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Digital Radio Show- How Homosexuality is percieved in the Coptic Church

copticyouth86copticyouth86
edited February 2014 in Coptic Orthodox Church
I've got a six week show as a lead up to the Gay and Lesbian Mardis Gras on digital radio here in Sydney Australia and my show focuses on how homosexuality is percieved in different cultures. The fhirst show focused on the Coptic culture and I wanted to share it with the wider Coptic community.If you're interested go to the link www.2ser.com/staro and go to the second page where the show has been podcasted and available to stream under the title 'Queer Culture'. 

~Gabriel

Comments

  • joekelinyjoekeliny
    Gabriel, 

    I pray for you and all those suffering as you are. We pray that the Lord gives you His mighty strength to pull you and us out of any bond of Satan, just as he descended into the depths of Earth and pulled our fathers from Hades through His resurrection. Pray for me and all of us also, that the Lord may lead us throughout the way into His kingdom. 

    As for the talk, 

    It is biased and worthless. It is neither backed up with any orthopraxis nor any educational benefit. The radio site itself is a palace of sin. The Lord who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah then, is and will always be the Almighty King, to whom glory is due to the end of all ages. Amen. 

  • ReturnOrthodoxyReturnOrthodoxy
    Hey Gabe!

    I haven't taken a look at the talk yet. It actually took my a while to find the link. I'll have a listen. For the record my dude, make it easier to find your links man (or as you unholy Aussies would say "mate,") 

    Ray
  • copticyouth86copticyouth86
    Here ya go http://www.2ser.com/on-air/star-observer/item/7258-queer-culture-coptic-community
  • avvakarasavvakaras
    Homosexuality is a temptation to a sin that can be seen like a temptation to any other sin. In example, I am a 16 year old boy who can very easily get a sexual thought in my head, it being as a part of my age and my nature. I then have to fight that sin, and pray that God helps me go through this temptation. I however, should not act on these ideas and thoughts and commit a sexual sin. It is in my nature that i get a sexual desire, but that DOES NOT justify that i should then have sex. I in my Spiritual life should fight this temptation.
    A homosexual person suffers from a temptation to act in Homosexual ways. He or she gets the temptation to go into a homosexual relations, but this feel in DOES NOT justify the relations, but as i fight against my lust to girls, as should a homosexual person fight. 
    The view that homosexuality is a cultural problem is NOT cultural but religious. We cannot through everything we don't like about our religion and call it cultural. The Bible says straight up that homosexuality is a sin, like any other sin. We have to fight the temptation, and cannot fall into homosexual sin. Things that are cultural are not Biblical, they are only within culture. In the Bible, God punished cities for homosexuality, and condemned it as a sin. This decree being Biblical is from God himself. We cannot then take Gods decree and put it down to a mere cultural thing. 
    Of course, we deal with Homosexuals with love, and i Love you my Homosexual brother, I as a brother in Christ who sins and is no better than you, who falls into sin many times, and know that i am in sin am not calling you a sinner nor condemning you, but i am telling you of what the Bible and God himself says, and am condemning the sin. 
    Pray for me as i pray for you
  • Purity2Purity2

    I do not agree that homosexuality is like any other sin. the Holy Scriptures teach that there is sin that leads to death and sin that does not lead to death!
    And I think it is very important for homosexuals to realize how grievous and dangerous their lifestyle choice is!!
    God destroyed a whole land because of these debased actions. Our world today is being destroyed!! Mother Nature is on the offense! I read in the news of same sex marriages and then of unnatural weather wreaking havoc in these places. Unnatural partnerships; unnatural weather. We are killing ourselves all around. The Devil is very happy.
    And it is not a matter of not loving a homosexual person! If you truly love some one you pull them from the fire! Eternal Fire which is the result of homosexuality. Homosexuality is NOT OK! And it is out of Love I say that. It is a very dangerous practice that goes against ALL OF GODS LAWS!!!
  • minatasgeelminatasgeel
    edited February 2014
    @Purity2. The sin that leads to death and cannot be forgiven is ultimately disallowing the Holy Spirit to work in you, being a Christian who was baptized and received Him. Homosexuality is NOT that sin.

    And are you serious about linking gay marriages to weather?! Please just think a little harder.

    Romans 6:20-23
    20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • joekelinyjoekeliny
    From Romans 6:23 we learn that the punishment of sin is death (all sin, not only some sins)! However, it is rejection and blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which is the sin without forgiveness, for the purpose Mina clarified!

    Purity2,

    This is my understanding (above). I have not heard or read before that only some sin leads to death, but others not. It would be great if you could cite a source or reference.

    Pray for me.
  • Purity2Purity2
    Yes minatasgeel, I am VERY serious.
    I believe you need to study Gods Word a little harder. I'm very sorry for this sordid world. Homosexuality     is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit! An abomination; detested by all things Holy! Is it really far fetched and unusual to relate bad weather to evil deeds??!! Please what Religion are you minatasgeel? Surely you're not a Copt....Look at the account of Moses and the Egyptians. The sky's were darkened, no rain fell, plagues and pestilence these are the rewards of the wicked. A flood in Noahs time wiped out the wicked....a flood, from...rain...hello....weather! There are droughts and floods and pestilence raging across the earth right now and I have noticed it is in places that condone homosexuality. Believe or not; but I'm heading for the Ark, I'm not staying out and saying: Oh it's just a little rain God never uses the weather to destroy Evil. (NOT) Fire and brimstone came from the sky and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. That area is still a barren wasteland up until this day!
  • Purity2Purity2

    joekeliny the readings for Monday the first day of Great Lent are of Great benefit in understanding what I am trying to relay: http://lent.stmarkdc.org/week-1-monday-english/

    Glory be to God forever
    Amen
  • RemnkemiRemnkemi
    Cool it down people. There's a better way to object to a person's comments than ad hominem attacks like "Are you serious" or "You need to study more" or "You don't know what you're talking about." Object to the content, not the person. Object with open discussion, not contempt. Remember we have started Lent. It's a time for repentance and contemplation, not invalidating other people. 

    With that being said, Purity2, I also find it hard to equate hostile weather with sin. Yes it does happen and God has and does control weather because of sin. But it doesn't happen often. Man destroys the earth and hostile weather is the result. Sometimes, hostile weather simply happens regardless of sin. There are many reasons for hostile weather and it is not always sin. 

    While you are correct that God laid Sodom and Gomorrah barren till this day, he also promised not to destroy man (or earth) by weather after the flood. God will deal with homosexuality and homosexuals in many different ways. Our only job is to keep ourselves pure by not partaking or condoning homosexuality.

    I will work on a detailed response to Gabriel's radio podcast. It is riddled with incorrect information. 
  • Purity2Purity2
    I apologize if my comments where taken as "contemptuous"!!?? Gosh, did not think I was attacking anyone Remnkemi. I felt it was just rhetoric.  Wow it is just like the Devil to try and make us think that speaking of Gods Truth is "contemptuous" but speaking about condoning homosexuality is just incorrect information". Wow. I'm living in the Last Days....to witness this from Copts in a Coptic Forum!! Yes it is Great Lent! God calls us to repent and get it right. Get it right Remnkemi. Yes sure tell all those people who have lost family, property, everything to floods of late that it is not real, that it's not happening!God said He would not TOTALLY destroy the earth with a flood as in Noahs time.
    And I'm not commenting in anger or in contempt; but in love for my fellow man. I feel very sad that people seem bent on destruction! But such is life and I have to look to my own salvation; so I'm not going to waste anymore time commenting on this debased subject.     Keep the Tradition - O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge- by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace     be with you. Amen.
  • RemnkemiRemnkemi
    Speaking God's truth, if supported by evidence, is not contemptuous. "Get it right Remnkemi" is another ad hominem attack. You are not talking about God's truth in this sentence, you are talking about how I am wrong. I would have no problem with "I disagree with your statements Remnkemi because X, Y and Z." There's a difference.

    If you want to discuss how God uses hostile weather, good. I don't know what you mean by "Sure tell all those people who have lost family, property, everything to floods of late that it is not real." Who are you talking to? Me? I didn't say floods aren't real. I said they may have nothing to do with sin. Then you said, "I feel very sad that people seem bent on destruction". Again, I don't even know if this is directed at me or homosexuals. I think you should reread what you wrote and and articulate your thoughts clearer. 

    Ad hominem attacks like these are used as justification by homosexuals against people like yourself who are speaking God's Truth. Let's just be clear and careful how we articulate it.
  • RemnkemiRemnkemi
    Since there is a character limit on responses for the new forum, I will have to separate my detailed response to Gabriel's radio broadcast. I will do my best to keep it coherent.

    I will start out by stating that a radio talk show on a gay website is not by any means unbiased. In fact, in many occasions, any anti-gay discussion was cut short by Gabe as moderator. Maybe this would happen on a Christian radio show too. So it is by no means exclusively an act by Gabe.

    Point #1: Opinion vs fact
    It is not uncommon for people to erroneously make an opinion a fact. But it is unacceptable to turn a fact into an opinion. For example,
    At 1:25, Gabe asked Fr Matthew "what is the official stand regarding homosexuality." At 1:50, Fr Matthew states " The official statement of the Coptic Orthodox Church as pronounced in a document  articulated  in 2003 by the Holy Synod presiding in Egypt under the chairmanship of His Holiness, the late Pope Shenouda III state that homosexuality is against biblical and church canons. So this is the stand that was adopted by the Holy Synod. " It is clear that Fr Matthew's comments were cut short. But ignoring this for a moment, the very next moment Gabe then asks his panel for their general view of homosexuality. Finally returning to Fr Matthew's comments at 3:26, Gabe says, "So Fr Matt just said homosexuality is against the canons of the Church.  Considered I guess its a sin against the laws and principles. Is that something you would agree with; that it’s kind of wrong of people of the same gender come together?" Fr Matthew's summary of the Coptic Church position is non-negotiable. It is a fact. It makes no sense to ask for their opinion of a fact. It's like saying, "What do you think that my birthday is September 20th?" It is a fact, not an opinion. Gabe, like many other political antagonists, want to stir up people by manipulating facts into opinion.

  • RemnkemiRemnkemi
    edited February 2014
    Point #2: Love the sinner vs. hate the sin
    Gabe's panel of Copts illustrate a misconception of Biblical truth. When asked to comment on Fr Matthew's comments, one member of his panel says at 3:39, "I do but again I would like to also say that in conjuction with the fact that who you are as a Christian, you have no other option than to love others. Yes the status quo of hate the sin, love the sinner stands." 

    We are not talking about mistakes, slips of the tongue or mispronouncing what one means, or even ones freedom to express their personal viewpoint on a subject. We are dealing with FALSE teaching that is connected to one or more of the core doctrines of the faith. We are not dealing with personalities or presentations (though they can be inclusive in the teaching) but what Peter (and the other apostles) had written to warn us about (2 Pt. 2:1-3).

    “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment”( John 7:24). By what the word of God says.

    Paul writes in Titus 3:10 “Reject a divisive (heretic) man after the first and second admonition.” In Romans 16 We are to MARK them and AVOID them, NOT commend them, excuse them or ignore them or condone them.

    “Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth”  (1 Cor 13:6) Love does not rejoice in those who rejoice in iniquity. 

    Yes we are called to love sinners. The mantra "Love the sinner, hate the sin" at the very least implies that we are not allowed to disassociate with a sinner who insists on sin. Therein lies the lie of the mantra. It seeks to dismiss the truth that sin is ALWAYS wrong and the sinner that insists on that sin is ALWAYS wrong. We are called by Christ to rebuke and avoid them at all costs. The Truth that God reveals is to HATE evil and LOVE truth, not LOVE a lie. 

    The LGBT agenda seeks to pervert the Truth, changing the responsibility for Christians to follow the Truth into ignore the Truth through a false concept of love. There are plenty of biblical verse to reinforce this idea. 

    Addendum: I forgot to mention that most of what I wrote here comes directly from this site.

  • RemnkemiRemnkemi
    Point #3: Freedom of choice vs. Freedom to sin
    Gabe introduces a Copt, Fady Joseph, who changed his conservative views on homosexuality to a more "modern" liberal view. Fady describes a story at 7:03, "Well back then I grew up and I thought it was a big no no. Just thought it was wrong most of my life up to recently.  So ? opened my eyes and said ? I think what kind of grabbed me away ? I started watching the news and heard stories and I think to myself “why all this agony and unhappiness just to try to get people to do something that you want to do? Why can’t you just lay back and do what you want to do. The way I believed ? God put us on this earth for a reason and I don’t think that reason is to go around telling people what to do. He gave us 10 commandments and I don’t see in the 10 commandments where we have to dictate or regulate what people should do." 

    It is ridiculous to state that since God did not give a commandment in the 10 commandments against freedom of choice, it is wrong for anti-gay Christians to enforce their views and desires creating "agony and unhappiness". Freedom of choice is not freedom to sin. Pedophiles and pathological liars are quite content with their depravity. Is it, therefore, wrong for any government to pass laws against pedophilia, defamation and libel? No. If it is the duty and responsibility of any government, how is not the duty of Christians (who are given instruction by Christ and the Apostles) to purge the evil from their midst?

    Additionally, God did forbid sin in the 10 commandments. How can Fady therefore expect an absolute freedom to sin when it is specifically condemned in the 10 Commandments which he himself referenced. While homosexuality itself was not specifically condemned in the 10 Commandments, it is specifically condemned in many laws by God. 
  • RemnkemiRemnkemi
    Point #4: The irony of bigotry

    From 16:18 to about 25 minutes, Gabe introduces 2 books by Coptic clergy against homosexuality, one by the late Pope Shenouda III and one by Fr Mikhail Mikhail. As before, as soon as Gabe introduces the books, he says, "And the reason I bring up is because I think what really jumped out at me when I read them was a few very controversial things that I believe to be somewhat divisive and almost affirming of bigotry that already exists in the church; that conservative mind about homosexuality, seems to be affirmed by some of the literature of the Coptic church. I’d like to read a couple of things that stood out to me." But instead of actually reading from these books, Gabe diverges again describing a Coptic LGBT Facebook page and the comments from Copts against them. Gabe is a moderator on this page. He has no problem exposing the bigotry of Copts with the worse examples but fails to recognize the bigotry of the LGBT against Christians. More on this later.

    Gabe returns to the books and quotes 2 or 3 passage that describe homosexuals as lacking self-control and grouping homosexuals with other sins. As a result at 22:23, "“We have basically. Ahh. I mean you can just site the bible, couldn’t you Mina and say Leviticus. This is what it says in the Bible. Why go on and say it’s shameful. If you’re homosexual you should be ashamed. Things like that." Immediately, at 22:27, Gabe concludes "That was in 1998 (when HH Pope Shenouda wrote the book). He had 20 years to rectify that. If he did think that was an issue then I think one of the things he should have done was say it and rectify what he had written or said in that book." 

    Here Gabe's own bigotry shines forth. It's not enough for the Coptic clergy to reference and quote the scriptures against homosexuality "say Leviticus" - verses which the LGBT ignore and devalue - but according to Gabe, the Coptic clergy must rectify what the Bible teaches. How does this make any sense? Let's examine the hypocrisy.

    LGBT agenda attacks Christianity for sticking to their core belief against homosexuality. Any person who holds to this belief is a bigot. But then when describing the LGBT Facebook Page, Gabe states "this face book page is there because we wanted to support people in a Coptic community because as we said it is very difficult to come out that they’re gay. One of the things in the about page, we don’t think homosexuality is a sin. We think we are Coptic. We are Coptic that is our heritage." In other words, either he is stating that Coptic heritage includes homosexuality, or that he wants to be gay and Coptic Christian. If he meant the first, there is absolutely no evidence that a Coptic heritage independent of Coptic Orthodoxy condoned any homosexuality. If he meant the latter, then therein lies the hypocrisy. In other words, he is saying Coptic Christians are bigots against homosexuals but we homosexuals are not sinners and we are Coptic Christians - but not bigots. 

    The irony of the LGBT agenda is that it is racist and bigoted. It claims Christianity must allow homosexuality and view homosexuals as any other Christian to be true to fundament Christian core beliefs while all along seeking to destroy Christianity by claiming Christians are bigots. 

    I'm sure Gabe will include some of my comments on the remaining five weeks of his radio podcast. Hopefully, he will discuss what I actually wrote instead of attacking me. I actually want to see how he defends his comments. 

    By the way, God willing, I will respond to all your podcasts since you are attempting to pervert Coptic Orthodoxy to something it never was nor will ever be just to please you. Galations 1:9-10

  • RemnkemiRemnkemi
    I actually gave up listening to the podcast about the half way mark. There was too much misinformation and bias talk to justify spending more time on this. I think I gave more than enough evidence to show that. 
  • IoannesIoannes
    I am familiar with this guy. Either him or someone else created a facebook account using my name, made some pretty disparaging remarks, then after they used it as an example they promptly deleted the account. I am not saying it was him for sure, but somebody with an agenda did. 

    The fact is homosexuality is not normal, because of our fallen nature we are prone to many perversions. Scientifically it  makes no sense for someone to evolve to a homosexual, that is contrary to evolution in that it is suicide to those genes hindering any sort of evolution. Physiologically, without getting into graphic detail, the male body is not equipped for homosexual intercourse. So if one was "born gay" then the body would accommodate this mentality, but it clearly does not.

    Anyone is prone to homosexual tendencies, most will not admit it and thats fine, but doing what this Gabe guy is doing is merely looking for justification. Now he is attempting to discredit the church because they will not justify his behavior. Therefore he paints us all as backward idiots stuck in the dark ages. He is a very unpleasant person to say the least.
  • Tobit
    edited February 2014

    Romans 1:26-27

    26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

    27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.


    The word of God is clear. let us live it and be freed by the mystery of the incarnation.

  • Purity2Purity2
    And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. St Mark 4:29...(Today's Gospel Reading)
  • IoannesIoannes
    People who identify themselves as being homosexual are far different than those who struggle against homosexual temptations. Identifying yourself as homosexual is essentially saying you have given in to this sin and it is now acceptable to you, in the case of Gabe he knows it is wrong no matter how many times he tells himself that he is right. Therefore he tried to get justification from the church, when he was not validated there he turned against it. He knows he is wrong but wants someone to tell him that these feeling he has are correct, as opposed to struggling against them. We all struggle with some sin, or many in some cases, and most men struggle with sins of a sexual nature and are often given to perverse thoughts. So its not like this guy is alone, but he is seeking validation to justify his wanton desire to fornicate with other men, and thats not going to happen.
  • RemnkemiRemnkemi
    It's more than that. It's not just justification for his desires. Gabe wants justification to attack Coptic Christianity for not accepting homosexuality (giving examples of profanity from Copts) while at the same time seeking a Coptic Christianity that must accept homosexuality. That is his ironic bigotry he has clearly documented.

    I can't wait for his responses and his next radio shows with the same hypocrisy.
  • ZoxsasiZoxsasi
    I agree with Ionnes on this. I think he's given an excellent response. I hope Gabe reads it.

    I just heard the recording. I know many gays who are Christian. They abstain from homosexual activities and are celibate. I'm sure God will reward them with a crown.

    If we never controlled ourselves whenever we have any sexual urges, what would our societies be like? Rather than praising someone and encouraging them to control themselves sexually, our atheist driven societies see that our religion is repressing us sexually. What would they have us do?? Would they prefer that we execute every sexual fantasy we have???

    That's exactly how rapists end up as rapists. - research it for yourselves. It's how adulterers end up comitting adultery. This is the perfect ingredient in destroying families and our societies.




  • IoannesIoannes
    Yea, and who is to say that pedophiles are not "born that way?" It is odd that a person would be born gay, the male anatomy is incapable of sexual activity, rather, it is not made for that. A certain muscle is not made to stretch and when it does, it rips and never goes back to its original shape. Eventually that muscle gets so worn out that they have to wear a diaper...trying not to be too graphic here. Scientifically speaking evolution would be committing genetic suicide, so why would evolution do such a thing? Maybe evolution is homophobic? Gabe is a very difficult person to deal with, its his view and only his view, everyone else is backward. I vote we not spend much time on this poor hapless soul who has given himself over to perversion, what possibly could we get out of this? If he says something else worth refuting, then we will do so.
  • elepti
    edited March 2014
    Hey guys, uhhhm this radio show is not a debate but an exposition of the Coptic Orthodox Church and its Christians.  It has the express aim of casting a negative view of Coptic Egyptians.  It is essentially social programming.  Your friend Gabriel is a wolf in sheep's clothing and may sell you out.  Sorry, the truth hurts.  Grow up and welcome to the Luciferian New World Order.

    Be ready to be dragged away in shackles folks!
  • RemnkemiRemnkemi
    elepti,
    We all know this. We are commanded by God to expose the lies and not just sit back. Doing so doesn't make us whining little children who don't understand how the world works. Your comment for us to grow up is unwarranted and offensively wrong. And for the record, Gabriel is not our friend. 

    Just to prove the ironic bigotry I spoke about, take a look at this: Millionaire Gay Couple Sues to Force Church Wedding. The LGBT is just masking their bigotry but if you speak up about it, you become a homophobe. But thank God that He has granted us victory over death and evil. He granted us the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • IoannesIoannes
    Remnkemi, exactly. 

    What Gabe is doing is an attempt to justify his own perversion. Discredit everyone who disagrees or upset them enough to make them angry, then use that anger to justify how ignorant we are. I do feel bad for Gabe because he is lost in his own desires and to be frank, he is not a pleasant person. He has made several profiles on social networking sites and trolls people. He has made fake profiles of other people, made disparaging comments about gays and then uses it to show how mean we are. He is a deeply disturbed human being.
  • jojo204
    edited March 2014
    Gabe we care for you, and because we care for you, the numerous posts here by people over the past years to try to help you both here and eternally have been written, and many continue to pray. I notice that the reoccurring trend of these podcasts and of the things that are produced are targeted towards showing the Egyptian community that people who struggle with homosexuality should be accepted within the community. But Gabe, our acceptance is nothing compared to the acceptance of God. We accept you and everyone, but God accepts you and that's of more importance than any of us can hold, no matter if a person has grown up with that community or not. We can't please everyone or have everyone agree with us. There may be some people who constantly walk away from those who struggle with homosexuality, and this is out of weakness, but there are people who will take those struggling people under their wing. Gabe, if there are some people of the Egyptian culture and/or of the weakness of people who have mistreated you or any person struggling with homosexuality, and if this may have been categorized under the name of the Orthodox Church/or as a representation of Orthodoxy, I offer an apology to you and extend an olive branch. If the constant talks and views are as a result of this, I also apologize if it has led you to this, and ask you to really think about why there is such a insistence to advocate views, you know are going to harm not only yourself but many others, who may be experiencing these temptations.
    I also do not hope from what my weak mind gathered from your talks, that there is an intention whether deliberate or not, to advocate 'humanitarian' views, a term that is commonly used within the podcasts, or in other terms, advocating the acceptance of homosexuality itself, above the view of the Orthodox Church, the Scriptures and the Early Church Fathers. It was stated within the podcasts that we should educate ourselves from resources that say homosexuality is an identity, instead of it being a temptation or struggle. Those views are movable and changeable depending on the opinions people have presently, or what ideals are present in any generation, and it shows it is not the truth, because if it were, the truth wouldn't change. If people do want to advocate humanitarian views and to say something should be accepted because it makes people happy, isn't this - in sorrow do I say this - what some children, who do not know any better, do when they focus in on a toy and not rest unless they obtain it. We haven't created or known every detail that has ever existed in the Universe to give us such authority to write a law that tries to erase what the caring nature of God is doing to bring us to a state of the likeness of Himself.

    We humans without God, rely on ourselves, or more clearly, we rely on our own fallen human opinion, thinking we know what's best for us and need no one. Without God, we can not know what the meaning of happiness is. Our fallen nature is inclined to sin, and the world advocates this nature, so we are deceived to think sin is happiness. Sin isn't happiness. Look at any sin, it leaves a person in ruin. This world Gabe, is slowly passing away with every moment, and so are we. Happiness is not found is fulfilling a desire to sin or in what this world offers, it is found in God. God created us and He knows our condition and how to cure our illness. Ask anyone who has really encountered God, and they will tell you that the happiness which is found in God doesn't compare to anything on earth.

    You say that you can't choose your sexuality, Gabe, no one can choose what they're tempted with. We can't personally ask the devil to tempt us with lying and not with gossiping. If homosexuality has been present in your life from a young age, it doesn't mean, you have been set in on it for the rest of your life. Just because a person has an inclination towards a certain sin/(s), it doesn't mean they are set in on that sin for life and should therefore identify themselves with that sin. Our fallen nature without God is easily inclined to sin. No one is born with sin. It's learned over time or never dealt with at its first encounters. No one wakes up lying, it happens overtime. Homosexuality, as any sin, takes time to struggle against. The Saints fought for ten's of years with a sin, and that struggle is tied to why some people who struggle with homosexuality - or any sin for that matter that has taken a hold of a person - say they cannot control the sin or help being that way. Gabe, wouldn't it be healthy to try to find the inner cause behind the reason for homosexual tendencies instead of living with something you know is hurtful to you.

    I read before that you said you don't pray and are not a believer in God anymore, when I read it Gabe, it brought me to tears. Gabe when we lose God from our life, we become desensitized to sin. The closer we are to light, the more we see the black spots on our garment, i.e. our sins. But if we are in darkness as a result from the separation of Light, we don't see those stains, everything becomes the 'norm' in our fallen condition, no matter how sick we get. It's probably the reason why some people think there's nothing wrong with what they're doing, when it's really because they can't see it. The thing that the devil fought the most in the lives of our Church Fathers and Mothers, the Saints and even Christians in this age, is prayer. He knows if we do not pray, we lose God, and if we are separated from God, we are separated from our Source of Life (as Saint Athanasius puts it) and die, because the absence of Life in us, is death...not only spiritually, but also in other aspects of life, like personally, in our relationships with people etc. God is within you Gabe. Please, at the very least, try to rekindle prayer. Open up any Agpeya and start again from there. Even if you stand before an icon of Christ and say from your heart 'I want to know if You exist.' Gabe that's more than enough to begin with. Even if you think what's the point, please carry through with it and know we are praying with you too. Please at least try. When you try, keep it consistent. Don't miss a day. Know if after prayer there is something different about you and your inner self and you can not describe this encounter you had with God or cannot describe how you have taken such a grace from God or have experienced His love, then you have just encountered God. This encounter may be on the first time you pray again, or within a week or a month... don't give up, it will come.

    We pray for you daily Gabe. I care for you and respect you as a dear brother. I ask you to really confide in Spiritual Fathers/Priests about this if you haven't already, and there are many in Sydney who are compassionate and would love to hear you. Gabe, if you feel comfortable to confide here or want to discuss, we are here. It would be a pleasure to hear you.
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