United Church of Christ endorses same-sex marriage

[Smidlee]

You mean, churches getting more tolerant is a sign of the Apocalypse ? I thought being tolerant was one of the main message of Christ.

tolerant isn't the same as promoting something. I as a christian am tolerant to homosexuals whom I work with yet we both know where we stand on this issue. I also be friendly with some who I know that's commiting adultery yet I cry strongly againest this sin.
While God is merciful and gracious is taught in scriptures the idea the God is tolerant to rebellion/ sin isn't taught.

The world will indeed end. In some 5 billions years

"The end of the world" in NT scriptures isn't the same meaning as Hollywood's "the end of the world" in their movies. In scriptures, it's more like the end of the "times of the gentiles" to be more exact or the end of the Roman/Babylon type rule including Democracy which is a spend off of the Roman form of government. Also the end of the church age or grace age as it sometimes called.

 

[Smidlee]

I believe this is a step in the right direction

to where?

let me guess the anti-christ is going to be a 30 year old gay man that says fabulous a lot

Well I can't say it for sure as it could be he just have no love toward women for what ever the reason. If he is a homosexual then the apostate churches which joins him would have to get very comfortable with homosexuality before he arrives on the scene. It does seems that it's the Western civilizations and their churches(Europe/America) who really pushing the gay agenda hard.

 

[FredLC]

(...)It does seems that it's the Western civilizations and their churches(Europe/America) who really pushing the gay agenda hard.

What is the "gay agenda"? Having the same rights as everybody else?

Regards .

 

[Shadylookin]

to where?

well I am personally waiting on the rapture so all those that believe religious ideals should be forced upon others will leave I believe tolerance of people that do nothing wrong to be a good thing not to mention equal rights for them why do you ask?

Well I can't say it for sure as it could be he just have no love toward women for what ever the reason. If he is a homosexual then the apostate churches which joins him would have to get very comfortable with homosexuality before he arrives on the scene. It does seems that it's the Western civilizations and their churches(Europe/America) who really pushing the gay agenda hard.

what exactly is the "gay agenda" ironic that only religious right wingers know about it, lord knows how.

 

[blackheart]

what exactly is the "gay agenda" ironic that only religious right wingers know about it, lord knows how.

Quiet, you're catching on too quickly!

There's a black/colored agenda too: equality! The church should stand up to this nonsense.

Anyways, I wish more churches would be open minded about this.

 

[A'AbarachAmadan]

It does seems that it's the Western civilizations and their churches(Europe/America) who really pushing the gay agenda hard.

Yes, we are pushing equal rights for them. Scary, huh?!

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

I do think that Smidlee is right, that there is a falling away from Christ's message that has happened in modern times. My difference is: he's part of it.

If you actually read what Christ said and what his Apostles wrote in the New Testament, they are not friends of "family" in the same way they were not friends of the Roman Empire. The Apostles were heavily skeptical of every social institution that could create divisions within "Christ's community" or splinter loyalties to Him. That's why Paul writes that slaves are as much Christians as their masters, thereby implicitly undermining slavery. According to the Apostles, loyalty to Christ comes before loyalty to nation (patriotism), to your relatives (family), even to your spouse (marriage).

Smidlee's Christians are uncomfortable with that kind of spirituality. They use Christianity to REIFY & REINFORCE not to criticize existing social institutions.

They are today's equivalent of Southern Christians arguing before the Civil War that the Bible supported slavery.

If one of the chief features of the AntiChrist was to have been his homosexuality, you'd think Jesus would place more emphasis on homosexuality as a serious sin. But he doesn't.

Jesus doesn't storm into a brothel and throw out the whores. He storms into a temple and throws out the money-changers.

Jesus spends LOTS of time criticizing sins like venality, lust, greed, callousness, pedantry, corruption, and blind loyalty.

But because these are the sin's most often exhibited by the leaders of today, both secular and religious, modern Christians spend almost NO time criticizing them.

Instead they cling to a shallow spirituality which places sin in the loins and nowhere else. Sleeping with someone of the same gender will get you a one-way ticket to hell and a Fred Phelps monument, but a Watergate felon can be "born again" and welcomed as a Christian.

The neurotic obsessiveness of modern American Christians with sex is a way of repressing what they subconsciously know to be the true message of the Bible - a tirade against the sins I bolded.

The so-called Smidlee Spirituality runs exactly counter to Christ's message, and is indeed a "falling away from it."

I'd argue that it's not so much a decline as a return to the message of the Pharisees, but that's for another post.

 

[Smidlee]

If one of the chief features of the AntiChrist was to have been his homosexuality, you'd think Jesus would place more emphasis on homosexuality as a serious sin. But he doesn't.

Jesus doesn't storm into a brothel and throw out the whores. He storms into a temple and throws out the money-changers.

Jesus spends LOTS of time criticizing sins like venality, lust, greed, callousness, pedantry, corruption, and blind loyalty.

But because these are the sin's most often exhibited by the leaders of today, both secular and religious, modern Christians spend almost NO time criticizing them.

Instead they cling to a shallow spirituality which places sin in the loins and nowhere else. Sleeping with someone of the same gender will get you a one-way ticket to hell and a Fred Phelps monument, but a Watergate felon can be "born again" and welcomed as a Christian.

The neurotic obsessiveness of modern American Christians with sex is a way of repressing what they subconsciously know to be the true message of the Bible - a tirade against the sins I bolded.

The so-called Smidlee Spirituality runs exactly counter to Christ's message, and is indeed a "falling away from it."

I'd argue that it's not so much a decline as a return to the message of the Pharisees, but that's for another post.

The reason why Jesus himself doesn't deal with homosexuality directly is because "He came to his own and his own recieved him not." (He dealt with the Jews who already knew about sin) Yet It was Jesus himself who called Paul to be the Apostle to the Gentiles who replaced Judas as the his disciples admitted they wrongfully pick Matthias and would have never picked Paul.
So there is two extremes; The self-rightous Pharisees which Jesus dealt with and the proud sinners who not ashame of their sin, the Roman world of that day. The Pharisees didn't just see Gentiles as dog (duh? gentiles were called dogs by the Jews for the obvious reason as they made perverted sex and drugs as their god.) but went farther by seeing the Samaritans (mixed breeds) as unclean and ungodly. Jesus never condemn the Pharisees because of their good works and morals which he said they should do but he condemn them for what in their heart. By hating Jesus and putting him to death revealed the true nature of the Pharisee's heart. So even the best of men needs to be saved just as much as the lowest sinners.

As far as my church it's very seldom ever deals with homosexuality until lately since now we have parents praying for their children who involves in this sin. In fact my church deals more with fornication. Yet the Church of Christ isn't just refusing to deal with this issue they are promoting the sin. As the Roman world has always been known to promote homosexuality its' now the church themselves who is pushing the gay agenda harder than any other group; There is no way the Pharisees (Jews) of Jesus day would ever promote such an act which was one reason they hated been under Roman rule.

And since you mention that Jesus overturn those tables in the temple , why do you think the reason why these churches are pushing the "gay agenda" so hard... yeap , money as it has been known for a while now that homosexuals is the wealthest of any other minority group in America. Why, these preachers wouldn't think run off people who fatting up their offerings.

 

[FredLC]

(...)Yet the Church of Christ isn't just refusing to deal with this issue they are promoting the sin. As the Roman world has always been known to promote homosexuality its' now the church themselves who is pushing the gay agenda harder than any other group; There is no way the Pharisees (Jews) of Jesus day would ever promote such an act which was one reason they hated been under Roman rule.

And since you mention that Jesus overturn those tables in the temple , why do you think the reason why these churches are pushing the "gay agenda" so hard... yeap , money as it has been known for a while now that homosexuals is the wealthest of any other minority group in America. Why, these preachers wouldn't think run off people who fatting up their offerings.

I ask again: What is the "gay agenda"? Having the same rights as everybody else?

Regards .

 

[nonconformist]

Shut up. If gays get equal rights, then everyone will want them!

 

[carlosMM]

Shut up. If gays get equal rights, then everyone will want them!

imagine, atheists might want them too!

 

[nonconformist]

imagine, atheists might want them too!

Maybe ethnic minorities too, perish the thought!

 

[A'AbarachAmadan]

imagine, atheists might want them too!

I would have to say the atheists already have them. In fact, some religious folks can't even sing religious songs in a school talent show, while an atheist can sing non-religious songs. So atheists tend to have more rights than the religious in many parts of the US already. However, gays most certainly don't have equal rights yet. It would be nice if everyone had equal rights, but it seems many folks are too busy taking away the other persons rights. What is going to happen when a gay Christian wants to sing a song about it in school?!

 

[carlosMM]

I would have to say the atheists already have them. In fact, some religious folks can't even sing religious songs in a school talent show, while an atheist can sing non-religious songs. So atheists tend to have more rights than the religious in many parts of the US already.

wrong - I was asked to leave a breakfast place in Casper, WY, when they realized I was friends with a guy known to be an atheist

 

[farting bob]

This can only be a good thing. The church is accepting that these people deserve the respect and rights of any other couple. I hope more churches follow soon and also the government, and allow gay marriages (a system of govt based on religious beliefs, whilst condemning islamic nations for doing the same thing...hmm).

 

[Stapel]

I would have to say the atheists already have them. In fact, some religious folks can't even sing religious songs in a school talent show, while an atheist can sing non-religious songs. So atheists tend to have more rights than the religious in many parts of the US already.

Don't get things mixed up, dude!
Do you think atheist songs would be allowed in school talent shows?
Songs that actually are about the non-existance of god, or songs that try to spread atheism ?

 

[farting bob]

Don't get things mixed up, dude!
Do you think atheist songs would be allowed in school talent shows?
Songs that actually are about the non-existance of god, or songs that try to spread atheism ?

Thats very true. A song which includes lyrics that say that god does not exsist or that religion is wrong would be treated much, much worse than any religious song, even if its just expressing the belief of the singer.

 

[Aphex_Twin]

The Church is supposed to be backwards and unrelentingly dogmatic. Why do they have to go and ruin it

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

As far as my church it's very seldom ever deals with homosexuality until lately since now we have parents praying for their children who involves in this sin. In fact my church deals more with fornication.

Same deal. But the businessman who's praying for his homo kid? He gets a free pass, I guess?

As the Roman world has always been known to promote homosexuality its' now the church themselves who is pushing the gay agenda harder than any other group; There is no way the Pharisees (Jews) of Jesus day would ever promote such an act which was one reason they hated been under Roman rule.

More bullcrap. You have obviously accepted the stereotypical picture of a drunken, decadent, perverted Rome in decline.

Sure, the LEADERS of the Roman Empire were increasingly corrupt and decadent. But the people remained loyal to old traditions even while the cities were becoming more cosmopolitan.

More importantly, for Ancient Jews to condemn Ancient Romans as uncivilized is roughly equivalent to the Hunnic Hordes calling the Han Chinese decadent. It's total, complete crap.

money as it has been known for a while now that homosexuals is the wealthest of any other minority group in America.

It's not us dirty Jews anymore?

wrong - I was asked to leave a breakfast place in Casper, WY, when they realized I was friends with a guy known to be an atheist

That's Wyoming there ARE more civilized states in the Union.

 

[Hundegesicht]

Don't get things mixed up, dude!
Do you think atheist songs would be allowed in school talent shows?
Songs that actually are about the non-existance of god, or songs that try to spread atheism ?

Believe it or not, I actually wrote, and sang a song about the non existence of God for a school project in 11th grade.

Actually, the song was for History about the concept of social evolution. The first 2 stanzas were dedicated to Darwin, the next 2 Nietche, the 5th to Marx, and the last to the late pope John Paul. (Who was current at the time of the singing)

The chorus after the first Nietche verse went "God is dead! Spread the news through all the lands! God is dead, and his blood is on our hands..."

Actually, I think I still have it on a floppy here if you want to read the rest of it. I got a 98%