News Forum Alliance of Baptists Church Calls Lesbian as Co-Pastor

I read this post with sadness for several reasons, first and foremost as a Christian. But also as a SBC member who feels sorry that our tithe money goes to such a sorry institution as Southeastern(or Mercer for that matter)but also personally because a young friend of mine just started there although I encouraged him not to.

I suppose saddest of all is Joshua's correct comment that none of this should come as a surprise, he is exactly right.

God will judge the Homosexual as he will all sin. We need to Pray for the misguided Church members who follow leaders and teachers who have "itching ears" and as for those leaders maybe they are teetering on the brink of a reprobate mind.
Mike

 

BPM - I don't think you have to worry about Southeastern any more. I think it's firmly under the thumb of the fundamentalists now.

Mercer, obviously, is a whole different ball of wax. For the life of me, I don't understand why the GBC supports it.

Joshua

 

The Scriptures clearly teach against homosexuality, of that there can be no reasonable question.

However, some say they will not stay at a church that "winks" at homosexuality while we are done just that with adultery for generations.

Hetersexual "christians" have been living together or just flat sleeping with whomever, whenever they please and no one has said a word.

The actions of hetersexual Christians does not condone homosexuality, but it can make one understand how satan got such a foot hold in the churches where homosexuality is concerned.

 

You go to a church where gossip is ignored (winked at) among many other sins.

Along with arrogance, gossip and other sins you don’t seem to have a fear of. Does this also mean that the "saved" 15,16,17,18,19 and 20 year olds who continue to disrespect their parents are also going to hell?

Since most at least 80% of Christian women and minimum 40% of the Christian men gossip, and are unrepentant, can we expect that hell will be over-crowed with Christians? I thought Jesus died to take condemnation away from the sinner who can’t help but do what he does not want to do…. Paul’s words, not mine.

Likewise, Scripture teaches against the abomination of eating tuna, shrimp, catfish, crawfish (one of my favorites), lobster and crab. There can be no question of this.
Leviticus 11
9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you.

The question is not was homosexuality classified as a sin or not, but rather is it a sin today?

Even you must admit that at one time it was a sin to eat certain items. Now it is not considered a sin. One of the ten commandments is that we rest on the Sabbath which is Saturday. Yet that too changed.

So we have a precedent established in the Bible that something’s considered sin at one point in time may not be considered sin at another point in time. Before I give you why I think scripturally that homosexuality is no longer considered as sin, you tell me why (using scripture) that eating catfish and shrimp is no longer a sin. And why we don't have to follow the ten commandments as originally set out. Then tell me why you think it was a sin to begin with and that it isn’t now.

 

In my church, gossip is as condemned as sodomy. I suspect that this is the case in most Baptist churches. Neither the leadership nor the membership in my church discriminates between sins in the manner you propose, Post It.

I'm sure you know this, Post It, but I think that people who say they would avoid a church condoning sodomy would say the same thing about a church condoning gossip. I know I would.

As to your comments on condemnation, you ought to read Romans 8, not halt at Romans 7 as you appear to have done.

You ought also to read Galatians, especially chapter 5, starting at verse 13 to the end of the chapter. There you'll find answers to the questions concluding your last post.

[ May 20, 2002, 06:12 PM: Message edited by: aiki ]

 

I think you missed my point, I know churches don't condone gossip. The point is that it still happens and to a very large degree. So how is it really different between the sins (if homosexuality is a sin)?

 

I walked along the beach tonight and looked out into the water filled horizon and saw the stars, slightly darken clouds and the darkness of space. I imagined for just a moment "what if there were no other beings in existence". For a split second I think I caught a glimps of how God might have felt before he created other beings. It was a very lonely feeling. Almost as if in a prison with no bars. A very silent and cold universe.

 

Let me add my comments before you slap the padlock on this thread.

Hey, Josh, you sound just like the commercial for a homosexual-oriented church in town. The quote from them was, "We do not take the Bible literally. We take it seriously."

Whether I take the warning that the bridge is out seriously or not, I will still be dead if I do not take it literally and stop my moving in that direction. I do not think God is going to give us kudos for taking Him seriously if we still ignored what He said.

And, for Post-it, the Bible gives a clear place in the New Testament that the unclean animals were cleansed and blessed for eating. Did God ever give a clear place where He lifted the ban on homosexuality, marrying your sister, or having a horse as a partner? The answer is no, and therefore these commandments are still in effect. Furthermore, there are several New Testament passages which condemn homosexuality. These have been gone through at length before, so I will end the post here.

 

Well unfortunately, I won't have enough time (posting space) to explore those issues to show you my view because The Squire is calling a halt to our conversation. And I don't like thread jumping. 25 posts is not enough space to continue a deep exploration of any subject matter. But it is enough to make unproven statements and claims.

So let me match yours, you just made. You are wrong about the homosexual issue and I can prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt in the Bible. In the end you will confess it yourself.

[ May 21, 2002, 01:49 AM: Message edited by: post-it ]

 

The moon was at half light tonight. I really enjoyed watching it. Did you know that a handful of moons have been discovered around Jupiter? I think the count is up to 38 or so moons now.

 

How does a Lesbian go to Bible College all those years, day after day, knowing what the Bible says and what the religion says and she still "choose" to be gay. Wouldn't it have been easier to choose to be hetero? Maybe she is just evil or in a plot with Satan to take over our churches. After all she could just choose to be hetero. So she must be up to something.

Life can't be easy for her and this "choice" she made. You wonder why... just be normal like us. Life could be so much easier for you. I guess another option is that she is stupid. Otherwise why not take the easy road and be hetero and have an easy life? So she is either evil or she is stupid... or she is a just a lesbian.

[ May 21, 2002, 02:07 AM: Message edited by: post-it ]

 

I think you missed my point, Post It. I doubt any Christian has a problem with a homosexual in their church provided that person is in a process of reformation of this sinful behaviour. But any unrepentant, practicing homosexual is as unwelcome in my church as any practicing, unrepentant gossip.

[ May 21, 2002, 01:15 PM: Message edited by: aiki ]

 

But your church is filled with unrepentant sinners because most people who gossip can't or won't stop, others deny it is gossip. It's all very subjective. But the bottom line is that you and everybody else is going to church with unrepentant sinners already. Whether gossip, or other sins that they can't get past or won't admit to. So again, what is the difference?

 

I say the difference is, one is seen and the other is not. One, we all can be guilty of and the other only a few are guilty of (homosexuality). Reminds me of another "H" word.

[ May 21, 2002, 06:48 PM: Message edited by: post-it ]