Will the Church Embrace Gays and Lesbians in the Near Future?

Will the Church Embrace/Condone Gays and Lesbians in the Near Future?

Posted on January 11, 2010
Viewed 1944 times
(66) comments

Take a look at this video and let me know what you think. This guy is talking about the changes in the Pentecostal church in Australia, but I think it's pertinent to the church in the US as well.

Comments

if you want a Globally Recognized Avatar (the images next to your profile) get them here. Once you sign up, your picture will displayed on any website that supports gravitars.

Brandon Mouser on Mon, January 11, 2010

The fact that the question even need be asked is an indictment on the Church.

Of all the institutions in this world, the Church should be at the forefront of embracing all people.
Dan Hillard on Mon, January 11, 2010

The church has always embraced gays and lesbians, read 1 Corinthians 6:9 - 11, ...Be not deceived: neither . . . effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, . . . and such were some of you; but ye are washed, . . . sanctified . . . justified in the name of the Lord Jesus.
RevJay on Mon, January 11, 2010

Homosexuality is a sin against God. The Bible is very plain on the sin and says that God abhors this act. For a so called assembly of God (the church) to say, “there, there, it’s okay, God will overlook your lifestyle” is placing Ichabod over the door of that church and the called assembly making the proclamation that this lifestyle is and should be acceptable to the church in general. Sorry for the downer, but God said it and whether I believe it (or you) that is the way it is.
Ed Stetzer on Mon, January 11, 2010

Todd,

Your title can be a little misleading and perhaps confusing.

Many churches are already “welcoming” of all peoples, but not “affirming” of homosexual practice as an appropriate expression for Christians. My hope is that Christians and churches will do a much better job of “embracing” all peoples while maintaining and teaching a robust biblical understanding of sexuality, rooted in the clear teaching of scripture, and expressed in mutual accountability in churches.

My talk at LeadNet’s innovation conference dealt with this issue. It is an important one and I am glad you mentioned it, but I would be careful with the headline.

God bless,

Ed
RevJay on Mon, January 11, 2010

Dan,
I believe the idea in ! Cor 6:9-11 is “and such were some of you” WERE being the operative word here. The saved in the church ‘were’ these things, but the put aside the acts they were committing and were sanctified and justified in God’s sight. They didn’t continue to be in the lifestyle that they came into the church with.
Rick on Mon, January 11, 2010

What Ed said.
Dan Hillard on Mon, January 11, 2010

Dear RevJay:

That is what I am saying. We are not to allow a person to continue in sin, whether this or others as listed in I Corinthians. God saves us and changes us, that is how the church embraces these people.
RevJay on Mon, January 11, 2010

Dan,
Right on!
Todd Rhoades on Mon, January 11, 2010

Ed,

Point well taken. Probably not the best title for this video.

Perhaps, “Will the Church Condone Homosexuality in the future”.

Agreed. There is a big difference between embracing and condoning.

Todd
Peter Hamm on Mon, January 11, 2010

How fine is the line, however, between “embracing all people” and basically telling everybody that they can do whatever they want to and that there isn’t such a thing as sin?

Sorry, there are lines you can’t cross. Saying the Bible is lying is a line I won’t cross.

Will I welcome somebody who is actively engaged in a lifestyle that is contrary to Scripture? YES! ABSOLUTELY! Will I tell them that it’s okay to do something that it’s not okay to do? Nope.
Brandon Mouser on Mon, January 11, 2010

@Dan. No, the church has not always embraced gays, which is a big part of the problem. Many of my GL friends have been ostricized and ridiculed out of various communities.

@Ed. The challenge is not what’s ‘rooted in the clear teachings of scripture’. The challenge is interpretation of scripture. I’ve read very compelling arguments from scholars stating homosexuality is not, in fact, a sin and vice-versa.

When we say ‘rooted in the clear teachings of scripture’ we really mean ‘the interpretation of these scripture that I agree with’.

In our zeal to understand and do what is right, we mustn’t forget that we could be wrong in our interpretations and therefore could be acting in manners contrary to how the Holy Spirit compells.
Brandon Mouser on Mon, January 11, 2010

@Peter. Since when is our roll to convict people of what we believe to be wrong? Could it be that we often overstep our role in this relationship?
Peter Hamm on Mon, January 11, 2010

Brandon,

Homosexual behavior is clearly condemned in the Old Testament. This is not “corrected” in the New Testament. Any idea or interpretation that homosexual behavior is somehow not a sin in God’s eyes is, imho, quite simply eisogesis, reading into the text, and making it up.

Also you wrote [Since when is our roll to convict people of what we believe to be wrong? Could it be that we often overstep our role in this relationship?] Yes. It might surprise you to hear me say that yes, we do overstep our role in the church, and should stop doing it.

But… Although I agree that it might not be our job to convict people of their sin, it is the Holy Spirit’s, neither is it our job to say that Scripture says something it doesn’t. I think the real question is this. Is it our role to tell people who are doing something the Bible says is totally wrong that it’s actually okay to do that? It most certainly is NOT our role to do that, and people who follow Christ who are asking us to embrace the homosexual community are, by and large, asking us to change what God’s Word says.

But, to guess at your next comment or question, the fact that this sin has been elevate above other grievous sins (pride, lust, greed come to mind) is also totally wrong. But let’s not use that as an excuse, as some do, to say that homosexual behavior is totally okay and (as some argue) even “good” in God’s eyes.
Roger on Mon, January 11, 2010

Ed,

The title is appropriate. The brother is talking about saying it is okay to be lesbian/homosexual and Christian. Not that I agree, but that is what he is talking about. Embrace them to attend and be served by loving Christians? Certainly! Tell them we accept their sin? Absolutely not!
Jerald Sheets on Mon, January 11, 2010

What Peter said.