Pastor Kicks Transvestite Out of Uncle's Funeral

wafb.com ^ | 07/31/97 | Caroline Moses

[Coldwater Creek]

My husband passed away a couple of weeks ago. I would not have wanted anyone embarrassed by the speaker. We did have a military and evangelistic service. The Holy Spirit had the opportunity to convict anyone that was in attendance, even the Army and Marine that was part of the honor detail. I know for a fact that the Navy guy is right with God. Just kidding about the Army and Marine.

[DungeonMaster]

Dressing like a women is a sin

Which commandment is this? Also please show me an explicit passage in the bible that states this exact sin. no bloviating!!!!!

That'll be easy.

[TommyDale]

I agree that it needn’t be done in public to cause an embarrassment to anyone. The transvestite freak should have shown respect to the deceased and the family, however.

[napscoordinator]

Considering the sheer specificity of Deut 22:5 and the precise nature of those things that are forbidden, Deut 22:5 is most likely ceremonial law rather than moral law, which would mean that it would have little, if any, implications for Christians today.

They put more credence into that passage...

[Talking_Mouse]

Did the Randolf Johnson, the deceased, accept/acknowledge Dermaine Johnson, as a transvestite, as his nephew? If, as is suggested by the unnamed woman who claims to be Randolf Johnson's daughter, he did claim Dermaine Johnson as nephew - as a transvestite -- then Dermaine Johnson should have been able to attend his uncles funeral. Did the rest of the family feel it was inappropriate for Dermaine Johnson to be told to leave because of his dress? Funerals are for family and friends.

On weather that dress is inappropriate for a funeral or not, I have several dresses in my closet, that when I hold them up look skimpy and slinky. However when I put them on are appropriate as "dressed up" dresses. Let me reiterate from other threads -- I am female.

[Caramelgal]

I’m not sure what to think about this one.

On one hand the pastor and his church has every right to deny admittance to anyone they choose not to allow into their church based on whatever they choose acceptable or non-acceptable but then again it was a private funeral not a regular church service.

On the other hand, the article seemed to imply that it wasn’t the family who objected to his/her presence and him/her did not seem to be there to make a statement other than to pay respect to a family member at his funeral. It didn’t become an “issue” until the pastor threw Dermaine out. And the dress didn’t look all that bad BTW.

Some say “Sin should not be tolerated in the House of God.” But I also understood that Christians are supposed to “hate the sin but love the sinner”. If “sinners” are never allowed in Church, I would suspect that attendance would go down considerably and even a lot of priests and pastors would have to stay home on that account.

This pastor perhaps missed an opportunity to reach out to this person and open a dialogue but instead showed such intolerance that Mr./Ms.Dermaine now has such a bitter experience and feeling no love there, will most likely never come back.

When my mother died, she requested a traditional Latin Mass. I’m not a Catholic, in fact I am an Agnostic/semi-Atheist. I respected her wishes and out of respect for her, not her church, I covered my head with a “chapel veil”. I’ve also attended funeral services at a Jewish Temple and a Mosque and no body threw me out because I didn’t believe the same.

[twonie]

Right on. And the chances of this one going and sinning no more are about slim to none. From his comments, he is “rolling in it”, looking for people to condone his behavior.

[AlaskaErik]

I suppose you find God to be a bigot as well?

Where is this a rule in the Bible? Maybe in the koran, but not in the Bible. I wonder if God would say that all His children are welcome. Geez, I feel like I'm debating liberals on this one.

[Junior_G]

I’m not a religious man, so I would have no problem with the circus clown being sent the hell back home.

[massgopguy]

Never mind the man in the box. Look at me!

[Old_Mil]

Johnson says, "This is who I am. I can't change that, that's me. Take me or leave me."

Dermaine put on a black dress and headed to his uncle's funeral earlier this month, only to be told he would have to leave. He says, "There wasn't no doubt they were judging me." Dermaine says both the pastor of New Zion Baptist Church in Denham Springs, and the pastor's wife, kicked him out of the church. Sounds like they decided to leave you, Dermaine.

[small voice in the wilderness]

My question is: what will Dermaine wear to his own funeral? If there ever was anyone who needed to make his wishes known, it’s Dermaine. The mourners may be commenting on how beautiful she looks (never better), but the embalmer knows...

[Junior_G]

The inability to make decisions because someone somewhere can muddy the waters has all but ruined our society.

No kidding. "Zero Tolerance" policies, anyone? The entire concept of Precedence has been taking to a stupid extreme in America.

[PeterPrinciple]

Take me or leave me.”

---

Pastor is playing by the perverts rules.............

[Old_Mil]

Like Jesus said, only the sick need a doctor. He shouldn’t have been thrown out.

While the sick need doctors, Typhoid Mary needed a jailor, not a doctor.

[Manic_Episode]

Nonsense. "Abomination" has nothing to do with ceremony and everything to do with morality, and huge implications for Christians today.

Your poor sense of discernment is showing.

[Old_Mil]

I don't go to church anymore. When I did, tolerance was the order of the day.

Out of curiousity, did your church tolerate cannibalism and child molestation? Or was sodomy the limit of its "tolerance"?

[Manic_Episode]

"Where is this a rule in the Bible?"

=======================

Read the thread much? Read the bible much?

[DManA]

Isn’t the church for repentant sinners?

[SnarlinCubBear]

I would have let him stay. A funeral is for the family. The “church” could have handled this ONE occurance of a transvestite in their midst. Given the opportunity, we can rise to the occasion, and be gracious.

While I agree the man was most likely craving attention, the pastor gave him that attention, and he could have been discreetly ignored.

I wrestle with this attitude now, as I’m watching a lovely man transform himself into a woman - a very ugly woman - and am appalled. It’s hard to look him in th eyes as he lets his hair grow into a woman’s cut, see his dangling earrings, and notice the pink nail polish. What does one say to that? “Hey-guy, you becoming a woman?”

Or do I avoid eye contact and ignore him/her altogether?

Luckily, I do not encounter him every day, but if I were his close friend, I’d say - “you were once a very attractive man - what are you thinking?”

But then, I know, he doesn’t care what I think.