This blog is written and moderated by the director / founder of Bridging The Gaps Ministries, The Reverend Charlene E. Hios. One of its purposes is to discuss issues which have been not only on Charlene's heart but also on the hearts of many.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Has The Church Sinned Against Lesbians - Ex-Lesbians / Gays - Ex-Gays And If So How Has It Sinned Against Them?
This is an open question, open to all who want to answer. I invite answers from those who identify themselves as homosexuals who believe they have been sinned against by the Church.I invite answers from those who are in unity with the Church.Here are some questions which I believe we as a Church need to considered:Have some churches not been welcoming to spiritually searching gays and lesbians?Do we, as a church, think more along the lines that acting out on one's same sex attractions is a worse sin than gossip and private idolatries which do run rampant in our churches?Do some of our churches experience homophobia and or even hatred towards those who act out their same sex attractions?Know that I am not saying that acting out on one's same sex attractions sexually is not a sin. The Bible specifically says it, homosexuality, is sinful. And I do believe personally that yes it, homosexuality is a sin. I am merely asking if the Church is being sinful towards fellow sinners?I believe that God instructs us to not judge the lost (those who have not accepted His Son Christ Jesus as their personal Savior) Judging the lost is actually one of God's tasks. For those homosexuals who profess to be followers of Jesus the Bible instructs us to rebuke them in and with love after we have examined our own sins first.I believe that even if, as individuals, we have not personally sinned against anyone who identifies themselves as a homosexual, we need to realize that we are in unity with the Church and because of this unity there are actually corporate sins in which we share. And, again, even though I am not condoning homosexuality I do believe that in many instances the Church has indeed corporately sinned against many homosexuals.If you do believe the Church has sinned against those who sexually act out their same sex attractions what do you believe the Church should do with this matter, with this corporate sin?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
11 comments:
Let me be the first to comment on this post Charlene! Wow, you are really touching both sides of the argument here aren't you! I went to your web site and read what you had to say. I do believe you are on to something here. The perception both sides have of each other surely is causing some major separation of the homosexual and the church. I will keep watching. Oh, to answer your question. Yes, I do believe the church has sinned against the gay population however I do not see it as intentional corporately.
Absolutely! I believe the church has pushed homosexuals away from God and those who have will be held accountable for that on the day of judgment.
REady for posts once more
Charlene-
The church sins against the homosexual community every day.
They/We act as if there are varying levels/degrees of sin, and since most of them/us do not engage in homosexual activities, we are "better off" as sinners than those that sin in homosexuality.
What a bunch of crap! Most people I know lust, covet, slander, and gossip. To think that these things are in some way "easier on the eyes" for Jesus vs. how he views thos who sin in homosexuality is laughable and ignorant.
We have a responsibility to love them, as you were loved in fellowship at the church that embraced you. I have seen a lesbian wounded by the rejection of her so called Christian family. Ignorance abounds on both sides. This is a very relevant topic. I look forward to the growth of this blog.
Please pass this on to obtain the thoughts of your friends and of your church members etc
This is a very easy question to answer. YES, the church has sinned against the homosexual. There is no question that same sex relationships make most church-going people uncomfortable, to say the least. We who call ourselves Christians really need to take a hard look at ourselves. I believe that the bible tells us to reach out to ALL people in love, not only the ones who fall within our comfort zone. Are we not charged with spreading the good news to all corners of the earth? I believe the homosexual population is included in this most basic charge from God to his people. I, for one, have come to love and respect you and your ministry despite the fact that the gay lifestyle is just out of my realm of understanding. I wish you continued success with your ministry.
Charlene,
The church sins against all kinds of people, all the time. IMO churches justify their existences all too often as a community of like-minded people--a place for folks to get together and be the same.
The original "church" was just people who believed what Jesus had to say, and that His timeless and simple message of love and freedom was the most important thing they'd ever heard. They wanted to get together and talk about it, to share ideas.
The most frequent mistake the modern church makes is to overstep the bounds of human responsibility and judge one another. It's none of our business whether or not someone is gay. That's between them and God. We are to love people the way they are. Not change them, convict them, make them more palatable or more like us. Period.
Great blog, btw. I appreciate the dialogue on this issue.
I believe the church should love the gay & Lesbians like Christ loved us He died on cross for everyone .the church should help the gay and Lesbians to find peace and Love which Christ gives .am reaching out to Gay and Lesbains in Schools and colleges with the gospel of our King Jesus Christ in Uganda Africa.if you wish to support our ministry visit www.africalyf.org God bless you
its now the year 2022 and I finally found where I placed this particular post . . .
its now the year 2022 and i finally found this post now to figure out which email account its under
Post a Comment