Memo: May 10, 2020 started our new adventure with Faithlife.com, two weeks now...
The Christian Post: United Methodist Church sets new date for conference expected to debate homosexuality stance.
In a religious context, sin is an act of transgression against divine law. Sin is associated with the corruption of a being through acts which are wicked or destructive, such that can cause a being to fall from grace and divine providence. While sins are generally actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, shameful, harmful, or alienating might be termed "sinful".
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, may be based on irrational fear and ignorance, and is often related to religious beliefs.
Are we not all children of God???
As pope, Francis (wikipedia.org) has repeatedly spoken about the need for the church to welcome and love all people, regardless of their sexual orientation. Speaking about gay people in 2013, he said that "the key is for the church to welcome, not exclude and show mercy, not condemnation." In July of that year, he said "If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him? The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this in a beautiful way, saying…: 'no one should marginalize these people for this, they must be integrated into society.
Bishop Spong says: "I have made a decision. I will no longer debate the issue of homosexuality in the church with anyone. I will no longer engage the biblical ignorance that emanates from so many right-wing Christians about how the Bible condemns homosexuality, as if that point of view still has any credibility. I will no longer discuss with them or listen to them tell me how homosexuality is "an abomination to God," about how homosexuality is a "chosen lifestyle," or about how through prayer and "spiritual counseling homosexual persons can be cured".
(https://walkingwithintegrity.blogspot.com/2009/10/manifesto-from-our-friend-bishop-john.html on Blogger no copyright mentioned).
According to some Christians referring to 1 Corinthians 8:6 "yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist" and Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him". is that include gays?
Now the arguments comes with John 1:12–13. 12 "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, the gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God". according to this God created us all but we are not all God's children...
I know personally lots of LGBT persons that are devoutly Christians and as accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, what can we add more to it?
Homosexuality's should be nothing else than a fact, a fact of life, nothing more.
Equal Rights for Homosexual and Bisexual Persons.
Some nations are very tolerant of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders, while some are extremely punitive. In June 2009, Lithuania passed a law banning information about homosexuality and bisexuality from places where youths can see it. Uganda is proposing a death penalty homosexuals and prison sentences for failure to report them. Less accepting areas of the world are the United States and Africa. Canada has a high acceptance level and permits gay marriages. The three nations that have the highest acceptance scores and allow gay marriages are the Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium.
Homosexuality is a sin, Leviticus 18:22, "Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable. And Romans 1:26-27, "26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error".
What happen of the great commandment, name used in the New Testament to describe the first of two commandments cited by Jesus in Matthew 22:35–40, Mark 12:28–34, and Luke 10:27.
In Mark, when asked "which is the great commandment in the law?", the Greek New Testament reports that Jesus answered, "Hear, O Israel! The Lord Our God, The Lord is One; Thou shalt love thy Lord, thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind", before also referring to a second commandment, "And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Most Christian denominations consider these two commandments to be the core of correct Christian lifestyle but not good enough for homophobe churches.
What does the Bible really say about sex?
Given the controversies over same-sex marriage, homosexuality, and gender-bending now raging in our culture, what is the biblical pattern for human sexuality?
The gift of sexual activity, as presented in the Bible, is consistently located only within the context of the marital covenant. Joined to each other within this monogamous covenant, the man and the woman may be naked, and not ashamed (Gen. 2:25). The consistent witness of the biblical writers is that sexual relations are limited to this covenant relationship. All forms of extra-marital sexual activity are condemned, including premarital sex (fornication). Adultery is expressly forbidden as a particularly dangerous and damaging insult to the marriage and to the glory of God. (Ex. 20:14, Deut. 22:22, 1 Cor. 6:9-10). At the same time, the husband and wife are ordered to fulfill their marital duties to each other, and not to refrain from sexual union (1 Cor. 7:2-5).
The reality of sexual brokenness is also addressed. The pain and shame of adultery, for example, are demonstrated in the account of David's sin with Bathsheba. Paul's horror in learning of sexual sin among the Corinthians occasioned some of his clearest teachings on sexuality and holiness. At the same time, the Bible points to salvation and the atoning work of Christ as the ground of our sexual healing and the promise of forgiveness. As Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians, "such were some of you," listing the sexually immoral, adulterers, and homosexuals (1 Cor. 6:9-11). The tense of the verb is critically important in this text, for the "such were some of you" serves to underline that Christians cannot continue in such sins.
The biblical writers affirm sexuality as a part of our embodied existence. As human beings we are sexual creatures, and as sexual creatures we are called to honor God with our bodies. Within the context of the marital covenant, the husband and wife are free to express love for each other, experience pleasure, and join in the procreative act of sexual union. This is pleasing to God, and is not to be a source of shame.
No debate accept and love your neighbour as thyself...
Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. If you really consider a homosexual as a sinner, your position is "treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector".(Matthew 18:17)
CHURCH & MINISTRIES
Memo: May 10, 2020 started our new adventure with Faithlife.com, two weeks now...
The Christian Post: United Methodist Church sets new date for conference expected to debate homosexuality stance.
In a religious context, sin is an act of transgression against divine law. Sin is associated with the corruption of a being through acts which are wicked or destructive, such that can cause a being to fall from grace and divine providence. While sins are generally actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, shameful, harmful, or alienating might be termed "sinful".
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, may be based on irrational fear and ignorance, and is often related to religious beliefs.
Are we not all children of God???
As pope, Francis (wikipedia.org) has repeatedly spoken about the need for the church to welcome and love all people, regardless of their sexual orientation. Speaking about gay people in 2013, he said that "the key is for the church to welcome, not exclude and show mercy, not condemnation." In July of that year, he said "If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him? The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this in a beautiful way, saying…: 'no one should marginalize these people for this, they must be integrated into society.
Bishop Spong says: "I have made a decision. I will no longer debate the issue of homosexuality in the church with anyone. I will no longer engage the biblical ignorance that emanates from so many right-wing Christians about how the Bible condemns homosexuality, as if that point of view still has any credibility. I will no longer discuss with them or listen to them tell me how homosexuality is "an abomination to God," about how homosexuality is a "chosen lifestyle," or about how through prayer and "spiritual counseling homosexual persons can be cured".
(https://walkingwithintegrity.blogspot.com/2009/10/manifesto-from-our-friend-bishop-john.html on Blogger no copyright mentioned).
According to some Christians referring to 1 Corinthians 8:6 "yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist" and Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him". is that include gays?
Now the arguments comes with John 1:12–13. 12 "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, the gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God". according to this God created us all but we are not all God's children...
I know personally lots of LGBT persons that are devoutly Christians and as accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, what can we add more to it?
Homosexuality's should be nothing else than a fact, a fact of life, nothing more.
Equal Rights for Homosexual and Bisexual Persons.
Some nations are very tolerant of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders, while some are extremely punitive. In June 2009, Lithuania passed a law banning information about homosexuality and bisexuality from places where youths can see it. Uganda is proposing a death penalty homosexuals and prison sentences for failure to report them. Less accepting areas of the world are the United States and Africa. Canada has a high acceptance level and permits gay marriages. The three nations that have the highest acceptance scores and allow gay marriages are the Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium.
Homosexuality is a sin, Leviticus 18:22, "Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable. And Romans 1:26-27, "26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error".
What happen of the great commandment, name used in the New Testament to describe the first of two commandments cited by Jesus in Matthew 22:35–40, Mark 12:28–34, and Luke 10:27.
In Mark, when asked "which is the great commandment in the law?", the Greek New Testament reports that Jesus answered, "Hear, O Israel! The Lord Our God, The Lord is One; Thou shalt love thy Lord, thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind", before also referring to a second commandment, "And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Most Christian denominations consider these two commandments to be the core of correct Christian lifestyle but not good enough for homophobe churches.
What does the Bible really say about sex?
Given the controversies over same-sex marriage, homosexuality, and gender-bending now raging in our culture, what is the biblical pattern for human sexuality?
The gift of sexual activity, as presented in the Bible, is consistently located only within the context of the marital covenant. Joined to each other within this monogamous covenant, the man and the woman may be naked, and not ashamed (Gen. 2:25). The consistent witness of the biblical writers is that sexual relations are limited to this covenant relationship. All forms of extra-marital sexual activity are condemned, including premarital sex (fornication). Adultery is expressly forbidden as a particularly dangerous and damaging insult to the marriage and to the glory of God. (Ex. 20:14, Deut. 22:22, 1 Cor. 6:9-10). At the same time, the husband and wife are ordered to fulfill their marital duties to each other, and not to refrain from sexual union (1 Cor. 7:2-5).
The reality of sexual brokenness is also addressed. The pain and shame of adultery, for example, are demonstrated in the account of David's sin with Bathsheba. Paul's horror in learning of sexual sin among the Corinthians occasioned some of his clearest teachings on sexuality and holiness. At the same time, the Bible points to salvation and the atoning work of Christ as the ground of our sexual healing and the promise of forgiveness. As Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians, "such were some of you," listing the sexually immoral, adulterers, and homosexuals (1 Cor. 6:9-11). The tense of the verb is critically important in this text, for the "such were some of you" serves to underline that Christians cannot continue in such sins.
The biblical writers affirm sexuality as a part of our embodied existence. As human beings we are sexual creatures, and as sexual creatures we are called to honor God with our bodies. Within the context of the marital covenant, the husband and wife are free to express love for each other, experience pleasure, and join in the procreative act of sexual union. This is pleasing to God, and is not to be a source of shame.
No debate accept and love your neighbour as thyself...
Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. If you really consider a homosexual as a sinner, your position is "treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector".(Matthew 18:17)
Rev. Eric Michel Archbishop