A $1.2 million grant has been awarded to expand the efforts of gay and lesbian groups in increasing the number of churches that fully welcome and affirm homosexuals.
The grant from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund was given to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation's Institute for Welcoming Resources and five partner organizations for a joint collaboration on strengthening the capacity and voice of Christian organizations that support gays and lesbians.
For Kermit Rainman, social research analyst for Focus on the Family, the move violates Scripture.
"Gay activists and their allies have made no secret of their strategy to convince Bible-believing Christians and Jews that homosexual behavior is no longer sinful in God’s eyes," said Rainman, according to Citizenlink, a publication of Focus on the Family. "This false doctrine is playing out in denomination after denomination, with increasing discord."
"Christians are not called to rewrite the Bible in order to love our gay friends and neighbors. True love does not sacrifice the truth," he added.
The initiative includes the pro-gay "welcoming church movement" in which congregations, through a formal vote, offer "an unconditional welcome to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities."
Currently, more than 3,100 congregations throughout the country have explicitly welcomed lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people to full inclusion, according to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, which merged with the Institute for Welcoming Resources in 2006 in efforts to "increase the number of people of faith supporting equality for LGBT people."
“The more than 2.5 million individuals in the 3,100 congregations supported by the Institute for Welcoming Resources and these partner organizations are some of our movement’s most valuable advocates in promoting understanding, reclaiming what unfortunately has become a narrow view of ‘moral values’ espoused by those who seek to divide, and advancing LGBT equality," Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, said in a statement this week.
More and more churches are moving away from judgmental attitudes toward homosexuality and making efforts to respond to gays and lesbians with compassion and redemptive love. But they are doing it while still affirming homosexuality as sin.
Many churches are still ill-equipped in terms of ministry to homosexuals, but progress is being made, including within the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the country.
After establishing a task force in 2001 that would inform, educate and encourage Southern Baptists to be proactive and redemptive in reaching out to homosexuals, the denomination shifted their homosexual outreach into higher gear this past June.
"Our biblically-based opposition to the normalization of homosexuality and the affirmation of homosexual behavior should not hinder us from ministering to homosexuals and offering them the love and healing environment they need to leave this destructive and unbiblical lifestyle," said Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, earlier.
The Institute for Welcoming Resources currently works with the "welcoming church movement" in 30 Christian denominations including The Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Methodist Church, and the United Church of Christ.
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First visit here in a while and I see this idiotic debate is still going on. Practicing sodomites are not Christians, and will never be Christians until they do as the bible clearly states and REPENT. And to you misinformed pro-immorality crowd: this position is not hate--it is what the bible says. Repent and be welcomed into the church and family of God. Continue to flaunt your sick disgusting lifestyle--go to a bath house where you belong.
Definitely homosexuals should be welcome in church; making them feel unwelcome achieves nothing. However, these same churches should be the places where they hear about the unhappiness that this behaviour inevitably leads to. Threatening people with Hellfire achieves nothing, but people need to know that homosexuality leads to disharmony in the individual and in society, and taints the soul, putting us in peril. As someone who feels a certain degree of attraction towards men, I thank God that he has never permitted me to carry out these desires; I have never been placed in a situation where I have been tempted to carry them out. The Churches need to provide support to people with these inclinations. 'Has any man condemned you?' 'No, Lord.' 'Then neither do I condemn you.' 'Go, and sin no more.'
I would be interested to hear some general ideas from the book, if you wouldn't mind sharing.
I read a book called God, His Church, and Homosexuality. It was really helpful to answer questions about what the Bible says and why God says what He says. It is an easy read and it clarified questions I had most of my life. You can get a copy for $10 (includes postage) at St. Jude International Gospel Press, 8790 E. Via De Ventura, P.O Box #4674, Scottsdale, AZ 85261.
revemma,
Amen. All sinners should be welcomed into church, so that they may hear the truth in love. And come to repentance. The problem with homosexuals is that they want to go to church an hear a twisted gospel the tells them that sin is okay and Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is worthless and meaningless.
who says LGBTs should not come to church, they are the people that Christ died for, but for the pastor or a bishop at that to be an LGBT. men that is the height of heresy and i think it is neither right nor correct.
"Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund"
Go to their website. Walter Haas, Jr. was the CEO of Levi Straus. When you buy Levi products you are supporting this movement.
Wasn't it Jesus who used words like hypocrite, evil adulterous generation, faithless generation, generation of vipers... is that hate speech too? Christians who don't stand up for righteousness fail. If you want to call it hate speech, go ahead, but the truth is just because you don't like what is being said doesn't make it wrong. We should warn people. The wages of sin is death. Be a watchman on the wall like Ezekiel or you yourself will be accountable.
Beloved of my Father, do not be deceived by the doctrine of devils. Homosexuality is an abomination in the sight of our Heavenly Father. Those who choose to live this deviant lifestyle do so at the peril of the eternal soul. As a Christian, who is unworthy to be named among the elect, allow me to say that in condemning homosexuality, I bear no hatred nor do I despise those who are ensnared in their unnatural affections for those of the same sex. But to proclaim that my heavenly Father condones such behaviour is a lie. To legitimize such deviant behavior within our society and the body of Christ is contrary to sound Christian doctrine. We live in a time where men bend and twist the Word of God to give legitimacy to their own lustful desires, ignoring what the Holy Spirit reveals through the living Word of God. Beloved and elect of my Father, little ones, pray without ceasing for those who are so deceived, that they might be set free from the bondage which they have so errantly embraced.
Prophet:
The fact of the matter is that the world has been a fallen and broken place since the fall of Adam in the garden. When someone tries to change something he will be put at odds with the norm. A family that has believed the same thing for centuries and find that their son has changed from Islam to Christianity will be put into turmoil.The son will be at odds with his father and mother and most everyone he knows. Jesus said "A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house."(Mark 6:1-6) Especially with those who knew them before their conversion. Drinking buddies, ex-girlfriends, and family members who remember all the messed up stuff they did before their conversion.
"34Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."
Does that sound very loving?
It is the Gospel that is offensive and it says so! When you represent the Gospel correctly you are going to be offensive. Still, the Bible says as much as it is in your control to live at peace with all men.
Our church model has a bit of a turn over rate simply because people are looking for what the Bible actually says and when the hear it...off they go. We love Jesus because He first loved us. We know about it because of those who loved Jesus and wrote it down. This is how 'sinners repent'. It has been my experience that more people are drawn by actual love that dares to stand up for the Gospel than by those who scream mean things.
One cannot call themselves followers of Christ when they do not follow the teachings of Christ. It one thing to admit your a sinner and strive to change, it is another thing entirely when you strive to qualify and gain acceptance of the sin. It is also a sin to mislead people into believing that the word states something when it in fact does not. Leviticus 20:15 specifically speaks on this issue as well as most combinations of unpermitted sexual relations. Romans 1:26-27 does as well. The Bible is clear. It is not vague or obscure. You cannot pick and choose which pieces you want and still expect to have a place in the Kingdom. If a parent asked a child to do certain things of importance and the child only did those things it saw fit to do what might the parents reaction be. Not positive especially if the matter was of significance. The statement is made that Christ went into seedy places to hang out with the outcasts. This is true. He went to love and change them. He also said "Go and sin no more". He does love the sinner and hates the sin. He does not say the sin is alright. He never once did. When people say that they believe in Jesus and so that will save them they are mistaken. Satan believes in Jesus. He CHOSE not to trust in or follow the laws of the Father. What about asking for forgiveness of your sins and repent of those sins.
The previous verses prove the sin.
John 3:16-21
"16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
Everyone that doeth evil hateth the light. Jesus is referred to as the light of the world. You cannot proclaim to love Jesus and walk in the dark. Because the light (the truth which is Jesus) will expose the darkness (evil).
http://www.tips-q.com
Wow! Such name calling!
Homophobe, intolerant, self righteous....such a mean-spirited site!
It's really sad to me how far the church in the U.S. has fallen. We've caved in to the popular belief of a secular society that has no use for morality and truth. When a person can come to church and openly flaunt their sin without anyone confronting it in love, we have become like the church in Revelation who's lamp has been extinguished.
One thing than makes me sad is when someone says all they need is to believe in Jesus to be saved. That is not true. Do you truly love Christ? Then you will do what he commands. And yes, God has some requirements. Don't tell me you love Christ when you practice homosexuality, heterosexuality outside of marriage, greed, hatred...ect. Trust in God to deliver you from it. Don't embrace it as your identity. I know people who struggle with same sex attraction, yet are living more pure lives than most heterosexual Christian people. It's the work of Christ to remove our character defects. Don't tell me you love Him when you love your sin more.