Is it possible to not have the baby shower at the church and yet not shun her. Is having it on church grounds required to avoid not shunning her? Is there another way to handle it?
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What is always missing in these conversations is the guy. How should we treat the men in our churches who had children out of wed lock. For instance I went to a church where this young woman was black listed for having gotten pregnant out of wedlock. She did something unusual and confessed her sin before the whole church (publically!) Wow. Imgaine that! Yet she had to sign a contract and stayed out of any ministry for a year according to the contract. Once her year was up she wanted to sing again in the choir but was prohibited and the church wanted to write up another contract and she hadn't done anything wrong. Certain people stopped speaking with her etc... Yet in this same church we had a deacon who was living together with his fiancee. I left the church before I found out if he ever actually married his girlfriend. I think the application of church discipline in this case was very lopsided. I voted yes btw.
All you who feel this way are wrong. He will bear the responsibility. Unless there is a turn around, there is one who will not greet him with envy and He has no double standard.Sadly there is still, and I guess always will be, a double standard when it comes to the sexual activities of male and female. If a young woman gets pregnant she basically has two choices, abortion or bear the child and the stigma with which some self righteous people view her. The male in this instance bears no responsibility and no reproach. He may even be greeted with a little envy!
There are no illegitimate children. They did nothing to deserve a label or scorn.If a public baby shower would be perceived as condoning behavior that led to the conception of an ill-legitimate child, then the church should distance itself from a public position perceived as condoning sinful behavior.
This is the whole point in my opinion.Once this young woman confessed her sin before the church she should have been accepted into full fellowship.
Perhaps I am reading too much into this, but there seems this idea that God's love can't be shown without a baby shower. Why? Can we not show God's love by actually caring for the young lady and providing things she needs without drawing attention and celebrating the situation?Yes. Have it. That mother and ESPECIALLY that baby need to know God's love.
It isn't the baby's fault that two teenagers were stupid.
Is anyone here suggesting we should not care for this young lady?It seems to me that Jesus tended to care more about people than appearances.
having a party to celebrate a sinful lifestyle, at church, nope.
nothing saying people can't help with needed items, or witness to her, but a celebration, a party, no, certainly not
a shower would be church approval of her sin.
Perhaps I am reading too much into this, but there seems this idea that God's love can't be shown without a baby shower. Why? Can we not show God's love by actually caring for the young lady and providing things she needs without drawing attention and celebrating the situation?
Is anyone here suggesting we should not care for this young lady?
very good post.Perhaps I am reading too much into this, but there seems this idea that God's love can't be shown without a baby shower. Why? Can we not show God's love by actually caring for the young lady and providing things she needs without drawing attention and celebrating the situation?
Is anyone here suggesting we should not care for this young lady?
no it was celebrated, and by being celebrated it was approved to the other teenagers.But just because the shower is held, doesn't mean the sin was ignored.
exactlyTo celebrate having a child out of wedlock would be saying that its okay to have a sexual relationship outside of marriage
Is anyone here suggesting we should not care for this young lady?
...yet the double standard exists in just about every church during "fellowship dinners" which should be more aptly named "gluttony dinners". We have no problem pointing out our pet peeve sins while patting our stomachs saying "I can't eat another bite". What message does this send to our youth when this happens on a regular basis? I'll admit, I've been just as guilty of this.no it was celebrated, and by being celebrated it was approved to the other teenagers.
Christians today tend to thumb their noses at a sinful lifetsytle, to look the other way, to redifine what sin is.
You can not reward someone for their sin, you can not celebrate sin.
no it was celebrated, and by being celebrated it was approved to the other teenagers.
Christians today tend to thumb their noses at a sinful lifetsytle, to look the other way, to redifine what sin is.
You can not reward someone for their sin, you can not celebrate sin.
no it was celebrated, and by being celebrated it was approved to the other teenagers.
Christians today tend to thumb their noses at a sinful lifetsytle, to look the other way, to redifine what sin is.
You can not reward someone for their sin, you can not celebrate sin.
...yet the double standard exists in just about every church during "fellowship dinners" which should be more aptly named "gluttony dinners". We have no problem pointing out our pet peeve sins while patting our stomachs saying "I can't eat another bite". What message does this send to our youth when this happens on a regular basis? I'll admit, I've been just as guilty of this.
Of course, but we weren't talking about him.The father is not in the equation. What really needs to happen is there needs to be accountability, not just on the mother's part, but also on the father's part too.
And you konw this based on what? Jesus eating with sinners is hardly the same as having a baby shower, so far as I can tell, but I will be glad to entertain an argument if you make one.No. I'm simply saying that the Jesus who dined with sinners wouldn't worry as much about whether or not having a shower had the appearance of condoning sin.
Why?...yet the double standard exists in just about every church during "fellowship dinners" which should be more aptly named "gluttony dinners".
Is there some command against eating until we are full?We have no problem pointing out our pet peeve sins while patting our stomachs saying "I can't eat another bite".
Again, I have to confess I am not sure what the sin is. I eat until I am full at church dinners and I don't think anyone has ever called me a glutton. Perhaps the message we send to our teens is that we should enjoy the good things God gave us to eat.What message does this send to our youth when this happens on a regular basis?
Guilty of what? Of eating until you are full?I'll admit, I've been just as guilty of this.
And you konw this based on what? Jesus eating with sinners is hardly the same as having a baby shower, so far as I can tell, but I will be glad to entertain an argument if you make one.