[preacherswife2u]

From Whit:
Um, you know, you basically just said that if we're not christian than we are sinister... Was this intentional? I'm just curious.

No, that's not what I said. When I speak of the depravity of man, I am talking about all mankind. We are all born with a sinful nature, and unless we willfully submit to God, then we will continue on a downward path. Satan is sinister. His influence over those who are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit is quite powerful, whether you believe/acknowledge that or not.

People were also robbed. So they started locking their doors. Kids were abducted, so people became more careful. Scantily clad teenagers were always ogled. So, we are worse as a people because we are more honest about the world around us? What???

Surely you realize that my point was that people did not do these things as often in previous years because there was not the need that there is now for the precautions. You had previously stated that you felt the world was better overall; I was merely making the point that it is indeed getting worse.

Not to be a jackass here, but have you read both testments? How 'bout the story of Jonah? He seems to change whenever he feels like it.

I'm assuming you are speaking of the time that God stayed His own hand against Nineveh after the people there repented of their sins... I'm sorry. I do not see the problem here. God was angry with their sin. He sent Jonah to preach repentance. They did. God was merciful.

Afterward, Jonah went and threw himself a little pity party. He did not like the people of Nineveh. That is why he disobeyed God the first time around and had to be escorted in the belly of a fish. He did not want the people of Nineveh to repent and be spared. That was his problem. He was wrong.

Jonah was so disappointed that he decided he just wanted to die. He went out into the desert to fry. God caused a plant to grow to give him shade which he decided he was glad about. The next day, God caused the plant to die. Jonah was so distraught over the death of the plant, that once again, he wanted to die.

Jonah 4:9-11:

But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant? And he said, "I do well to be angry, angry enough to die."

And the Lord said, "You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night, and perished in a night.

And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?"

If you will go back and read my original post, when I spoke of God being unchanging, I was talking about His being just. Moral rights and wrongs to not change with God. When He spoke against homosexuality in the Bible, He was making a moral judgment over that sin that will last for all eternity.

The fact that God is unchanging means that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He will not tolerate sin. He will not look upon it. Nineveh was in danger of annihilation because of their sin, but they repented. God did not change His mind, but rather He responded to repentance.

In the same way, if a person will repent (agree with God that it is sin, ask forgiveness and turn away from) of the sin of homosexuality - God will respond with forgiveness and mercy. If they will not repent, then God will have no choice but to respond with judgment over that sin, which, btw, will cause Him great sorrow, as it would me also.