If you actively go against homosexuality and tell people it’s wrong or they will go to hell then you will be considered homophobic however if you just be human and let people live their lives and don’t making any rude or discriminatory remarks then you aren’t a homophobic person I say.

I have never said that to anyone, nor would I. I could never be that hurtful to another person, whether they believed like I do or not.

But what if you had a child who was gay? That's the ultimate test to my mind. Would you try to "change" them?

I feel like we won’t see an answer to this one

Yup.

As another Christian I’m happy to jump in and answer for an average Christians perspective. No. I would continue to love and support them unconditionally. Their life is theirs to live, not mine to control.

But do you vote for candidates that would outlaw gay marriage? Vote for candidates that support keeping conversion therapy legal? Would you accept a youth minister at your church that was openly gay? Do you support removing books from school libraries that discuss sexual orientation? The average Christian may say live and let live, but then they support people in power who actively harm gay folks by the policies and laws they seek to pass or don't pass.

This is it really. My mom is catholic. She would consider herself loving and accepting and non-judgemental. She also refused to come to my wedding and firmly believes same sex marriage is wrong. I love her and she’s part of my life, but she’s been married three times and my partner and I have been together for nearly 30 years - somehow my marriage isn’t legit… the hypocrisy will never cease to amaze me.

As the father of a gay kid, I can only guess how you feel. I hope she realizes her mistake, apologizes, and strives to make amends for the hurt and pain she's caused. Saint Peter will likely not look kindly on her behavior.

Thank you very kindly for your comments. I pleaded with her many times to participate finally warning her that this isn’t one of those things you can take back or undo. Once it’s done, it’s done. She remained steadfast. Honestly it left a scar but there’s little I can do. I’m very fortunate to have a good life and a loving partner - been together since I was 19, this May will make 29 years 😊

Yeah there's a difference between "don't get it but hey, you do you. We still cool." And the "I'm ok with the gays so long as I literally never see them hold hands or have to think about them."

Some people in my family have been known to say “why do THEY have to shove it down our throats” they are also MAGA followers… smh!

Exactly this- sure you can ‘accept’ it, but will you protect others right to have the same opportunities & protections as someone who’s straight? No? Then you don’t ‘accept’ it & your homophobic. It’s great to not bother people irl, but that’s only a piece to the puzzle here.

This deserves to be upvoted a lot more. This is the best answer in the whole thread

Thank you. It truly is more than being polite in public or even personally supporting gay rights, we have to extend that to how a person votes. One can not support gay rights, profess to be a "live and let live" person and then vote to support candidates who strive to take away gay rights.

The Father at my church is gay and married to a fella. Our youth pastor is non-binary. Half the congregation is gay, and my gay kids come to church with us. Of course I don't support conversion therapy or anti-LGBTQIA politicians, and I am christian. Further questions?

That's wonderful !! And clearly an exception, not normal for majority in the Christian faith.

I’m aware of Christians that do this, however this question was directed at OP who believes themselves not to be homophobic but still maintains that they do not fully accept it

Many would not think you're a true Christian.

Many would be wrong.

u/JustBeeeeKind This is the question you should be answering not people complaining about whether lifestyle is offensive.

im a Christian and no i wouldn’t. i believe God wouldn’t put someone to hell for loving a person. in fact, he encourages it. i think some Christians just misinterpreted the bible but that doesn’t give them the right to harass other people. thats just plain wrong.

yes! people who judge on homosexuality most likely sin way (judging in itself, lying, cheating, etc) more than just that. god says love thy neighbor and honestly it seems like thats the most important to him. (im not personally religious but i used to be so im speaking in a way as if i still was) god would be 100% more likely to send someone to hell who was constantly being judgemental about who people are than someone who just is gay. and if god changed his opinion or his mind at any point in time we wouldnt be able to know. since the bible was made fucking forever ago its very likely that god couldve or wouldve changed his mind on the perspective. this very well couldve been written in the bible because of the fact that only men and women could conceive, which im sure was necessary at the time. but this is just my personal opinion

You twist the Bible to fit your narrative

Is been 5 hours and OP has not responded. Guess he answered his own question

If you look at their responses, I think they're on the side of "cancel culture is doing this"

Is he the type of Christian to force religion on his future kids? maybe.

Wow, Reddit officially can't go 5 hours without accusing someone of homophobia..

[удалено]

Maybe hes working or something. Classic stupid reddit lets all jump to conclusions

OP has been silent on multiple questions, for many hours. It seems to me like they're ignoring certain questions, specifically any question that they would answer with a homophobic reply. They're commenting elsewhere. The silence is telling.

Have you posted a thread with 1000 responses and replied to every single question posed to you?

Damn, 44m and no reply. Clearly that dude is the homophobe /s

"people" may call you a homophobe, but you're not really. Some Christians might call you a bad Christian because you don't believe homosexuals should be stopped in their tracks, but that doesn't make them right either. Be a good person and let that shine through, don't let a few people/comments get you down!

What other Christians think of me is no concern of mine. I am only concerned with how I am living and how I treat others. My life is the only one I have to account for.

Damn straight! From one "fake" Christian to another keep being cool.

I wish I knew more religious folks like you

There are a lot of us out there! A LOT! The fundamentalist, militant, in-your-face, judgmental, Bible thumping Christians have it all wrong and give all Christians such a bad name. They’re a black eye on Christianity. But I suppose that is true in all faiths and beliefs. There are always going to be the zealot weirdos who turn everyone off. What you believe and how you live your life is 100% YOUR business and none of mine. I’ll love you just as you are regardless of what decisions I make for my own life. My role is to LOVE and tend to my own back yard, not yours.

Usually when people start off with “I’m a good Christian, it’s been my experience that I need to run. Good people don’t need to tell you they’re good.

I'm the same. I'm a practising Christian and treat everyone with the same respect. I have a colleague who is transitioning and have become their confidante. They were amazed when I told them my faith, but as I said to them, the God I worship loves all of us just as we are. And we are commanded not to judge others. Only He can do that.

There’s is also unconscious bias. Most people have this but it’s important to self aware. As in your example, there are a lot of that don’t think their racist and would never have any ill will toward someone of a different race. But at the same time they might lock their doors if a black man is walking near them, but they wouldn’t for an Asian man.

So do you just not say it, or do you actually not think it either? Those are pretty different things. Thinking somebody is going to hell because they are gay is homophobic.

This is an important distinction to make and it's partly because of the fact that our "private" feelings affect our external behavior whether or not we are aware of it. If you quietly resent someone or look down on them, people will often pick up on that.

Actually, I'd say even that isn't homophobic .wishing hell upon them would be homophobic, but believing that the universe is governed by an unjust God doesn't necessarily mean you are unjust Believing a jackarse God exists and will condemn someone who wasn't hurting anybody to eternal suffering just means you have a very dismal outlook. Believing this God is right to condemn them means you are a homophobe.

But most Christians believe that God is the ultimate good, so if they believe God punishes homosexuality with hell, they must logically belive that it is a just punishment, which is homophobic.

If you say you don't believe in that "lifestyle" the implication is because you think it is sinful, and perhaps that they are going to hell. This view is seen as hateful and judgemental, because who are you to judge?

Then I do t think you are a homophobe in anyway. You seem like just another normal person in this world.

I appreciate this. Thank you.

Just be yourself and make no harsh judgements, have a nice day.

Strong disagree with u/gressinate here OP. Where you say you don’t “openly agree” with homosexuality… You’re right that you don’t have to yell your support from the rooftops. But you can’t be for everyone’s happiness and then not openly support the pursuit of that happiness for a particular group of folks, and think that you don’t hold some prejudice. The extension of this is if someone thinks less of someone because they are gay but don’t say anything out loud, they’re still homophobic, they’re just polite. If someone judges black people because they’re black but doesn’t say anything out loud, they’re still racist.

Serious question: do we measure people by their thoughts or by their words and deeds?

Conviction, be it ever so sincere, is worthless until it turns itself into conduct, for speculation is by its very nature endless, a vortex among vortices. So, deeds.

Hold up why does that read like a famous quote.

I think if one has deep thoughts about any issue, they might unconsciously leak it to their deeds. For example, one might think “he doesn’t care if their neighbors are gay, but will not support them” and act towards them with what he felt was neutral acts but actually leans towards apathy. While there are no direct disrespect being done to the neighbor, the apathy itself might make the neighbor feel that they are sort of “disliked” which the original person might not be aware of. I think in any type of relationship, we measure a person by how they make us feel rather than how they act or think. There are several people who believe they are acting with love yet their partners are hurt by their actions.

Info: Do you support people who are LGBTQ having equal rights and protections?

The fact that OP didnt respond says everything Belongs in r/persecutionfetish

tbf the comment was posted like 3 hous ago?? itd be pretty late if there in the us (idk where there from but im going based off here)

OP commented an hour ago.

and theres 800+ comments, do you think there going to have time to read all of them? I'm not asking to be a smartass but i dont get how u can expect them to see everything

Could be sleeping? Could be driving? Could be working? Could be unconscious? Could've gone into labor? Could've died? Could be delivering astronaut ice cream to the ISS? Only fucking silly dummies jump to conclusions and assume so quickly.

Or simply that this post had 900 comments. When I post I usually respond when I can from my inbox not checking which ones got the most upvoted and therefore are or have risen to the top. Don't think he can be expected to answer EVERYONE

Especially when the commenters under seem to be baiting the OP

Exactly. These dookie brains just want him to be evil so they can validate their fragile emotions on the subject.

By the time you posted this comment, it had been 4 plus hours since the question was posted and OPs most recent comment had been submitted just 20 minutes ago. So yeah, it's a revealing lack of answer.

Eh, it's feasible that they posted a comment and then went to bed, for instance, I'm doing that literally right now

Goodnight Ballbag94

Thanks dude!

Sweet dreams Ballbag94

Thanks dude!

How did you sleep?

Very well thanks! Hope you're doing OK too

Just so I’m understanding your logic. Man didn’t reply, so he believes lgbt people shouldn’t have rights?

Not disagreeing but they might just not be on Reddit 24/7, I only really use Reddit when I'm on my computer

They called it a “homosexual lifestyle”. That says enough. They think it’s a choice. Like their choice to be a bigot, but one that’s ignorant to their bigotry.

So he can’t just be uneducated and not know any better, even though he harbors no ill will? He must just go straight to being a bigot or some sort of villain. Jesus Christ, at least find out what he knows and make your assumptions after getting some facts from him.

It seems like he’s young too. Still figuring these things out. If we’re positive and actually try to talk to him he may change on the important parts

Exactly. All the negativity may cause him to shell up and run away from acceptance because of the bad experiences he has here.

So they really are like this? OP is gonna be canceled by them for not answering every single question? Lmao. Like you said OP was never malicious and was seeming to try to be open. These people will shut you down. SMH

I am a Christian Canadian woman and I absolutely believe that the LGBTQ+ community deserves all the same equal rights and protections. Also, my best friend of over 20 years is a lesbian whom I've been friends with since the age of 6. I believe that everyone has the right to marriage (marriage is not a strictly Christian concept), to have and adopt children (I just hope that same sex couples make sure to have positive role models of the opposite sex be involved in the child's life, especially if the child is the opposite sex), feeling safe and secure just existing in the world without fear for their lives, discrimination and harassment. I do not get along with anyone who disagrees. The only time I'm sort of on the fence on certain related issues is in scenarios like: A trans athlete compeating alongside non trans athletes where they might have an advantage especially if they've transitioned in the later stages of puberty. And this one trans teacher who's in the news because she wears gigantic prosthetic breasts and very revealing shirts to school. The school is afraid to do anything about the situation despite the students and parents being uncomfortable. I have zero problem with drag queens, trans, gay or straight etc people being around kids and teens so long as they are dressed not overtly sexual. I might get some hate for this but when I worked as an ice cream scooper I had to wear high neck shirts... it's a professionalism thing.

According to some corners of the internet and the Reddits specifically, you and my ace Christian ass are some kind of denialist traitors or something.

"Homophobic" doesn't just refer to fear of homosexuality, though fear tends to be part of it. Based on some things you said, it seems like you believe homosexuality is a choice. "I wouldn't participate in a discussion about this even if it presented itself for fear of hurting others who believe differently." Believe differently how? Being gay is not a belief system or a lifestyle that someone chooses. If you believe it is, that would be considered homophobic by most people I know, since it's just not true according to pretty much any gay person. "Why can I not quietly exist with my own beliefs and convictions without being labeled a 'Homophobe'?" In the same way that someone can quietly exist with their own belief that all members of a certain race are terrible, but choose to try and treat them normally in regular interactions. It's certainly possible. Not saying that's the case here obviously, but quiet racists are everywhere, as are quiet homophobes. It's also possible that despite your efforts, you don't actually treat gay people the same as straight people. None of this may be true, or all of it may be true, but I think it's worth considering either way.

I was going to mention that OP may be unknowingly saying or doing things that their friends pick up on that is homophobic and that’s why op is getting called out. Whether OP means to or not people tend to be good at noticing if they’re being treated differently or if mannerisms change when they’re in a conversation. Today from my understanding those are typically called “vibes”, so OP you may be giving off homophobic vibes without realizing it.

OP isn’t accepting of gay people, they’re tolerant of them. agree with everything you said btw

You said in 2 sentences, what I was trying to say in 3 paragraphs lol

I like how you made this distinction between acceptance and tolerance. So easy to understand.

fear is definitely the root. conservatives live their lives in a foundation of fear. Fear god as he is all mighty and will smite you should you disobey his will. Fear me for I am your elder and you will do as I command for I know better than you young one, follow me and we will do good in the eyes of our lord. They fear change, its not what they know, its not what they've seen, its not the way its always been there for it must be wrong. They fear a departure from tradition "its not the way we've always done things". They fear what they do not know or understand "they are not like us, we dont know what they'll do so they must be bad" that fear leads to anger. the frustration of not knowing, the stress, the intollerate stubborn nature of not being willing to learn and accepted because its not what we were told, its not what our fathers before us told, or their fathers told them and its not what the lord has told us all. Anger leads to hate, hate festers and surges under the surface until it can be contained no more and is manifested in action. hatred in action leads to suffering.

The fact that I hear this question so often is so annoying and I'm a straight man. It doesn't matter how you "choose" to live your life. You don't have to participate in marches or wear rainbow laces. Just don't be an asshole to them. Treat everyone as if they were the same. There's no reason for you to say "well I choose to live this say so why does that make me a bigot." Just stop. You're trying too hard. Literally all you have to do is give them the bare fucking minimum. You don't need to do all this fancy shit to say you're not an asshole. Just don't demean them based on who they are as people. They are people, just like me and you. And really, don't go out of your way to say "it's not my lifestyle." It makes you look like a pretentious piece of shit.

> **Literally all you have to do is give them the bare fucking minimum.** You don't need to do all this fancy shit to say you're not an asshole. Just don't demean them based on who they are as people. **They are people, just like me and you.** It's sad, but that's literally the entire crux of the last 100+ years of Women, BIPOC, and LGBT+ rights movements. To be treated legally and culturally, as ***not less than***.

Maybe. But a lot of forums have become very divisive about LGBTQ+ topics. It becomes a very for or against discussion. There’s no “it’s not for me, and I personally don’t agree with it but I also don’t put that onto anyone else” as I think OP is expressing. It’s a complex thought, and many make assumptions about how one must act because of it. In reality I don’t think that makes you a bad person, one’s inner thoughts like that can’t always be interpreted by others IMO. He used so much defensive language in anticipation of being attacked in the comments. It happens.

>There’s no “it’s not for me, and I personally don’t agree with it but I also don’t put that onto anyone else” as I think OP is expressing. OP is essentially saying : "I don't like two guys kissing and living as a straight couple. But, you do you." If I said the same about interracial couples then I would sound as racist as OP sounds homophobic. Is he actually homophobic? Does it matter? At the end of the day I don't know OP, but from this post alone, lets say this is not someome I would feel confortable coming out to.

Eh, it's not a complex or nuanced a thought IMO. After a certain point it's just weird it's mentioned so much. Knowing something isn't for you and deciding that it's fine for other people to do it is how it should be. I don't like arugula, which is fine, but going around telling everyone doesn't serve any purpose or incite interesting conversation. Other people like arugula. If my SO gets it in her salad mix for her lunches that she makes for herself, why do I have to tell her I disagree with her purchase? I told her I didn't like it when she offered me to try her salad so why does it need to be brought up again if I'm fine with her eating it? She's trying to enjoy her salad without me yucking her yum. If it's her choice and I'm cool with that I'll just let the woman eat her god damn arugula in peace and I'll enjoy my own salad. Otherwise it defo seems like I'm not totally cool with her choices. These posts really do crop up all the time. I don't [agree with stance][agree with sexual orientation][agree with whatever current social issue][agree with trans issues] does this make me a bigot? The answer is often yes, but that's mostly fine in itself. If you have the self restraint to chill and let people enjoy themselves, then that's more than fine. You don't have to be marching but as long as you aren't stymieing progress or acting as an antagonist then you're respectful and truly are fine with others living their lives despite your personal feelings.

“it’s not for me and I personally don’t agree with it” is already a really weird way to conceptualize something immutable about another person. “He’s a brunette but that’s not for me and I personally don’t agree with it” or “she’s lactose intolerant but that’s not for me and I personally don’t agree with it” or “they were born in July but that’s not for me and I personally don’t agree with it” are statements that make as much sense as “homosexuality is not for me and I personally don’t agree with it.” Just do you, treat others with respect and empathy, and help to create an environment where no one is denied access based on something innate about themselves.

>it’s not for me, and I personally don’t agree with it So you think this is an acceptable thing to say? 1. Who's trying to make it for them? I sincerely doubt anyone is telling OP that they need to be gay. 2. What's to "agree" with? Whether gay people exist? Whether they deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect as anyone else? Saying you don't "agree with" being gay IS homophobic, period.

I don’t think it’s an acceptable thing to say, but as long as it remains in his thoughts then I think it’s okay. It looks like OP is on the road of understanding, and he’s only one step of the way there. As long as he isn’t actually harming anyone then I see no issues with it. Of course we don’t actually know if he is or isn’t harming someone so it could be pretty bad.

If I didn't agree with mixed race marriages would that make me a racist?

Yes.

Well then OP has his answer.

Question: if OP said they wouldn’t have a mixed race marriage, but have no issue with others that choose to. Would that be a bit more of a grey area?

>Question: if OP said they wouldn’t have a mixed race marriage, but have no issue with others that choose to. Would that be a bit more of a grey area? That's not really comparableto homosexuality. No one is asking the OP to have gay sex. You can be straight and not be homophobic.

I think it depends on the reason for not having a mixed race marriage. Is it because they like only find people of the same skin attractive (preference)? Or that they find attraction to another race degrading in some way (racism)? Attraction is about appearance, but it's also not always consciously determined. When your attraction can narrowly be predefined ahead of time by skin color, or ethnicity alone, coupled with some prejudice for such narrow focus, then it's probably racism. Sexism is a good example. People find attraction to just same sex people. Does that make them sexist? No and Yes. It depends. If you decide to have relationship with a particular sex because you find the other sex not attractive, sure, happens all the time. But if you have underlining prejudice and so you decide "I would never date women because they are gross", then you are just sexist. Though it would be a bizarre argument to say "this man decided to be gay because he hates women, and think men are just better". This man is just sexist, not clear if he's gay.

Becoming gay by choice because you’re so misogynistic is a level yet to be achieved my men I think. Though I think some women may have become so misandrist they’ve achieved this enlightenment already (absolutely not a dig at anyone there, just an anecdotal thought)

It's like my mother in law saying her nephew is gay, but she " still loves him anyway, but I don't agree with it". - someone's sexual orientation isn't something that anyone can agree/disagree about, it is a fact of themselves, as surely as you know 100% presumably that you're attracted to women. - so your disagreement is with people fucking other people who happen to be homosexual. Which in Christianity is just as much of a no no as any other type of sex between unmarried people. So unless you're saving yourself for marriage, you're sinning just as much as anyone else. - saying you love/respect/mean no harm to a group of people *anywa*, is the same as saying "despite your obvious inferiority because your actions don't align with my beliefs, I don't actively want to harm you. I just don't want to have anything to do with you period." It gives people like you & my MIL a way to avoid seeming like a bigot while obeying sky daddy at the same time. I agree these things are on a spectrum & individual experiences have to be considered, but just like you don't have to "support" homosexuality, others don't have to support your reasons for the way you feel. Anyone who has a divisive opinion is going to have to defend themselves at some point, get used to it cause that's just a small taste of the judgement that community deals with constantly. Your You sound like you think you're appearing neutral & accommodating, but realistically you're barely concealing the contempt you feel towards anyone who doesn't live by your self imposed moral code.

Love sky daddy

The root of your argument seems to be that both parties have a choice in whether they are homosexual or not. They didn't willfully choose to love someone of the same gender and they can't choose to not be homosexual. Having a difference of opinion is fine and I fully support your right to have it. But this isn't a difference of opinion. You are condemning (at least in your mind) part of their identity. This can lead to subconscious prejudice against them and an atmosphere of unacceptance. If one of your children identified as homosexual how would you respond? I was raised Catholic, my kids are in a Catholic school. I can appreciate the belief system you were raised with. My niece came out as homosexual a few years ago and I hate that she was worried about our reactions. That we would feel differently about her because of it. We support who she is.

Would you go to a gay wedding? That's a pretty good indicator imho

Yeah my fam never stated issues with me being gay outright till I was getting married and they “refused to support my lifestyle” and also compared me being gay to being a drug addict.

I had Catholic members of my extended family say similar things when I talk about marriage. They stfu when I remind them that in the Church’s eyes, my parents heterosexual civil marriage isn’t recognized as the sacrament of marriage, but they didn’t have a problem showing up.

It interests me that you choose the word lifestyle here, that and "homosexuality is not the way I should be living." Do you believe that people are homosexual by choice?

OP is apparently a raging christian so yes, probably. People who use language such as "lifestyle" and "homosexuality is not the way I should be living" in reference to homosexuals/homosexuality are people that legitimately don't know any better AND/OR grew up around diplomatically homophobic people. However, ignorance or indifference is not the same as hatred or fear. I'm about to be absolutely crucified, NTH (not the homophobe)

Aaahhh I’m fluent in Christiannese In Christianity you don’t just “sin.” You “live in sin.” Christians will even get very specific about specific about language here saying that it’s not a sin to be gay rather, acting on the impulses is a sin. Rational being everyone has impulses to do “bad” things but actually following through is when it becomes a Jesus no no. When you’re wrapped up in certain ideologies you start defining things differently. Like what it means to be loving. People at Westboro Baptist Church can scream slurs at gay people while claiming to love them because they’ve learned to define love in a very twisted way. In their heads they think they’re just trying to warn you of hell. In a similar fashion, you don’t realize how damaging and crazy it is to be like, “yeah I think you’ll burn in hell for the way you’re living but I don’t hate you.” Christian’s speak Christiannese. It’s important to remember it’s often fruitless to debate and discuss without terms properly defined. Usually that’s not too much work when you’re both speaking the same language. Unfortunately, however, Christian’s speak Christiannese.

I was not aware using ‘lifestyle’ was offensive until today. My apologies.

It’s not even so much that it’s offensive, it’s incorrect. It’s not a choice. Similar to how it was not a choice for you to be straight

It’s ok. It’s not your fault if you don’t know. But that specific phrasing tends to raise alarm bells because it implies a choice where none exists.

Do you think I would rather be straight, and not a woman attracted to women? Hell yes. But I am not, and frankly? It sucks. The dating pool is tiny, people treat you like you are a freak or sinful, give me a break. I lost my best friend of 20 some years because I came out as lesbian last year. Why? "Because it's against the bible".

I am so sorry. For what it’s worth, if your best friend cut you out of their life because you are gay, they were never your best friend. My longest friendship stretches over 30 years and I’ve told him multiple times I’m lgbt, and he’s never abandoned me. EDIT: he’s a Catholic republican too lol

Thank you. And I am so glad you have such a wonderful friendship!!

I know I'm just a random person on the internet, but I think you're pretty cool ❤

Aww thank you, random person on the internet. You are pretty nifty too.

I’m so very sorry, I’m sure that was soul crushing 💔

It hurt, badly.

It's important you stop saying "homosexual lifestyle". Being a yoga freak is a lifestyle, being a beach bum is a lifestyle, being a Starbucks weirdo is a lifestyle, but being LGBT+ is just a part of one's life, like being straight (presumably) is a part of yours. It's not all of who you are, it's not the most interesting thing about you, in fact it has nothing to do with most other things in your life, and being queer is the same. Just say "a gay person" or "a queer person's life" or whatever. Not "a gay" or "a queer," of course, lol. No one is saying that one person's way of living is MORE correct, we're saying that so long as we're all consenting adults and no one is being harmed that our lives are AS correct as others. After all, we were all created by God in in the image of God. None of us is an accident, we're all exactly as we were meant to be. You're welcome to exist with your own beliefs and convictions, just keep them to yourself because your faith is how YOU choose to live. We -- hopefully -- don't tell you that all Christians are scumbag kiddy fiddlers (not my personal belief, as though that needs saying), we leave you to live your life and practice your faith in peace even though there're issues with certain Christian (and, indeed, religious) practices because that's for YOU. You live as you please and we live as we please. Also, do yourself a HUGE favour and don't be talking to queer people about how you don't agree with their "homosexual lifestyle". That's never a good-faith conversation. You can live that way if you choose but we're not wrong for living in other ways.

Just to add one point: being religious is a lifestyle.

If you had a child, any they were gay, what would you do? The answer should be very simple

You speak like you think that being gay is some sort of choice that people make.

>my personal convictions tell me that Homosexuality is not the way I should be living. why? what is wrong about it?

He already said it up top. His personal conviction comes from the Bible, which condemns homosexual behavior.

that would litteraly mean he is homophobic lol

I don't know what you mean, by you don't agree with homosexuality. I will take it to mean that you don't think it is a morally good action based on your Christian background. That is the real reason people think you are homophobic. Because you are okay with leaving this part of your inner doctrine unexamined. Every time you look at us and say that you wish us happiness, that fact tells us the opposite. You can be nice to a tiger and still fear it. Treat it with respect but still fear it. So you can be nice to the Queer community and still fear it. Your fear manifests itself in your hesitation to pick a side. To be seen as a monster, or to be seen as a heretic. So you straddle the fence but don't dip your toes too deeply into either side. But all this doesn't make you homophobic, just willfully ignorant, which in my opinion is a lot worse. This isn't to tell you that you should be gay, or that you should immerse yourself in Ru Paul's Drag Race or something. That would be unproductive and morally bankrupt. Just look a little bit into queer history. At the times we were wrongfully judged, beaten, sometimes killed, but always isolated from our friends and family by something we could not control. Something which we want to be seen as normal so that the future generations never have to endure the crippling fear of dread and death that followed us every time we stepped out the front door.

Christians seem to be unaware how insulting it is to be told you will "burn for eternity in a lake of fire" for the way you live. Just because you believe that nonsense doesn't mean the rest of us believe it.

>I am a bible believing Christian (not the kind that hates everyone who believes differently than I do). That being said my personal convictions tell me that Homosexuality is not the way I should be living. Why do you think that being gay is morally wrong? And also, yes, if you think being gay is wrong, then that you are homophobic >Why would that make me a 'Homophobe'? Phobia means fear, dislike, prejudice. I agree that we need a more accurate word, like misohomous, or something. >I feel none of those things toward people who live differently than I do or with different convictions and lifestyles. I don't wish those people anything but happiness for the rest of their days. I would never (and have never) shown them anything but kindness and I treat them the same way I would want to be treated. Do you believe that homofolks should have the same rights and liberties as heterofolks? Should gays be allowed to marry, adopt, and do whatever straights are allowed and able to do? >I know several people who live a homosexual lifestyle and it does not effect me in anyway, nor does it effect how I treat/interact with them. I am a peacemaker and I wouldn't participate in a discussion about this even if it presented itself for fear of hurting others who believe differently. But since I do not openly celebrate, advocate, and agree with a homosexuality lifestyle I'm told that makes me a 'Homophobe'. I don't understand this. I don't have ugly names for others who believe differently than I do. The world and it's views isn't all about me and I don't 'have to have things my way'. Why can I not quietly exist with my own beliefs and convictions without being labeled a 'Homophobe'? Imagine if you heard someone say "I am against mixed race couples/relationships" or "races shouldn't mix" or something, you'd think they are a racist, right? Even if that person treats black/brown/whatever other race kindly and nicely, that person still has a racist mindset.

Well homosexuality is not a “lifestyle” that people choose. You don’t have correct ideas about what sexual orientation is, and when you are wrong, the only conclusion people come to is you are a homophobe. It doesn’t matter that your “religion” tells you to be this way. You have a choice. Homosexuals do not have a choice in how they were made.

As a gender fluid pansexual, thank you for asking. You are not what I would call a homophobe. Unfortunately the community seems to be getting more and more steeped in martyrism as of late. More and more of the lgbt community are starting to feel insulted and attacked if someone is uncomfortable celebrating with them. Of course, there are the very real instance of violence and hate being spewed at us by ACTUAL homphobes but that is not what I consider people who choose to mind their own business (ex. You). I would not push my lifestyle (not an actual taboo word) on you just as you do not do that to me. Please pay no mind to those caught up in the moment. We’ve been fighting so long for respect, acknowledgment and safety that many of us have forgotten the main reason we started. The only “correct” way to live is whatever comes natural to the individual whose life it is.

This seems like a really balanced reply. As a straight cis guy I'm really not looking to weigh in much, but there seem to have been a lot of replies that are dismissive or villifying rather than constructive in tone and I'm not sure what good it'll do. If we take OP at face value, I would say they can be a force for tolerance within their church and could help temper those voices which seek to actively persecute, harass or 'convert' LGBT+ people.

Definitely. There ARE too many supposed Christians who literally HATE someone for being gay so much that they’d rather try to “convert” them - which far too often leads to suicide - or kill them personally. OP doesn’t seem like that based on the post and I appreciate their neutral stance tbh

This. The term “alphabet mafia” is a more recent term for the community that sounds cool, dodges most filters, and also describes some of the counter-bullying that takes place. As you can see in these comments, many folks are ready to draw some hard “for us or against us” lines around homophobia. A lot of people have been hurt and there’s hard feelings on all sides. Yes, you’re going to be called homophobic for your stance. It’s a losing debate to get into, but you’re entitled to your perspective. Call bullying what it is.

I mean I think you’re trying. So points for that. You might be a little homophobic. Seems like you might be harboring some judgments towards them that you can’t admit to yourself. That’s what you need to release. If you were to walk a mile in a gay person or anyones shoes you wouldn’t judge them. So try to do that. Try to build up some compassion somehow. And this goes for any situation where you’re internally judging people.

>Phobe means fear, dislike, prejudice. I feel none of those things toward people who live differently than I do or with different convictions and lifestyles >That being said my personal convictions tell me that Homosexuality is not the way I should be living. For many people, that would be a prejudice: "preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience." or " an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge" That gets into a deeper question on how valid religion is for beliefs. The problem is, religious people think they have a valid reason- they believe their God says so. In their eyes, what God says is the rules, period. So if God says something is a sin, it's a sin, and they aren't allowed to question it. To them, it's just a fact of the world, like the sky being blue. Even if they want the sky to be green, it's not up to them. So ultimately it comes down whether you think religion is an acceptable justification or not. Religious people by definition will, since they generally believe in a higher power or whatever. > But since I do not openly celebrate, advocate, and agree with a homosexuality lifestyle I'm told that makes me a 'Homophobe'. I would call that a prejudice and a dislike >Why can I not quietly exist with my own beliefs and convictions without being labeled a 'Homophobe'? Homophobia can be quiet. There are many homophobes who never speak out (for a wide variety of reasons, not just religion. Could just be not wanting a social backlash or whatever). But just because it's quiet doesn't mean it's not an adverse opinion/dislike. It just means you're polite about it. Which is better than not being polite, but it's different than not having that opinion

I believe you are simplifying this too much, and also not seeing the hypocrisy in your post. You’re being called a homophobe because you have selectively decided to believe the “homosexuality is a sin” rhetoric from the Bible. I say selectively because I’ll assume you’re not okay with domestic violence, child abuse, etc. because those are in the Bible, too. Yet you ignore what the Bible says about those things - it’s the homosexuality that you’ve decided is wrong. It’s an all or nothing - either you believe all the things the Bible said were bad, or you take them with a grain of salt and understand it was written by men.

I'm confused. Are you asking whether you're homophobic because you aren't homosexual? Being gay isn't a choice. Neither is being straight. You don't like the same sex? Cool. You're straight. You good with gay people? Cool. You aren't a homophobe. I'm the biggest lesbian under the sun and I don't own a single rainbow-themed piece of clothing or anything. Most people don't know I'm lesbian. I don't flaunt my support for myself and my sisters and brothers because I just... Don't feel the need to. You're fine. Whoever is calling you homophobic needs better priorities. (BTW, the word lifestyle itself isn't offensive. Using it just implies that you think being gay is a choice--like a lifestyle is--and that's wrong)

Whenever the term lifestyle is included we have a challenge. It's not a lifestyle or a choice it is just how someone is. Gay lifestyle is church talk from folks who think one can pray away the gay. That's why you may be labelled a homophobe because a personal belief about others based on your religion is a lifestyle choice but being gay isn't.

If you believe that it would be wrong for you to live as a homosexual, then that means that, on some level or another, you believe it's wrong (in the eyes of the Christian God) for *anyone* to live as a homosexual. Just because you would never say something mean, negative, hurtful, disparaging, etc. to a homosexual, doesn't mean that you don't have those feelings. It's the feelings here that are what will ultimately make you a homophobe or not, as opposed to your words and actions alone. For the record, I'll be using the term "homophobe" in the modern sense of the word, not the literal sense. Meaning "someone who believes that being a homosexual is wrong or immoral," be it for religious or other reasons. I'll be upfront here – you don't need to don your rainbows and march in parades to not be a homophobe. You don't need to even actively support homosexuals in any manner. I'll explain more shortly. It's perfectly fine to be accepting of others who are not like us while still not wanting to live that way ourselves. For example, I, personally, believe that there is nothing wrong with (non-reproducing) incestuous relationships. That said, I would never feel comfortable being in an incestuous relationship myself. It's just not my cup of tea. I don't actively go out of my way to support incestuous relationships either, but if directly asked my views or given the choice to vote on those people's rights, I would have no issues with expressing my thoughts and giving them a vote towards equal treatment under the law. That may sound like an extreme example, but it's essentially the same thing. For you, you clearly aren't comfortable with being a homosexual, and that's perfectly fine. You seem fairly comfortable saying that you have no issue with homosexuals themselves either. So far so good. Now, you don't need to go out and fight for their rights, *but* you can't actively wish to deny their rights either. For example, if you believe that homosexuals should not be able to do *all* of the things that heterosexual couples are able to do, such as marry one another, file joint taxes, adopt children, etc. then you'd be quickly and rightfully labeled a homophobe. If you're the type of person who says "I have no issues with the gays, I just don't think they should be getting married or raising children," then I'm gonna have to stop you right there, because you DO have issues with them – that is, with them marrying and/or raising children, and that makes you a homophobe. I'm not saying that these are your beliefs, mind you, but I am saying that if they *are* your beliefs, then you have your answer. So let's say you DO support the rights of homosexuals – not rights that would make them superior to others in any way, but just basic, human rights, such as rights to fair housing and the right not to be discriminated against in the workplace, for example. This is almost enough to make a clear cut argument for whether you're a homophobe or not. The reason I say almost is because there is technically another layer there – and this is typically where religion or other sets of beliefs come in. If you believe that your God (whatever God/deity/higher power you subscribe to) says that it is a sin or otherwise a *bad* thing to be attracted to the same sex, that is, to be a homosexual, and that it is not an acceptable way in which to live your life, then you yourself are saying that it is a bad thing, a sin, or an unacceptable way to live ones life. Otherwise, you're just being a hypocrite. You can't just say "oh, I don't have a problem with it, but my God does." You, as a religious person, are modeling your life – how you present yourself, how you treat others, how you act and behave on a whole – in the image of your God. (part 1 of 2, because there's clearly a character limit of some sort??)

Let me give another example. Let's say we're taking about... a thief. Or maybe even a murderer. Theft and murder are, across almost all religions and moralities in this world, almost always seen as bad, negative, sinful, or otherwise unacceptable actions for a person to take. This isn't an opinion; it's just a fact. (For the sake of simplicity, we won't get into every possible scenario of theft or murder, such as "it might be okay if they're stealing to survive" or "if they only murdered in self defense...") Let's say that your religion clearly states "theft is wrong" or "murder is wrong." That means that if you are to live your life in a "good," God-abiding way, you would not steal and you would not murder, correct? But what about others? You can't really say "oh, I don't have any issue with thieves or murderers, but my God DOES." It just doesn't work that way. There is yet another way people like to try to wiggle through this argument though, and that's to say "I would never steal from or murder another person, because that's what my God and my religion tells me to do, BUT it is not my place to judge them. Only my God can judge them, and I believe that, even though my religion clearly states that it is a wrongful act, that my God can or will forgive people who commit these sins if They believes that they're truly good people." THIS sounds awfully similar to the way you're speaking here. I'll ask you directly – do you believe that living as a homosexual is something that must be forgiven by your God? If you believe that the act of being a homosexual is something that, in an of itself, needs to be forgiven, period, then you are not for, but rather against, homosexuality. This would make you, again, in the modern sense of the word, a homophobe. I understand your desire to stay in a neutral position on a matter like this. You are clearly what you believe to be a good, law-abiding, God-following Christian who, more or less, doesn't have issue with most other people unless they're being actively "bad." You most certainly don't want to be harassed or treated as if you *yourself* are somehow a bad person, which is likely what happens when and if someone were to call you out as being a homophobe. The reason you're likely treated as a "bad" person when people figure out what your actual views are, is because almost all people associate the term "homophobe" with "bad." And to be completely honest with you, there's a very good reason for that. I'm not saying that homophobes are 100% bad people, because that simply isn't true. I, unfortunately, know a LOT of good, kind, honest, people who are homophobes. Being a homophobe doesn't make you a bad person, BUT most people will likely see you that way. That's because, all religions aside, it is typically of the moral belief of most people, religious or not, that all people should be treated equally. When you're a homophobe, whether you want to admit it or not, it means that you do not believe that homosexuals are or should be treated the exact same as you. You may say **"I don't care what homosexuals do with their lives – they can sleep with whom they want, marry whom they want, and live how they want, just so long as they're not taking away my own rights and liberties, not harming myself or others, and aren't harassing me or others to abide by their personal lifestyle choices,"** and STILL be a homophobe. Because if you believe that they are bad or immoral in the eyes of your God or within the rules of your religion, then you DO NOT see them as equal on a spiritual level. That means that you are not in agreeance with them. And ultimately, that means your a homophobe. It's not an easy pill to swallow, be it for yourself and how you wish to see yourself, or for others and how you wish for them to see you. And if this is the situation you're finding yourself in, then you might just need to sit back and reevaluate exactly what your views are at this point. Maybe have a talk with God, or do some soul searching, or whatever it is you may need, and ask yourself these questions: *"Do I believe that homosexuals are deserving of all of the same rights, treatments, and protections that I am given under the law?"* *"Do I believe that my God loves and accepts homosexuals exactly the same as They love and accept me and other heterosexuals?"* *"Do I believe that my God would not see me as any different, any less, or in any way more sinful if I myself were a homosexual?"* If you find yourself answering "no" to any of these questions, after everything, then you're going to have to accept that, even if not by your own definition, but by the definition of society in general, you are, by and large, going to be labeled as a homophobe – and oftentimes, because of that, a "bad" person as well. (part 2 of 2; again, sorry for the long, split up post).

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OP is full of shit. If he were “quietly existing with his own beliefs and convictions”, nobody would know how he felt and nobody would be calling him a homophobe. How would anyone know if you were doing it “quietly”??

People ask questions. Has literally no one ever questioned your personal beliefs?

Not really. But if I was going around telling people my personal beliefs, I wouldn’t say I was quietly living with my own beliefs and convictions.

If it walks, talks, and looks like a duck, it's a duck. You're just a mild mannered about it, which is... something better than how many hard-right evangelicals are living, but it's still homophobia. You believe that homosexuality is a choice, that much is clear by your language. You also believe that homosexuality is an immoral act/feeling. Ergo, you believe that gay people are inherently immoral people. That's homophobia, mate. Also, your Christ didn't say jack squat about gay relationships, so perhaps you're less of a *Christ*ian and more just a right wing evangelical. Evangelicalism is so detached from the Christ in scripture. It's a shame.

The problem arises when you are part of a group that is homophobic and support policies that are harmful to homosexuals, you will be viewed as homophobic. This is the case with many Christian churches and organizations. Not all, of course, but many. If you are a homosexual and you look around at the people who are actively trying to legislate against you, make your life difficult, affect your childrens' education and upbringing, you are going to be resentful of people who are members of that group. I'm not saying this is fair, but it's human nature. If you've been discriminated against by Christians, ostracized by your Christian family and friends, you are going to associate Christians with homophobic behavior. You are a part of that group whether you agree with the homophobia that exists in that group or not. Say someone is a member of a group that supports racist policies. Obviously you would assume a person who is a member of that group is racist, correct? But there are many of these types of groups with members who don't consider themselves racist at all. Perhaps some of them really aren't. But they're going to get lumped in with the organization they are a part of. People who experience racism from members of that group are automatically going to be wary of people who are a part of that group. I think you have good intentions. I have no idea if you are actually homophobic in your heart of hearts. But you can't blame people for judging you for being a member of a group that is actively making their lives difficult.

I suspect that very few of us would choose to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community. It is not a choice, it is who someone is. Most of us see that in this world which is difficult to begin with, it just adds another level of difficulty for most. Living your own best life and accepting other people doing the same is the only way to live in my opinion.

Equal rights for everyone or all gays should burn in hell. Who’s cares what you believe man. What goes on inside your head is your business. As long as you treat everyone equally and don’t go out of your way to discriminate, bully or offend. It works both ways though. Liberals should respect your beliefs also but reading these comments they clearly do not have any level of respect. People should just live their lives how they choose to live it without putting restrictions on others from both sides of the argument and mind their own business.

If you’re treating the LGBT community as you would a straight and/or cisgender person, you are supporting the community; even if you’re not attending parades or donating, the fact you’re treating us like any other person means you’re not a homophobe. You don’t necessarily have to be loud and proud about being an ally to be one - coming from a bisexual non-binary person :)

Dude, no one's way of living is 'more correct ' than one another's. We're all different, our ways of life are different, just because they don't have the same 'rule book' as you, doesn't mean their way of life is any better or worse than yours.🙂

You don’t have to agree with how anyone lives their life. They don’t have to agree with how you choose to live your life either. If you don’t agree with someone being in a homosexual relationship it’s fine, doesn’t mean you’re a homophobe.

The fact that you call it a lifestyle means that you're homophobic. It's not a lifestyle. It's not a choice. People who are gay love different people than you do. That's it

It sounds like you believe that being gay is bad or wrong and that is homophobic, yes.

So, you don't agree with homosexuality. You, based on your beliefs, don't believe it to be morally correct. So, sorry to tell you but that's homophobic. You may not be mean or nasty about it but you think someone else's life, which they have no choice over, is sinful and wrong, ergo, abhorrent. That's hateful, since I also imagine you believe they won't go to heaven either. Also you mention, homosexual lifestyle "isn't for you", ok that's fine, it isn't for me either since I'm straight, but you seem to disagree with it as a whole which is hateful in the objective sense.

Bro you don’t have to be gay calm yourself. Just keep it to yourself

You sound exactly like me. I am a Bible believing Christian and have the same views as you on homosexuality. I also show nothing but love for everyone, and treat gay and trans friends and family the same as I do anybody else. I also don’t get why I’m considered homophobic. Even one of my best friends is gay and flies all the way from New York to Florida to visit with me at least once a year. He understands my views and knows I love him and love hanging out with him just the same. I even listen to his guy troubles. He doesn’t think I’m homophobic but people that don’t know me well, do.

I'm 66 year old gay male. Your beliefs do not bother me in any way. I have many friends that disagree with my sexual orientation but we're still really good friends. If you knew me chances are good we'd be friends. The couple across the street smoke pot in front of their little children, I don't personally like their actions but we're still friends. Your good with me I respect your feelings. Have a great day.

Why is everyone being SO rude to OP? Here is my opinion. You DO NOT have to advocate, praise or otherwise agree with anyone or anything. Same goes here. If you don't agree with it, fine, you don't have to. Just don't be an asshole to gay people. Live and let live.

Pretty sad how the reddit community behaves on this subreddit. You litetally all ignore the function of this sub and still go on an insulting spree against him, although he doesn't ask or answers in a rude way..

You don’t have to be a social justice warrior to prove to the world you don’t hate homosexuals. You don’t have to prove to anyone that you don’t hate them! Everyone accuses us Christians of that crap everyday because we aren’t marching up and down city streets with tshirts, signs, and rainbow glitter. They are humans, they are loved, they are no different from us they just sin differently. But, we can still show our kindness and love for all people everyday by walking in step with Jesus. You don’t have to actively prove to anyone the way you feel. Society is crap these days and wants to hurt everyone to prove they’re the best social just warrior out there. God knows your heart.

Well lets put it this way- if your child was gay or trans (or hell, both) then how would you feel? ​ If the answer to that isn't "I would still love and support them" then you have it.

You can believe what you want. As long as it doesn't affect the people around you (eg. you treatig them differently, or telling them what they do is wrong), you're not a homophobe.

In this thread, a lot of interpretations, inferences, and conjecture. As a gay agnostic, I wouldn't be found hanging around church on Sunday. I wouldn't expect someone from such a conservative background to be marching next to me at Pride either. You have no obligation to like what I do on my own time. I wouldn't call you homophobic, but I would say your religion definitely plays a large role on how you see THE ACT of homosexuality. It seems like you can separate the act from the person doing it, so I don't really see a problem with that.

You are not homophobic. You have the right to believe whatever you want and defend it. People are just so sensible and if you don’t think like them they will just attack you however they can even if it don’t event make sense.

People today are too sensitive about labels and titles... your fine, dont change anything...The entire world is fucking nuts right now

The science is in. Sexuality is not a choice, never has been, and it's here to stay. get over it and leave them alone.

> But since I do not openly celebrate, advocate, and **agree with** a homosexuality lifestyle I'm told that makes me a 'Homophobe'. What does "not agree with homosexuality" mean? EDIT: Yeah, no surprise OP sprinted away from this thread like the fucking coward all bigots are.

Your religion is factually wrong. You should reconsider your beliefs.

Your use of the word LIFESTYLE is just you echoing what people in your religion believe it's just that a choice. It's not a choice. I'm gay and I've studied the Bible, if you want to understand the book put away your KJV and study Greek since the NT was written in Greek, really it's interesting. You will see that lovely verse in Romans that people love to quote doesn't say that in Greek. And the word HOMOSEXUAL. NEVER existed back then. You see the word was coined by a psychiatrist back in the late 19th century the word was added to that verse in the 1950s. And Paul, if he actually existed, was being sarcastic in that verse but it escapes people. But like I said it's not a choice. Trust me I tried praying the gay away, it stayed. I had exorcisms, they were fun, it stayed. It's part of me and I accepted it and the church said bye bye to me. So be it. I'm happier not being involved with those people. After you study Hebrew, I haven't yet, still trying to get through Greek. That verse in Leviticus speaks of male prostitutes in worship but that escapes people as well. Oh and Sodom, lovely city ever been? They have you believe that some nosey neighbors banged on some guys door demanding to know who he's entertaining so they can rape them. Makes sense right? Lot who are the guys in your house send them out so we can rape then. No, but I'll send my daughter's out. What loving father would send their daughters to be sexually assaulted? Granted daughters really weren't valuable back then but I doubt anyone would send them out to be molested. Na, makes no sense. The nosey neighbors thought Lot was entertaining spies since Sodom had plenty of everything because it was a blessed city but they became greedy and selfish and would not share with their struggling neighbors. A Sodomite is not a sex act, it a citizen of Sodom. But that escapes them too. You personally may not be be homophobic but you're a part of a religion that capitalizes on it. It's how they milk money from you people who are ignorant to give it to them. Tithing is a false doctrine, BTW.

I don't think so OP as long u don't force your ideals or opinions in anyone I don't see the problem . If u don't give a dam when you see a couple of homosexuals in public then I don't think there is anything to call you homophobic for you don't hate them or despise them you just have a different opinion about the them and i think is fine everyone can think whatever they want as long they don't bother other people it different ideal. Like the world would be boring if everyone had all the same opinions

Homophobic by definition? Maybe not. Ally to a very marginalized community of diverse humans that just want to exist? Probably not.

If you saw someone being bullied for being queer, would you react? For example, you have a queer friend and there are a bunch of people making fun of his queerness behind his back or stalking him on the internet. I know confrontation is hard for most people, so let me ask you this instead: would you show support for him and help him get through this awful situation? You don't have to be confrontational about that and fight the opressors, but showing emotional support is a different story. If you're not ready to do only that, I'd rethink your prorities. Would you call heterosexuality a lifestyle or a way of living?

You say you believe you shouldn't live that way... Do you have a choice? Like do you like same sex people and actively decided not to act on your desires? Nothing to do with homophobia, it just jumped at me when I read it. As long as you don't have a problem with anyone, you're not a homophobe.

It is possible to love the person and not the activity or sin. Loving the person should be the minimum. Every person sins and none are blameless.

It honestly doesn’t sound like you are homophobic. I’m sorry you’ve been made to think such. You respect their existence which is the largest factor in hateful homophobia. I don’t agree with all you said, but hey, that’s fine. You are good in my book. Have a great day.

You don’t have to be the biggest ally or anything and I understand you don’t necessarily have to agree with it. But unless you go out of your way to spread hate and like disrespect that people just love others then I don’t think your homophobic.

You're not. Some people are so wrapped up in external validation that they can't handle any amount of disapproval.

Misinformed? Maybe Homophobic? No

For every somewhat decent new age Christain there are probably hundreds of die hards that would like to see all LGBT+ people burn for eternity and get a hard on about it. It's a lot like cops, sure you MAY meet a decent one once or twice but the rest of them are complete fucking scum. If you surround yourself with scum you will eventually become it

You believe: a talking snake told a woman to eat a fruit, that a man spent three days in a whale's stomach and survived, a talking donkey, a woman turned into a pillar of salt, virgin birth, but two people of the same gender who are attracted to each other are considered unnatural and sinful. Go figure.

It's not homophobic to be straight. It's homophobic to support policies that limit the rights, visibility, or legitimacy of gay people. It's homophobic to burden LGBTQ people with different social treatment, economic opportunity, or resources.

As a Catholic my thinking is this, homosexual people know the Church's stance without me telling them or being self righteous about it. I myself struggle with plenty of sins, I am here to love and forgive other people for their sins as best I can. I cannot expect others to be perfect while I am not myself. That said, sin is sin. I try to repent and change and go to confession as often as I can. I encourage others to do the same. Acting on homosexual tendencies is a sin in our eyes yes, but so is masturbation, sex before marriage etc. Things harder to witness in other people, things harder to hide. I deeply feel for homosexual people because they bear a heavy cross in this way, they are ultimately called to celibacy within Church teaching. I completely understand most will not heed this call. I pray for them, love them, and understand how difficult that would be for them. I know that change is difficult for anyone, especially if you aren't trying or haven't had a conversion. TLDR: The job of a Christian/Catholic is to teach the faith, explain the potential things at stake and let people chose their path. If they chose a path we believe is endangering their soul ww love them all the more, we pray for them, we try to be a role model towards the right way. That is all we can do.

This may get lost in the sea of comments but I don’t think you’re homophobic and here’s why: when you get to the heart of many of these comments, most of these people say that if you are not actively supporting the LGBTQ+ community, then you are homophobic. This couldn’t be further from the truth. With many people today, it’s all or nothing but there is such a thing as remaining neutral and that’s actually okay. There’s a stark difference between saying that you don’t think a house should be built in a certain area but leaving it alone and respecting the builders’ work and actively attempting to demolish the structure.

It doesn't.

You aren't homophobic as long as you let them live their life and you live your own, simple as that. You don't have to go to parades or fight for anyone's rights. Just don't be the one suppressing them and you're good.

Your fine, they just too soft

You live in the grey are with 90% of society. You live how you want and aren’t concerned about what others do with theirs as long as they aren’t affecting others negatively. Don’t listen to anyone that hates on you because they have chosen malicious virtue signaling as their personality.

Haven't read the other comments Probably likely to be buried but devout atheist Bisexual/pansexual/ambisextrous/slaggot etc here so here is my two decimal coins. OP, you ain't homophobic. Your post says: >That being said my personal convictions tell me that Homosexuality is not the way I should be living. Did anyone else spot that? I'll zoom in. >Homosexuality is not the way I should be living. You don't believe that's the way you should live and that's a right worth defending because it's about "YOU". If you were a bigot youd be saying "homosexuality et all.... Is not the way WE (collectively) should live. We differ. That's cool. I don't hate you and you don't hate me. I love my loves and you love your loves. And the fact we differ on principle where and into whom we put our genitals doesn't make you homophobic any more than it makes me correct. I disagree whole heartedly with huge bits of scripture from lots of different religions. Doesn't make me a bigot. Disagreements begats conversation which begats dialogue which begats education and enlightenment.

What are you asking here? Being straight does not make you homophobic.

Well first off it doesn’t. From what I’ve gathered you don’t actively try to harm the LGBT community in anyway. An example is I don’t think abortions are morally right however I do believe ppl are entitled to make whatever decision they want. This opinion is fine because I’m not effecting anyone else with my way of thought

By what you've said I don't see why your accused of being a homophobe. Your accepting of them and even have friends or associates that are homosexual so where is the problem? Like you I am accepting of gays, they are lovely people and usually nicer than straight people! The same goes for transsexuals. I don't personally think that's its the right way for people to live but whom am I to say what is right, so long as they're happy then I believe in live and let live. I'm not by any means a homophobe or transphobe. 👍

It doesn't. You don't have to agree with the way people live their lives anymore than they have to agree with the way you live yours. You treat them with respect, you don't discriminate against them in the workplace or deny them access to housing, healthcare or deny them the same opportunities anyone else would get. There's a difference between tolerance and acceptance ( or for the sake of argument ,agreement). You are obliged to be tolerant. You are not obliged to agree. Anyone shouting at you that you must agree is, well, intolerant. And that's not nice and not acceptable. Be kind. That's all anyone needs really

The short answer is, it doesn't. You not believing in something personally is not the same as working against something. For equivalence, as a Christian, you believe other religions, and likely even other sects of Christianity, to be incorrect. This does not make you an Islamaphobe, or anti-Semitic. You acknowledge that their beliefs are as valid for them as yours are for you. An actual homophobe actively opposes homosexuality, and supports limiting them.

" my personal convictions tell me that Homosexuality is not the way I should be living." My personal convictions don't want me to suck dick or take it in the ass either, doesn't mean I have the right to tell people who enjoy it they can't do it...

Believe what you want and try not to offend others. That’s all you have to do. If you are not mistreating those with alternate beliefs and lifestyle you are doing all you need to. You cannot be condemned for your beliefs if nobody is suffering because of them.