Comments on Schmidgalls: Right on the Front Page

Great thoughts! Here's my take...We had a guy com...

2006-08-31T17:25:00.000-05:00

Great thoughts! Here's my take...

We had a guy come to our church that was gay, but had an active relationship with God (prayed/read his Bible). Very interesting. He was seeking God, loved God, had the fruit of the spirit, and was gay. Hmm. You’re making this hard. Please live a no good, sexually promiscuous, caring about no one life, and you’ll make this much easier to call homosexuality a Biblical & sociological sin.

My current take (probably because we’ve been in John 6 for two weeks):
We can live a good life without perfectly pleasing God. We can do good acts and still have active sin. In our hands it’s a couple of fish & loaves of bread. But in Christ’s hands, the boy’s gift feeds the 5,000. Living out good acts we can accomplish good things. But if we’re not able to release every area to God, and put it in his hands, we’re not going to see the multiplication of his gifts in and through us.

We are called to accept people. What does that mean? Anyone can come to God? YES! The adulterous woman found a savior in Jesus when her condemners came to him to stone the woman. Jesus said let him who is without sin cast the first stone. So, do we ignore sin, since we all are sinners? No. Jesus didn’t say, go and be who you are. He said, go and sin no more. Here’s the question: Are we supposed to say that, or is the Spirit supposed to speak it? Certainly those who brought the woman to be condemned weren’t doing the work of God, right? I don’t find a perfect answer, but I do find a template to follow from Christ’s example. Love and accept regardless of someone’s past. At the same time, challenge in love, that people would grow towards Christ in the absence of sin and practice of His presence.

Interesting, because that’s the way other believers have had the biggest effect on my walk with God. Accept me, but live to a Godly standard. Love, but teach truth…my 19 cents ☺
-JS

My thoughts exactly Daves (both Daves). Weird, I'...

2006-08-29T18:01:00.000-05:00

My thoughts exactly Daves (both Daves). Weird, I'm not used to agreeing with people on this issue. Keep it real.

Justin

That's good craic Dave. I agree with 98% of what ...

2006-08-29T16:11:00.000-05:00

That's good craic Dave. I agree with 98% of what you said. We definitely have to love the gay community and see them as God would see them. They are people with sin just as we Christians have sin.

My senior year of high school (2000-2001) I somehow came about doing side jobs (i.e-plowing snow, raking leaves, lawn care, painting) for my high school English teacher who happens to be a lesbian. Even til this day I occasionaly do some work for them. At first I was not aware she was a lesbian although I had seen photographs of her and her partner but I thought they were roommates? Boy was I wrong. I was a bit thrown off but I didn't let it bother me. As the years have gone by, 5 to be exact, they've known who I am and what I am about. They know I am a Christian and my stance on gays. None of our differences have intefered with the frienship we've formulated. I'm so thankful that God has put me there. In some form or another it has shown them the love of Christ, I truly believe that. They know that there are Christians out there who care about the gay community and aren't quick to judge or turn away from them. I've built a relationship with these ladies and my desire is that God will somehow break through and deliver them from sin.

Loving the gay community as Christ loves us doesn't necessairly mean you are "o.k" with it or "accept" it. Here's where I disagree with you Dave :) I love these ladies I've worked for but I'm not o.k. with them being gay and I don't accept it. I accept them as people but I don't accept their sin. I truly believe God loves us regardless of who we are and what we do but at the same time He isn't o.k. with us commiting sin nor does He accept it. If God was ok with it there would be no reason for redemption or grace. If it was acceptable His whole purpose of Salvation would be pointless....naa mean?

I am not trying to attack you or anyone by any means, just throwing out my thougts on this touchy matter. These are some ideas to consider as Eikon is being put together. There has to be a clear definition of what you mean when you say "look, you might be gay, and guess what, that's ok..." Maybe rephrase it a bit? "We're not hear to judge but accept YOU AS A PERSON…..come on in.” I truly agree that they'll know if it's the real thing.

Those are my blurbs!
Love you David,
Gio

Interesting stuff Dave.... For some reason I wasn'...

2006-08-29T08:46:00.000-05:00

Interesting stuff Dave.... For some reason I wasn't shocked or even suprised about this or the naked guy pictured above! What worries me more than gay or straight sex techniques being taught in school is the nature and background within which schools talk about sex. It's taught as a mere biological function, a natural instinct to be reckoned with as opposed to a spiritual unification of two souls, not only bodies. If the initial premise of sex being a cosmic and spiritual act is denied, then it seems irrelevant what kind of sex is being taught because both are equally sinful and empty....

I agree that homosexuals can be Christians, as Tony said it (hoping this isn't out of context) is that none of us are Christians really, we are becoming Christians... So long as gays are seeking to become in tune with God and His spirit, it seems that God will do the convicting... It is our job, as you so eloquently stated, to love without reservation... Just as we would love a straight person with a fractured idea of what sex is, because as I said before, it seems that both are equally off-base... All you need is love : ) Keep em comin guys