heart of oak

Apologies if this topic is in another forum. Here in the UK a devout Christian couple who have been succesful foster parents for many years have now been banned from fostering any more children because of their views regarding homosexuality. They take the view that homosexual practice is wrong in Gods eyes and in all conscience could not teach a child in their care that homosexuality is a valid and true life path.

Among other things the authorities said that this couple would be of little or no help to a child undergoing confusion about his or her sexuality. Do you think the authorities are right to take this view or that this is yet another example of it being "wrong" to be a Christian and follow the teachings of the Bible?

For me the jury is out....is this merely to be applied to gender issues, or could it be feasibly applied to other issues such as religion? Are they just forcing their beliefs on young people or having the courage of their convictions and "Walking the walk" and not just talking the talk.

I search my conscience and ask what I would have said to my own son and daughter if they told me they were homosexual, or Pagan, or Buddhist. Teenagers get pretty mixed up, would I alienate them or encourage them ??

Thank you for your replies. You people are just so kind, I've said it before I know but you have welcomed me here and it feels so good. Thank you.

Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version 1984)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

My heart is brimming over with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. No prayer, nothing is trivial to the Lord. He hears all and sees what is in ones heart. Yesterday my daughter told me Harley (her boxer she has had for 3 years now) had been missing for 3 days. The family was hurting and missing her greatly. She didn't call and tell me when Harley first went missing. She didn't really want to ask me to pray about it. Thinking the Lord couldn't be bothered about something so small. We cried together on the phone. I told her NO!! Nothing is too insignificant for our Father. I told her He loved her and I would pray. After hanging up with tears in my eyes I went to my knees.

My prayer:

Father God you have promised that if we have the faith of a mustard seed You could help us move mountains. Well Dad I have an abundance of mustard seeds I carry around and I am using one now. Show my daughter Your amazing love. Show her how nothing is to small for You or to big. I have faith that Harley will be returned and if it isn't Your will then I have faith You will ease the families suffering by the comfort of Your love. In Christ's name amen.

Brothers and sisters I just got off the phone with my daughter and Harley is back with them once again. I could hear the happiness in her voice. Little Noah her youngest son (2) now has his horse back. LOL! God is good and gracious. Nothing is too small. My daughter is growing in leaps and bounds with her faith. The first thing she did was praise the Lord when she saw Harley at the kennels. Some sweet soul must of taken her there. Now this is one more step she has taken in answer to one of my other prayers that her faith would get stronger.

I just wanted to share this with you. God didn't just answer one of my prayers but two at the same time. I am in complete awe and love with my Father in Heaven.

I share your happiness. I bet Harley knew all along that Jesus would get him home.

Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version 1984)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

My heart is brimming over with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. No prayer, nothing is trivial to the Lord. He hears all and sees what is in ones heart. Yesterday my daughter told me Harley (her boxer she has had for 3 years now) had been missing for 3 days. The family was hurting and missing her greatly. She didn't call and tell me when Harley first went missing. She didn't really want to ask me to pray about it. Thinking the Lord couldn't be bothered about something so small. We cried together on the phone. I told her NO!! Nothing is too insignificant for our Father. I told her He loved her and I would pray. After hanging up with tears in my eyes I went to my knees.

My prayer:

Father God you have promised that if we have the faith of a mustard seed You could help us move mountains. Well Dad I have an abundance of mustard seeds I carry around and I am using one now. Show my daughter Your amazing love. Show her how nothing is to small for You or to big. I have faith that Harley will be returned and if it isn't Your will then I have faith You will ease the families suffering by the comfort of Your love. In Christ's name amen.

Brothers and sisters I just got off the phone with my daughter and Harley is back with them once again. I could hear the happiness in her voice. Little Noah her youngest son (2) now has his horse back. LOL! God is good and gracious. Nothing is too small. My daughter is growing in leaps and bounds with her faith. The first thing she did was praise the Lord when she saw Harley at the kennels. Some sweet soul must of taken her there. Now this is one more step she has taken in answer to one of my other prayers that her faith would get stronger.

I just wanted to share this with you. God didn't just answer one of my prayers but two at the same time. I am in complete awe and love with my Father in Heaven.

Two weeks ago our 31yr old son had a CT scan on his heart and they said there appeared to be "something" lying in his chest close to his heart and he would need a chest X-Ray. I have lost many family members to cancer and so for a couple of weeks we were so worried. I always nag my daughter about regular checks for breast cancer and it never occured to me that it could be our son.

When I was 10 and my mum and dad both died within a few months of each other I would pray to Jesus every night for years, until, as many do I got out of the habit. A friend indeed !! to turn to him in times of trouble. As I came back to him I felt that I had almost kicked the best friend I had from my childhood when I let him out of my life. So although I have come back to him for many months now it was still with feelings of guilt that I prayed to him every day for our own son.

The most beautiful thing about his love and compassion is it knows no bounds and I could feel his warmth and understanding and I accepted that through him what would be would be after all, his own father lost him at roughly the same age as my boy.

Now I may be a hairy 6 foot trucker but when my son was told that the X-Ray was clear and there is nothing wrong, it was an error on the original scan, I cried. Then with all my heart I thanked Jesus on the spot. I still feel guilty, I have returned to him and my heart is his and his alone. Is this a timely reminder to love the best friend I ever had who saw me through my darkest times ? Yes, I think it is. Jesus I love you.

We are not even TO BOW DOWN to statues/icons or ANYTHING made by our hands.

So the issue of "is it really worship or isn't it"...........is not even crucial to the issue.

Deu 5:8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

Deu 5:9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

Is there not an altar, or crucifix, or statue or cross of any kind in your church?

I have always thought that ritually the Catholic Church is the most beautiful. I know that the robes of The Blessed Virgin were originally Red and Black,which is where the name for the Ladybird or "Our Ladys Bird" is taken from. When my older brother died his funeral was a form of catholic service in a catholic church as my sister in law is devout catholic and permission was obtained for my brother to be buried in a catholic cemetary.

Interestingly in the church where his funeral was held is a painting of the Virgin and she is surrounded by pentagrams, a form of 5 point star used by Paganism today, each point representing the five elements sacred to them. When I asked why it appears on this painting I was told that the pentagram was used by early Christians too, only each point of the star represented to them the 5 wounds of Christ. Maybe anyone of the Catholic faith on here could elaborate on this.

I don't know but I think that Mary is maybe seen as a perfect female role model in a patriarchal, male dominated religion. I do think though that the Catholic religion is very beautiful.

A wonderful and very moving story. My job occaisionally takes me to Maddingley near Cambridge in the UK where the American Military Cemetery is situated. I am always moved by the sacrifice made by the American people who came to keep my country free and help in the liberation of not only Occupied Europe but the east too. Your dad is a truly brave man thank you for posting his story here. I am also very proud to know some of your young people who are here now in the cause of freedom. God bless all who serve, without them our world would be a very different place.