"After the church decided it would not host the funeral service, it offered to pay for another facility, Mr. Simons said. The family declined and found a local funeral home to hold the event Thursday night.Even so, the church sent over food and the video – minus the images church officials found to be offensive.
"Some of our people will be there at the memorial service," Mr. Simons said. "We tried to do the very best of our ability to express the love of Christ."
Good to mention. I have to admit, I *almost* posted without reading the full article, and completely changed my opinion after having read. It’s also worth noting to drive-by readers (myself one of them) that this church only became objected to the service when they were faced with hosting the event while having zero control over the services, and that the images that were to be presented were basically a glorification of the homosexuality of the deceased.
Within limits.
Had I been Mr. Sinclair's family, the food would have gone to the nearest homeless shelter and the video would have gone directly into the dumpster.
Article was also posted in the WaPo. Since, our same-name, different state church has been getting some virulent hate mail.
The church had initially agreed to the service because the deceased was the brother of a church employee. However after the church discovered the man was a homosexual and that the memorial service would celebrate the homosexual lifestyle with suggestive photos and music from an openly gay men's chorus, the church's pastor, Gary Simons, withdrew the offer to host the event in the sanctuary. The church secured another location, and catered lunch, at the church's expense, that would meet the needs of the family and not subject their sanctuary to being used to celebrate homosexuality.
As Pastor Simons told his congregation this past Sunday, "This decision was not based on hate or discrimination but upon principle and policy. We cannot glorify homosexuality as a lifestyle." Unfortunately, reporters who are sympathetic to the homosexual agenda refuse to see the incident for what it is--an exercise in religious freedom. Churches and clergy have every right to refuse their services or property for activities that violate their religious beliefs. However, as Pastor Simons would say, that doesn't mean he or his congregation have any less compassion for the man's family. It simply means they refuse to honor a lifestyle that is sinful in God's eyes.