Yes I am aware. There are also Orthodox Christians that feel the same way. It doesn't make it right. The vast majority of the Orthodox don't agree with it, and neither do the Mennonites.
Being homosexual isn't a death sentence. For some Orthodox, they found relief from being stigmatized through suicide.
Quote 2: God eradicated Sodom. Didn't mean all homosexuals.
Homosexuals still exist for a reason.
Quote 3: Sometimes a person has to go down on their luck to find their way. Sometimes it kills them.
You could have helped them; instead, you throw them out of the commune. Did someone throw you out of a "commune?"
Sometimes they become the prodigal son. You can only pray.
Becoming the prodigal son requires humility. One can be homosexual and humble.
If my "adult" son refused my authority in my home, yes I would throw them out. If they got on drugs, had lots of gay partners, and were homeless, I would not bring them back into my home to torture the rest of my family.
How would you know that your "adult" son would torture the rest of your family with his presence? Besides, not every homosexual is a homeless drug addict with multiple partners. Plus, the sin of practicing homosexual relations once or one million times can be forgiven in confession; if the person chooses to go that route. Example, prison rape - that can be forgiven in the confessional. Of course, the Hutterites don't have Confession as they prefer to shame and humiliate people who go against them.
That type of adult son, would be refusing the authority of the head of the home (scriptures). In my opinion, if he refuses this authority, he is independent and needs to provide for himself.
We're all dependent on someone, whether we admit it or not.
The Eastern Orthodox Church has excommunicated many laymen and clergy for being homosexuals and refusing to stop their behavior.
You admit that you were a teenager in the 1990's. How do you know they were excommunications rather than penances? There are threads on this board about an Orthodox Priest soliciting gay sex in an Interstate rest area; that person is still a Priest having taken an extended leave of absence to deal with
his indiscretion. I don't know what OCA and ROCOR do;
however, I believe they would just deny the chalice rather than "kick out" homosexuals.
You are wrong about the Hutterites. They do confess to one another as the scriptures and the Early Christians did.
You keep telling me that I'm wrong about the Hutterites. Do they say in service, "Brother Amos, I accidentally saw your wife's pigtails while she was milking the cows; please forgive me for my indiscretion, in Jesus' name?"
The Hutterites would accept a person seeking repentance from the sin of homosexuality so long as they are humble about it.
Is their absolution absolute as in the Orthodox Church or is it something that could be used against that person by anyone in the commune?
Just as I would accept my own son who is humble about repentance from the sin. Just as the Eastern Orthodox faith would accept a humble person seeking repentance about homosexuality.
The temptation to be a homosexual would still exist. You forgive once, twice, forever, like the Orthodox faith?
What I am talking about, and what the churches do is excommunicate (kick out) people who "justify" and refuse to change their homosexual behavior.
Were you "kicked out?"
I do not believe people are born homosexuals. I believe it is a sin that people struggle with and justify.
We struggle with and justify many things. Some are more forceful about addressing certain topics than others. I believe that the Lord directed us to be merciful towards each other rather than being judgmental and harsh.
