Posted on 01/25/2013 11:12:27 PM PST by Morgana
Because of the bias of the liberal press, Steve Chalke’s recent endorsement of permanent gay partnerships and the extreme unorthodox views of the ‘Accepting Evangelicals’ group, to which he belongs, have had an unhelpfully disproportionate amount of media coverage.
Many Christians are understandably confused.
I received this letter this week which I think is not an atypical experience.
I am publishing it anonymously with permission and have removed the name of the church.
‘My husband and I worship at a leading conservative evangelical Anglican church and we value the teaching we receive there. Our adult children come from different angles, one from a traditional evangelical church in London, the other from a more liberal Christian background. The recent Steve Chalke article will highlight the differences in our views. I have tried to find support for the evangelical views to enable us to discuss this from an informed evangelical point of view. Your blog has been useful but I wonder if you have any further areas you could direct us to? I would appreciate any help you can offer.’
So, here are some articles and resources that I hope are helpful (each title is hyperlinked)
1.A battle I face
Vaughan Roberts is Rector of St Ebbes Church in Oxford and a popular Christian author and conference speaker with an international ministry. He has also struggled personally with feelings of same-sex attraction. This testimony was published in Evangelicals Now last year and is clear, biblical, passionate and pastoral.
2.How can the Gospel be good news to gays?
Sam Alberry is associate pastor at St Mary’s Church in Maidenhead. This brief article is clear and compassionate taking a firm biblical stance on the issue but arguing that people with homosexual orientation need more grace and not less.
3.The Bible and Homosexuality
Greg Downes is theologian in residence at Christianity Magazine. This article which unpacks a traditional evangelical understanding of homosexuality appeared initially as part of a head to head with Steve Chalke but it has had very little publicity. It is an excellent overview of the main Scriptures and links to a longer article going into more detail.
4.Biblical and pastoral responses to homosexuality
This new book, published last summer by the Evangelical Alliance gives ten affirmations clearly setting out EA’s position on the subject. In explaining these affirmations it reviews biblical and scientific material and explores the pastoral outworking of an evangelical position. It will especially be of help to church leaders and pastoral workers as well as those with same-sex attraction seeking to live faithfully as Christian disciples.
5.Unwanted same sex attraction
This booklet was published just over a year ago by Christian Medical Fellowship and is jointly written by an evangelical theologian and a professor in psychiatry. It sets out a framework for Christian ministry among people with same-sex attraction which is psychologically rigorous, theologically orthodox and pastorally sensitive.
6.Homosexuality
This is an article in the CMF File series which gives a basic overview of the subject of homosexuality from both a Christian and Medical perspective. Although I wrote it ten years ago before the Equality Act most of the material is still very much up to date. It is available in photocopiable pdf format so makes a useful handout.
The scriptures are the only possible source of reliable information on what Christianity is about. If someone is a Christian, then they would be wise to read and follow scripture. Like you wrote, I wouldn’t trust anyone who contradicted what scripture said. The Bible is like the US Constitution. It’s plainly written.
Indeed. If they were really happy in their sexual behavior, they wouldn’t need everyone else to agree with them and to try to use the legal system to punish anyone who doesn’t agree with them. But deep down they know it’s sinful and ultimately self-defeating.
G-d was Noah’s spiritual leader.
G-d made a covenant with Noah.It’s the oldest covenant for ALL mankind. There are 7 Laws for Noahides to follow and the Tanach is what Noahides and Jews go by.
There is a highly detail description about Noahidism on Wikipedia.
www.wikipedia.org.
So many of them are on drugs.
They’ll use Meth to have longer sex sessions and to decrease their inhibitions.
If they loved themselves and had self-respect they would not subject themselves to these filthy depraved acts especially while high on drugs.
In a way I feel bad for homosexuals because they have no self-respect or self-esteem. It’s actually quite sad.
Yet the Libs keep telling them it’s OK to be gay.
Romans 1
26
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
Nothing to debate.
“The problem with homosexuality is denying it’s wrong, refusing to repent, and giving in to the temptation. Churches who say it’s OK to be an unrepentent homosexual are apostate. They are evil, worse than those who are ignorant of the true, and I’d hate to be in their shoes when they stand before Christ.”
Yet many people see it as nothing different than mans natural desire which we are warned we need to keep in control.
I believe the apostles said that we should obey God rather than msn, and he also told the religious leaders, you strain oat a knat and swallow a camel
These “Christians” simply fear man more than they fear God.
**G-d**
Where in old testament scriptures is it taught to leave out the ‘o’ when spelling ‘God’? Why not the ‘d’ instead?
Is that some sort of man-added thing to make one feel holier?
**G-d made a covenant with Noah.**
Did that do away with the ‘seed of the woman smiting the head of the serpent’?
Nah. I’m happy with being a Noahide.
*Sigh* Ignorance abounds.
1) Jews and Noahides omit the ‘O’ in case G-d’s Name is erased or misused. Look it up before making such a scathing,foolish,ignorant remark.
2)Noahidism came into existence before Judaism,but both faiths are somewhat tied together. Look it up.
**1) Jews and Noahides omit the ‘O’ in case G-d’s Name is erased or misused. Look it up before making such a scathing,foolish,ignorant remark.**
Strange. You probably pronounce the ‘o’, or maybe that’s avoided as well. Like I said, man-made rules to help feel spiritual.
But, I think every group claiming to serve God have such.
Lord bless
It is to prevent the erasure or misuse of G-d’s Name. It is done in reverence. It has nothing to do with us;it has to do with G-d.
If you’ll notice there are Jews on FR who do the same thing.
May I ask what you are? Are you Catholic or Protestant?
Noahides worship the SAME G-D the Jews do and we adhere to the Noahide Code,which consists of 7 Commandments. Like the Jews we accept the Torah as the ONLY and FINAL word of G-d.
Noahides came before Jews and Christians. But Noahides and Jews share a common bond even though they are not the same religion.
That’s great that you revere God. I believe in revering Him as well. I believe that He has already sent the Prophet that Moses said God would raise up, and I believe that Prophet to be Jesus Christ.
**May I ask what you are? Are you Catholic or Protestant?**
I don’t believe in three separate and distinct persons of the Godhead, so I don’t really fit into either. I believe that the only God that exists is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and dwells, in His fulness (unlimited power and wisdom), in the Christ. And, that he gives of His Spirit (Holy Ghost) to dwell in whosoever it pleases Him.
Past bedtime,
Lord bless
I John 5:12-13 “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Romans 4:2-3 “ For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”
Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
It has been said that faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.
The point I am making is that there are a LOT of people who have never been anything but Evangelical and who do not agree with the sentence you closed with. You're preaching to the choir when you tell me about faith not being alone.
So far, the consensus from those who are Evangelical seems to be to just ignore such folks and say they're not real Evangelicals. That may be true, but they continue to grow and continue to call themselves Evangelicals. Someone who can reach such folks should be concerned about where this idea is coming from and with reaching their fellow Evangelicals.
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