[Maringa]

I think one of the dangers that our churches get caught up in is that we like to target one particular sin - make one much bigger than the other...I remember when I was a kid, divorce was the big one, followed by drinking, etc, etc...Homosexuality was such an unknown back then - it was out of people’s minds.

Sure, each sin has its own consequences - some a lot worse than others...But each one, no matter how small or big, has separated us from an eternal relationship with God. Through His grace, through the Salvation through Christ, we can be re-united with Him.

The church lost a significant battle in the 80’s when the AIDS epidemic came into play...You saw church’s, Christian Schools, our ministers/congregations on the air repudiating this epidemic...Rather than take the approach of using this opportunity to reach the gay community, we blew it....Perhaps a lot of the anger that the community has against organized religion is related to this behavior.

But to set the record straight, we like to focus our righteous indignation towards the gay community, when within the churchs ourselves, we are sick. We become intolerant towards them, while qe tolerate that many other sins that we continue to pursue.

Hypocrisy is a damaging tool...Yet it’s clear the gospels say to the sinner that hypocrisy is not a reason you reject Christ...each individual needs to make the choice to choose Him...

Many in the world will use the hypocrisy of the Christian to reject Christ...though not justifiable for his/her Salvation standpoint, it is extremely effective for the Enemy.

We as Christians need to learn how to accept the sinner, not the sin. Bring them into our doors, no matter their condition...Let God handle their soul...

[jboot]

This is not as easy as reframing our engagement strategy. Divorce, drinking and whatnot are not and never have been a clear and present danger to the church itself. But homosexuality, more specifically the codification of homosexuals as a "protected" class of citizen and same-sex-marriage as a civil right, is a clear and present danger. Not since the 16th century has the church been so formidibly threatened, and never before in the USA. What is at stake here is the very freedom to associate and practice our religion. Once SSM is the law of the land your church will celebrate LGBT or be systematically destroyed by taxes, lawsuits and criminal prosecution.

This is not ancient history, or Sunday School thought-games. This is the real deal. Hypocrite or humble Christian, if things reamin as they are you will someday choose whether or not to kiss the tyrants ring.

[Mr Rogers]

“But to set the record straight, we like to focus our righteous indignation towards the gay community, when within the churchs ourselves, we are sick. We become intolerant towards them, while qe tolerate that many other sins that we continue to pursue.”

That doesn’t describe any church I’ve been in. Homosexuality is a sin. In most churches I’ve been part of, it is almost never mentioned because there is no debate about it.Same with adultery - everyone in the church already knows it is wrong, so why bother preaching on it?

However, I don’t have adulterers claiming their behavior is admirable. I don’t have thieves boasting of their thefts and claiming I should respect them for it. But I DO have homosexuals running around DEMANDING my admiration - and they are NOT going to get it.

For 5000 years, “homosexual marriage” was unimaginable. Suddenly, the homosexuals are out of the closet and assaulting Christians in the streets and workplace, demanding we admire their perversion or else. THAT is why there is a fight about it. When a cop can be disciplined for eating a Chick-Fil-A sandwich in front of a couple of lesbian officers, our society has gone insane.