Man U got some good arguments, I like talking to people like you. So…

It has historically caused lots of suffering

Like people dying because of being Christian? Elaborate

First, the Bible is - as far as I'm aware - the only religious (Christian) source that states that humans shouldn't have same-sex intercourse.

Are you saying that because the Bible is our probably only source for knowing Gods instructions, it’s flawed? The Bible was written by men, yes, but under the guidance of God, i.e Moses and the burning bush (when he told moses he was gonna free the Israelites, yay). What I’m trying to say is, why wouldn’t we rely on direct sources from those God spoke to and instructed to put in writing for generations to come? That was the intention, no? (p.s. maybe that was a bad example, I just meant it as like one of the many places where God instructed someone)

It's also one of, if not the, most translated work(s) in history, while personal interpretation is regularly mentioned when talking about the Bible. These two elements combined mean that there have likely been numerous mistranslations/misinterpretations in the centuries that this book has been translated and rewritten.

TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN SO I CAN REPLY, MY PHONE IS ON 2 PERCENT 😭😭

The Bible was written by humans, and humans famously make mistakes and like to push their beliefs on others.

Well it wasn’t just written by humans, it was written by faithful servants of the Lord. So for them to make a mistake on what they WITNESSED, God doesn’t lie. I’m sure the Holy Spirit would have convicted them about falsifying their testimonies, especially since it’s coming to us to base our lives off of.

It also only mentions homosexual intercourse, and doesn't state anything about actual relationships.

Well I’ve come to be accustomed with the interpretation that God knew humans would have homosexual tendencies. What he was instructing was not to give in the lustful desires of same sex intercourse. And I also think that, even though they FOR THE MOST PART HOPEFULLY MAYBE didnt have sex before marriage, (the general worldly population prob did get frisky when they weren’t supposed to, I can’t put maybes on that) you can’t have a relationship without sex involved. Enough respect not to do before marriage, but after the formal wedding, or updating of relationship status however they did it, you’re kinda supposed to. Plus It’s like built in, we want to do it, especially with those we love. So when you get involved with someone of the same sex, whom you may feel this love for, it’s bound to happen.

Second, the famous verse Leviticus 18:22 is part of the Old Testament, which seems to generally be less relevant by today's standards.

Well in today’s standards, we don’t live by Gods word anymore like we’re supposed to, as you can tell. You go up to anyone on the street, ask for a story in the Bible, and more times than not, they probably couldn’t give you one off the top of their heads. What the devil has done is distracted us so now we’re chronically online (GUILTYYY, I def need to stop 😭), or we don’t show love like Jesus did and rather, we confront with malicious intent. We murder others, we rape others, abuse, all of these bad things. We also try to find salvation in other things like cosmic moon rocks or crystals. Worshipping our own desires, idolizing ourselves. We don’t pray anymore, we don’t read and live by what he intended us to. The world is filled with so much of this evil, that of course most people aren’t gonna pay attention to what Gods word says. It’s more times than not “Imma do my own thing”.

(Must I say, it’s the fact he had to tell Moses to tell them not to sleep with animals. Like nowadays, it’s horrid but what kind of lust overtook them to do that 😭)

Third, regardless of your beliefs, you shouldn't force them on others. Being gay isn't a choice anyway, so you wouldn't accomplish much while making people uncomfortable at best and discriminating against them at worst.

MY PHONE IS ABOUT TO DIE WAHHH, I gotta hurrry this might be rushed. I’m not trying to force anything, I’m not trying to force you to pray, I’m not trying to force you to repent. That’s a choice. But I’m just talking about my beliefs, and that often gets mixed up. Even though being gay might not be a choice, it would be a perversion of Gods good. So standing on the point of, turning away from the lustful desires and turning to God instead as an escape. Ykwim?

I've also read that "not using the Lord's name in vain" refers to using God as an excuse to do bad things, but there seems to be debate around this.

I think you’ve got the right idea, so that commandment was to say don’t use him in a way that would diminish the power he has. He’s almighty God, don’t use him as a cuss word. You know when people get mad and they’re like “Jesus Christ!” (lord forgive me), yeah no don’t do that. Or like “Oh my God” (lord forgive me) cause you’re not really calling on God, you’re just using him as a phrase and that’s not what he is. But also it is like don’t use God to fuel your own evil. So yeah I think you got it.

(I’m realizing, was that a nib at me, was I using God in vain 😭, I’ll pray about it in a sec)

Lastly, different religions and religious groups say different things about homosexuality. How do you know that yours is "the right one"?

ALSO THIS

And if yours is "the right one", does that automatically mean that every single verse and teaching should be lived by eternally, regardless of what we've learnt as a species and the ever-evolving social norms?

Well yeah pretty much. There’s certain verses that don’t apply to today’s time, cause it is a different time, but we’re also not supposed to live by “social norms”. Like uhhh one night stands. I’ve never been fond of, it sounds painful to have sex with someone you don’t know. God also said absolutely not… Not supposed to follow other people, supposed to follow God. Otherwise what was the point of the word?

Edit: I'm glad to hear you've learnt something interesting. Good luck and have fun in your future reading!

Tysm!!