I am a theist. I use a small letter "t" to represent what I believe, to be humble and minor. The doctrine I believe, is that Jesus, the Messiah, who had died for me. No, this is not something new, basically I may call myself a Christian. I do not have a denomination. I just purely surrender myself to this one God represented by Jesus as the Son.
The Jesus I believe, is a loving God. He acknowledge LGBT. In Matthew 19:12. It is the one and only verse that Jesus Himself, mentioned that we were BORN THIS WAY! Ok, I will not rant about the technical stuffs here.
Many years ago, when I was a student. I did struggle in my faith and sexual orientation. There were times I bought different versions of bibles to gain better understanding on the texts. I even tried to learn Hebrew. One of the major discovery I had during that time, was about the language! The variety of English bible versions, somehow deviated a lot compare to the KJV or even the Hebrew or Greek language.
The method of learning the bible referring to different versions was actually inspired by a Jehovah Witness who was my bible study mentor that time. I finally set myself free from doubt when I read the KJV. Though it is not an easy Bible, and it is not popular. I find this version is the closest to the original language. Therefore, the prohibition of homosexual relationship is never a sin in the Bible I read.
In Timothy 1:9-10, translators sometimes use homosexual for the original Greek words, pornoi, arsenokoitai, and andrapodistai, meaning male prostitutes, males who hire male prostitutes or the slave dealers who procure them.
While in this modern day, LGBT are a group of people with the NATURAL desire and feeling of love which is different from the majority people. Love has nothing to do with prostitution, slavery or sexual violation.
My way of reading Bible is simple. Keep in mind that the meaning of words change over time. For example:
The word gay arrived in English during the 12th century from Old French gai, most likely deriving ultimately from a Germanic source. In English, the word's primary meaning was "joyful", "carefree", "bright and showy", and the word was very commonly used with this meaning in speech and literature. For example, the optimistic 1890s are still often referred to as the Gay Nineties. The title of the 1938 French ballet Gaîté Parisienne ("Parisian Gaiety"), which became the 1941 Warner Brothers movie, The Gay Parisian, also illustrates this connotation. It was apparently not until the 20th century that the word began to be used to mean specifically "homosexual", although it had earlier acquired sexual connotations.
Therefore, I believe I should look closer to the meaning of each word when reading the Bible. I always believe that I am foolish, and not Greek or Hebrew literate. Language tend to shift its meaning depends on the trend. If a Christian never had doubt and always 100% understand the Bible, then this person must be better than the 12. Even the 12 never fully understood Jesus sometimes!
Heavenly Father, I am foolish, I am sinful, guide me, lead me, forgive me. Amen.
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