The direct answer
Submitted by Heather on August 21 1999 at 13:46:47
In reply to Why do you refuse to answer my question? Submitted by Jimf3 on August 21 1999 at 07:54:48
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My really short answer: No. A somewhat longer answer: The same as Ray's. I've already said several times that I don't think you're evil by virtue of being homosexual; how could I logically believe that you're not evil but that you're demon-possessed? Sorry, Jim, I forgot that you need direct answers. :) My longest answer: Like Bach, I wish I knew how Jesus Lover was defining "demon-possessed." The trouble is, in one of his posts he refers to himself and everyone else having demons, so I assume that he's saying the same thing he did in the previous threads: that everyone has sinfulness/the impulse toward evil within them. I really can't disagree with that sentiment; I just feel that the language he uses is inflammatory. While Jesus Lover has every right to state his belief that homosexual behavior is sinful, I strongly oppose (1) his lack of distinction between a homosexual orientation and homosexual behavior, and (2) his continued attempts to imply that homosexual behavior is a particularly egregrious sin. If homosexual behavior is immoral, then I think we can assume from Jesus' speeches on sexual morality that it's a much lesser sin than divorce, and I for one do not go around telling my parents that they're demon-possessed because they're divorced. Having said all that, I've found it very interesting to see how people who explore the similarities between psychology and religion have remarked upon the way that early descriptions of demons – which early Christians believed affected everyone – match the descriptions of the seemingly independent psychological forces that some psychiatrists believe affect everyone. From an agnostic point of view, I would say that the Christians were simply personifying common psychological phenomena. I would never for a moment consider even hinting that you or anyone else is demon-possessed (which brings in visions of witch burnings among other nastiness), but I hope you'll understand if I say that I believe that you, like every other human being on this planet, struggles with negative unconscious forces that affect the mind, but that I couldn't say one way or another (short of living inside your brain for a year) whether any of those forces have an effect upon your sexuality. I do know that they sure as heck affect mine. Heather |