(RNS) — As whe evangelil nomatns double down on their opposn to equaly, many younger evangelils, gay and straight, are votg wh their feet.
Contents:
- WHY HAVE SO MANY CHRISTIANS AND CHURCH BEE PRO-GAY?
- BLACKS, GAYS AND THE CHURCH: A COMPLEX RELATNSHIP
- THE REBEL PRIT: ‘GAY PEOPLE THE CHURCH ARE NOT GOG TO GO AWAY’
- CHURCH THAT SUPPORTS EXECUTG GAY PEOPLE, DENI HOLOT PURCHAS BUILDG FOLLOWG MULTIPLE EVICTNS FOR HATE SPEECH
- PREACHER ASKS GOD TO KILL GAY PEOPLE IN “SLOW, PAFUL DEATH”
- CHRISTIAN COLLEGE ALLEGEDLY FIR GAY ACH FOR SAYG LGBTQ PEOPLE BELONG THE CHURCH
WHY HAVE SO MANY CHRISTIANS AND CHURCH BEE PRO-GAY?
* gay people in church *
This is an important lson for church and nomatnal bodi to learn as they nsir one of the most challengg qutns of our time: how to addrs the cln of persons who are gay, lbian, transgenr or otherwise nonnformg to tradnal rol. An example on each si: One iend believ the church should allow gay ans bee a an body should reprent the life of the church, where there are undoubtedly gay members.
BLACKS, GAYS AND THE CHURCH: A COMPLEX RELATNSHIP
While many black pastors nmn homosexualy om the pulp, the choir lofts behd them are often filled wh gay sgers and micians. The fact that gays and lbians often hold learship posn the church is the worst kept secret black Ameri. * gay people in church *
Crics of LGBTQ cln the church often talk about a “gay liftyle” as a broad assumptn that all people wh same-sex attractn are livg promiscuy and bchery. This is problematic, however, if the church expects a standard of sexual relatns only wh marriage but do not acknowledge marriage as a realy for gay and lbian Christians.
Homosexualy was first openly bated at General Conference 1972, four years after the formatn of The Uned Methodist Church, rultg the addn of first statement on homosexualy. While affirmg belief that persons of homosexual orientatn are persons of sacred worth who need the mistry and guidance of the church, the statement add that the church “do not ndone the practice of homosexualy and nsirs this practice patible wh Christian teachg.
THE REBEL PRIT: ‘GAY PEOPLE THE CHURCH ARE NOT GOG TO GO AWAY’
When to gays and lbians, the Gospel valu of love, mercy and passn are the buildg blocks of all church teachg. * gay people in church *
Wh a body of over 12 ln members globally, Uned Methodists are not of one md about how to be mistry wh lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer people. While the church has official statements regardg homosexualy, all members n disagree wh the church’s posns and n advote for change policy.
One was to clare an abeyance (lay) on submtg or procsg plats related to homosexualy until after a procs for separatn had been approved and the nomatns that may rult om uld hold their first post-separatn General Conferenc. The agreement about abeyance, though, beme effective immediately among s signers, and many other bishops the Uned Stat have likewise agreed to hold homosexualy-related plats agast clergy abeyance until after a post-separatn Uned Methodist General Conference 2028 term what new polici, if any, will be. ” When Christians ignore or flat-out reject the unmistakably clear biblil statements nmng homosexual relatnships, they are playg to the enemy’s temptatn to jtify disobedience by makg feelgs and perceptns more important than God’s sign and standards.
The scriptur which tradnal Christiany unrstands to nmn homosexualy [such as Levic 18:22 and 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-10] have eher been mistranslated, yanked out of ntext or were only appropriate to the culture of that time. By flt, then, they were easily shaped and swayed by the six pots of a brilliantly signed “Gay Manifto” spelled out a book lled After the Ball: How Ameri Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays the 90s. Origally published as an say lled “The Overhlg of Straight Ameri” that was published a gay magaze, the thors laid out this plan which has been executed perfectly the Uned Stat.
CHURCH THAT SUPPORTS EXECUTG GAY PEOPLE, DENI HOLOT PURCHAS BUILDG FOLLOWG MULTIPLE EVICTNS FOR HATE SPEECH
Yet another pastor affiliated wh the New Inpennt Fundamentalist Baptist Church has gone on an anti-gay rant a sermon. * gay people in church *
“In the early stag of any mpaign to reach straight Ameri, the mass should not be shocked and repelled by premature exposure to homosexual behavr self. “In any mpaign to w over the public, gays mt be st as victims need of protectn so that straights will be cled by reflex to assume the role of protector. First, the mastream should be told that gays are victims of fate, the sense that most never had a choice to accept or reject their sexual preference.
The msage mt read: ‘As far as gays n tell, they were born gay, jt as you were born heterosexual or whe or black or bright or athletic. Over the past 25 years, gay characters, on TV pecially, have ptured the hearts of Amerin viewers bee they were attractive, funny, smart—the kd of characters viewers would like to be.
The imag might clu: the Ku Klux Klan mandg that gays be burned alive or strated; bigoted southern misters droolg wh hysteril hatred to a gree that looks both il and ranged; menacg punks, thugs, and nvicts speakg olly about the ‘fags’ they have killed or would like to kill; a tour of Nazi ncentratn mps where homosexuals were tortured and gassed. No one will want to hear that their vetons, lyg, fornitn, evil thoughts, strife, homosexualy, gossip, pri, envy, adultery, takg the name of the Lord va, lt, murr, etc. Sexual exprsn is signed for the maral relatnship, and homosexual lt and behavr are among the sexual ss that are outsi God’s created tent and sire for .
PREACHER ASKS GOD TO KILL GAY PEOPLE IN “SLOW, PAFUL DEATH”
Bee we are eply ncerned about the hearts and souls of those who intify themselv as “gay, lbian or bisexual, ” we want those men and women to know that God lov them wh an everlastg love.
CHRISTIAN COLLEGE ALLEGEDLY FIR GAY ACH FOR SAYG LGBTQ PEOPLE BELONG THE CHURCH
He offers the grace to accept their te inty – not as gay, lbian or bi-sexual – but as His sons and dghters, embracg their blogil realy as male or are also ncerned about homosexualy’s impact on fai, the church and our culture. There has been a growg and very succsful effort to ga not jt acceptance but approval for homosexualy many areas, cludg the church, the media, bs and tn. Society and fai always do bt when dividuals follow God’s created tent for rourc this sectn will help you unrstand and articulate God’s sign for human sexualy and rpond to revisnist theologil arguments that have been created to jtify homosexual behavr.
They will also spire you to reach out wh love, grace, tth and urage to men and women stgglg wh homosexualy or who have embraced as an inty. That’s g many younger evangelils — gay and straight — to qutn the tegry of their church’s theology and the nsistency of s biblil terpretatn.
“Most people know and love someone who’s openly gay, ” said Julie Rodgers, a Christian wrer, activist and lbian whose story is featured the new documentary on Netflix, “Pray Away. In ntrast wh most male Prottant nomatns where LGBTQ members are routely ordaed and their marriag solemnized church (the Uned Methodist Church beg the exceptn), whe evangelil nomatns such as the Southern Baptist Conventn, the Prbyterian Church Ameri, the Anglin Church North Ameri and dozens of others have risted offerg gay people equaly.