Another question that the authors asked the unchurched was, "If you were considering visiting or joining a church, would knowing that the church did not welcome and affirm homosexual members negatively or positively impact your decision?"
Here are the responses: 83% of the always unchurched would react negatively to a church that does not affirm homosexuals as members and 52% of the friendly unchurched would react negatively to a church that does not affirm homosexuals as members.
I have two questions:
1. How do we as followers of Jesus work with this group on this topic?
2. How do we differ in handling homosexuals than Jesus did?
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
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ReplyDeleteNo clue how to answer this one other than to say that Jesus did not call us to carry the Gospel to all nations, except for the homos. He said ALL nations. Irrespective of what sin someone is mired in at the moment.
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ReplyDeleteI think David Willy nailed it on the head!
ReplyDeleteProbably not a good place to share my thoughts. What is wrong with telling someone you are concerned for their soul?
ReplyDeleteHow long do we accept or tolerate the lifestyle once they come to church?
ReplyDeleteI agree that we have no business telling people not to come, no matter their sin. We are all sinners being loved by a Great God.
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ReplyDeleteWhere is the line between grace and tolerance?
ReplyDeleteRomans 6
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ReplyDeleteI think we tolerate it as long as we tolerate any other sin in church. How long do we tolerate lying? Gossip? Slander? Gluttony?
ReplyDeleteSo, how do we get those who live in a homosexual relationship to feel at ease about Christians and how do we address sin (all the ones mentioned above)?
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ReplyDeleteI agree with David. It all comes back to relationships. That's the only way addressing anything in someone's life is given heed.
ReplyDeleteThe same way you, Dustin, will address something you see in my life. You've earned that right by investing in my life. I listen to you, not because you're a pastor, but because you're my brother and my friend.
David,
ReplyDeleteMore detail. Well I think we tend to jump to a lot of conclusions when dealing with this topic today in the church.
First, the original post said “affirm.” My understanding of that word is it means you validate and support. I know of no church that validates and supports adultery. Yes it gets messy dealing with sin and certainly none of us should be throwing stones but Jesus did say go and sin no more not everything is great and I affirm what you are doing.
The reason I didn’t want to say anything? Well the tone told me this too might set the conversation off in the wrong direction.
I worked 10 years in the creative field. This topic isn’t theory it was a part of my experience. I will never forget after someone put some hatful bigoted statement on a door the conversation I had with one of my co-workers. I wanted to make sure he knew I would never do or say something like that. He told me he understood and knew it wasn’t me. He went on to say that he knew I was concerned for his soul but would never be hateful.
I just don’t get why that is such a big deal. To show love but have someone know you are worried about them? That was all I was getting at but by the tone felt it would probably go in a different direction.
Sorry I have not responded sooner to your request.
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