Welcome to Gaia! ::

I know from recent experience when you DO have to speak up, and that's when people are mocking something sacred. It's sort of a judgment call as to whether a particular statement someone makes is mockery or not, but when it definitely is, you can be tempted to just "let it go". I was hanging out with a friend who was studying for a test on the Gospel of Mark (theology is a required course at my college) and these guys in the lounge with us started making all these wisecracks and then looking up "funny" internet things about Jesus on my computer. It was really late at night and I was in a crummy mood and i barely even knew these guys so i just kinda acted bored til they stopped... but i couldnt help laughing occasionally when a joke was pretty clever... and afterward i just felt lower than low. I know I was totally wrong and I need to go to confession over this. So I guess the only advice I can give is that if you feel like if Jesus was overhearing your conversation, he'd be kinda like "i can't believe you didn't stick up for me and my Church" then you better say something, no matter how uncomfortable it is. But if you honestly think he'd rather you be friendly and not scare people off in a given situation, then I guess that is the way to go.

thats funny what you said about abortion, becasue that was what we were discussing when my friend called me "soft on beleifs". and yeah, i made the change, especially since the recent incident where my teacher shot his pregnant wife and the baby died. how different is it? it isn't.

but now i'm finding that topic being the reason why i get my a** in trouble with people.

well, we are told to admonish those who we know are living in sin, because to let them live in sin without saying anything would be a sin,
but you shouldn't publicly talk to them all together, admonishing someone of their sins should be private. and should be done gently and kindly.

i think it's important to know what true friendship is, that's why i often give people the book "Chastity, A Guide for Teens and Young Adults"
and i think it might help you to read this to better understand what you should do.

"To put this negatively, it means that a companionship is not a true friendship if it leads to sin, to troubles of conscience, to a lowering of ideals, to a weakening of faith, to neglect in the practice of one's religious duties. Such harmful moral effects violate the most elemental idea of real friendship. Friendship is founded on mutual respect, and it is impossible to have a sincere respect for one who has the influence of poison on the soul. True love seeks the good of the beloved, and this good is never found in sin.

Friendship should have a positive influence for moral good. The appreciation of the worthiness of the friend should inspire one to a similar worthiness. It lifts up; it brings both nearer to God; it is a union in Christ. An intimate companionship is bound to influence both parties, and only a good influence is worthy of friendship. There should be mutual help to avoid sin, and mutual inspiration to the practice of virtue.

This does not mean that in forming our friendships we must consciously strive for moral betterment, but it does mean that we should not consciously prolong a companionship that we recognize as morally evil. It does not mean that both friends must be equal in virtue, but it does mean that both should have an appreciation of and a willingness to practice virtue and that at least their influence on each other is not a hindrance to the practice of virtue. You can have a blind attachment for a person who leads you away from God, but you cannot have a genuine love for such a person. "I love you, so let's go to hell together," is language that simply does not make sense, whether expressed by word or action; whereas the contrary, "I love you, so I want to take you to heaven with me," is full of meaning. "


of course then there's the matter of if they are Christian to or not, because if not, then they would have no reason to listen or change at all,
in which case prayer is the only answer.
the answer to the sins of homosexuality is the same answer for any temptation to sin, you must fight it and ask God for help,
we must remember that we are not here on this earth to be happy, although God wants us to, and it's still good to be happy, but it's not our purpose right now,
right now we must prove ourselves worthy of God and of His kingdom, and we show Him by what we are willing to go through for Him, just as Jesus suffered for us to prove His love for us, we must do the same, there is no greater proof of our love for God than the pain we are willing to endure for Him, especially in the most miserable of times when we feel alone and abandoned.
which reminds me of this quote i like -
"'What a weakness it is to love Jesus Christ only when He caresses us, and to be cold immediately once He afflicts us. This is not true love. Those who love thus, love themselves too much to love God with all their heart." St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

so the question is, is resisting temptation to homosexuals acts not worth suffering over?

well, i don't need to be asking you these questions, but i thought they might help.
ok well that's all, tc bye bye.

It's not about putting their sin to a stop, God doesn't ask us to force others to stop sinning, He asks us to admonish them, which is not judging, to judge means to be critical of someone or to decide something of them, for example, deciding for yourself that someone is or will be in hell, which is a mortal sin to do,
but to admonish someone is completely different from judging, to admonish means to advise or counsel against something, in a loving, mild and good-willed manner, it's something done out of concern for someone, to admonish does not mean to just tell them they are sinning, it's to help them know and understand what they are doing, not just for the sake of not sinning, but for the sake of bettering themselves.
and it's also important because while we live in sin, venial or mortal, our love for God is lessened in our hearts, and we are weakened of the power to resist temptation to sin.


and i did not say to break fellowship with anyone, the idea is not to break off friendships, it's more of learning how to be a good friend, even if someone else isn't a good friend to you, that doesn't mean you can't still be their friend, because yes, you would be a good example for them.

but like i was saying before(though not in the same words), it's pointless to admonish someone of their sins if they pay no mind to God or to sin in the first place, in which case your prayers and good example are the only answer right now.

just think of it this way in regards to your fellow Christians, how would you feel if one of your friends knew you were committing a serious sin, but didn't want to tell you?

but you're right, no one should point out the sins of another if they themselves commit that sin without trying to stop,
but if you are guilty of a sin, and you do practice the same advice you preach, then you are not a hypocrite, the idea is to practice what you preach, but it's not about being perfect altogether.
and yes we should have compassion and love for one another, but it is the soul that means most, because the soul is eternal, and that is why it is so important to admonish one another...although i can't say that for everyone, some people are just not good at helping others verbally, in which case again, the answer is prayer.
but if you know you can't or shouldn't admonish someone, then you can and should find someone else who is qualified to, who you know would do it well and not be a hypocrite.

i would not say all sin is equal exactly, for example, there are the sins which cry to heaven for vengeance(murder, sodomy, Taking advantage of the poor, Defrauding the workingman of his wages)
and there are the sins of the flesh which claim more souls to hell then any other...
but nevertheless, that makes no difference in how we help one another, i agree with you and i do not believe we should be like policemen and take control of the affairs of others, but we are to love others and be as friends to them, and as a friend, like it said in that last paragraph i posted on friendship, our mindset and approach should be "I love you, so I want to take you to heaven with me,"
that is the idea,
it's not about getting rid of those who are not true friends by your standards, because i'm sure that they mean well and wish to be a true friend, i believe that good deeds lye in good intention, and if your friends have the intention to be good friends, then that's good for them,
but because you know better, then you have more weighing on you to be better, because remember that God expects more of those who know more, which is what is taught in the bible...but i can't remember exactly where it was neutral

but anyways, for bible passages on our duty and obligation to admonish sinners, read this -
http://www.catholicapologetics.info/morality/general/correction.htm
it both lists and explains the Bible passages, but if you don't want to read it, just skim through under where it says in bold "Q. What are the grounds of this duty for all in general?"

ok, well again, i'm not trying to tell you to judge others or leave your friends, so don't worry about that, i'm simply trying to give you the answers to your question, which was-

"i know, and i asked the same question there.
gay sex is wrong, not neccisarily homosexuality itself. i know that.

so what do we do about it when the people around me are taking part in sin?
do you speak out against it, or not say anything making you in passive agreement?
see?"

Okay, I know this thread is pretty much dead. But whatever.

Admonishment tells someone that what they did was bad. And since it is directed towards changing their hearts towards God, it is an act of love.

Judgment tells someone that they are bad because of what they did (which is a huge leap from admonishment). And because it lowers another being into thinking himself evil, even when he is good in God's eyes, it is wrong.

Pretty much: Hate the sin, not the sinner.