation of Jesus."
Was Jesus come to reveal Christ, or was the spirit of Christ operating through Jesus to reveal the Father? Jesus repeats constantly, that everything he did was to reveal the gospel of the kingdom and for the glorifying of the Father and not himself. So how is it that Jesus promotes the Father but Christianity, supposedly followers of Christ, promote Jesus? To truly follow Christ, isn't it necessary to follow in his foot steps? If he promoted God, God's will, and God's laws, then shouldn't Christians empahsize the same thing?
If you look at the OT on a whole from the time of Adam, you are right in saying they had a relationship with God. However they were all looking forward to the Christ of the gospels. If you look at all the big names of the OT they knew there was something that separated them from true relationship with God. The God they followed was distant because sin reigned. Because of the fall of man in the garden of Eden, and the consequent sin nature of man that consumed humanity from that point on, man was separate from God. The only way man could come close to God was through animal sacrifice. This is why the tabernacle of Moses and the temple of Solomon was needed. This separation from God because of sin left man in dire need of a Savior. With Christ, there was a substitutionary sacrifice for all of sin because he was sinless. He became the bridge upon which we walk to come to the Father. You are right in saying, "If he promoted God, God's will, and God's laws, then shouldn't Christians empahsize the same thing?". It's in that statement that I would say that Christ revealed God to us in a way that never has been or ever will be. Christ is that door into a deeper relationship with God. The OT heroes of the faith look towards our age in strong hope. Though they did not live in our age, they looked for it. They were considered righteous because they lived in faith. Read Hebrews to find out what I'm saying...
You are right in saying the Bible never uses the term Godhead...or Trinity for that matter. But in looking through the Bible, we can say that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One yet Three. There is unity. They are the same yet they are unique. I don't want to get into a theological debate over it, but it is pure Bible.
Your interpretation of some of the Scriptures you quote seem based upon presuppositions. I am of the persuasion that you cannot make adequate interpretation of a biblical subject unless you understand what the whole Bible has to say on it. If you start taking verses out of context you set yourself up for wrong interpretation. The Bible does not contradict itself. It looks at truth from numerous viewpoints...but the truth remains the same.
Before we continue this discussion...let me ask you..
1) Is Christ God to you?
2) Are you a follower of Christ? What is your religious persuasion?
3) Do you believe the Bible wholeheartedly?
4) How do you handle read into the Christ that is written of in the NT?
What scriptures are these and what interpretations do you mean?
"Before we continue this discussion...let me ask you..."
The answers to these questions will have no bearing upon this discussion. The Bible and Christianity are supposed to be both truth and fact. Whether you speak with a believer or nonbeliever, a person should always be presented with the same information and be able to arrive at the same conclusions. This is an important quality of truthfulness.
"The only way man could come close to God was through animal sacrifice. This is why the tabernacle of Moses and the temple of Solomon was needed. This separation from God because of sin left man in dire need of a Savior. With Christ, there was a substitutionary sacrifice for all of sin because he was sinless."
A recurring theme throughout the entire Bible is the discernment between God's will and laws and then those that are of men. Often, I have found that this theme is completely overlooked by Christians, creating a very distorted understanding of the Bible. The OT is a documentation of the ancient israelites interactions with God but everything that they did in the OT was not the will of God. The OT is full of deceitful priests and false prophets who would use the name of God to get the israelites do the will of men. However, God always sent His true prophets and ministers to correct the israelites who had had been led astray.
Jeremiah23:25-26
I have heard what the the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart.
Finally, this brings me the animal sacrifice.
Jeremiah 7:22-23
For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
Clearly, Jeremiah, a true prophet of God, is revealing the fact that the animal sacrifices conducted by the ancient israelites were NOT commanded by God. He says God never asked them to do burnt offerings or sacrifices and that it was done by the will of men.
This fact leads me to two conclusions. First, God never needed or wanted animal sacrifices to get close to man. He wanted and asked for a direct relationship with man from the days of the ancient israelites but instead they were disobedient. The only thing anyone ever needed to do to have a direct relationship with God is to obey His voice: God's will and God's laws. Why would anyone ever think that God or His will for a relationship with every person in the world would ever be limited by such lowly and earthly standards. God is the creator of all and He has no boundaries. The simple truth, which the Bible does try to warn, is that evil men create these deceptions for other people so they can control and rule over them. Think about the amount of control those false prophets could excercise over the israelites with their lies about animal sacrifice. Telling them that they had to give other men animals for sacrifice in order to build a direct relationship with God or for God not to punish them.
Second, the fact that God did not ask for animal sacrifices in the OT leaves alot of questions about Christ's sacrifice in the NT. If God didn't want or need animal sacrifices in the OT what sense would Christ's sacrifice have in the NT?
I've always been stuck in a 'God versus Reason' dilemma when questioned about my religious beliefs. I do not hesitate before debating viciously, arguing and defending something that is increasingly being seen as anti-everything progressive, and retrograde. But you've hit my achilles heel if you make me feel that i'm subscribing to something that is illogical, based on not even a shred of reason, and that i'm subscribing to it because of some need for dependance borne from the inability to 'deal' with life on my own.
I absolutely detest people (many of whom are spiritual leaders) who tell me that faith in Christ and reason are mutually exclusive, faith is blind, and other such nonsense.
HE has given me an intellect. Not to block it out at certain times, but to use it always. Why should i put it away in this matter ? I refuse to.
I feel helpless and alone when i'm told otherwise by supposed 'keepers' of the faith. I tell them that a Christian is defined by the life he leads, not by any organisation, or the rules they set. And they tell me that i must not pick and chose for 'my own convenience', i cannot serve two masters, cannot sit on the fence.
I love Jesus because i know that no one but him can love me unconditionally. Ah, but my faith. It is neither strong, nor weak.
And that makes me worried when i think of whether it would withstand storms like those HE spoke of.
there's just so much to address in your last comment... :) I don't think I can do that here. If you would like to...we can start an email discussion.
I am confident that you can do anything that you set your mind to. I think that this is the perfect place for this disscussion. But if there are reasons that I am unaware of, then please send your comments to icykay23@aim.com
:)
I must let you know at the start that i am not really looking for a discussion into the technical aspects of the christian/ catholic/ protestant/any other religion. After having spent hours and hours doing all of that and trying to justify/counter all their tenets, i'm convinced it is fruitless and an utter waste of time. I'd like to think simply this time round, and would love nothing better than to have a SIMPLE relationship with Jesus, without having mental wrestling matches with institutional stands on issues like homosexuality, birth control, divorce, so on and forth, and wondering if Jesus really wanted all of this.
It is tragic when people get waylaid by so many technicalities that they never finish the journey.
What is a "SIMPLE relationship with Jesus"?
How can anyone truly seeking to become one in mind with God or Christ not have mental wrestling matches with the world and its institutions and even themselves? If you mean simple in the sense of not having to search out right from wrong and truth from lies, then I have to disagree with you and say that anything less than that is fruitless. If you doubt anything that is written, then you should pray and fast and persistenly ask God to guide your life and mind and free you from deception. Ask and you shall receive.
Also, what kinds of doubts do you have about Jesus' stand on homosexuality?
'Simple' to me does not mean avoiding sifting the wrong from the right.
Let me explain. I believe in living an honest life devoid of hypocracy , working hard, putting my heart and soul into every job undertaken, accepting my share of social/civic responsibility, acting against injustice in word or deed, loving my family and friends, and making money. I have chosen to live my life according to these tenets, and i think Jesus meant us all to do this (except, he wasn't too particular about the 'making money' part :) )
This is what i mean by a 'simple' relationship with Christ. My life should be testimony of my love for HIM. This is all that should be of importance to a Christian.
Perhaps it is my age or perhaps my upbringing, but i find myself compelled to question EVERYTHING that is handed to me as 'teaching'. And some Christian teachings (some might be familiar to you or not, depending on which christian denomination you subscribe to) seem to me devoid of any shred of logic. Perhaps i should call them rules, instead.
I do not know Jesus's stand on homosexuality, the term i used was 'institutional stands' - what spiritual leaders, the church preaches. A large number of them would like everyone to believe that Homosexuality is evil and is simply the result of 'unfortunate childhood experiences' and not an inherent characteristic, as is proved by Science. And that homosexuals are diseased and require 'help and prayer'.
What for?
And did Jesus think so? I doubt it.
So you see, the 'wrestling matches' i was referring to were not against the world and its institutions.
I am not convinced of the reason behind many MANY things that are written. Homosexuality is only one of them. It is impossible for me to follow it with my heart until i am completely convinced. Call me whatever you might.
I've thrashed these issues around in my head for so many years and it has saddened me because i cannot identify these issues with Jesus. In time, i decided i would just lump all of these 'technicalities' and focus on him, and how my life would be pleasing to him. This doesn't mean i do not believe in sifting lies from the truth - i try to do this all the time.
I believe we must question everything. And follow it only once we are completely convinced. If people had thought so a few cenuries ago, we wouldn't have been reading about the Dark Ages today. Organised religion is responsible for many evils today. It waylays people. It waylaid me.
I want to cut through all this and just live simple.
If you do not believe many things that are written, then how or why do you believe in Christ? The institutions that you mistrust are the same institutions who are responsible for giving you the information that you now have about Christ. If you are saying you mistrust their stance on homosexuality, then how do you accept anything that is in the Bible (including Christ)? Logically, this does not make any sense.
"I believe we must question everything. And follow it only once we are completely convinced."
So your saying that if your not convinced that God disapproves of homosexuality, then you feel free to engage in such activities? If you don't believe what is written in the Bible, then how do you go about finding out about what God dislikes? How would God go about convincing you that homosexuality is wrong, if not through the Bible? Do you have to wait for God to send you a severe punishment, such as in Sodom and Gomorrah? What happens if God tries to tell you it's wrong, through punishment (experience) or messenger, and you fail to receive the message? I think that it is possible for a person to convince themselves they are not "convinced" it's wrong only because they want to engage in immoral behavior without the guilt. However, you must know that God will not spare you from any punishments for immoral and disobedient behavior just because you refuse to be convinced.
"A large number of them would like everyone to believe that Homosexuality is evil and is simply the result of 'unfortunate childhood experiences' and not an inherent characteristic, as is proved by Science."
How does science prove homosexuality is an inherent characteristic?
Even if science can prove that homosexuality is an inherent characteristic, does that now make it acceptable behavior? Science has or tried to prove that serial killers may have inherent characteristics does that make it excusable?
"If you do not believe many things that are written, then how or why do you believe in Christ? "
This is an incorrect inference. What I mean is that i find it difficult to SEE THE REASON in many teachings, and THEREFORE, when i do follow these, it is with a heavy heart, dissatisfied, and wistful. This is what happens when a (thinking) person is denied the answer to 'why?'.
Why do i believe in Christ? Because he talks to me, walks with me, and tells me what to do next. I have felt HIM and his love. That's why.
"The institutions that you mistrust are the same institutions who are responsible for giving you the information that you now have about Christ. If you are saying you mistrust their stance on homosexuality, then how do you accept anything that is in the Bible (including Christ)? Logically, this does not make any sense."
My friend, the very same institutions carried out murder in the name of 'divine retribution' a few centuries ago when they decided to go witch-hunting. Yes, it is true that they have taught me what i know about Christ. But to consider that as my reason to place them on a pedestal, immune to the possibility of any questioning, is nothing short of absurdity.
Power is a dangerous thing. I consider it both my right, as well as my duty to question organisations and their policies.
I am sifting what i think as 'the good' in religion from what i consider 'the unexplained/ambiguous' until i recieve further explanation. Yes, it does seem like a very 'convenient' thing to do, but to follow it blindly is unacceptable to me, i do not know how to do it. Even if i did somehow manage to force myself into following some of the 'teachings', i will certinly not be able to sustain it for long.
And that is how i accept some things, and reject some others in the Bible. You are of course, entitled to your opinion, but i must let you know that it is incorrect to assume that all persons who "convince themselves they are not "convinced" it's wrong" do this "only because they want to engage in immoral behavior without the guilt". This perhaps is largely the case, but some of "us" do actually have "the balls" to inconvenience ourselves by practising the truth - if we're convinced that it is indeed the truth.
Neither do I spend my days waiting for enlightenment to dawn upon me regarding homosexuality and other questions regarding morality - i make concerted efforts to seek reasons in these, because (please note) I WOULD LIKE VERY VERY MUCH TO BELIEVE that Christianity as a religion, is CLEAN, APOLITICAL, and based on INTELLIGENT REASON. I want this more than many many other things. I want to know that Jesus, whom i love so much, is associated with all of the above, not with blind unjustified rules.
"So your saying that if your not convinced that God disapproves of homosexuality, then you feel free to engage in such activities?"
No, I am not. I am saying that i WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY HE dissaproves of it.
I would like to know WHY marrying a divorced man is considered adultery, i would like to know WHY artificial birth control is 'wrong', so on and so (almost endlessly) forth..
(Also, I think perhaps it is the subject of our conversation that has led you to make assumptions about my sexual preference (??) - you must know that these may not be necessarily true)
"If you don't believe what is written in the Bible, then how do you go about finding out about what God dislikes?"
I do not know. How do I ?
"How would God go about convincing you that homosexuality is wrong, if not through the Bible? Do you have to wait for God to send you a severe punishment, such as in Sodom and Gomorrah? What happens if God tries to tell you it's wrong, through punishment (experience) or messenger,and you fail to receive the message?"
So what you're basically saying is -
1. He sets the rules.
2. He gives out punishment for those who don't follow these rules.
3. And there's nothing in between.
Well, what about people like me? Isn't there a dialogue/Q & A session also in this three-point agenda? What if i disagree and (please note ) WOULD LIKE TO SEE his point of view and understand it??
I disagree with you. My God loves me. HE has given me my intellect, my questioning nature. I am what HE has made me. I have nothing to be ashamed of. He will show me exactly why and how i am right. Or maybe, wrong. And i will seek his message.
Do you disagree with this?
"How does science prove homosexuality is an inherent characteristic?"
Sorry, i do not have technical details. However, i can get back to you on this in some time.
"Even if science can prove that homosexuality is an inherent characteristic, does that now make it acceptable behavior?"
????? But of course, the question of 'acceptable and unacceptable' behaviour DOES NOT ARISE, if your genes are tweaked in a certain way. If you're going to call this also 'convenient justification', please also tell me how.
"Science has or tried to prove that serial killers may have inherent characteristics does that make it excusable?"
It is crazy to compare Homosexuals and Serial Killers. Sex is a means of expressing one's deepest feelings of love, connection, and commitment for another person.
Murder. Well. It's not exactly the same thing.
Do you disagree with this?"
No, I don't disagree. If you are truly seeking God, then I do believe that He will give guidance and understanding.However, there are limits to human intellect and reasoning. Human emotions and desires can significantly influence a person's pure intellectual and reasoning skills and their willingness or ability to perceive God's wisdom or voice. Is this not why Jesus emphasized that true believers will develop a spiritual relationship with God? This is probably what confuses most Christians. Having faith in the spirit is not equivalent to having faith in men or institutions and their traditions.
"????? But of course, the question of 'acceptable and unacceptable' behaviour DOES NOT ARISE, if your genes are tweaked in a certain way. If you're going to call this also 'convenient justification', please also tell me how."
Science may have mapped the human genome but they are far from discovering the complete function(s) of each single gene and different combinations of genes. The role of science is to try to explain the earth and its activity through earthly methods and reasonings (strictly using the five senses). So it is for this reason that science will never be able to define or explain God or the spiritual workings of this world. Even if it were found that the turning on of a certain gene(s) led to homosexual behavior, then science would still be unable to disprove that this is the direct result of spiritual phenomena, or as you called it "evil".
Matthew 12:22
Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
Luke 4:40-41
Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. And devils came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak : for they knew that he was the Christ.
Science and medicine might be able to define diseases and illnesses (mental also) but they will never understand the spiritual origins behind them. Likewise, most people are not aware of the negative spiritual influence that have been affecting this entire world. This is why some people might try to justify human's homosexual behavior by saying that it is also found among animals in nature. In that case, I would say that animal interactions should not be our moral compass. Animal behavior is no less likely to be influenced by evil spirits than is human behavior. Meaning that evil influences are certain behaviors are not inspired by God for the benefit of human development towards God-like and righteous spiritual behavior.
Mark 5:12-13
And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered in to the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.
These are the spirits that were removed from the man who used to injure his own body. These unclean spirits were particularly violent but this is not true about all of them. The spiritual world that is adverse to God has been trying to solidify these images of evil into the minds of people for years so they would not be able to identify what true evil is. When in truth, the workings of evil spirits through men is the source of all injustice and immorality in the world. So I can totally understand when you question these religious insitutions. In fact, the heads and leaders of many of theses churches are under the control of the devil(s) and they hope to keep the masses occupied with falsehood instead of teaching them about the righteousness of the Almighty God.
It is to no surpise, that the importance of the spiritual aspect of God's power was first minimized and hidden (to the masses) by the leaders of the anicent Israelites, scribes and Pharisees [Matt 23:13-15]. Then again at the start of the Christian church, shortly after Christ died. I think most ministers try to stay away from these parts of the Bible because it would bring their very own actions and teachings into question.
But true believers whose hearts are pure and have sought and found the rigteousness of God should have no fear. Ezekial gave us much warning about the false shepherds who falsely use the name of God to convince people to do evil instead of good. Alot of these ministers and churches really digust me.
Nevertheless, I can see no good in homosexual behavior. If everyone in the world decided to be homosexual then humans would become extinct. I know that this is an extreme but if something is really an acceptable behavior, then it should be good for all mankind to practice.
"Sex is a means of expressing one's deepest feelings of love, connection, and commitment for another person."
I have to disagree with you here because you can express all these feelings and emotions without sex. If this were the only way to express love, then it would be okay for parents, siblings, etc. Sex is for reproduction and God might have added the pleasure aspect so that men would actually want to reproduce and fill up this earth. Biologically, same sex relations have no purpose and humans often act against their own good for the sake of emotions.
What Bible have you quoted from??
I had hoped to hear from you since your last comment. I hope all is well with you.