And They’ll Know We are Christians By Our…?
Nov 14, 2007 Spirituality
I just read an article on Fox News that really has me sad and disappointed. First off, the article:
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Baptist Convention Expels North Carolina Church for Welcoming Gays
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Delegates to the Baptist State Convention have voted overwhelmingly to expel a Charlotte church for welcoming gays and lesbians without trying to change them.Myers Park Baptist Church became the first to be kicked out under rules passed at last year’s meeting. Those rules say any Baptist church that affirmed or endorsed homosexual behavior would be considered not to be cooperating with the convention.
The vote by the nearly 3,000 delegates came after two of the church’s leaders called on them to open their hearts to homosexuals who want to worship with them and to respect local autonomy in interpreting the Bible.
But convention president Allan Blume told the meeting that the Bible calls on believers to turn away from sin. He also suggested that Myers Park Baptist was mostly interested in seeking publicity for its views, not in trying to work within the Baptist State Convention.
Source: Fox News
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What bothers me here is how Blume says that the Bible calls us to turn from sin. Yes, that is correct, but at the same time, we ALL have sin that we either struggle with or have become so accustomed to that we forget it is sin. With that line of thought, the church should be turning everyone away. What about the alcoholic? The divorcee?
I guess that as a Christian, I am tired of Christianity that is so harsh in judging others for not being absolutely perfect. That is what is making the church less and less relevant to the world as days go by, and we need to turn it around. We need to be preaching a Gospel of love that says that no matter what, there is nothing that “w
ill be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
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Tags: christianity, church, faith, opinion, religion
November 21st, 2007 at 6:26 pm
I agree with you 100%. The church should never turn anyone away, especially for being imperfect, as no one could ever reach God’s standard of perfection. Although, I think we should be striving, out love, constantly, to better our walk with God, and to become better reflections of Him to this world.
I wouldn’t kick out someone for being homosexual, but in this libertarian world, I believe as Christians we need to make sure people know the truth. The absolute truth, and what God’s word says.
Kicking someone out of church will not make them change, or even contemplate their decisions, it will drive them further away from the love of Christ.
And why on earth is that church doing that when it is quite obvious from scripture that Jesus was clearly loving sinners?
What do people think will result from those actions? Ugh. Disgusting.
Good post!
November 21st, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I agree with you. Truth needs to be spoken, but in love, not in excommunication. How does this convey God’s love?