Posted on 12/19/2009 4:41:36 PM PST by Steelfish
Evangelical Church Opens Doors Fully To Gays Renegade pastor in Denver finds new followers, but makes enemies too
DENVER - The auditorium lights turned low, the service begins with the familiar rhythms of church: children singing, hugs and handshakes of greeting, a plea for donations to fix the boiler.
Then the 55-year-old pastor with spiked gray hair and blue jeans launches into his weekly welcome, a poem-like litany that includes the line "queer or straight here, there's no hate here."
The Rev. Mark Tidd initially used the word "gay." But he changed it to "queer" because it's the preferred term of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people invited to participate fully at Highlands Church.
Tidd is an outlaw pastor of sorts. His community, less than a year old, is an evangelical Christian church guided both by the Apostle's Creed and the belief that gay people can embrace their sexual orientation as God-given and seek fulfillment in committed same-sex relationships.
Disagreements over homosexuality and the Bible have divided mainline Protestant churches for years. In evangelical churches, though, the majority view has held firm — the Bible clearly condemns homosexual acts. The common refrain at evangelical churches: "love the sinner, hate the sin."
But with younger evangelicals and broader society showing greater acceptance of homosexuality, many evangelical churches can expect, at the least, a deeper exploration of the issue.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
The sodomites are not coming to church to be forgiven for the sin of sodomy, they’re the only sinner that are actually ‘proud of their sin” in fact, they’re so proud of it they demand you, and Jesus totally accept and embrace their sin.
Are you as puzzled about this as I am?
The body of believers are sinners saved by grace. Jesus isn’t coming for a church riddled with sin. It’s apparent you don’t know the Bible.
It would be better for them if they were tied to a millstone and cast into the sea.
It’s apparent you don’t know anything about me.
I guess your church has armed people at the door making sure only people who are holy enough enter?
You can’t witness to people if you have an attitude like that.
Obviously, unrepentant sin can’t be allowed to run rampant in the Church body. I’m discussing something else entirely.
I never said to allow radical activists in. I don’t even approve of female clergy.
Not EVERY gay person has some secret agenda. If you lock them out of church, then they have no way to learn the truth.
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