Posted on 11/06/2017 4:48:55 PM PST by Morgana
Mega-church Pastor Carl Lentz is facing criticism this week for not defending unborn babies when he had the chance.
Lentz, the pastor of the influential Hillsong Church in New York City, appeared on The View last week to talk about his ministry. And the panel a group of pro-abortion women who love to bash pro-life advocates asked Lentz about his views on abortion.
Rather than speak boldly about loving both the mother and her unborn child, Lentz side-stepped the question, The Federalist reports.
So, its not a sin in your church to have an abortion? pro-abortion host Joy Behar asked.
Lentz responded: Thats the kind of conversation we would have finding out your story, where youre from, what you believe. I mean, Gods the judge. People have to live to their own convictions. Thats such a broad question, to me, Im going higher. I want to sit with somebody and say, What do you believe?
So its not an open and shut case to you? Behar asked.
Some people would say it is, Lentz responded. To me, Im trying to teach people who Jesus is first, and find out their story. Before I start picking and choosing what I think is sin in your life, Id like to know your name.
At another point, co-host Sara Haines asked where Lentz stands on issues like abortion and homosexuality.
Hillsong is seen as this hip, progressive church thats drawn huge millennial crowds, but its still evangelical, Haines said. So, where do you stand on social issues that young people are particularly passionate about, like gay marriage [and] abortion? Like, how do you address those types of things?
Lentz replied: I think our job is still to help peoplenot necessarily change how they thinkbut try to point them to what God has said, what we believe the Bible [has] to say. We believe that God is good, that God loves everybody, that Jesus was here to set people free, and thats still the good news of the gospel.
His answer disappointed a lot of fellow Christians. Many want their clergy to speak boldly about the value of unborn babies, the atrocity of abortion and the love that should be shown to both mother and child.
James Silberman criticized Lentzs response, writing at The Federalist:
This position might be received as a moderate stance on the issue or a lack of stance altogether. But in this case, to be on the fence is to be on the side of child sacrifice. Live to your own convictions is practically the slogan of the abortion lobby. Lentz might as well have said My body, my choice, or Keep your rosaries off my ovaries.
Lentz has received a lot of publicity and criticism for his remarks, but he is not atypical. Studies indicate many pastors are hesitant to speak about abortion. A 2016 Pew Research Center poll found that just 29 percent of respondents heard their clergy member speak about abortion during a religious service. Most who did said their clergy spoke out against abortion (22 percent), while a few (3 percent) said their clergy spoke in support of abortion.
Mega-church pastors, popular Christian authors and other ministry leaders can make a huge impact by speaking out against abortion, and some do. Author and Pastor Rick Warren at Saddleback Church, Franklin Graham of Samaritans Purse, Todd Wagner at Watermark Church and popular author Ann Voskamp are just a few. They use their voices to speak a message of love and compassion for the hundreds of unborn babies who are being slaughtered daily in abortions and their mothers who are being deceived and broken by the abortion industry.
mega church ping
life ping
“Do anything you want, brother. Jesus is cool with it,” said the man on his way to Hell.
Hillsong is huge - in Australia I believe.
They sometimes seem to not want to offend. I think they had two homosexual men on their worship team a few years back. Not sure what happened with that. Great music comes out of Hillsong.
This article says they are in New York and were on “The View”.
I dunno.
Did he get too close to a pussy?!!!
Oh! Maybe they’re planting.
Murder ... society says it’s okay so God should change His mind about it.
Here’s a hint: if the only god who is God wants a life to end it ends, when He wants it to start it should start ... He can decide, and indeed it is His decision for all consequences are ultimately His to arbitrate, who will tell Him that He has no right?
People made their decision when they engaged in an activity that might result in new life. No do-overs.
Justin Bieber’s “pastor”. Meh, whaddya expect.
And that is the definition of end days apostasy. Depart from me for I never knew you....
They have several locations. Each with a head pastor. The senior pastor is from Australia.
Planting or spreading like Ebola?
Do anything you want, brother. Jesus is cool with it, said the man on his way to Hell.”
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If the Pope can get away with the “Who am I to say what’s right or wrong?” shtick, I expect some doofus megachurch pop-pastor figures he can cop the same excuse.
I view the music out of Hillsong as watered down. Maybe a little better than Marty Haugen’s work.
When did Benedict say that?
Hillsong is seen as this hip, progressive church thats drawn huge millennial crowds....”
And there is your problem. Millenneals will only go to church if it’s a “cool” church that marries same sex couples, allows promiscuous sex and is fully liberal on the social issues.
Millenneals will only go to church if its a cool church that marries same sex couples, allows promiscuous sex and is fully liberal on the social issues.
I can assure you that isnt true.
This is just like in the days of the Prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel. . .and we know what happened to the leaders and prophets who did not listen and led the people astray . . .God put ‘em down big time.
Never heared of it neither - sounds like he doesn't want the dollar pan to dry up - "hey, alright - do whatever you want, just keep putting in your money, folks!"
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