One of the things research has proven over time, is "Thou dost protest too much." According to researchers, those that are the loudest dissenters of homosexuality, are those that have the strongest homosexual tendencies. Because they are fighting so hard against falling prey to it in their own lives, they believe that everyone must be like them and need encouragement to stay out of that lifestyle. Something to think about the next time you here scathing remarks against homosexuality coming from the pulpit.
This got me to thinking about the acceptance in our churches. The reason Gay people like me and get along with me so well, is I am so comfortable with my own heterosexuality, that their choice of sexual orientation does not bother me in the least. I treat them just like everyone else, period. I actually had a good gay friend of mine the other day say, "if you were gay, I would be all over you." I just laughed and gave him a hug. Why can he say this to me, and I react like that. Because we both know, I am not gay, and he will never have a chance with me, but we are still good friends.
That got me to thinking about why churches often times rail against certain things. Because that is what they are most susceptible to.For me, I used to be on an Eight Ball pool league. We would play in a different bar every Monday. The biker bar, I must say, was by far the funnest. They have the best dirty jokes in the world. They were our favorite team to play, and we were their favorite team to play. Why, because we just treated them like everyone else. In those situations, I could go in, and come out with my faith intact at all times. Why, because I am comfortable in my Faith. I know I am saved, there is no chance that I am not. So I can go where others would not go, for fear of falling. Because I am comfortable with my faith.
12 comments:
This is truth ... you can't be tempted by what doesn't tempt you. LOL
i've been on 2 gay dates in my life. i didn't realize it at the time, but later the realization came. one was by a shift leader i worked with who asked me to see the who's "tommy" when it came to town. he bought my ticket. he bought me drink. he bought me dinner. it wasn't until later taht i learned he was gay. and it wasn't until much later that i then put 2 and 2 together and realized i had been on a gay date.
when the transvestites in perkins hit on me, i was always flattered and not offended.
you seem to be hitting on this subject over and over again. bikers and homosexuals. 2 groups of people who know how to party. who know how to enjoy themselves. who, over many years, have learned to know who they are and accept themselves and say, "fuck the world." who then in turn, know how to offer acceptance to people and treat them the way they would like to be treated. mostly, i think, because they have received so much predjudice and ill treatment.
which, for many who are mainline evangelicals, have a hard time accomplishing. because while they do, i believe, want to treat people how they would like to be treated, also have the added pressure of trying to "purify the world." or, "take their town for jesus." and these said bikers or homosexuals live lives that don't square with much of what these people are taught. so there comes this dichotomy of trying to love this person while hating everything about them and trying to change them into a person you can tolerate being around.
as if jesus is counting on you to end homosexual behavior or biker bars.
to me, this just says that at the end of the day, this group of christians doesn't believe in grace. the cross is good and all, but if i want to "go to heaven" i need to be responsible for it with my behavior, and the people, policies, and politics i support. because that's what really gets you into heaven.
LOLOLOL jon, thanks for the amusing record of your gay date ... Didn't you once think it odd that a guy was buying everything for you???
So cool... you were probably so young ...
Bikers are ok with anyone who treats them with the love and respect due to any human being ... even though that same love and respect is not a banner among them. There are those who have taken up with them because they seem to fit there for awhile not realizing that Christ was far more radical than they are. When they do realize, they leave bikerhood ... but then they don't really fit into church either ... and spend their days helping in other areas and looking for those who love the radical Christ who sets love far above any law. "Sometimes" they find them in a church setting ..
they are there ... and are able to tolerate the atmosphere because Christ has placed them there. We have been placed where we are supposed to be ... all unique to our own experiences and are able to help in areas that noone else is able to ... that is how cool our God is.
If you embody the fruits of the spirit there is no law against you.
Life by the Spirit
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Galatians 5
Spitting beattitudes out are ya.
You know, I was wondering, is witchcraft actually mentioned in the bible? Wait, concordance right here hold on. da da da da da (imagine the Jeopardy theme song playing here) NO IT IS NOT. why then is it such a hot button with the church. Are we now creating things that God does not like. I would HAVE to assume that the thought of magic has been around forever. Whent that first cave man tried to conjure food out of a rock so as not to starve to death in the winter. Why do we find it necessary to invent evils to fight?
Hmmm ... interesting response... :-)
You are not talking to a church goer here Nate ... I am not one of the
"accepted"
There are several references to witchcraft .. 7 actually in the NIV and the other versions simply exchange the word for sorcery. I have actually written the former sentence for the eyes of others because I'm quite sure if your background has been truthfully told to all of us ... you know differently.
In my experience, I have found witchcraft to be a fleshly thing .. a world of looking into the spiritual realm and gaining personal power and prestige without the spirit of the living God... it is not walking in the spirit of the one and only true God.
If witchcraft is the only part you have chosen to discard from these sins of the flesh, I guess my question is why has this particular one caught you holding such a defensive stance. It makes me wonder if you know anything at all about witchcraft or if you know a lot about it and if so, why are you defending it and lying outright.
Just being straight up with you Nate ... not meaning to offend ... but to truly love one another we need to be gently honest.
Wendy,
Just being frisky. I just believe that sorcery and the Wiccans fall under the "That shalt not have other God's before me." The wiccans worship the earth and other things. My thinking was more along the lines of people denouncing things like Harry Potter and other things becuase they are young witches and worlocks. I have not read the books yet. I am waiting to watch all of the movies, and then read the books. But if someone explains to the young people reading things like that, what they really are, fantasy and not real. Then there really should not be a problem. Sorcery is mentioned about twenty times. But in those passages, some creedance was given to the power of those that practice. Interesting.
And no, I have not mislead in any of my background. I have had a very interesting life so far.
Jon. Don't worry about your gay dates, I was propositioned again by a guy at work. he is not serious about it though. He knows.
Frisky, huh ...
I am glad you clarified :-)
Harry Potter or Casper the Friendly Ghost, Mummies, Sir Graves Ghastly, Frankenstein, devil with pitchfork and horns ... LOL Witches with warts and tall black hats ... or how about those gargoyles on the doors of rc churches... I'm thinking no more harmful than dressing up and collecting candy on a certain day in October LOL ... but there is the real thing as far as rebellion against Christ goes ... it is interesting that real witchcraft or divination is linked quite blatantly with rebellion but no more so than any other disobedience.
Samuel to Saul
Samuel said, " Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king."
I Samuel 15:22 NASV
Be good now...
Your Gayness lol
Human beings on a spiritual journey or spiritual beings on a human journey.
What are your thoughts?
sting said it best in the police song of the same name, "we are spirits in the material world."
i once had a vision. erin and i were on our way to church. as i sat, the world around me kind of melted away and all i could "see" was god's presence, everywhere. just underneath everything. i then had an epiphany taht has forever changed my perceptions of the world. i used to think that the spiritual world was "layered" over the physical world. now i believe it is just the opposite.
If I would have bet a million that it would be you, jon, to answer first I would be very wealthy right now lol
I've been thinking about this a lot lately ... it has seeped into my life unannounced by so many circumstances surrounding me.
Still thinking... but moreso listening :-) So far I have come up with this ... there is no distinction between human and spirit we are one and the same ... I think we will be called humans in heaven ...we will be as the angels, even slightly higher than the angels but we will be distinct as humans, created and beloved by God the Father, ransomed by the Lamb of God and nurtured and raised by the Holy Spirit in a garden of beauty.
It is quite amazing that even though we may be in the grips of suffering... God's beautiful creation soothes and awes us even then.
I wonder why ... is it because we are creation and anything created by the hand of God speaks comfort to us.
I have actually done study on this, and I agree and disagree with Jon.
Looking at the quantum physics side. To me, and this is just a theory. I will simplify this as greatly as I can. Atom, electorn, quark, etc.. are the names of the particles going from largest to smallest. I think that there are beings made at each of those levels. They can exist in the same space we do because they are made of different material.
I believe our spirit is made of the smaller material, and resides in the brain. It is what makes each of us unique. Once the brain is no longer compatible with our spirit, it is dead, it then flees back to the "smaller" level of life, to exist as a spirit. I do not really believe in death, only transference of the spirit to it's true realm. Let's call it the heavenly plane.
Now in revelation, all "humans" (believers or all I don't know) are supposed to be rising from the dead, and given a new glorified body that never dies. Above the angels, below I don't know.
Kinda late to jump into this discussion...but what the heck?
I'd like to respond to the witchcraft/sorcery thought.
Firstly, there is a large difference between the two..so one should qualify it.
And, Nate, I think you've hit on one of the major reasons for warnings...idolatry.
Wiccans(who are not necessarily witches) generally worship the spirits and deities of the earth. Mostly there is many gods..so it's hard to embrace when you listen to God.
But there is some things not to be thrown out or shyed away from. Many things in the Wicca faith are rooted and founded in God's truth. Shaped differently, but truth nonetheless.
Witchcraft is the craft...the putting together of spells, incantations, blessings and curses.
This craft may or may not be a good practice...
I have seen many inside of the church..inside religion who practice more cursing than outside of the christian faith.
When God warns us about witchcraft...it is a warning about taking control...using people to further your own agenda...using the forces around you and in you to direct and control. That, I think, is where we fall.
Magic, without God directing, can be quite dangerous.
But, with God....maybe can be part of a God-centered life.
I'm not sure yet...but am unwilling to throw it all out when God created it. I just don't know where it fits, if at all.
I'm just contrary enough to want more information before throwing anything out. After all, if it exists, God made it. So, why?
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