Posted on 04/24/2018 9:50:02 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Someone asks "I have friends who are gay and planning a wedding. They know my beliefs on homosexuality — that it is not God's creative design. I'm expecting to receive a wedding invite anytime. What should I do?"
Tim writes:
These are tough questions — at first glance. What do I mean? One could agonize over such a question, but I believe the follower of Christ would recognize that he or she has one loyalty — to Jesus Christ. That means doing what the Bible says.
I could refer to that text about not being unequally yoked — meaning a believer should not marry a non-believer, but there's a more basic argument here.
A wedding is a God-ordained event. Genesis 2:21ff reads, "So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man."
Notice that God Himself brought the woman to the man. God is pictured as the father of the bride.
Many Christians will have differing answers to this question and various arguments. I do not believe a Christian should attend such a wedding for this basic reason ... this is not a "get-together" or a social event. God Himself is being called on to oversee this solemn event and those in attendance are "witnesses" of it.
Remember, God ordained this holy event.
That's my answer. Having said that, I am not opposed to inviting the couple to a dinner at a local restaurant sometime later where I treat them to a meal. Why? There is no theological conflict here and such a meal would provide an opportunity to enjoy the meal and conversation. This is in my thinking a way to say "I value each of you as persons and appreciate your friendship."
This keeps the doors of communication open.
There is no need to discuss why you did not attend the wedding; place the focus on the present time — a meal and fellowship. If there are pointed questions from the "couple," "why did you not attend the wedding?" deflect them with a bright smile and something like "we wanted to enjoy your presence in a smaller setting." Then move the conversation in a different direction.
You want to keep the lines of communication open while honoring Christ. It can be a fine line to walk, but it can be done — because "with God, all things are possible."
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Tim Wilkins is the creator of the conference MORE THAN WORDS which focuses on walking (versus talking) people out of homosexuality. MORE THAN WORDS has been conducted across the United States among various denominations. Tim's expertise in this area of ministry stems from his own freedom from homosexuality some thirty years ago. He advocates people turn down the heat on the issue and turn up the light. www.crossministry.org
HELL NO!!!
As I have done, reply to the invite with a polite decline, send a card and a gift. All is well with the world.
It’s neither “gay”, nor is it a “wedding”.
No. Be cordial, be kind, but be consistent in your faith.
Your presence sanctions what is offensive in God’s sight.
My Wife and I attended a lesbian wedding.
The Priest cried.
Good catch.
BTW, I used to have that attitude about divorced people, until my wife of 20 years decided she didn’t want to be married any more, completely out of the blue (casualty of no-fault divorce). It altered my perspective. That is, now that the issue actually MATTERED to me, I decided to study it a bit more thoroughly. That was 21 years ago.
This guy really nails the whole thing nicely from a biblical perspective regarding both old and new testaments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4QI3JDcxOs
No.
BTDT. Twice.
Two fags don’t make a wedding. They make a celebration of perversion.
No. Anyone who knows me well enough to send me a wedding invitation would almost certainly know I would not attend something like that. But on the off chance I got an invitation, I would just send my regrets. No need to be a jerk about it.
Not a chance in hell.
Unless I wanted to ipso facto excommunicate myself.
Not a chance in hell.
Unless I wanted to ipso facto excommunicate myself.
Big fat negative.
No.
If God would not want to attend such a wedding, why should I?
Nope, it’s sick. Why would you even consider it?
Hey the pope is good with it.
Would i drink battery acid?
Yes, if they let me be the Scripture reader.
“Many Christians will have differing answers to this question and various arguments.”
That’s ridiculous. If EVERYTHING is up to the various opinions of “Christians” then Christianity has no real definition.
Real Christianity means following Jesus, which means keeping His commandments. Jesus showed love and compassion to sinners, and He honored God and family through things like attending a wedding. But when the religious leaders defiled the sacredness of the temple courtyard, He was physically violent. He did not go there and show them how tolerant He could be.
Is there ever a case where a follower of Christ could be at a “homosexual wedding”? Maybe as a police officer there on official business when responding to a murder. Maybe for a firefighter who is there to rescue people from a fire. But to celebrate? There is not even any debate among real followers of Christ.
“Having said that, I am not opposed to inviting the couple to a dinner at a local restaurant sometime later where I treat them to a meal. Why? There is no theological conflict here and such a meal would provide an opportunity to enjoy the meal and conversation. This is in my thinking a way to say ‘I value each of you as persons and appreciate your friendship.’”
Why? While technically the Bible does NOT forbid Christians from eating with homosexuals who do not profess to be Christians, these are people who are not merely the victims of sin, they are openly embracing it and rebelling against the laws of God that they KNOW. They are acting in stubborn rebellion and pride.
But there are homosexuals who claim to be Christians. I met a lesbian couple once who actually were telling me about how to be a Spirit-filled Christian. One of them was drunk and nearly stepped out into oncoming traffic, and she narrowly missed being killed by it were it not for me yelling for her to stop.
The Bible makes it clear not to fellowship with, including social eating, professing Christians who we know are engaging in an immoral sexual relationship. See 1 Corinthians 5:11.
Whenever Jesus encountered someone who was unrepentant and proud, He directed them to the laws of God. He did not placate them. He openly declared to the world that its works were evil. And this is why the world hated and still hates Jesus.
This attempt to show how compassionate, tolerant, and caring we can be as Christians is really a mask for wanting to be accepted by the world. Real Christians are going to be rejected by the world, ultimately.
A Christian can not conduct himself in a manner superior to the example Christ gave us. If the world hates Christ, it will also hate the Christian.
“Christians” who attend “homosexual weddings” are not being like Jesus. They are being like Lot’s wife. Remember her? Jesus warned that the last days would resemble those of Sodom. He warned about the dangers of conducting ourselves as Lot’s wife did.
If it’s your kid? Still no. Work on deprogramming them.
If I was invited, I would not attend but send a gift.
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