Majority of Episcopalians Favor Scrapping Ban on Gay Ordination

AussieAndy »

Sun Jul 12, 2009 10:01 pm Agree: 3   Disagree: 0

It doesn't matter one bit what the majority of episcopalians favour, or what any of us think - what matters is what God thinks, and He's pretty plain about homosexual sex in the bible. It's not ok, and it is sinful.

That this is even a debate in christian circles just shows how far we have drifted from taking the bible seriously and literally.

And as for "love the sinner, hate the sin", it would be good if people didn't have to rely on a Hindu for their theology (that quote is from gandhi). It all too readily becomes a position where people wont dare cause offense by calling people's actions sinful.

NY City Megachurch Pastor Resigns 2 Months After Installation

AussieAndy »

Tue Jul 07, 2009 7:40 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

How many more missionaries could be funded for $600,000 a year, or evangelists in the local area. That kind of pay packet is obscene.

Pro-Lifers Go on Defense After Tiller's Killing

AussieAndy »

Wed Jun 03, 2009 12:27 am Agree: 2   Disagree: 1

Flagged as inappropriate. show Throughitall: the boats bought by these abortionists should be named something like: "the blood of the innocents" or "Vacuum aspiration massacre" Trying to sell these people as anything better than murdering monsters is deceitful. hide

Pro-Lifers Go on Defense After Tiller's Killing

AussieAndy »

Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:10 pm Agree: 6   Disagree: 1

Tiller's pastor did him and the unborn a gross disservice in not pressing Tiller to repent from his sinful profession. We all have sins in our lives, but where they are obvious, our fellow christians should call us to repent, and to turn from them.
Is the Lutheran church so far gone in the USA that they'd have anyone however unregenerate as ushers and unordained servers? What exactly do you have to do to disqualify yourself?
I've heard that a difference that makes no difference is no difference at all - it would seem that Jesus made no difference to this man's life, which would make me wonder what exactly he was doing in church....

Televangelism Empire Hit Hard by Recession, Family Split

AussieAndy »

Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:07 pm Agree: 3   Disagree: 0

To all you Roman Catholics:
the bible is pretty darn obvious when you just sit down and read it for yourself rather than rely on others to do the thinking for you. My parents were devout RC until they started reading the bible, and saw so much of the church dogma and practise did not align with the bible.
When you come before God, would you rather tell Him that you took his word seriously, or would you rather tell Him that you decided to go against portions of His word because your church dogma said that church tradition had equal weight with the infallible word of God?

Survey: Wicca Unknown to Majority of Americans

AussieAndy »

Tue Jan 27, 2009 6:36 pm Agree: 8   Disagree: 8

WT- there are only two sources of power - God and Satan.
God explicitly tells christians not to be involved in witchcraft (wicca etc). If He told us not to do it, He isn't likely to bless anything coming out of it.
That leaves one source of power - the devil.
You might dress it up as nice and not that scary relative to open devil worship, but you're certainly not in any position where you should have any doubts as to where you will spend eternity if you don't turn away from wicca, and turn to Jesus.

Ted Haggard Faces More Gay Sex Accusations

AussieAndy »

Tue Jan 27, 2009 6:04 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

Bryan
Jesus said that he is the way the truth and the life, and that nobody comes to the father except through him.

And (borrowing from a verse posted by Philomath)
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:12,13;

ignore the bible if you like, but jesus didn't just want us to live good lives, but to acknowledge that we are inherently sinful, and that we can ONLY be reconciled to God through reliance in Jesus and his death and resurrection.

Emerging Church Movement Threatens Church Foundation, Says Pastor

AussieAndy »

Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:11 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Does anyone have a link to the seminar talks that this article refers to? I've done a quick googling and not found anything.
Grace and peace.
Andy

Saddleback Pastor: Domestic Abuse Not Reason for Divorce

AussieAndy »

Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:48 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

Reading the full article, they don't tell the women to stay in an abusive relationship - separation with an eye to reconciliation is suggested. I think that's a reasonable position. If there has been history in the past of abuse, then the church should put in accountability measures so that the offender does not reoffend.

And, of course, bring in the police if the law has been broken by any abuse.

I don't think that this church is anyway supporting or condoning abuse. It is in line with advice that I heard by John Piper in one of his sermons on marriage.

Rival Anglican Body to be 'Authentic Christian Presence'

AussieAndy »

Mon Jan 12, 2009 10:49 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

I don't blame US and Canadian episcopals for wanting a leadership structure that supports a righteous and holy standard of living. Homosexuality is a sin. So is divorce, and so is fornication. None should be acceptable for those in positions of leadership in the church. Living an unrepentant lifestyle is an evidence that you are not wholly given up to Christ.

Gay NH Bishop to Offer Prayer at Inaugural Event

AussieAndy »

Mon Jan 12, 2009 10:37 pm Agree: 4   Disagree: 1

A minister who purports to be a follower of Jesus says he wont be using the bible in his prayer? I guess that it'd be a bit hyprocritical to use a book that considers your lifestyle to be sinful.

Rick Warren would earn acres of kudos if he withdrew his participation.

Guest Check Launches New 'Mystery Worshipper' Service for Churches

AussieAndy »

Mon Jan 05, 2009 4:22 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

My wife and I, when we were seeking a new church to settle in, found many to be unfriendly to newcomers, and difficult to get to know how things happen. I acknowledge that it is shallow to base your decision on whether you choose to attend one church or another ONLY on whether you are welcomed, but it is a starting point. If you feel welcomed by the people, you are more likely to want to investigate the integrity of preaching, the adherence to the bible, and the deeper issues.
ironically, some of the larger "mega-church" type churches had some of the worst newcomer type ministries, as the masses of the congregation did not feel obliged to seek out and welcome new people, and so you were only welcomed by the specialist welcomers.

I don't think that this kind of survey is useful for people seeking a church, but it can be useful for ministers in enabling them to see the church as outsiders would see it. If their congregation was not welcoming or warm, it could stir them to be more receptive to outsiders, and to be less inward looking.

Internet Filter Causing Uproar in Australia

AussieAndy »

Sun Dec 28, 2008 4:07 pm Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

"tojasonharris
I do not believe it will be more than a few years before it is illegal to say that homosexuality is sin. That's all it will take to start filtering out Christian sites."

I agree fully with that - the ability to speak freely about what Christians consider to be sinful will be too readily classed as hateful, even if done in a tactful manner.
The best explanation of the ridiculousness of post-modern relativism is that all ideas are valid and must be tolerated except that view that states that not all ideas are equally valid. That view is intolerable, and must not be tolerated. Wait for the post-moderns to insist that all views on morality are equally tolerable except any view that insists on exclusivity.

Internet Filter Causing Uproar in Australia

AussieAndy »

Sat Dec 27, 2008 2:09 am Agree: 1   Disagree: 0

I am an Australian. One of our states (Victoria) already has religious vilification laws which has seen a christian minister prosecuted for discussing islam in a reasonably fair manner. It wasn't hateful, or nasty, merely stating what they believed.

I would not defend any of the nefarious users of the internet, but this filter will be too readily used by opponents of christians who fairly and reasonably compare the values and beliefs of other religions. It is a poor solution, and is a slippery slope.