Posted on 08/11/2007 10:08:38 PM PDT by KerryOnNoMore
"We did decline to host the service _ not based on hatred, not based on discrimination, but based on principle," Simons told The Associated Press. "Had we known it on the day they first spoke about it _ yes, we would have declined then. It's not that we didn't love the family." Simons said the decision had nothing to do with the obituary. He said the church offered to pay for another site for the service, made the video and provided food for more than 100 relatives and friends. "Even though we could not condone that lifestyle, we went above and beyond for the family through many acts of love and kindness," Simons said. Wright called the church's claim about the pictures "a bold-faced lie." She said she provided numerous family pictures of Sinclair, including some with his partner, but said none showed men kissing or hugging. The 5,000-member High Point Church was founded in 2000 by Simons and his wife, April, whose brother is Joel Osteen, well-known pastor of the 38,000-member Lakewood Church in Houston. Now High Point meets in a 432,000-square-foot facility in Arlington, near Dallas. Wright said relatives declined the church's offer to hold the service at a community center because they felt it was an inappropriate venue. It ultimately was held at a funeral home, but the cancellation still lingered in some minds, she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Now you’re getting goofy. Ok, if gays are preforming homosexual acts in the church—BY ALL MEANS KICK THEM OUT!
mail from ItisaReligionofPeace
No. I’m not wearing pink and I never have. I’m also not a retard, which seems to afflict you. God does have a sense of humor afterall.
“Get your bigetry (sic) and rudeness out in the open, coward.”
Wow, you are a real tough guy.
You are glad that you don’t belong to that church....well neither did the dead gay guy! He belonged to NO church.
Would you think it’s OK for this church to have a memorial for an adulterer and have his paramour there to extol him and his actions?
Quix said: And it is still CHRISTIAN and GOD EXPECTED OF US to Love the sinner without loving the sin;
hold them compassionately and kick them pointedly with the truth all at the same time.
Few authentic Christians seem up to the task, sadly. And masses of them rush along toward hell accordingly . . . needlessly.
And the Christians nearby smugly walk on by sanctimoniously proud that they don’t have THAT HORRID sin on their score card. While God MAY be considering their smug pride as WORSE.
= = =
Well put!
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Unrepentant sinners have no place in church. You cannot strive to be like Christ and still wallow in sin. A church memorial service is a celebration of a Christians life and love of God. This man had not repented. What would they praise? His life was based on his sin. That doesn't belong in the church. A church CANNOT give the appearance of condoning sin.
There's no evidence that he had not repented either. I say again: Do you know what the man's thoughts were in his last moments?
Did you read the Bible passages that I gave you? Didn't Paul tell us who to judge (those within the church) and who not to judge (those outside the church)?
That man's life was defined by much more than his sexual orientation. The church could have spoken of those things during the service and used it as a time to witness to others who had never heard the gospel and who had been shunned by Christians.
And, yes, I am judging you as well as that church. You should read the Bible passages I referenced and give them some deep thought. Many did not hear the gospel preached because that church refused to host a funeral service for a gay man, whose spiritual state was unknown. You agree to that decision. How many would have accepted the gospel if they had heard it? Only God knows.
What kind of sinners should we give the opportunity to hear the gospel? Obviously, to you, homosexuals are out. How about those who commit adultery? Well, yeah, Jesus did give the gospel to the woman at the well, so maybe we should share the gospel to adulterers, but not to gays. And how about Rahab the prostitute, who was an ancestor of Jesus. Should the Hebrews have stoned her instead of taking her in? Or is it okay to preach the gospel to any sinner as long as they're not homosexuals?
Jesus was condemned for associating with sinners. Would you have condemned him as well?
Seems to me that you're slamming others in your perfection. All I've read is what YOU'RE doing and not what Christ is doing through you.
You've totally missed the boat and haven't understood anything that I've written. I showed love to my friend -- as did his sister and niece -- because that's what God tells us to do. I'm not bragging on myself. All I'm doing is saying that we chose to obey God by showing his love to people who were sinners.
Sin doesn't belong in Gods house. Neither does turning a blind eye to it.
God lives in our hearts, not in buildings. I hate to say this because you're going to accuse me of judging, but you need to do some serious studying of the Bible.
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?... For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are. (1 Corinthians 3.16-17)
And no, I'm not turning a blind eye to sin. The friend I spoke of resisted for a long time. He had been rejected by his father and most members of his family. We had to love him while he was a sinner, not demand that he quit sinning before we would love him.
"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:7–8)Yes, we should invite sinners to church. That's not desecrating God's house because God does not live in a church building. Christ DIED for us while we were yet sinners. Let that sink in for a few moments. If he died for us while we were sinners, is it really that big of a deal to invite known sinners to enter a church and hear the gospel?
Tell me the truth, if that man had cheated at cards, divorced his wife, or padded his resume (lying), would you have felt okay about letting him have a funeral service in church? If so, then why not let him in because he was a homosexual? Some sins are worse than others, but sin is still sin.
Get over your hang-ups about homosexuality. Go to an AIDS hospice and offer to pray with those who want it. You would be surprised at how many will accept your offer of prayer. Don't require them to renounce homosexuality before they become a Christian. God will convict them of their sin and begin working in their lives after they become a Christian. If the topic comes up, calmly say something like "yes, homosexuality is a sin, but Jesus willingly gave his life on the cross for all sins, including homosexuality." That's not "winking at sin," it's telling them the truth in a loving manner.
Have you ever sinned in your life? Have you sinned this week, or this day? Do you think that it might be possible on your deathbed to have sins that you've forgotten about or haven't repented of? Gossip? Little white lies? If so, then why should the church have a funeral service for you when your time is up?
Wow, what a good post. There are a few people on this thread who need to hear and understand that.
You said that unrepentant sinners do not belong in church-—what do you think churches are for?
A church memorial is a celebration of someones life and the good things they did and accomplished. This person was a Navy Vet. His whole life was not based on his sin.
No and neither does anyone else. God knows. I'm human and can only judge by what "fruits" we see. And there are none to judge.
Jesus was condemned for associating with sinners. Would you have condemned him as well?
Jesus sought them out OUTSIDE of the church and told them to repent.
I'm not bragging on myself.
Yes. You have. And condemned other Christians for not doing things your way. According to you, the only way.
I hate to say this because you're going to accuse me of judging, but you need to do some serious studying of the Bible.
You didn't hate to say it. I've met too many like you at church.
God does not live in a church building.
I don't know what church you attend but God is ALWAYS in His house waiting to be loved and praised.
Get over your hang-ups about homosexuality.
You don't know me. Or where I've been. Or what I've done. You mistakenly make many assumptions. You need to get over that.
This church chose NOT to allow a service for an active, practicing, unrepentant homosexual. They followed their conscience. In this day and age of PC churches, good on them!
Read my posts. Churches are for those who want to change....to be more like Christ. They seek and find. This man repented nothing. He was not seeking God.
His whole life was not based on his sin.
A gay person chooses to be called "gay" because their life most certainly IS based on their sin.
More assumptions. How typical.
Could you, please, respond in “Reader’s Digest” form rather than academic form? Shorter is better.
Like you are?
Have a nice day.
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.