Anne Jackson stole my blog topic
Hehe.
Not really.
Yesterday I read her Ted Haggard post and I was like well I guess my post is gone. If only I had posted earlier. Argh!
I am only joking.
I just wanted to go ahead and write what I noted, because like Anne, Ted’s story saddened me on Wednesday. I saw his wife and children with him on Oprah and their support was amazing. But what struck me most about the whole conversation, what knocked the breath out of me because I have been a part of a pastor’s family my whole life, and at that a pastor who had problems that were kept hidden, was when he said “I kept trying to work it out in spiritual circles and I couldn’t.”
He admits that he would start to share, only to be shut down.
How can we as Christians ”shut down” and then say we believe everyone to be worthy of salvation? How can we work so hard to keep some out and some in?
I am faced now with my own prejudices and the dark glasses I have worn in regards to some problems and not others. But to paraphrase another thing Ted said, never have I realized more how in need we all are for God’s redemption and salvation. And he does accept anyone. And on top of that, he loves us.
So I’m not upset that a few people have the same blog topic. For once I’m excited. I think it is a message we all need to be waking up to.
So today, have a little (spritual) compassion.
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Hey, Andrea.. I was just wondering what is your stance on homosexuality and Christianity? Do you think that people can be Christian and homosexual? I have to be honest; I am not sure that I know the answer to that question. I just have found it hard to reconcile that something that appears to be genetic would be something that is so unacceptable to a compassionate Christ. I mean, seriously, as a 7th grade teacher, I have encountered students who have appeared stereotypically gay, extremely effeminate or extremely the other way (this tends to roll with my theory of nature more so than nurture). How tough it must be to be homosexual.. I mean, who would choose to be homosexual with all the persecution they receive? I know homosexuality goes against the laws of nature and all, and I am familiar with Sodom and Gomorrah. I also know that there are some very small sects of progressive Christians that are accepting of homosexuality. One Episcopalian pastor even deemed that it was a “gift”. (Ed Bacon)
Please don’t judge my thinking… I am a Christian, but this is one issue I have pondered on of late… I am just curious as to your thinking..
I have been torn on this issue for the years. I think that if it is treated as all other sin, then we have to admit that we probably all have sin going on in our life that we are not working to rid ourselves of. I think that if we look at genetics and how many “tendencies” we have found we would all agree that just because we are born with a tendency we do not have to act on it. Alcoholism has been linked with genetics. Does this mean responsiblity in a faith community should be waivered? I know it is not the same thing but this is my point. It is an issue that has so many facets I think it is impossible to figure it all out. The only thing that I know for sure is that Jesus called us to love everyone, and because I know we all have sin my faith leads me to believe that any person with that same faith will receive salvation. I don’t know about viewing it as a gift, it is hard to take the entire Bible in context on the premise that we believe so many “commandments” (ie rules) were washed away in the NT. But I do believe that the NT references homosexuality, whereas it does not reference some of those “eye for an eye” principles we have left behind.
I would never judge your thinking. There are a lot of people who aren’t clear on a lot of issues, we are just all doing our best to figure it out I guess.