If you had to look back at your faith and/or religion, what do you think is ONE of the most important things it has taught you? How has this one thing improved your quality of life? Do you think you could have learned this thing without your faith and/or religion?

Merci.

I'm admittedly atheist but I do have an interest in religion. How could you not? With such a large population in our world in some sort of religion it's impossible to ignore the impact it has on our lives in some way or another.

I haven't read the bible, entirely. In fact I'd posted on my main account (suggestivetongue) a while back asking what kind of bible I should be reading because it seems there are so many different kinds. Sometimes entire shelves. It's a bit confusing for someone who just refers to the bible as "the bible" and presumes there is only one edition, just one copy.

But I digress,

I pride myself in being open minded and that is why I am interested in reading the bible. But I also think that people should read books from other religions. I don't think it matters how religious you are, if you want people to respect your views you should respect theirs as well. That doesn't mean you have to agree with them, and it doesn't always mean you have to particularly even be quiet that you disagree, but you should respect them enough to understand where they are coming from before you disagree.

How many of you who are religious have studied a religion outside of your own?

I asked a question about sin. I asked what were sins? What made something sinful? And at the center of all of this, why is homosexuality a sin and is it as bad as all other sins?

I had almost 1000 views on that post and 50 very thoughtful and well written responses. A lot of what people said made me think a lot.

Sin could also be thought of as anything that has us not loving God or others fully.

I think it is difficult to get around that the Bible teaches homosexuality is a sin.

The bible says that those who are drunkards, revelers, thieves, liars, adulterers and those who are sexually immoral will not enter heaven.

God wanted us to know that all sin was wrong and separated us from Him.

I believe that is the cause for homosexuality at least... it's bracketed under "lust".
Sexual sin is worse than any other sin, purity sexually is a BIG thing for God, when the bible speaks of sexual sin it says in 1 Corinthians16:18Flee from sexual immorality.

So now, I have a follow up question. If two Christians have differing opinions of the bible, if they have different translations, does this make one of them wrong? If one Christian were to follow that homosexuality was wrong and sinful, but another Christian WAS homosexual and believed that God loved all his children. Which one would be right? Would we have to team up all the Christians and take a poll? Would half say yes, half say no? When there is such a wide range of opinions and translations on the word of God, how can we really say anything is set in stone as right or wrong? Isn't it up to your personal views and faith of the Lord? And if so, wouldn't it be wrong for anyone to say that you are going to hell, because to them, they may not be doing anything wrong to begin with?