Gay Pastor Conducts Tammy Faye Service

[KeilanS]

I agree that homosexuality is no worse than lying or stealing or any other sin. The reason homosexuality is the big issue is that nobody is claiming that lying and stealing are okay. But people are claiming it with homosexuality. We have to make our stand RIGHT NOW on every issue, or else relativism will corrupt more and more of the values that hold our society together. Perhaps if we present a strong enough opposition against homosexuality now, we won't have to face the day when we have to take a stand that lying is wrong. Or that stealing is wrong. Hopefully we will never have to explain to someone why murder is wrong. One thing leads to another, we have to stop it now and fast. (Although, perhaps we arn't meant to stop it, I'm not sure when the end times are coming, but things will surely get worse)

[Guest shanee1]

lol Yes, I agree.

My purpose in posting this lurid story, which is now of no value since the links were removed, was to point out the sorry state of the Church in America and our "Christian icons," who see no problem with supporting such an abomination.

I didn't mean to jump down your throat, forrest. It's been a frustrating day business-wise.

I am so used to you disagreeing with me that I did not recognize when you actually agreed with me.

I have mixed feelings about "Gay Churches", I certainly recognize that being an openly gay pastor is unbiblical, but I also see where gays and lesbians have been demonized and used as a political whipping post by many in the religious right in this country too, so I think that many of them do genuinely want a relationship with God and want to be part of a community of believers and for them, and thus from their perspective a gay church is their only option.

Many times on this forum gays and lesbians have been compared to pedophiles and those who engage in bestiality. If someone were gay or lesbian, what would you have them to do? Go to churches where members compare them to child rapists? Somewhere between churches comparing gays and lesbians to child rapists on one extreme and churches that have openly gay pastors on the other, is that level of common decency and humanity that could be a spiritual home and community for gays and lesbians in this country. Unfortunately, there are not a whole lot of churches in some parts of the country like that, so the only option for gays and lesbians is to join or form a church just for them.

Or repent??

Being spiritually reborn is kind of hard when church people constantly compare you to child molesters. Would you go to church a second time after the horrible first experience?

That's why I don't go to church. Not because I don't want to worship God, but because I don't want people wanting to perform an exorcism on me, comparing me to pedophiles, and basically treating me, as one member of this forum might say, like a shameful abomination.

And no, I don't live in "the lifestyle".

yea mabe that church was not a good one....not all churches are real good

[chin]

may tammy rest in peace! but for the grace of GOD, there go i!

Edited July 31, 2007 by chin

[Marnie]

Is not the church for those who are "sick" and in need of help? If those who are mature go OUT and preach the message Jesus preached while on this earth, maybe the "city" would not be as sick as it is today...

Church is not about sitting in your Sunday's finest, shiniest car in the parking lot, best said statement, best show on the altar.....It's about reaching out to those who are lost.

If a gay man or woman walked into your church, would you kick them out? Would you preached them right out the door? Or would you love them enough so that the LIGHT of JESUS CHRIST shined so through YOU that --that is what made the difference for that gay man or woman to change their sinful life style...

Actually you are quite in error. According to Ephesians, the Church is for believers. At any rate, the gay church (Open Door Community Church), whose website may be found by Googling for it, is as far from G-d as one can get. It is a stench and abomination in G-d's nostrils, and those participating in it will be judged harshly for leading so many astray.

Can you please post the particular scripture in Ephesians you are referring to? Thanks...

I don't know about the church you posted...I am not a gay individual, but one of my friends is openly gay...If I was to push him out of my life because I am a woman who is married, and a believer, the LOVE of Christ is not shining through me...Where I draw the line is that I do not particpate in his life, lifestyle...When I talk to him, it is about the love of Christ...If that makes me a person who is pushed out of fellowship by you or anyone else, then your church is not one I would attend, because it lacks the love of Christ...

Those who choose to continue in their sin, will be judged by GOD...But then again we are all sinners...

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Eph 4:11-14

[tsth]

My biggest complaint is, why do we rebuke and revile the gay man and look the other way for a man/member who is/has been caught cheating on his wife, OR left his wife for another woman. How about the deacon who is caught with the prostitute? These we will look the other way, or comfort HIM, rather than break fellowship??? Why? What is the difference?

Shouldn't the truth be told to BOTH men?

In His Love,

Suzanne

Amen, Suzanne! I agree with that 100%. We need to not just look away, or brush those sins under the rug.

Ephesians 5:11 suits those situations as well...

OR 2 Timothy 5:20 Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning. 21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[chrisb]

That's like giving up air because you smelled pollution. Church is to your spirit as air is to your body. Don't give up...the gates of Hades will not prevail against G-d's true Church.

Yes, but the point is that if we want to bring people into the Church, then you got to clean up the pollution. If we compare gays to child rapists, then we deserve most of the blame for gays not coming to our churches.

Welcome to the biggest problem in the church today. Let's water down the gospel so it doesn't hurt anyones feelings.

Homosexuality is a sin. It is fornication. The Word condemns all of these sins equally.

I think the gay issue gets the most noise because it is the squeaky wheel. They are trying to make society accept it as normal behaviour.

Edited July 31, 2007 by chrisb

[forrestkc]

Welcome to the biggest problem in the church today. Let's water down the gospel so it doesn't hurt anyones feelings.

Homosexuality is a sin. It is fornication. The Word condemns all of these sins equally.

I think the gay issue gets the most noise because it is the squeaky wheel. They are trying to make society accept it as normal behaviour.

Its no more of a squeaky wheel today than it has ever been in the history of civilization. Gays and lesbians have always made up about 4 or 5 percent of the population and always will. Its better described as the political whipping post of the day. The wedge issue used to get people to vote against their own interests.

[hepatocyte]

That's like giving up air because you smelled pollution. Church is to your spirit as air is to your body. Don't give up...the gates of Hades will not prevail against G-d's true Church.

Yes, but the point is that if we want to bring people into the Church, then you got to clean up the pollution. If we compare gays to child rapists, then we deserve most of the blame for gays not coming to our churches.

Welcome to the biggest problem in the church today. Let's water down the gospel so it doesn't hurt anyones feelings.

Homosexuality is a sin. It is fornication. The Word condemns all of these sins equally.

I think the gay issue gets the most noise because it is the squeaky wheel. They are trying to make society accept it as normal behaviour.

How is not comparing homosexuals to child rapists watering down the Gospel?

"Let's water down the gospel so it doesn't hurt anyones feelings."

- I'm pretty sure Jesus didn't call the prostitute a (edit). He simply told her to sin no more. It was an act of love and compassion, not a visceral, atavistic reaction.

From our TOS:

The use of profanity will not be tolerated. This includes sexually explicit, vulgar, or other profane language or usernames as well as any any signs or symbols that suggests such. Do not post sexually explicit, vulgar or offensive website addresses (URL's) to the forum. (Eph. 4: 29)

Edited August 1, 2007 by IslandRose

[Guest LadyC]

exactly, butero. there is a homosexual movement out there that is now demanding that people recognize homosexual behaviour as normal, healthy, acceptable, and morally legitimate. homosexuals throughout history never made that claim so loudly and boldly as they do today. this is NEW. it's only been going on for about the last decade and a half.

How is not comparing homosexuals to child rapists watering down the Gospel?

hepatocyte, nobody here (despite your accusations) has EVER compared homosexuals to pedophiles. you are confusing the sin with the sinner. we frequently compare the SIN of homosexuality to the sin of a pedophile. homosexuals claim they are born that way, that it's somehow genetic. it is not, and that is where the comparison lies. pedophiles can't control who they lust after. they believe that they are incapable of controlling their actions.

the same comparison can be made to ANY sexual sin and those who act on their impulses... and it frequently is. you're choosing to zoom in on pedophilia as what we compare the sin of homosexuality to, but the truth is that we ALSO compare it to the sin of adultery, the sin of shacking up, the sin of heterosexual promiscuity, and everything else. such comparisons have been made continually in every thread ever posted on the subject.

[hepatocyte]

exactly, butero. there is a homosexual movement out there that is now demanding that people recognize homosexual behaviour as normal, healthy, acceptable, and morally legitimate. homosexuals throughout history never made that claim so loudly and boldly as they do today. this is NEW. it's only been going on for about the last decade and a half.

How is not comparing homosexuals to child rapists watering down the Gospel?

hepatocyte, nobody here (despite your accusations) has EVER compared homosexuals to pedophiles. you are confusing the sin with the sinner. we frequently compare the SIN of homosexuality to the sin of a pedophile. homosexuals claim they are born that way, that it's somehow genetic. it is not, and that is where the comparison lies. pedophiles can't control who they lust after. they believe that they are incapable of controlling their actions.

the same comparison can be made to ANY sexual sin and those who act on their impulses... and it frequently is. you're choosing to zoom in on pedophilia as what we compare the sin of homosexuality to, but the truth is that we ALSO compare it to the sin of adultery, the sin of shacking up, the sin of heterosexual promiscuity, and everything else. such comparisons have been made continually in every thread ever posted on the subject.

Someone suggested that they shouldn't compare homosexuals to child rapists, and they replied by saying that's watering down the Gospel, thereby condoning the comparison.

"we frequently compare the SIN of homosexuality to the sin of a pedophile."

- Clever.

"homosexuals claim they are born that way, that it's somehow genetic. it is not, and that is where the comparison lies."

- And you have proof? How do you know it's not due to prenatal hormonal influences or the interplay of BOTH genes and the environment? How do you know it doesn't have multiple causes?

"you're choosing to zoom in on pedophilia as what we compare the sin of homosexuality to"

- Because the comparison to pedophilia is meant to draw an especially heinous distinction that is not normally used for heterosexual sins.