Prejiduce in the Church

I became a Christian 3 years ago and feel as though through the comments or childish jokes people have made at my church, I personally feel as though peoples words and and actions in the church against homosexuality are not based on the fact that God says that is wrong but by the prejiduce in their hearts. Do others see this or am I just going through a new way of life shock because I still fully dont understand everything. I also would like to point out that my church is near San Francisco so that may play a role in that.:areyoucra

i think some churches are prejudice.

You can judge peoples actions, but you can never know their motives.

Johnny said:

I became a Christian 3 years ago and feel as though through the comments or childish jokes people have made at my church, I personally feel as though peoples words and and actions in the church against homosexuality are not based on the fact that God says that is wrong but by the prejiduce in their hearts. Do others see this or am I just going through a new way of life shock because I still fully dont understand everything. I also would like to point out that my church is near San Francisco so that may play a role in that.:areyoucra

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I've noticed this as well. Which is why my church attendance is lacking.

Are some professing Christians cruely prejudice towards homosexuals? Undoubtebly. Are some oppositions to homosexuality founded in doctrine? Surely.

Anyhow, this cannot justify the legitamacy of homosexuality as a moral and ethical alternative. Why must the Church compromise itself to cater to the desires of the homosexual?

Because the church is outdated. They need to catch up with the 21st century. We now know there's nothing wrong with homosexuals. Way back when, as far as we could tell, men loving men and women loving women was biologically impossible, so such a thing was considered evil. Now we know that it is not that uncommon and it is a very natural part of humanity. So the church needs to change to accept the new norm.

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If Christ and the Apostles had any idea of what they were talking about, of course Christianity defy the norm. Why should His Church conform to the patterns of this World?

Jeremiah61 said:

If Christ and the Apostles had any idea of what they were talking about, of course Christianity defy the norm. Why should His Church conform to the patterns of this World?

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It shouldn't. The pattern of this world is fear, hatred, prejudice, judgmentalism, exclusion and selfishness ... basically what is being said here about homosexuality. The pattern of the Church should be love, acceptance, hospitality, magnanimity, inclusion, and selflessness.

Jeremiah61 said:

Are some professing Christians cruely prejudice towards homosexuals? Undoubtebly. Are some oppositions to homosexuality founded in doctrine? Surely.

Anyhow, this cannot justify the legitamacy of homosexuality as a moral and ethical alternative. Why must the Church compromise itself to cater to the desires of the homosexual?

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The "doctrine" is based on a cultural, not a moral issue. This does justify the legitimacy of homosexuality. The Church shouldn't compromise itself to cultural issues that do not exist here and now.

Johnny said:

I became a Christian 3 years ago and feel as though through the comments or childish jokes people have made at my church, I personally feel as though peoples words and and actions in the church against homosexuality are not based on the fact that God says that is wrong but by the prejiduce in their hearts. Do others see this or am I just going through a new way of life shock because I still fully dont understand everything. I also would like to point out that my church is near San Francisco so that may play a role in that.:areyoucra

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It puzzles me as to why some Christians feel one sin is more degenerate than others. The Bible teaches that all sin is a violation of the law of love. Maybe it's easier to to pick on the homosexuals than the adulters, it's a smaller sample.

sojourner said:

The "doctrine" is based on a cultural, not a moral issue.

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That's just so much crap. Prove your point instead of just tossing it in front of the fan.

Have not the Apostle Paul and the Prophets condemned homosexuality as a perversion? Christ accepted and loved the outcasts of society, yes, but he also asked for repentance of sin. And as I said earlier, He did not come to abolish the Law, so it still must have portent to us in the present. Am I wrong?

Crusher777 said:

You can judge peoples actions, but you can never know their motives.

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ooo, that's very profound.... i like that!

i think that if Christ could have a meal with the Tax man, he would probably be willing to show love towards gay people..... will the churches follow suit? we shall see....

All mankind must understand the principle found in (Romans 11:22). We learn in this verse how God deals with mankind. God sets certains standards and expects man to follow those standards (Titus 2:12). When people follow those standards God blesses them,when they rebell against that standard God has set they will eventually see the severity of God.

God is patient,loving,and caring,but his patience can and will run out. We see this with the destroying of Sodom and Gomorrah in (Gen.19). God was patient,loving and caring enough to wait for them to repent,to turn back to the Lord. But the people did not do so,only a few were spared from the wrath to come. But there was a standard to live by and the people knew that standard.

The New Testament is clear about Homosexuality being a sin (Rom.1:21-28).(Rom.15:4) points us back to (Lev.20:13) which said the penalty for homosexuality was death in the O.T.

We should make a righteous judgment upon the actions of the individuals in light of the standard God has set for us to live by (Titus 2:12). We must make a righteous Judgment (John 7:24).

When we proclaim the standard of God we warn those around us (Mt.28:18-20).It is important to warn others according to (Ezekiel 3:18-21).Some do not know the Law of God. WE must help them.

in love Baerly

Jeremiah61 said:

To love is one thing, but to justify is quite another. Christ loved, Christ forgave, but He did not legitimize perverse and ungodly behaviour. There is a difference between the moral nature of homosexuality, and our personal feelings towards homosexuals. Am I wrong?

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I can see why you picked Jeremiah for a username now,it fits you well. i am looking forward to seeing more post from you. Baerly

sandy whitelinger said:

That's just so much crap. Prove your point instead of just tossing it in front of the fan.

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In the culture of the ancient Middle East, honor and shame were imbedded in the sexual identity. Men embodied honor, women embodied shame (according to Bruce Malina, in The New Testament World, Insights from Cultural Anthropology). Whenever the Bible talks about homosexual activity, it always talks about men with men -- never women with women. For a man to "take it up the rear" like a woman was to act shamefully -- taking on the woman's role -- thus abrogating his position of honor. thus, the homosexual act was seen to undermine societal norms. Since societal norms and religious ethic were very closely tied, homosexual behavior was seen as abominable to God.

Mike182 said:

ooo, that's very profound.... i like that!

i think that if Christ could have a meal with the Tax man, he would probably be willing to show love towards gay people..... will the churches follow suit? we shall see....

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To show love is one thing,to condone a sinful act is another. Let us not confuse the two.We show love to those in sin by warning them (Ezekial 3:18-21), (Gal.6:1,2). God shows love to them also by extending the gospel to them so they might obey and be forgiven (Acts 3:19), (Rom. 6:3-6,16-19), (Acts 22:16). in love Baerly

Crusher777 said:

You can judge peoples actions, but you can never know their motives.

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This is a good point. In the end, all we can really do is take people at face value and leave whatever is in their hearts up to God to know and judge. We are thankfully only responsible for our own thoughts and actions.

That said, we don't have to condone or participate in such behavior, either. And we are free to speak our minds about it, too.

Baerly said:

All mankind must understand the principle found in (Romans 11:22). We learn in this verse how God deals with mankind. God sets certains standards and expects man to follow those standards (Titus 2:12). When people follow those standards God blesses them,when they rebell against that standard God has set they will eventually see the severity of God.

God is patient,loving,and caring,but his patience can and will run out. We see this with the destroying of Sodom and Gomorrah in (Gen.19). God was patient,loving and caring enough to wait for them to repent,to turn back to the Lord. But the people did not do so,only a few were spared from the wrath to come. But there was a standard to live by and the people knew that standard.

The New Testament is clear about Homosexuality being a sin (Rom.1:21-28).(Rom.15:4) points us back to (Lev.20:13) which said the penalty for homosexuality was death in the O.T.

We should make a righteous judgment upon the actions of the individuals in light of the standard God has set for us to live by (Titus 2:12). We must make a righteous Judgment (John 7:24).

When we proclaim the standard of God we warn those around us (Mt.28:18-20).It is important to warn others according to (Ezekiel 3:18-21).Some do not know the Law of God. WE must help them.

in love Baerly

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The principle found in Romans 11:22 is the principle of God's grace toward the Gentiles. it has nothing to do with moral ethics. Once again, your gross proof-texting isn't helping your case. Note what Paul says about those to whom kindness has been shown who decide to get uppity: "kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness." In other words, just because you think you're special because you're "in the club" does not mean that God cannot weed you out in an instant. This is about putting pushy unloving people in their place. It's more about those who would stand in judgment of a downtrodden minority, than it is about how God will deal with the minority itself.

Actually, God is infinitely patient. The Bible tells us that God will search for us until God finds us.

I don't think it's all that clear, or that cut-and-dried. With regard to Leviticus, do you ever wear clothing made of 50/50 cotton/poly? If so, then you are an abomination, just as surely as the homosexual. Why don't we get off this holier-than-thou pile of dung and begin treating others with the same kind of kindness that God has shown us?

We should make a righteous judment about our own actions, in light of the standard we feel God has set for us.

Jesus says over and over and over again that we help them by loving and accepting them.

Baerly said:

To show love is one thing,to condone a sinful act is another. Let us not confuse the two.We show love to those in sin by warning them...

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I would show love by respecting their right to decide for themselves what's right and wrong. I would also show love by answering them honestly if they were to ask for my opinion on the matter.