Christians, how do you explain homosexuality to your children?

[fartmeistergeneral]

I presume you think it is 'wrong'? What is it in the Bible? 'God hates that'? (may have got that quote wrong!). Am just interested in how you explain to your children that some people are gay without engendering hate and mistrust?

Am not a christian by the way but was just interested cos my friend is, and by implication so are her children. I overheard one telling my ds1 that John Barrowman is bad, just wondered if he meant Captain Jack is bad or John Barrowman is bad cos of being gay!!!! It just got me thinking.

Maybe it's in case the little minx lures some other man with its charms, onegar.

Think I'm similar to KayHarker.

I'd explain to my dc that any sex outside of marriage is sinful and "wrong/not blessed" in God's eyes regardless of whether it was homo or hetrosexual. God asks us to abstain from sex outside of marriage.

Also that sin is sin to God there aren't massive & minor ones and we all sin!

Sexual sin does come with consequences different to other sins though.

but again we're clearly told to respect other people and not to judge them!

Georgimama, that will be it

Kay, good point about fornification though it doesn't define it or give a specific punishment (that I have found yet)

And of course my opinion is that anything which harms no one is fine.

i'm catholic..never explained it to dc.....hoped they'd never ask.

Hoped they'd never ask

How old are they?

I'm with AMIS.

oh my older 3 are teenagers now...youngest is 9....i never spoke to them about it, and they never asked.....i really don't know what i'd have said.

For lots of christians (I would say MOST that I know), this is a total non-issue

I think a literal reading of the Bible is morally and intellectually wrong, but I don't give a toss about who falls in love with who, it really isn't an issue for me

Do you know what they think? Because I'm pretty sure they know about it by now...

i'm sure they do...but we don't talk about sex full stop..it's the way i was brought up.

I've never had the conversation with any of my children.

That's brave daftpunk.

Why ST? I mean, I assume you don't have gay friends or relations, but it's such an everyday thing and there are so many cultural references. Or do your children just accept it as such perhaps?

Well, my kids know that 'Captain Jack likes to kiss boys, too', but we've never had a 'conversation' about it.

it might be an everyday thing but if your religion doesn't agree with it then it's difficult to talk about.

LOL at catholicism not agreeing with sex

No, I know what you mean. If they did ask, would you tell them it was wrong?

Think it was that well-known Christian Mahatma Gandhi who said 'hate the sin and love the sinner'. Thought I'd throw that into the mix.

oh lol..i've just read my post i'm glad you knew what i meant!

umm..i'm afraid i would.

I suspect it's possible for 'love the sinner, hate the sin' to be intellectually justifiable, to NOT be a cop out.

The Seven Deadly Sins are:
Pride
Greed
Anger
Envy
Gluttony
Sloth
Lust

We all know (and love) (and ARE!) people who commit these sins, regularly, and are able to have essentially non-judgemental relationships with them. Loving the sinner.

If anti-gay Christians made an equivalent public fuss about sins like these, then I would have more patience with their fuss about homosexuality. Why should that sin in particular be elevated to such a big deal?

because......if we were all homosexuals the world would come to an end pretty quickly wouldn't it.

Yes but PadDad, I remember from my Christian past I was told that all sin is equal in God's eyes. Ie, if you stole £1 from your mum's purse it's essentially the same level of sin as murder. I couldn't get my head around that. If your friend was a bit sloth-like (aren't we all??!) then it would be the same as loving someone who's a serial killer.

Ah, Daftpunk, I've missed your insane comments. You brighten up my websurfing no end.

You always talk about how you and your (110% heterosexual!) husband are 'normal'.

Even in the face of the fact that MOST mumsnetters violently disagree with you on matters of gender roles and sexuality.

Doesn't that ever give you pause to think, "Well I FEEL normal, but maybe the norm is elsewhere, these days..."?

homosexuality actually covers most of the 7 deadly sins.....lust, greed, envy,.....i personally can't understand it, would be bored with it after a week.

I'm not bored of heterosexuality after 42 years of it.

Surely you can understand that some people are attracted to the same sex in the same way that you are attracted to the opposite sex? That, whether or not they struggle with how the church views it, and whether or not they are in physical relationships, that is the way that they are? To someone who is gay, not bisexual, a bit curious, making some sort of "lifestyle choice" etc, feeling sexual attraction to people of the same sex is the only sexual attraction that they feel. What's "boring" about that?

Am struggling to see how homosexuality is connected to greed and envy........

amuminscotland; i'm talking about lesbians..(as i'm a woman)....that must get very boring don't you think?...at least with a man you have more options.

slug; greed...wanting something you shouldn't have, and envy..envious of the opposite sex.