My swan song.

[William769]

Why Christians are embracing their LGBT neighbors


America is embracing its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens. Don’t believe me? Just look at the progress being made in faith communities.

The Christian church was once considered the final holdout for those who oppose equality for LGBT people. Staunch believers could gather in worship with people who thought just like them to hear sermons affirming the anti-LGBT beliefs they held in common.

For those of us who identify as LGBT, church was a place of fear and secrets. We had to figure out how to hide ourselves or how to find a more welcoming community.

But that is changing.

Although there is still a variety of scriptural interpretations, an increasing number of Christians are reading scripture and understanding that God’s design for the world includes LGBT people. It follows, good Christians believe, that if God made them, then I am called to love and support them.

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/25/my-take-why-christians-are-embracing-their-lgbt-neighbors/?hpt=hp_t2

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[Divine Discontent]

2. amen... maranatha Lord!

I liked that last part, specifically because people are realizing that humans have twisted biblical meaning and ancient language to demonize GLBT people, and it's got to stop - God made us - so the holy leaders had better love what God made! King David and Jonathan had a very deep intimate relationship detailed well in the O.T. where David said his love for Jonathan, who gave up the throne by disrobing himself before David, was greater than that of his love for women. And, frankly, no sane argument about Jesus can be had if anyone is going to ignore Him saying, "Whosoever believes shall not perish". Just, duh...

:kick:



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[w8liftinglady]

3. Of course!

Thank you for sharing this.



http://www2.cathedralofhope.com/new
(the most beautiful church in Dallas)

[joeybee12]

4. Yup, good to see more people are getting it...knr

[msongs]

5. xtian doctrine = gay = sinner. if u think u are a sinner, christianity is for you. No matter how it

is dressed up for political correctness, gay = sinner and only jesus can keep you from hell. but that is the party line for everyone, gays are just the run of the mill sinner. No jesus = go to hell.

[Warpy]

6. Jesus never said a single word about homosexuality

and it's high time the clergy remember that it was Paul, who never met Jesus, who despised women and gays.

About the only proscription directly from Jesus (100 years later, but the texts mostly agree) was against divorce and remarriage, especially for women. Otherwise, he saved his ire for the Republicans money changers, Pharisees, and hypocrites.

[Kurmudgeon]

8. Agreed, be a Christian, not a Paulist.

[Pacifist Patriot]

14. Actually, the fault lies with neither.

The most egregious misogyny in the New Testament is from the early church fathers, i.e. the infamous passage in Timothy. Any biblical scholar worth anything will tell you it's not original to Paul. Paul openly acknowledges female leaders in the earliest Christian communities. He's got his faults, but this actually isn't one of them. Look a little later in church history for this.

[Warpy]

17. Yes, I know that Roman misogyny is what gradually percolated into and through

the reasonably egalitarian early church and that some of the worst things attributed to Paul were inserted into different parts of the same texts in different early copies of it. However, it's telling they stuck all this stuff with him instead of with the belated transcriptions from actual witnesses.

There's no way they'd have had the chutzpah to attribute any of the nasty stuff to Jesus.

[Jester Messiah]

7. Why would you want to partake of that ancient barbaric bullshit?

The church is no place to find enlightened thought. These are people who take orders from the rantings of bronze-age barbarians and their imaginary friend in the sky. Why even bother?

[Kurmudgeon]

9. Some are willing to actually read what Christ said before making a judgment, you should try it.

[Jester Messiah]

10. I read the whole thing.

Best way to convert someone to atheism: have them read the bible.

[Pacifist Patriot]

15. Crisis of faith is a huge problem in seminaries.

It is exceedingly difficult to study the Bible critically and retain one's faith. That's why more conservative denominations and independent churches actually discourage their pastors from becoming biblical scholars.

[William769]

11. Metropolitan Community Church.

Our Philosophy

We are called as Christians to:
• stand in solidarity with those who are marginalized and oppressed,
• be partners in working for change,
• be witnesses who call attention to Human Rights abuses,
• be a voice in the international community for justice,
• lift up new generations of remarkable, far-reaching spiritual activists,
• build on hope and create our future.


Much more here http://mccchurch.org/overview/human-rights-protocol/


"ancient barbaric bullshit" I think not.

P.S. this is not some fly by night Church organization, nor is it a local organization, it is worldwide and yes we are making a difference.

[Jester Messiah]

13. And you can't do that without some mythical overlord?

You need the Divine Authoritarian who tosses you into eternal torture if you don't do as he says? (But remember, he loves you! And he needs money!)

Not buying it. I like the mission statement, but the mumbo-jumbo that comes with it is still ancient barbarian bullshit.

[Pacifist Patriot]

16. I think the point is that engaging in social justice does not require theism.

[dickthegrouch]

12. I'm with Jester

I will never understand why people flock to something that has as its central tenet: punishment for failure to obey.