If only I had heard this discussion or something like it when I was such a disturbed and confused adolescent, and one Roman Catholic priest after another in my hometown was telling me that homosexuality was a gift, not sinful and then would send me packing to seek psychotherapy.
Another quite pertinent topic dealt with here on MYOCN.net. And I am particularly thankful for the two participants for clarifying Christian Orthodoxy's position on homosexuality. I regret for not having sought out Christian Orthodoxy earlier.

I am an practicing Orthodox Christian (convert) and I am also attracted to members of my own gender. I have been since age 7. I never filled out an application and never "chose" this orientation as so many conservatives proclaim as dogma. I certainly don't need to spend $10 to read what Fr. Thomas Hopko or Fr. George Morelli have to say about Orthodoxy and Homosexuality. I have read their opinions many, many times over and quite frankly there is no surprise that both of them would quote the same scripture verses and remind everyone once again that same sex genital activity is mortally sinful. Ok...we get it. So what should I do? Should I join the ever increasing number of gay atheists or those into eastern religions (Buddha) and just throw my hands up? Or should I do countless metanias in my icon corner beating myself with a strap to tame my passions? Or should I do like Pastor Ted Haggard and openly condemn homosexuality and marry a woman, lie to her, and try to have kids to win the approval of my priest and other Orthodox priests?

As a homosexual I would never presume to write an advice book to heterosexuals about divorce, adultery, or child rearing, so I always find it fascinating when heterosexuals (particular heterosexual married priests) write books about me when they have never had a same sex experience, or ever been in my shoes. The greatest contributor to atheism today are people who call themselves Christians and claim to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, but they do not do his will, nor do they treat people as he would. That is what an unbelieving world finds utterly unbelievable. I don't know why I have this sexual orientation. Many, many sleepless nights I have raised my arms before the icons of Christ and the Theotokos asking how a perfect God could make a "mistake" and create a being like me with the wrong sexual orientation for this world. I have tried wallowing in guilt, hated myself, and even attempted suicide once because my fellow "Christians" told me that I am cursed and assigned to a solitary life of celibacy, isolation, without any love or human affection. Is God really that sadistic and cruel? Are Fr. Hopko's and Morrelli's biblical short answers really that easy and neat? One of the things I have tried to do is witness my Christian faith to other gays who have fully embraced atheism and have laughed at me. First hand I have heard the words "faggot" and "queers" out of the mouth of so called Orthodox Christians from my parish. "love the sinner and hate the sin"? I think not. If it had not been for the Lord touching my life in so many ways, I would have given up and just followed the religion hating God hating crowd down the path of atheism.

I have slowly and intently red all four gospels. What I found is only the learned scholars, theologians, Pharisees, and Scribes, pointed their fingers, quoted the Torah, and condemned others. Our Lord openly condemned them as hypocrites driving people away from God. Not much has changed since then. On the other hand the Lord Jesus literally "loved" people out of their sin by showing them that he loved them unconditionally. They saw in themselves a sense of worth and then turned from their sin. When the tears and healing came, only after he loved them out their sin, Jesus told them to go in peace and sin no more.

How many of you reading this dismiss gay men and lesbians and worthless sinners? Ho many of you have called them "faggot" and "queers" like my fellow parishioners. Yes sitting next to you in the pews, in the choir loft are men and women who are suffering. They don't need to read another article by Hopko or Morelli that tells them they are defect, a mistake that must live in isolation the rest of their life and just "suffer through it". One good thing about my gay orientation is that it has taught be great deal of compassion for those in sin, the marginalized, the throw away people. I look at them and know what it feels like to be a mistake in this world. Until you walk in our shoes, until you know the pain, isolation, condemnation, alienation then put away your self-righteous heterosexual finger shaking wishing everyone could be more like you. In the end, the answers aren't as simple as Frs Hopko and Morelli make them sound. It's a lot more complicated.

In the meantime every night before I sleep I hold my komboskini (prayer rope) and just pray the most important prayer anyone of us can ever pray "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, Have Mercy on me a sinner"

The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ hears you friend. You have a very heavy cross to bare. You can choose not to act on your homosexuality urges. That is a fight you can fight only as you do by asking Him to carry this cross of yours... I recall the footsteps and I get goosebumps...Be well! May He give you strength and patience. Ypomoni!!! from...someone who asked for help on different stuff and got it and keeps on hoping for His continuing mercy, help and a small corner in His kingdom when the time comes besides all her(my) unworthiness...

Beloved Brother in Christ, I grieve for your difficult situation, but I don't see how it any different from the heterosexual who has an extremely high libido and a spouse who cannot fulfil their needs, or a single person who must struggle with celibacy. Sexual sins are not the worst of sins, but they cloud the whole being of a person. My eldest son's Godfather was a monk in Jordanville, and he left 30 years ago to live his Monogamous homosexual lifestyle. Recently he told me, "homosexuality is neither Godly nor UnGodly." Perhaps, but then again that position would say that there is no sin--no distance from the mark of excellence in God. If unleashed sexuality is not a passion then there are no passions. I am by training a Psychiatrist and was for many years an Orthodox Priest. I must confess I have never seen any evidence that homosexuality is a genetic predisposition, but I have heard from many, many suffering souls that they have felt this same sex attraction from youth. So if you can, remain celibate, and if you stumble and fall, repent and pick yourself up in Christ. Continue with your prayers, and your tears. In your struggle perhaps you will find your salvation, as I will find mine and other theirs for our Lord is kind and merciful and the angels rejoice at the repentance of a single sinner.
In Christ,
gerasimos a sinner+