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May 31st, 2013
04:19 PM ET
Baptists plan exodus from Boy ScoutsBy Daniel Burke, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor (CNN) - For Southern Baptist pastor Tim Reed, it was Scripture versus the Scouts. “God’s word explicitly says homosexuality is a choice, a sin,” said Reed, pastor of First Baptist Church of Gravel Ridge in Jacksonville, Arkansas. So when the Boy Scouts of America voted to lift its ban on openly gay youths on May 24, Reed said the church had no choice but to cut its charter with Troop 542. “It’s not a hate thing here,” Reed told CNN affiliate Fox 16. “It’s a moral stance we must take as a Southern Baptist church.” Southern Baptist leaders say Reed is not alone. Baptist churches sponsor nearly 4,000 Scout units representing more than 100,000 youths, according to the Boy Scouts of America. That number could drop precipitously. The Southern Baptist Convention, the country’s largest Protestant denomination, will soon urge its 45,000 congregations and 16 million members to cut ties with the Scouts, according to church leaders. The denomination will vote on nonbinding but influential resolutions during a convention June 11-12 in Houston. “There’s a 100% chance that there will be a resolution about disaffiliation at the convention,” said Richard Land, the outgoing head of the Southern Baptists’ Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, “and a 100% chance that 99% of people will vote for it.” “Southern Baptists are going to be leaving the Boy Scouts en masse,” Land continued. Roger “Sing” Oldham, a spokesman for the Southern Baptist Convention, emphasized that local congregations make their own decision on the Scouts. But he, too, said he expects Baptist delegates, which the church calls “messengers,” to voice their disagreement with the BSA's decision to allow gay youths. “With this policy change, the Boy Scouts’ values are contradictory to the basic values of our local churches,” Oldham said. Several religious groups with strong Scouting ties support the new policy. “We have heard from both those who support the amended policy and those who would have preferred it would not have changed,” said BSA spokesman Deron Smith. Faith-based organizations charter more than 70% of Scout chapters, providing meeting space and leadership, according to the BSA. “There have been some organizations that have decided not to renew their charters with Scouting," said Smith, "but we can’t quantify the impact of the amended policy." The National Jewish Committee on Scouting, the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which sponsors more Scout units than any other faith, all endorsed the change. The National Catholic Committee on Scouting, which is run with oversight from a bishop, said Thursday that allowing gay youths in the Scouts does not conflict with church teaching. Each bishop will decide whether or not to allow churches in his diocese to charter Scout units, the committee added. “We ask that Catholic Scouters and chartered organization heads not rush to judgment,” said Edward Martin, chairman of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting. But the Rev. Derek Lappe, pastor of the Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Bremerton, Washington, has already made up his mind. “I do not feel that it is possible for us to live out, and to teach, the authentic truth about human sexuality within the confines of the Boy Scout’s new policy,” said Lappe. The priest told CNN affiliate FOX16 that his parish will part ways with the Scouts and develop its own programs. There may soon be an alternative to the Scouts for social conservatives like Lappe. John Stemberger, founder of On My Honor, a group that opposed the Scouts’ change in policy, plans to convene conservatives in Louisville, Kentucky, in June to consider forming a new Scout-like group, which could be up and running by the end of 2013. “Churches and Scoutmasters are looking for leadership and direction,” said Stemberg, an attorney in Orlando, Florida. A number of conservative religious denominations already sponsor their own groups. For instance, the Southern Baptists have the Royal Ambassadors, an explicitly Christian program founded in 1908 for boys in first through sixth grade. (A similar group called Challengers equips older boys in “mission education.”) The name comes from the New Testament, in which the Apostle Paul tells Christians to be “ambassadors for Christ.” The estimated 31,000 Royal Ambassadors pledge “ to become a well-informed, responsible follower of Christ; to have a Christlike concern for all people; to learn how to carry the message of Christ around the world; to work with others in sharing Christ; and to keep myself clean and healthy in mind and body." While not as outdoorsy as the Boy Scouts, Ambassadors do camp and play sports, said Land, who was a member of the group during the 1950s. But instead of merit badges for archery and bird study, young Ambassadors earn patches for memorizing Bible verses and mission work. Southern Baptists said they are preparing for a surge of interest in the Royal Ambassadors at their upcoming convention in Houston. “We really have an opportunity here to strengthen our RA programs,” the Rev. Ernest Easley, chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, said in a sermon last Sunday, “and to get the boys in a program where they’re going to be protected, where there’s a high moral standard and where they will have an opportunity to learn about camping, missions, evangelism in the local church.” soundoff (10,821 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 Next » |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Psychological research, especially MRI brain studies, indicate that inflexibility in being able to recognize differing points-of-view, concurrent with static, rigid thinking patterns correlate highly with conservative thinking, both republican and democrat; with low educational level and susceptible acquiescence to those religions that are more controlling in structure.
hmmm
I agree with you both. I don't want my children to be associating with Southern Baptist children.
June 1, 2013 at 2:55 pm......and billfitt, please get rid of the feces infecting your cranial mass
billfitt,
Do you pronounce your last name as Pffft?
Oh, how I love what religion does to people! Just listen to all of you...all of you...you all sound like a bunch of children...and it makes for some great entertainment too! Tell ya what...when the world decides on one God, one bible and one religion, then we'll talk! I think the proper response to that idea is: When Hell freezes over!.
They'll need to agree on only one interpretation of that bible , too!
JimK2450… Haven't you heard, so long as Lucifer exists there will be no harmony. Harmony will only come on Judgment Day when God casts all evil people into the lake. So save yourself before it is too late…
@nice try: get psychiatric help today.
Muddle-eastern mythology is attacking our country, both physically and mentally, 9-11 and religion.
I believe the church has every right to do as they wish with their relationships and affiliations. That being said, many of us also have the right to point out the incredible ignorance revealed as many posters here echo their opinion that they claim as a belief that being gay is a "Christian" judgment of perverse "sin". What has occurred to me is that it is a level of ignorance, but also hypocrisy that is very deep and wide because we know three things to be true:
1. The type of Christian that has the belief described above is out of step with current scientific knowledge from biology and psychology about homosexuality. This is similar to when the RCC didn't believe Galileo's claims at first, but had to reckon with science evenutally.
2. The type of Christian that has the belief described above is in disagreement with other Christians. Each think they are the spokesperson for their God and yet they disagree.
3. The type of Christian that has the belief described above does not treat all moral "sins" in the same way. Look at issues from the Bible on divorce for instance.
It's pretty obvious that it looks foolish to claim that one knows a Christian objective (from God) moral truth on this issue in light of the ignorance of current scientific knowledge, inter-Christian conflict, and hypocrisy. Quite simply, Christians no longer have a leg to stand on in their judgment of gays.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Psychology
The American Psychological Association states "there are probably many reasons for a person's sexual orientation and the reasons may be different for different people", and says most people's sexual orientation is determined at an early age. Research into how sexual orientation in males may be determined by genetic or other prenatal factors plays a role in political and social debates about homosexuality, and also raises concerns about genetic profiling and prenatal testing."
Professor Michael King states: "The conclusion reached by scientists who have investigated the origins and stability of sexual orientation is that it is a human characteristic that is formed early in life, and is resistant to change. Scientific evidence on the origins of homosexuality is considered relevant to theological and social debate because it undermines suggestions that sexual orientation is a choice."
The Royal College of Psychiatrists stated in 2007:
"Despite almost a century of psychoanalytic and psychological speculation, there is no substantive evidence to support the suggestion that the nature of parenting or early childhood experiences play any role in the formation of a person's fundamental heterosexual or homosexual orientation. It would appear that sexual orientation is biological in nature, determined by a complex interplay of genetic factors and the early uterine environment. Sexual orientation is therefore not a choice."
Biology
The following is from the article:
Homosexuality ultimately a result of gene regulation, researchers find (12/11/2012 – LiveScience)
[ The search for a "gay gene" may be off-target, new research finds. Another process called epigenetics that switches genes on and off may explain why homosexuality runs in families.
Epigenetics are heritable changes caused by factors other than DNA. Instead of traits getting passed down through the genes, epigenetic change happens because of the way genes are regulated, or turned on and off.
These genetic regulators may be the reason homosexuality persists in nature despite the fact that gay people are less likely to reproduce, suggests the new study published in the journal The Quarterly Review of Biology.
"These things have evolved because they're good for the parents, but they sometimes, not [with] high frequency, but sometimes carry over" into offspring, study researcher William Rice, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told LiveScience. In a male fetus, Rice and his colleagues write, an epigenetic change that benefited the mother may lead to "feminization" of sexual preference — homo- or bisexuality. The same may be true for epigenetic changes passed down by dad to a female fetus. (The terms feminization and masculinization of sexual preference refer to sexual orientation only — not to physical or personality traits of the offspring.)
The findings add to past research suggesting gay men haven't died out, because female relatives of gay men tend to have more children on average than other females. The study researchers specifically found that two genes passed on through the maternal line could produce this effect.
Hormones, epigenetics and orientation
Rice and his colleagues focused on epi-marks, which are molecular changes that act like temporary "switches" to turn genes on and off. If a gene is a blueprint, the epi-mark is the construction foreman who makes sure the product gets built. An epi-mark also determines when, where and how much a gene is expressed, according to the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis.
These molecular switches are usually erased very early in the developmental process, but they can be passed down from generation to generation, too, Rice said.
Some epi-marks are particularly important during fetal development, when they promote normal physical development in the sexes despite natural variations in testosterone during pregnancy. Researchers know that fetal exposure to too much testosterone can masculinize the genitals, brain or behavior of a genetically female fetus. Likewise, too little testosterone can make a genetically male fetus more feminized.
But here's the catch: There's lots of overlap between the levels of testosterone male and female fetuses get exposed to. That means there must be another side to the story, Rice and his colleagues wrote.
That side appears to be epigenetics, Rice said.
"Early in development, we think these epi-marks are laid down so that girl fetuses will be relatively insensitive to testosterone and male fetuses will be relatively sensitive to testosterone," Rice said.
Biological behavior
Thus, if an epi-mark that kept a mother from getting exposed to high testosterone in development gets passed on to her son — the opposite sex — it could desensitize him to testosterone, contributing to his sexual preference for men. Similarly, if a male-specific epi-mark from dad gets passed to a daughter, it could "masculinize" her sexual preference, making her more interested in women.
These findings could explain why twin studies show that homosexuality runs in families, but no "gay gene" can be found, Rice said. In identical twins, there's about a 20 percent chance that if one twin is gay, the other will be too. If genetic change were responsible for homosexuality, you'd expect a much higher match, Rice said. Epigenetics, however, can explain the heritability without the need for a specific genetic change.
The hypothesis could be tested by examining epigenetic marks in parents of kids with gay versus straight offspring, Rice said. There are, of course, concerns that this knowledge could be used by parents who want to avoid gay offspring, Rice said, but that concern already exists around certain hormonal conditions in utero, which are known to contribute to an increased chance of offspring being lesbians.
"That cat's already out of the bag," Rice said. He added that an understanding of the biological underpinnings of homosexuality could help emphasize that same-sex behavior is not "unnatural."
"In fact, it's a major part of the natural world," Rice said. Fourteen percent of Western gulls raise chicks in female-female pairs, he pointed out. And 8 percent of male sheep show zero interest in fertile ewes, but get sexually excited by other rams. ]
a godless,god hating society seems to be coming up with every excuse to keep on doing wrong-–that still does not make it right--sorry,but you are wrong,as are these so-called 'experts'
furthermore,psychology is not an absolute science to begin with,as the human psyche is still not fully understood.A patient can claim to a psychiatrist they are born with it,and who is the psychiatrist to dispute it?Truth is,it is a choice,plain and simple.There is no genetic code,or 'woe is me' gene.It is a choice-–this godless nation has tried time and time again to justify their wrongs--but only God can justify,and his word is clear on the matter.It is a choice,and it is wrong,no matter how you try and scientifically explain it away.
So leading experts in the fields of psychology and biology are wrong are they? Hmm, and you you still think the earth is flat do you?
So sparks, who do you get your "truth" from? Which of the 40,000 conflicting sects colors your opinion of what "objective truth" is on this subject?
He's a protestant. You know the only true Christian branch.
@speedracer has all the answers and is smarter than all the scientists on Earth put together. You see, science came about as a conspiracy to undermine Christianity, never mind that the first scientists pre-date Christianity. I'm sure the scientists changed the history books to just make it look like the Greek astronomers were around before Jesus. Never mind all the good that has come out of science (like modern medicine) – all scientists and anyone who believes them will go to hell.
Hey sparkie ..............was it a chondrite stone.............not rock ?
A Step Closer to Artificial Livers: Researchers Identify Compounds That Help Liver Cells Grow Outside Body
June 2, 2013 — Prometheus, the mythological figure who stole fire from the gods, was punished for this theft by being bound to a rock. Each day, an eagle swept down and fed on his liver, which then grew back to be eaten again the next day.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130602144612.htm
@mama k
What makes you think that "leading experts" know all the facts, especially when they are coming up with a hypothesis or a "we think" this is why statement. Any one with half a brain knows that a hypothesis is not a fact.
One sect calls homosexuality an abomination while the next one (over four million members) in the same denomination is already performing gay marriage. One sect, the Westboro Baptist Church believes Americans are being killed at war because America is too kind to "fags". Many of these sects are equally divergent on the roles of women in society.
One sect believes that Jesus and Satan were brothers and that Christ will return to Jerusalem AND Jackson County, Missouri. Some believe the Pope is the Antichrist. Some believe Obama is the Antichrist.
Some believe that celibacy is the only option for certain people, or for people in certain positions. Many of the people from these same institutions advocate against abortion, but pretend not to understand the realistic benefit of the morning after pill or even basic contraception; their unrealistic wishful thinking is causing the death of many at the hands of disease.
Recently we learned from CNN of a child dying when their parents, members of a Christian sect in Philadelphia, as part of their faith, refused medical care. When incidents like the subject of this article come to light, many Christians are only too ready to try explain how another Christian's interpretation of ancient "scripture" is not quite right.
Conflicted right from the start, Christianity continues to splinter, creating more and more extreme divisions, with each division trying to assert itself as some true messenger of the word of the Christian God.
Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth.
(Thomas Jefferson, from Notes on the State of Virginia, 1785)
Over 40,000 sects of insanity and not one word of truth in your post. Go figure...
what's not true, Nice try? Oh, I remember you're the one who earlier said "biology is wrong". so science hurts your head?
You can Hate the Sin, but even Jesus didn't Hate the Sinner... Christ made himself a Servant to those... Wasn't he all about the Business of Forgiving and Saving? No sinners allowed in a Church that Christ's Life is supposedly being taught about says a lot about what they are teaching... It used to be that CHRISTIAN meant CHRIST-LIKE?
Kind of like today's Humane Society... Look at the ASPCA, mostly uniformed Police focused on Enforcing Animal Rights Laws on Humanities Poorest of the Poor... I guess we would be improving if "We The People" could in our Churches at least first attempt to be HUMANE to ourselves, you know... Be HUMAN-LIKE, which really don't require Dogs and Cats!!!
You would think a fundamental concept of Humanity could be grasped before trying to lead a Church... Note: "SOUTHERN" Is where a Bible Belt is used as a teaching tool to this day in 28% of their school's... Here in Corpus Christi, Texas our High Court, Family Court Judge... Judge William Adams, still seated and having received back pay after being put on leave for a 20 Minute Leather Belt Strapping taped (Played on Main Stream Media and still on U-Tube) of his Developmentally Disabled Daughter...
Real Food-for-thought!
Whosoever: Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin
http://whosoever.org/v6i6/cindy.html
Did you know that at one time Christians had THOSE kind of weddings? Until the haters arrived that is.
http://anthropologist.livejournal.com/1314574.html
good let them go....... people are leaving churches in masses as well
There was a time when Black people were not permitted to worship in a house of God with White people. At the time, bigots touted "God's will". I don't understand how people can go to a house of worship and still keep their hearts closed.
@ Clyde....... I so agree with you its sad how closed minded people are today....... they say hate in your heart will consume you too and I see that with so many people. Clyde its nice to see people that have been face with adversity as I assume we both have, I know I have, and yet the heart is still open.
Yes this is exactly what you want to do to the Boy Scouts. It is unfair to pedophiles that want to be open with their child love to ban them from joining the Scouts. Why didn't the Scouts also support Beastiality? Why leave them out? Or how about those that are attracted to dead bodies?
Elmo… I think what the gays are seeking is the wrong destination. Where they really should be trying to go is to "hell". You'll find every evil fantasy and every kind of sin you can dream of in hell. Lucifer has even got a few things they haven't even tried yet…
Elmo and Nice (dumb and dumber)
Pedophiles, bestiality, necrophilia are not the same as being gay.
Peds are not likely to be gay, regardless of what your education or lack thereof might claim. This article will educate those one-celled brains of yours a little: http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html
Bestiality is another end of the spectrum and so is necrophilia and neither is common, nor are they what could be potentially considered as normal.
You idiots bring these things up every time the issue of being gay is brought up when the evidence outweighs the buybull and shows that being gay is natural.
For either of you morons to think otherwise only shows how uneducated in the 21st century you are.
How do you expect to avoid gays in this world? Is it not slightly evident that they are speaking out and not going anywhere? Why do you wish to remain stuck in the dark ages??
If you have such an issue with gays, stay out of the public, they are all around you.
"go is to "hell". You'll find every evil fantasy and every kind of sin you can dream of in hell."
You know judging is a sin moron. It is your hell, not mine...you enjoy it!
The difference between corpses, children, and animals vs. ho/mose/xual adults is a little thing we like to call "informed consent".
Ya dig?
Truth Prevails… How thin. Then you're in sin for judging me. Welcome to Hell…
It doesn't exist, moron. You're the imbecile who believes in it, so it looks like your problem, now doesn't it?
Please read the referenced article before commenting:
From the Philadelphia Inquirer review “Gay Gene, Deconstructed”, 12/12/2011. Said review addresses the following “How do genes associated with ho-mose-xuality avoid being weeded out by Darwinian evolution?”
"Most scientists who study human se-xuality agree that gay people are born that way. But that consensus raises an evolutionary puzzle: How do genes associated with h-omose-xuality avoid being weeded out by Darwinian evolution?"
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/evolution/Gay-gene-deconstructed.html
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What happened to: "All are welcome in God's name"?
The demon-possessed Satanists disguised as holier-than-thou Christians changed all that to suit their agenda.
@Their Agenda: If we look really closely, would be see horns hiding under their cap?
This Scripture would certainly answer you best, Doris, "By their fruits ye shall know them." There are so many so-called church-going Christians who arrive ravenous at the table ready to tear apart anyone who is different from them, something that is so against Jesus' teachings, and they have the gall to say it is to try to help them, can you imagine? But the devil also appears as an angel of light you know!
The Evangelical Southern Baptists are the reason I left this organization years ago and many more including president Carter.. So maybe it is a good thing the Southern Baptist leave the Boy Scouts, we don't need dictators in an organization like this and it seems that is what they want to be. They are not the Baptist I grew up with, they are politicians and money mad.
Keep filthy, disgusing faqqots away from America's kids.
You won't be saying that when you have a child, BillyBob... with your sister.
ThankYou… Not everyone has fantasies like that. Thanks for letting us know you do. Be sure to give the local police your name and address so they'll know where to find you…
Maybe your a Catholic? Not a Simple minded Southern Baptist... In the Vatican they said they didn't have the authority to even prosecute Pedophiles from their Bible... Oh, but Butlers who whistle blow on Popes who operate Money Laundering operations is covered apparently... To prosecute the Tattle Tales that is not the Corrupt Popes... They get to retire even before the usual "to death do us part" Popes, from Church activities, God's GOLDEN Parachute from the Wall Street Heaven!!!
Note: Search on terms " Spires 42 Trillion Dollar Law Suit" or "CNBC Executives Children killed and report censored"... Isn't Main Stream Media great about News Black-Outs!!! Oh, Search Term "3rd Party Validation of E-Cat", Oil Companies and Wall Street hate cheap Energy!!! or the News Black-Out Search Terms "ICELAND FORCES DEBT FORGIVENESS"...
I hope you don't have any children or grandchildren that turn out to be gay as it's obvious you wouldn't love your kids unconditionally.
These faq... hold on, moms yelling I have to take the trash out, I'll be right back.
"Keep filthy, disgusing faqqots away from America's kids."
Sociologists and psychologists hold that some of the emotionality in prejudice stems from subconscious attitudes that cause a person to ward off feelings of inadequacy by projecting them onto a target group. That's right folks homophobic people like this are just insecure and immature.
When are we going to stop organizing our lives around the pre-Iron myths age contained in ancient books? The bible also says that slavery, child abuse, and human sacrifice is acceptable. It really doesn't require much intelligence or common sense to know that these behaviors are wrong or that hatred, intolerance, and vengeance are not the actions of an omni-benevolent god of love.
Lamont, it seems that people choose to interpret the bible in ways that serve their own beliefs. If they are bigots, they can find something in the bible to support their jaundiced way of looking at the world. I hope God has a sense of humor as he hears all of this.
Remember chad........... the talking donkey you like so much might of chewed on that BONE.............that created eve.
Stony Irons
Ancient Egyptians Accessorized With Meteorites
May 30, 2013 — Researchers at The Open University (OU) and The University of Manchester have found conclusive proof that Ancient Egyptians used meteorites to make symbolic accessories for their dead.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130530094635.htm
Why do people give God the glory for everything GOOD that happens, and then blame the devil for everything BAD? Especially when GOD created the devil. AND.... the devil has to ask God for permisison to do evil, eventhough, that was just for betting purposes (as told in Job). Why not hold God ultimately responsible for sin in this reality?? It's God's reality, HE made everything in it. All the GOOD and the BAD........ begins and ends with GOD.
Right, and I always wonder why some couples who have trouble having babies don't accept that God doesn't want them to have babies? Instead they don't accept that and go to great lengths to have babies, with IVF ,etc to the point they have actual litters of babies – and then call it God's will?!?! They just don't want to know God's will, if they ever cared at all.
@joe, i think most people have come to terms with the fact that god is a bucket for the meaning of things they don't understand.
That is superficial, dime-store theology. If you would dedicate more than a commercial break to religious moral study, you might not sound so ridiculous.
Using your level of deductive fallacy, I could claim that all petroleum is actually solar power. After all, the sun created all that energy millions of years ago.
@dk -- So you're saying God doesn't control everything? God didn't make everything? Somehow God's experiment of life got out of control and sin was created?!? YES....... I'm putting everything on God. Y'know why?........... it's God. If God isn't the beginning and end to all things, then WHAT IS? Where does God get to stop being responsible for the reality God created? I think it's rather dumb to give God (obviously FAR more intelligent than anything God created) a reprieve on the bad things, then give God credit for all the good things. When, in fact, God created ALL things.
There are So Many places for Christian Gays and Lesbians to go to worship as they feel led without the prejudice and hate that the other churches exude. What matters most is what is in your heart to become close to Jesus and to Love One Another as He said we should.
Gay Affirming Christian Churches
http://christiangays.com/links/christian_other.shtml
so suddenly the church is hateful because it does not conform to society's standards as to what they believe is right or wrong?why should we be forced to believe the way you do?sounds to me like the only ones here being intolerant are the ones who disagree with the church and want to force them to conform to their way of thinking.You can choose what you believe,as can we.
True enough. Why stay with a church that can't see the light? Start your own; It will be even better than the one you left.
Gay Christian is as much of a oxymoron as Gay Neonazi. I guess if you decide to define "christian" by ignoring the teachings of the Bible, then you could pull it off. But then you destroy the word and it could apply to any one who decides that the label applies.
Ever wonder why there are so many versions of Christianity? That's because there are so many different ways to interpret the teachings of the Bible. None of you can say for a FACT that your version is what these long dead people intended. In fact, no one can say for a FACT that their particular religion or lack thereof, is correct. None of us will know until the day we die so it would probably be wiser to live by the Golden Rule (also known as the Greatest Commandment in Christianity), treat others with respect and leave the judging to whatever maker you believe in.
Being a gay Christian must feel a lot like being a black klan member. I'll never understand it.
Sparks, I hate to break it to you, but Jesus taught tolerance, compassion, turning the other cheek, non-judgement, forgiveness, and specificially told idiots like you to cast the first stone if you were free of sin. Not surprised to see you're another bigotted Christian who doesn't follow Christ's teachings whatsoever. Perhaps you should go pray for understand.
so suddenly the church is hateful because it does not conform to society's standards as to what they believe is right or wrong?
This isn't sudden. It's been a very gradual process. Christianity has had to whittle down the number of "sins" they will accept in their membership over the years as people stopped thinking that divorce, remarriage, premarital sex, interracial marriage and many other behaviors as "sins". They have to. Their membership would dwindle to nearly nothing if they didn't accept and perform divorced marriages.
As society becomes more enlightened and less prone to superstition, they are less tolerant of discrimination based on folklore.
why should we be forced to believe the way you do?
No one is forcing you to believe anything. You are free to live in the dark ages for another 2000 years. You are not free to force others to believe what you believe through legislation.
That should be "will not accept".
@ whatwhat
Being a gay Christian must feel a lot like being a black klan member. I'll never understand it.
Dave Chappelle does a funny bit about a blind black man who is a KKK leader. It won't answer any questions but it might give you a laugh.
You forget one very important thing, folks who dislike gays, Jesus was not exclusionary He included ALL to His table. And who in the world would use words like "oxymoron", "black klan member", etc. to describe those who wish to join Jesus at the table except for those who are in legion with the adversary the devil, but disguised as angels of light.
If you equate gays to sinners with their straight counterparts who are very much sinners as well, you have just eliminated virtually everyone who could ever attend a church. But then, that is your main mission that has now been exposed which is that allegedly coming from good Samaritans when in reality nothing could be further from the truth. God would not approve of your hate in trying to drive any person away who seeks to go to church!
wonderful news !!!!!!!.....who needs them anyway........scouts better off without them.......imbeciles.
You are the imbecile for thinking that every one should follow your choices.
No, FACTS-youre the imbecile-there arent two sides to this-you either believe in equality for all or youre abigot-shame on you! Now please die off!
@norman... don't bother. He's a loon.
The greatest benefit of Christians abandoning the BSA is that it lessens the likelyhood that the scoutmaster is a pedophile.
Exactly. Seriously, one of the idiots quoted in the article is a Catholic priest of all things.
catholics are not christians--sorry to burst the buble on your ill-conceived statement.
last I checked,there are quite a bit of pedophiles outside of the church.......what are you doing there,hmmm?lol
SPARKS-youre not really that idiotic are you? Catholcis are the largest branch of christianity (christianity means you believe jesus is the son of god and died for your sins)-stay in school dummy!
@sparks2000
You said, "catholics are not christians–sorry to burst the buble on your ill-conceived statement."
Get a fucking clue. Odds are that if you are an American christian, your sect branched off from the catholic church. They claim to be the true church that your Jesus started.
norman-–if you were to actually study the beliefs of true christians and catholics,you would see many differences.In fact,many more differences than similarity's.Perrhaps you should study it,before looking foolish and speaking about it.
Catholics aren't Christians, according to whom?
Christian: Professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
linca-–protestants did not 'branch' from catholicism.It was their revolt against the false doctrine of the catholics that caused the protestant movement to form....study history,please
sparks, To burst your bubble. By definition, followers of christ are christians: orthodox, catholic, protestant, mormon, etc. I know you like to think you are the only true christians, but you know what – they all do.
kilgo-–a christian puts jesus above any else-exclusively salvation through him--the false doctrine of the catholics teaches otherwise-–study history and study doctrines
as for mormons,JW's,etc.,they also take away from the doctrines of believing in Christ for salvation,as catholics do.therefore,these are also false religions.Christians follow CHRIST,and him alone.
"the false doctrine" roflmfao.. what a moron. There have been over 30,000 denominations of Christianity, and you follow the true one, huh, looneytunes? Delusional doesn't even begin to describe you.
sparks, So protestants branched off from catholics, same as mormons have branched off of protestants – evolution in action.
@sparks, they are all false religions. they are only semantic differences.
You obviously are misinformed.
@sparks2000
You said, "protestants did not 'branch' from catholicism.It was their revolt against the false doctrine of the catholics that caused the protestant movement to form....study history,please"
I'm well aware of the reasons why the protestants branched from the RCC. While they had differences of opinion on the interpretation and execution of the bible, they remained united in their core beliefs. All christian denominations, sects and cults, all 38,000 of them, share the same bullshit at the core of their delusion. They all believe, without a shred of evidence mind you, that there was a god that raped a married woman, got her pregnant and spawned your Jesus.
believe as you wish....I do and am perfectly fine with it.....thats the glorious part of being human beings....we can choose our destiny 😉
@sparks, you can certainly have the illusion that you can choose your destiny.
@sparks2000
catholics are not christians–sorry to burst the buble on your ill-conceived statement.
The irony in your ill-conceived statement is funny. So according to you, the Catholics had it all wrong from the time of Christ until your branch decided to reinvent Christianity?
Actually, half-wit, Catholics are the original Christian. If your beliefs are so different, then it's probably you who aren't Christian.
Also, half-wit, "similarity's"??? LMAO @ you! Maybe you should go back to second grade and learn how to pluralize nouns before you look like the imbecile you clearly are.
We all have the same "destiny". Star dust and worm food. I have no problem with that. If you do, then you are free to imagine that you'll be whisked off by fairies to a better place. No one is stopping you. It's not easy to confront your mortality, so if that helps you, fine.
Just keep it out of our laws.