I never said you had to inform me of every thing your pastor preaches on. However, you are the one judging people for their sins yet you and your pastor seem to have the inability to acknowledge other sins. Those being, the ones you are guilty of, no?
You sure make a lot of assumptions and try and present them as facts, don't you? My pastor preaches against all types of sin. Sorry, I'm not going to list them all for you. You mentioned greed, gluttony, and "a whole myriad of other sins". Yes, those are sins and are just as bad. What's your point?
How do you know an unrepentant homosexual is not a Christian. All one needs to be a Christian is faith in Christ. I believe that the Holy Spirit will help them to work out their salvation and then they will cease from their sin. However, I also believe one can still be a homosexual and just not practising and be a Christian. If one can be a recovering alcoholic and refraining from drinking, it stands to reason that one can be a homosexual whilst refraining from the act. THAT...is between them and God.
I never said an unrepentant homosexual is not a Christian. There you go again with your assumptions. I said my church would not allow an open homosexual to join our church. My church would not allow any person to join when they are open about, unrepentant, and flaunting their sin. That includes any sin. If someone
was a homosexual and has repented of their sin, they would be welcome to join. Again, that applies to any other sin as well.
Yes, there is a method of dealing with members with unrepentant sin and I'll bet you don't know what it is. Jesus says to treat them like a tax collector but how did Jesus treat tax collectors? He loved them. He ate dinner with them. We are supposed to forbid them from participating in the Lord's Supper but that is IT. Read that passage again.
Does Jesus love tax collectors? Of course. Does Jesus love homosexuals? Of course. Jesus loves everybody and so should we. That still doesn't mean we should accept open homosexuals as members in our churchs.
You say that we should only forbid sinners from the Lord's Supper and that's it? Where do you get this from? Have you not read how Jesus told us to deal with church discipline? You are telling me to read the passage again, how about you try reading it? (Matthew 18:15-17)
So, by your line of thinking since we should only forbid sinners from the Lord's Supper, is it OK for an open homosexual (or any other open and unrepentant sinner) to be in a position of ministry? A pastor? A sunday school teacher?
My church would allow anyone who has faith in Jesus Christ and believes He is their Saviour to become a member. Hmm...you are saying my church stinks at the same time you and your pastor ignore the sins that you and him commit. :BangHead:
Again, you and your assumptions. How do I and my pastor (who you don't know, never talked to, yet you judge him) ignore the sins that we commit? Of course I commit sins. Of course my pastor sins. We are both sinners saved by God's Grace. I beg forgiveness from God every day.
I'll say it again. If your church allows open homosexuals (or any other open and unrepentant sinner) to become/remain members it stinks. Not only does it stink, it's a poor excuse for a church and should shut it's doors.