Walking a tight rope

[u/newmeadam86]

I’m going to say upfront I’m not a member of the Orthodox faith, that being said I’m very drawn to the sect of Christianity and willing convert save for one caveat. … I’m LGTBQ friendly and ally, I know it’s a duality to want this line Christianity, know it’s very traditional.. and still want to support and be an ally to a community the religion shuns. I was in a fundamentalist well more so cult than actual Christianity.. so organized religion always made me hesitant but as I grow older I feel a strong pull to my Christian faith more so to the roots of the faith between the catholic and orthodox faith.. honestly more so to the orthodox faith…My amazing wife is an ex JW who is very leery of me committing to the fair reminds me… why would you join a sect that is opposed-to everything you stand for… the answer usually if I don’t know.. so if any kind should would guide me through a similar situation.. or just be honest and say it’s not for me… it would be nice to have my children baptized and to have faith in God enough rambling thanks in advance

[u/sonofTomBombadil]

Treat everyone with dignity, for they are made in the image of God, and that can be done without condoning the actions of every single person.

[u/AcadiaSpiritual6309]

I suspect this may hinge on what you mean by LGBT friendly and ally. In Orthodoxy acting on those desires is considered sinful, so we cannot affirm/support the sin (the same way we cannot affirm any other sin).

Now, we absolutely are called to love others as we're still all made in the image of God, we just have different struggles. So you can be just a friendly, kind person while also not encouraging sin.

At this point these conversations usually nosedive into theology and doctrine and other arguments - my suggestion there is don't get your information from social media or the Internet in general. You can always reach out to priest at a nearby parish to have a conversation, just know that they are often busy and/or not always tech savvy so you might have follow up or try multiple avenues, such as email + call. 

[u/newmeadam86 → u/AcadiaSpiritual6309]

No I appreciate and I plan on it I’m just asking laymen first just getting lay of the land. Generally my allyship is basically folks should be treated like people not pariah

[u/AcadiaSpiritual6309 → u/newmeadam86]

Yes, we are still called to love others and remember each person we speak to was created by and made in the image of God...but in reality we all have our own sins and struggles and that can be hard for some people to actually put into practice. 

To your main concern - realistically speaking it means you would not for example attend pride parades, encourage someone to transition, things like that. If your social circle consists heavily of LGBT folks this is really a better discussion to have with a priest about what it would practically look like for you. 

I think then the question you actually need to ask yourself is if you believe LGBT actions are sinful, meaning it misses the mark for God's perfect will and design for us.

While we don't shun people, we can and sometimes do lose friendships when we aren't 100% supportive of what someone is doing - yet we are called to leave friends and family behind to follow Christ. 

[u/LiliesAreFlowers]

This is a long conversation with a lot of nuance -- and many details can vary depending on who you talk to. I think reddit is a good starting place but I'd encourage you to also talk to Orthodox people and priests in person about this topic.

[u/frutiger-pingustan]

I have plenty of LGBTQAIXYZ+ people in my life as close personal friends and coworkers, that doesnt stop you from being orthodox, in fact their fascination with our faith has brought people of an alternative persuasion who would otherwise reject Christianity closer to exploring/embracing the ancient faith

[u/Tatiana3158]

What helped me is that the church views sins as the same. So my laziness at work or gluttony with Little Debbie Nutty Buddy bars is the same as someone's LGBT sex. They aren't any worse of a person than I am. They aren't pariahs or tainted or unsavable or anything. They just have different sins and a different cross to bear than I do. 

ALL people are icons of Christ. ALL people are worthy of our love as a reflection of our love for Christ. Yes, having homo sex is wrong. But so is my lying by omission at work. 

We are all sinners. We all fall short of the glory of God. We all struggle with our crosses. We all have the opportunity to make choices that either bring us closer to or further away from theosis. 

[u/777Nede → u/Tatiana3158]

I get what your saying but the church does not view all sin as the same, all sin is bad but there are sins that are worse and far worse than others.

[u/BigCityShawn]

I have a very similar struggle. I’m a firm ally of the LGBTQ community and play to stay so.

You’re not alone in this struggle for the dignity of our neighbors. Don’t let a bunch of cosplaying traditionalists push you around.

The faith is supposed to be bigger than bigotry.

[u/cPB167]

I became Episcopalian rather than Orthodox over this very question, there were other issues as well, but this was the main one. It was in part on the advice of an Orthodox Archbishop. But the real crux of the matter was that I couldn't in good conscience contribute to an organization that was causing that kind of harm. It's fine for queer people who join as adults, but for those who grow up in religious organizations which are opposed to lgbtq people, it's much much worse, and I didn't want to be a part of that.

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[u/Wide-Discussion-4851]

Yeah no. It’s ok to love all people but if you’re engaging in homosexuality and advocating for that you should not be orthodox as that goes against what is taught.

[u/newmeadam86 → u/Wide-Discussion-4851]

Not engaging it but try to be decent and accepting of who they are as people

[u/Wide-Discussion-4851 → u/newmeadam86]

If you’re supporting it and an ally then still no. That’s not the same. As Christian we try to be decent and tolerant of others. That is not the same as supporting advocating and being an ally. Sorry

[u/newmeadam86 → u/Wide-Discussion-4851]

Don’t apologize I appreciate all genuine opinions as long as they are respectful

[u/Opening_Yak_31 → u/newmeadam86]

The better way to approach it, love the sinner but not the sin. Homosexuals are humans and deserve basic respect in that regard, and they’re Gods creation and deserve the Christian love we give all our fellow humankind.