Posted on 04/28/2011 5:55:29 AM PDT by ZGuy
Being gay is a gift from God, asserts one church in Ohio.
That’s the message that Central United Methodist Church is spreading throughout their community via a digital billboard, launched on Monday.
This “simple statement,” the church announced, is “intended to be a gift to those who have experienced hurt and discrimination because of their real or perceived sexual orientation.”
“The Church seeks nothing less than the healing of the world, and Central UMC wants to offer words and acts of healing to those hurt and marginalized,” the website states.
Jeff Buchanan, the director of Exodus Church Equipping & Student Ministries, agrees that the Church must display love and compassion for those in the LGBT community. But he opposes the message that CUMC is sending through their “Being Gay is a Gift from God” campaign.
“Why would God bestow this ‘gift’ only to condemn it throughout the Bible? This would seemingly contradict His character as a God who is loving and just.”
The Toledo church’s controversial billboard ad is directly connected to a long month-long sermon series by its new pastor, Bill Barnard. The church is hoping that the ad will move the public towards tolerance, reported ABC 13, and not perpetuate anti-gay attitudes and behaviors, which were harming the LGBT community.
The purposes of their recently launched campaign are threefold: to offer welcome to all persons who are gay; to challenge the larger Church to fully accept persons who are gay into the life of the Church; and to call on all people to bring all the gifts of who they are to God.
“By welcoming and living in community with faithful Christians who happen to be gay, we have come to understand that being gay is part of who God made them to be,” CUMC proclaims on their site. “And by gay Christians bringing all that they are to God, the body of Christ has been strengthened.”
“In fact, we would experience the body of Christ as incomplete without LGBT persons.”
Barnard told ABC, “We really believe that being gay is a gift from God, and it’s not anything that anyone has to apologize for or be ashamed about. So that’s how [the campaign] came to be.”
Believing sexuality to be a “good gift from God” – or as they declared yet another way in God’s infinite diversity – CUMC defines sin as denying who God created them to be.
“The overwhelming scientific evidence is that people are born with their sexual orientation, that it is not a choice,” the church contends. “Fully accepting one’s sexual orientation and identity is key to leading a normal and healthy life.
“Forcing people to act against their God-given sexual orientation will lead to disordered lives. Allowing people to act in accordance with their God-given sexual orientation leads to reconciliation.”
While deeming the marginalization of LGBT persons as “unjustified” – mentioning that Jesus did not speak directly regarding homosexuality – the Toledo church recognizes that the Church today continues to be divided over interpretation of Scripture related to homosexuality.
Just two months ago, 33 retired United Methodist bishops urged the denomination to remove its ban on homosexual clergy, prolonging the undying debate within the church body.
CUMC hopes to unify believers by focusing more on “things that [they] agree on, such as kindness, justice, and humility,” instead of contributing to hate and discrimination, which they believe leads not to reconciliation, but to self-destructive practices within the LGBT community.
“Holding people responsible for matters in which they have no control is irrational and immoral,” the church declares. “We believe that both those within and without the Church are hungry for dialogue about homosexuality that reflects compassion and humility rather than intolerance and strife.”
Buchanan contends that CUMC’s message “tells people that the only option they have is a gay identity.”
But “people need to understand that thousands of men and women have found there is another way and have found freedom from homosexuality through the power of Christ,” he says.
Even if there was conclusive evidence supporting the theory that people were “born this way,” Buchanan stresses that Christians were called to be “born again.”
“While we may not choose our desires, we do have the ability and responsibility to choose whether or not we act on those desires. Our goal should be living a life that is congruent with Scripture,” he says.
“Genesis describes the fall of man and the permanent effects that sin has on us spiritually, mentally, and physically. Just because something may be inherent does not mean it was intended.”
Despite the outcry of many from the Christian community against CUMC’s campaign, Barnard continues to proclaim that homosexuality is a “gift” and has people come and remain just “as they are.”
Working to accept persons who are gay into the full life of the Church, CUMC is a founding member of the Reconciling Ministries Network, which is the United Methodist movement for gay equality in the denomination.
Two of the volunteer staff members at their church, including the music director and lead team chair, live with their partners and have served the church for over seven years.
Grieved over the misinterpretation of Scripture and false teaching that is being promoted by CUMC and many other churches like them, Buchanan encourages churches to deliver the message of Christ with love and grace, but also with accuracy and uncompromised truth.
“We must always remember that authentic love is built upon a foundation of grace and truth.”
This absolute truth really hurts - so much so that lashing out against the Church is the only response you can muster:
“Declarations that sinful desires are a gift from God: following the well-worn empty path of Luther and King Henry VIII who taught the world to make it up as you go along and pretend that it’s Christian.”
“Churches” (actually “sects” such as yours) that pretend to democracy inevitably redefine sin as good.
It would be nice to see metmom or Hoss condemn the homosexuality within their own communities as harshly as they condemn it in others, but perhaps hoping for equitable standards to be applied to Catholics and non-Catholics is expecting a bit much from their group
But what is really funny is that none of these groups say anything about what THEY believe or do, just hides behind shouts and insults.
This is a standard leftist tactic to hurl insults at Christians and The Church and hide what they believe Tell us, hoss, metmom, what does your group believe in?
And exactly what IS my "sect", since you seem to know so much? Doing a little mind reading? I could just as easily say the same of your cult.
Hoss
Your sect is not Catholic or Orthodox (or a pretender of those wings of the Church).
Your sect, therefore, is de facto democratic.
Your sect chooses its leaders by popularity.
Who eventually tailor their doctrine so as to remain popular.
Otherwise they won’t have a congregation.
Your sect’s doctrine is subject to the veto of the membership.
And if you are a sect of one where you determine doctrines, then of course that is a most sinister and sad situation wherein your doctrine is always subject to your veto.
> “I left the mission field in Egypt because the Muslims
> didn’t have a proper Biblical view”.
If you feel called to be a missionary to the apostate church organizations, then do it. I do not believe that I have been blessed with that calling. Suffice it to say, the Lord has blessed me with another calling that may be even more challenging.
Meanwhile, the closest I’ve come to what resonates with my understanding of “church” can be found in this online book.
http://books.jesuslifetogether.com/The-Day-of-Small-Beginnings
Your sect DOES vote on doctrine, which is why your sect loves birth control, despite the Church’s constant position against it.
Even the sects condemned birth control as against the bible until the silly Anglicans voted to change accept birth control as holy at Lambeth (c. 1920).
All the other sects followed suit - because apparently anti-biblical sex is just too much fun and the voters wanted to have more fun.
So.. what you're saying is you don't know my denomination. You shouldn't be ashamed to admit it.
Your sect, therefore, is de facto democratic.
My "sect" is de facto nothing of the sort; you cannot make that pronouncement without knowing my denomination. FAIL.
Let's take this next one all at once:
Your sect chooses its leaders by popularity. Who eventually tailor their doctrine so as to remain popular. Otherwise they won’t have a congregation. Your sect’s doctrine is subject to the veto of the membership.
Hmmm. Your cult chooses its leader by vote -- popularity -- you know, all that white smoke and stuff? Voted in by the College of Cardinals? Hmmm. Seems very "democratic" to me. Projecting again?
Doctrine in my denomination is based on Scripture. Not popularity. Check out 2 Tim. 3:16 for a clue. And doctrine is not made up as you go along as is the Roman Catholic Cult's "tradition."
Congregations of my denomination cannot (and do not) "veto" Scripture... we are lead by it.... so I don't know where that pipe dream came from, but be disabused of it.
As for your last remark, that is so, well, unintelligible that I can only hope to guess what you mean since you seem to say that my "sect"'s congregation can veto doctrine, but that I as an individual can also -- that's contradictory. Sorry but you're really ballistic off the rails here -- no lock-on, and not tracking.
So... feel free to try again. I suspect you'll do no better.
Hoss
Cronos,
I believe all the 8 points you enumerated.
Sounds like basic Christian doctrine to me.
But I am not a member of a “sect” or “movement” or “denomination”.
Just a Bible reader.
When I was a young Christian, I encountered a verse I didn’t understand. I brought it to the preacher, and he asked, “Are you going to live that verse today?”
I asked, “How can I live it if I don’t even understand it?” I was hoping he would give me an explanation.
Instead he said, “Then focus on living the verses that you do understand, and if you manage to do that, perhaps the Lord will open your eyes to understand some of the deeper mysteries.”
Best advice I ever got.
Your sect’s perversions are too numerous to detail.
Source for this??? And do make sure you specify my "sect" when you answer.
Do you mean VOTE or VETO? Maybe a typo, or just the inability to stay on topic?
Hoss
Oh, please. Really? Go ahead and list them; you seem to enjoy it -- I'd think you'd have no trouble being specific as to the denomination I belong to since you adamantly seem to claim the knowledge...
C'mon... entertain us. At least more than you're doing now.
Hoss
Many people fall into the trap of self-sects, as you describe your own practices. Your choice is a gross and self-centered perversion.
While you CAN get some things right this way, it is NOT the way prescribed by God Himself.
Any sect that rejects the Church (Catholic and Orthodox)
pretends to democracy and independence
and this is a gross perversion.
In addition, your sect includes the most ardent sinners as members and leaders, who commit the most heinous sins - including perversions too numerous to mention.
That means that your sect and your sect’s leaders are perverted in several ways.
And another thing,
your failure to note your own sect
leads one to believe
that you are embarrassed to claim your Christian associations.
Anyone who is unwilling to state their own religious communion, as your actions indicate you have done on this thread, is certainly worht paying attnetion to only as an example of a farce.
By all means,
if you are a member
of a sect that
rejects birth control
as anti-biblical,
then just name your sect and I will gladly retract my remarks.
Not at all. The Scriptures are plain enough when it comes to practice.
Read 1st John 2:27
Following is a little note from the Pilgrim Fathers, whom you would probably disdain, though you benefit greatly from their insight and heritage.
It is great arrogance for any man or Church to think that he or they have so sounded the word of God to the bottom as to be able to set down precisely a Church's practices without error in substance or circumstance, and in such a way that no one thereafter may digress or differ from them with impunity.
Jesus says it was NOT GIVEN to some to understand Gamer... they can not help it
Forgot to footnote “Of Plymouth Plantation” as the source of that quote.
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