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RonD1120

Called to Love the Gay Community

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I don't see why gays and Christianity is such a big deal. Gays are sinners just like anybody else you would find siting in a Church. The strength of the Christian faith is realized when old sin patterns are replaced with the Truth God has to offer. Trying to repackage sinful behavior and call it Christian is why the Christian Church is in such a confused state today. Sexual sins like any other sin keep us from experiencing God's best in our lives.

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Here's the problem as I see it: when two people love each other enough to get married, raise a family, and spend the rest of their lives together, the Church calls it a blessing and expression of God's love on Earth.

Unless those two people happen to be men, in which case that same situation is a sin and an abomination.

- Dan G

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I don't see why gays and Christianity is such a big deal. Gays are sinners just like anybody else you would find siting in a Church. The strength of the Christian faith is realized when old sin patterns are replaced with the Truth God has to offer. Trying to repackage sinful behavior and call it Christian is why the Christian Church is in such a confused state today. Sexual sins like any other sin keep us from experiencing God's best in our lives.



Absolutely correct and has been my position all along.
Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

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Sorry Ron, I call it like i see it - I read your other posts too - and it is/was clear as a bell.....



The issue here is that you believe that anyone that disagrees with homosexuality is homophobic.



There's a big difference between "I don't want to suck a dick" and "You sucking dick is an abomination against God and a sign of the end times"...the latter being much more indicative of homophobia than the former.

Blues,
Dave
"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

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Sorry Ron, I call it like i see it - I read your other posts too - and it is/was clear as a bell.....



The issue here is that you believe that anyone that disagrees with homosexuality is homophobic.



There's a big difference between "I don't want to suck a dick" and "You sucking dick is an abomination against God and a sign of the end times"...the latter being much more indicative of homophobia than the former.

Blues,
Dave



That depends on your faith.

There is also compassion and sorrow from (the above) for an individual or group not being able to experience the full glory of God. Some have experienced such a profound euphoria from accepting God in their lives it is unfathomable that anyone would do anything to shun that away.
I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

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Sorry Ron, I call it like i see it - I read your other posts too - and it is/was clear as a bell.....



The issue here is that you believe that anyone that disagrees with homosexuality is homophobic.



There's a big difference between "I don't want to suck a dick" and "You sucking dick is an abomination against God and a sign of the end times"...the latter being much more indicative of homophobia than the former.

Blues,
Dave



That depends on your faith.

There is also compassion and sorrow from (the above) for an individual or group not being able to experience the full glory of God. Some have experienced such a profound euphoria from accepting God in their lives it is unfathomable that anyone would do anything to shun that away.



No, it doesn't depend on my faith. Anyone who thinks an increase in blowjobs is a harbinger of the apocalypse is, ipso facto, homophobic. The source of that fear, be it biblical or somehow related to raisins, doesn't make it any more rational.

Blues,
Dave
"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

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Sorry Ron, I call it like i see it - I read your other posts too - and it is/was clear as a bell.....



The issue here is that you believe that anyone that disagrees with homosexuality is homophobic.


There's a big difference between "I don't want to suck a dick" and "You sucking dick is an abomination against God and a sign of the end times"...the latter being much more indicative of homophobia than the former.

Blues,
Dave


That depends on your faith.

There is also compassion and sorrow from (the above) for an individual or group not being able to experience the full glory of God. Some have experienced such a profound euphoria from accepting God in their lives it is unfathomable that anyone would do anything to shun that away.


No, it doesn't depend on my faith. Anyone who thinks an increase in blowjobs is a harbinger of the apocalypse is, ipso facto, homophobic. The source of that fear, be it biblical or somehow related to raisins, doesn't make it any more rational.

Blues,
Dave


As Bill would say, I meant the universal "You":)
If I see a young inexperienced swooper wannabe hooking it as hard as he can, I feel sorrow that he will likely hurt himself and the perception of the sport. I'm not afraid of him.
I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

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Sorry Ron, I call it like i see it - I read your other posts too - and it is/was clear as a bell.....



The issue here is that you believe that anyone that disagrees with homosexuality is homophobic.


There's a big difference between "I don't want to suck a dick" and "You sucking dick is an abomination against God and a sign of the end times"...the latter being much more indicative of homophobia than the former.

Blues,
Dave


That depends on your faith.

There is also compassion and sorrow from (the above) for an individual or group not being able to experience the full glory of God. Some have experienced such a profound euphoria from accepting God in their lives it is unfathomable that anyone would do anything to shun that away.


No, it doesn't depend on my faith. Anyone who thinks an increase in blowjobs is a harbinger of the apocalypse is, ipso facto, homophobic. The source of that fear, be it biblical or somehow related to raisins, doesn't make it any more rational.

Blues,
Dave


As Bill would say, I meant the universal "You":)
If I see a young inexperienced swooper wannabe hooking it as hard as he can, I feel sorrow that he will likely hurt himself and the perception of the sport. I'm not afraid of him.


But if you thought his swooping was an abomination against god, and a herald for the arrival of the anti-christ, yeah, that would be an irrational fear.

Blues,
Dave
"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

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There is also compassion and sorrow from (the above) for an individual or group not being able to experience the full glory of God. Some have experienced such a profound euphoria from accepting God in their lives it is unfathomable that anyone would do anything to shun that away.



Compassion, great! But people aren't complaining that Christians showed them compassion. They're complaining about the extraordinary lack thereof.

That's not an attempt to spread a message. It's an excuse to point fingers and vent your anger on people who have done nothing to you. We don't scream in church at the twenty-somethings who are living together and not married. We don't spit at unwed mothers. We don't curse at people who are divorced. We invite them in to sit down, hear the message, and do the best they can with it. Why should gay folks be treated any differently?

Christians would do well to remember that nobody ever found Jesus while being screamed at, cursed at, spit at, or any of the other nasty behavior I saw on Sunday. I thought the mission of Christians was to bring people closer to Jesus, not push them farther away. Am I wrong?

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There is also compassion and sorrow from (the above) for an individual or group not being able to experience the full glory of God. Some have experienced such a profound euphoria from accepting God in their lives it is unfathomable that anyone would do anything to shun that away.



Compassion, great! But people aren't complaining that Christians showed them compassion. They're complaining about the extraordinary lack thereof.

That's not an attempt to spread a message. It's an excuse to point fingers and vent your anger on people who have done nothing to you. We don't scream in church at the twenty-somethings who are living together and not married. We don't spit at unwed mothers. We don't curse at people who are divorced. We invite them in to sit down, hear the message, and do the best they can with it. Why should gay folks be treated any differently?

Christians would do well to remember that nobody ever found Jesus while being screamed at, cursed at, spit at, or any of the other nasty behavior I saw on Sunday. I thought the mission of Christians was to bring people closer to Jesus, not push them farther away. Am I wrong?



It seems SOME groups need a boogeyman to use to scare their flock. Its a moving target depending on which century and which group. Different races.. differing religions... right now there is a certain amount of loosening among some segments of people that homosexuality is not quite the boogeyman they were led to believe by those deparately needing a boogeyman to hate.

So which group is the religious right going to sieze as their next boogeyman after they loose those sinful gays to hate??

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There is also compassion and sorrow from (the above) for an individual or group not being able to experience the full glory of God. Some have experienced such a profound euphoria from accepting God in their lives it is unfathomable that anyone would do anything to shun that away.



Compassion, great! But people aren't complaining that Christians showed them compassion. They're complaining about the extraordinary lack thereof.

That's not an attempt to spread a message. It's an excuse to point fingers and vent your anger on people who have done nothing to you. We don't scream in church at the twenty-somethings who are living together and not married. We don't spit at unwed mothers. We don't curse at people who are divorced. We invite them in to sit down, hear the message, and do the best they can with it. Why should gay folks be treated any differently?

Christians would do well to remember that nobody ever found Jesus while being screamed at, cursed at, spit at, or any of the other nasty behavior I saw on Sunday. I thought the mission of Christians was to bring people closer to Jesus, not push them farther away. Am I wrong?



No - you aren't wrong. But just like with any religion there are those that take it to far and tolerance is avoided and shunned.

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But if you thought his swooping was an abomination against god, and a herald for the arrival of the anti-christ, yeah, that would be an irrational fear.



My further response goes to you too dave.

Try to have that same walk in a muslim dominant city. See how much tolerance you get there.
I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

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Christians would do well to remember that nobody ever found Jesus while being screamed at, cursed at, spit at, or any of the other nasty behavior I saw on Sunday. I thought the mission of Christians was to bring people closer to Jesus, not push them farther away. Am I wrong?



You are correct. People who try to minimize their own sins by pointing out the sins of others are not living the example Christ set for us. The Bible makes it very clear that those who do so are guilty of the worse sin.

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No, it doesn't depend on my faith. Anyone who thinks an increase in blowjobs is a harbinger of the apocalypse is, ipso facto, homophobic. The source of that fear, be it biblical or somehow related to raisins, doesn't make it any more rational.

Blues,
Dave



Allow me to correct your assumption.

First, the term phobia indicates fear and, although popular, is incorrectly attributed to those who voice objection to homosexual behavior. Sex outside of marriage, between a man and a woman, is sinful. We do not use the terms "prostiphobia" or "promiscophobia" or "swingophobia." Those voicing moral concern are objecting to practices that have negative social and personal consequences.

Second, I do not fear the coming Apocalypse. It is an end time prophecy. It will come and no one knows when. It is the last prophetic message to be fulfilled.

The increase and acceptance of sinful behavior is a sign of the end times. In other words, for the Christian, things will get a whole lot worse before they get better.

As a recovering alcoholic and substance use abuser I have a compassionate desire to help others free themselves of that bondage, if they choose to do so. As heterosexual, I have the same compassion for the individual practicing homosexuality.
Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

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There is also compassion and sorrow from (the above) for an individual or group not being able to experience the full glory of God. Some have experienced such a profound euphoria from accepting God in their lives it is unfathomable that anyone would do anything to shun that away.



Compassion, great! But people aren't complaining that Christians showed them compassion. They're complaining about the extraordinary lack thereof.

That's not an attempt to spread a message. It's an excuse to point fingers and vent your anger on people who have done nothing to you. We don't scream in church at the twenty-somethings who are living together and not married. We don't spit at unwed mothers. We don't curse at people who are divorced. We invite them in to sit down, hear the message, and do the best they can with it. Why should gay folks be treated any differently?

Christians would do well to remember that nobody ever found Jesus while being screamed at, cursed at, spit at, or any of the other nasty behavior I saw on Sunday. I thought the mission of Christians was to bring people closer to Jesus, not push them farther away. Am I wrong?



You are not wrong. You are right on target.

Again I state, I have never witnessed the aforementioned degrading behavior in any church I have attended. For that matter, I have not heard of it in my community.

Sadly, I have read about despicable injustices in other parts of the country.
Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

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It seems SOME groups need a boogeyman to use to scare their flock. Its a moving target depending on which century and which group. Different races.. differing religions... right now there is a certain amount of loosening among some segments of people that homosexuality is not quite the boogeyman they were led to believe by those deparately needing a boogeyman to hate.

So which group is the religious right going to sieze as their next boogeyman after they loose those sinful gays to hate??



I believe you are correct. Your last statement begs the question, what would the left wing liberal fanatics do without the right-wing Christian boogeyman?

It the Yin-Yang. It takes both to create energy. There is a little Yang in every Yin and vice versa.
Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

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to libs the whales and the rainforest (jungle) are worthy of better protections than human fetuses , so i should have included trees are people too !



Right. And this has fuck all to do with Christians and gays, exactly how?

- Dan G

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Insightful.


Called to Love the Gay Community
by Ron Sider

"As most of us know, a huge gulf separates evangelical Christians and the gay/lesbian community. To a large extent because of our failures, they mistrust, despise, and are enormously hostile to evangelicals, viewing us as homophobic bigots."

http://www.esa-online.org/Article.asp?RecordKey=50A67964-3113-4E76-A4F0-A8423E8B7750



Follow up from the Evangelicals for Social Action, ePistle October 20, 2010.

READERS RESPOND

Dear ePistle,

Loved, loved, loved Ron Sider’s article about how Christians can relate to the gay community. I love what Andrew Marin is doing, and I’m so glad ESA published this article! This is theologically right on and Ron’s words really communicate God’s heart. Well done, ESA!
Angie Weszely
Palentine, IL

Dear ePistle,
Jesus is Lord. Interesting article about Mr. Marin and gays. Speaking the truth in love as James Dobson’s ministry does. How can anyone read the Scriptures such as Judges 19 thru 21, I Cor. 6:9; Romans 1, etc. and not see that unrepentant sinners will not inherit the kingdom is hard to believe. To continue to sympathize with the unrepentant does not seem like love, but deception.
Wayne K.

Editor’s response:
We share your desire to "speak the truth in love." This is affirmed in Ron's statement, "I want ESA to be a loving place where gays and lesbians can freely express their views even as ESA remains firmly committed to the biblical teaching that God’s will for sexual activity is in a lifelong marriage between a man and a woman." ESA's goal is not merely to sympathize but to extend authentic, costly love to individuals who are dearly beloved by their Creator.
Heidi Unruh


Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

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>>to libs the whales and the rainforest (jungle) are worthy of better
>>protections than human fetuses , so i should have included trees are
>>people too !

>And this has fuck all to do with Christians and gays, exactly how?

In some people's minds, liberals, the environment, climate change, abortion, gays etc are all lumped into "confusing things we're afraid of." So an attack on any is an attack on all; they're interchangeable when it comes to venting one's spleen.

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You are not wrong. You are right on target.

Again I state, I have never witnessed the aforementioned degrading behavior in any church I have attended. For that matter, I have not heard of it in my community.

Sadly, I have read about despicable injustices in other parts of the country.



Should you want to witness some of it, and experience being a target of it so you know how it feels, you are more than welcome to join our AIDS Walk team next year. The Christian group is standing on the same corner every single year, spewing the same venom with the same nasty signs telling everyone walking that God hates us. I am curious as to how they know.

On the upside, the rest of the route is lined with wonderful people cheering for us and thanking the walkers for bringing awareness and much needed funds to the community. Over the last 26 years, AWLA has raised over $69 million dollars for AIDS awareness, testing, research, and community assistance programs here in Los Angeles.

And while all those cheering people are wonderful, the ones I really remember are the ones that were cursing at me. And someone can encounter a million wonderful Christians, but the negative experiences tend to stand out far more than the positives, and one awful experience can undo a lot of bridge building.

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to libs the whales and the rainforest (jungle) are worthy of better protections than human fetuses , so i should have included trees are people too !



There was once a time when you hardcore Christians defended slavery, denying women the right to vote, racism, and a ton of other crap based on your out dated superstitions. History now shows you were dead wrong, and in 20 years history will show you are dead wrong once again.

In 30 years you will have to explain to your grand children why you were against Gay marriage, Gays in the military and Gays in general. Just like most of the bigots against segregation, your memory will be a bit foggy and you will probably keep your mouth shut so your grand kids don't think that much less of you.

You guys are on the wrong side of history, again.

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No, it doesn't depend on my faith. Anyone who thinks an increase in blowjobs is a harbinger of the apocalypse is, ipso facto, homophobic. The source of that fear, be it biblical or somehow related to raisins, doesn't make it any more rational.

Blues,
Dave



Allow me to correct your assumption.

First, the term phobia indicates fear and, although popular, is incorrectly attributed to those who voice objection to homosexual behavior. Sex outside of marriage, between a man and a woman, is sinful. We do not use the terms "prostiphobia" or "promiscophobia" or "swingophobia." Those voicing moral concern are objecting to practices that have negative social and personal consequences.

Second, I do not fear the coming Apocalypse. It is an end time prophecy. It will come and no one knows when. It is the last prophetic message to be fulfilled.

The increase and acceptance of sinful behavior is a sign of the end times. In other words, for the Christian, things will get a whole lot worse before they get better.

As a recovering alcoholic and substance use abuser I have a compassionate desire to help others free themselves of that bondage, if they choose to do so. As heterosexual, I have the same compassion for the individual practicing homosexuality.



I agree that many people misconstrue hatred for fear. The fact that JimBob hates queers doesn't mean he's skeered of them, and we'll just skip right past the correlation between the shrillest opponents often using their shouts to cover their own desires. No, "phobia" relates to an irrational fear, such as a fear of losing a war because a queer won't kill an opponent, or losing soldiers to a mass murderer because the Army treated all religions equal, or thinking hailfire & brimstone go best with Lava and a loofah, because Randy and Dale got it on last night.

You go ahead and enjoy your 72 virgins. In the meantime I'm going keep combating my phobias...I'm afraid stupid people are trying to kill me, intolerant people are raping my dog while I'm at work, mean people are sucking everyone but me, and that llama that lives down the street from me is a ninja.

Blues,
Dave
"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

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You go ahead and enjoy your 72 virgins. In the meantime I'm going keep combating my phobias...I'm afraid stupid people are trying to kill me, intolerant people are raping my dog while I'm at work, mean people are sucking everyone but me, and that llama that lives down the street from me is a ninja.

Blues,
Dave



That sucks, I think your dog is getting the bad end of the deal here.
I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

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