Posted on 03/16/2015 6:53:56 AM PDT by Gamecock
I have no problem with someone saying they are struggling with any sin, homosexuality included. I think some sins are more devastating to the body, mind, and spirit than are others. Romans 1 indicates that homosexuality fits with the most devastating of sins. I would, therefore, be very honest with a homosexual and explain how the consequences of this sin are so deadly.
I agree completely. It's always been easier for me (an many others I've talked to about it) to recognize sin in hindsight and many of us will compound the sin by trying to justify why we did it; however, if we are honest with ourselves, we eventually come to recognize it as a sin. Of course, this recognition doesn't mean that we won't commit the same sin again, but at least we realize what it is. The homosexuals refuse to even consider the possibility that they are sinning.
I think one problem has been the widespread acceptance of premarital sex among heterosexuals. Many of these people will live together for years, have children, buy homes, etc. with no intention of ever being married. The prevalence of this allows the homosexuals to justify their actions as no different or even nobler because they claim to want marriage.
This is where we get to these ‘churches’ and ‘christians’ who want to redefine homosexuality as acceptable behavior. They don't want to acknowledge it as sin. They want to continue practicing this deadly sin as if it were no different than chewing gum or reading a book.
It's actually a littler more than that. They are trying to not only declare a sin as not being a sin, they are also trying to invoke God's blessing upon these sinful unions.
There is no way that historic Christianity could ever countenance that kind of flight from reality and continue to be historic Christianity.
It's not even just historic Christianity, thirty years ago anyone who preached on homosexuality being normal and saying that homosexuals should be able to marry each other would have been gone by Monday morning.
In the 60s and 70s many well-meaning Christians began to embrace the "social gospel" and do things like protest the Vietnam War, tell people it was okay to go to church in shorts and a T-shirt, acceptance of divorced persons, outreach to prisons, etc. This may have started good, but too many of these people fell into the trap of thinking ANY behavior is okay based on the person's individual desires. The one thing that a lot of us have trouble remembering is that Christ warned us that evil will come dressed as a sheep and not a wolf; it's easy to be on the lookout for our known enemies, but we sometimes realize too late that the people we considered friends are also enemies.
FWIW, the first church I went to in shorts and a t-shirt was an open air Catholic church in the mountains. ;-)
Pretty sure the first Christians wore sandals.
Open air churches are just fine....unless you have winter.
What do you call an open air church in winter....
a. the sparsely attended
b. the truly frozen chosen
c. the cold hearted
I'm not saying Catholics aren't just as guilty of it as anyone else.
I get immediately turned off if I walk into a church as see guitars, drums or some other sign of a band. I was talking to a friend recently and he told me that their church has a cafe with biscuits, bagels, pastries, etc. (which actually sounds appealing to me) and a lighted sign that lets a person know when their order is ready. He also said that their typical service is between an hour and a half and two hours with the first forty-five minutes just singing with the band, that's simply not church to me.
I don't have any problem with charismatics (there are plenty of Catholic charismatics too), it works for them and that's great, I just get uncomfortable being around it. To me the music in a church comes from an organ and is sung by either the choir or the entire congregation (we'll leave chanted Catholic high masses for another discussion) and I always get choked up if bagpipes come out (especially if it's "Amazing Grace"), any time I see a guitar flute or tambourine I flash back to John Belushi smashing the guitar in "Animal House."
**guitars, drums**
Oddly enough drums and stringed instruments are mentioned in Scripture as accompaniment to worship. Pianos and organs aren’t.
I know, I just don't like it. If someone can produce an ancient manuscript with "Kumbaya" on it then I'll accept it, otherwise they should just save it for the liberals.
But in order to show respect, they wore black dress socks with them.
Pulling your chain. Just a little though. ;-)
A lot of hymns have been redone with appropriate modern instrumentation. I like it.
What I don’t like is modern praise and worship ditties. Too shallow, regardless of what type of instruments are being used.
I wouldn’t have thought that. In my estimation it would have slowed down the foot washing.
I believe that bagpipes were invented in order to scare off the enemy.
Perhaps it's from being raised Catholic (though plenty of good Catholics like the contemporary stuff), but I see the music as ONE way we praise God; however, it's not the focal point.
What I don’t like is modern praise and worship ditties. Too shallow, regardless of what type of instruments are being used.
Agreed. I was at a wedding a few years back where they had a band who apparently is well-known on Christian music channels. They reminded me of Justin Bieber look-alikes who mentioned Jesus now and again. I realized how ridiculous it was when I saw that all of the teenage girls were swooning like the girls did in those old pictures with Elvis or the Beatles.
I always assumed it was to train the Scots to breathe deeply enough to be able to make it up all the hills getting home after a night in the pub.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.