What to say to your gay friend as a christian
Books on Parenting Adult Children. Let me give you three quick examples. Ask the other children to join you in your efforts to treat him with love and respect. Just remember that there is probably very little to be gained by way of disputation — on the whole, a case like this calls for generous amounts of patience and prayer.
Keeping these truths in mind, how do we respond to a gay friend who says, “I was born this way”? Help him understand that the choice is his to make. Here are seven things I would counsel my teenager with if I asked how teenagers should love their friends who identify as LGBT.
If you need help in this area, you might want to consider some of the recommended resources highlighted below. At some moments I'm so angry I could scream. Your friend is made in God’s image. The Gay Gospel? Homosexuality Resource List. When should we “speak truth in love” as a Christian?
Resources If a title is currently unavailable through Focus on the Family, we encourage you to use another retailer. It does not matter how your friend identifies; you are called to be kind and respectful of their personhood. What should we do? You challenge Christians to stop avoiding or merely “tolerating” LGBT people, but to engage in meaningful relationships with them.
They can also provide you with references to reputable Christian therapists practicing in your area. Other times I just sit and cry. You can start by insisting that he refrain from discussing homosexuality with his younger siblings. Ask him if he would be willing to sit down with you and an objective third party — preferably a trained Christian counselor — who would be able to facilitate healthy communication between you.
Call our Counseling department for a free consultation. Acknowledge and empathize with their emotional reactions to the situation, remembering that each one of your children may need help sorting out his or her feelings. Clichés that kill are cute little statements that we think are clever, that we Christians like to say to our friends who identify as LGBT, but really end up doing more harm than good.
Most Christians’ first response is to run immediately to the Old Testament prohibitions (e.g. What should that look like?. For example, clarify that there will be no overt displays of homosexual affection nor any sharing of the same room while under your roof.
Here at Focus on the Family headquarters we have a staff of trained family counselors whose job it is to dispense sound advice and practical assistance over the phone. If he wishes to remain in your home, it should be on the same basis as any other boarder, renter, or tenant.
What should we say to our college-age son who claims to be a "gay Christian? First, we want you to know that our hearts go out to you and our prayers are with you in the midst of this painful and exasperating situation. Christian Research Institute. Worst of all, he's been sharing these ideas with his brother who, by the way, is disgusted with him , and he wants to explain them to his younger siblings as well.
Peacemaking for Families. Is God Anti-Gay? Lev. ), or worse, the account of Sodom and Gomorrah. When Homosexuality Hits Home. We love our son, but we don't want this kind of influence in our home. Generally speaking, we suggest that you treat him as you would any other adult who is old enough to choose his own path in life.
Meanwhile, arrange a meeting with the other members of the family. Make it clear that while you remain committed to biblical standards of morality, you cannot possibly stop loving your son, and that as a result he is welcome to stay in the house as long as his behavior conforms to the rules.
Your feelings are normal, understandable, and completely justified. If he persists in arguing that the Bible has nothing to say against homosexuality, remind him gently that the evidence all points in the opposite direction. Number one is this: Homosexuality is a choice, or refer to it as a “homosexual lifestyle,” okay?.
If your son decides that he cannot abide by your guidelines, invite him to begin the process of moving out of the house and pursuing his new-found lifestyle in an independent setting. Kindness and respect do not mean agreement.