I was enjoying a long day of furniture shopping with my mom today, and we were listening to the radio between stores. It was a gospel station and they were running off event announcements for churches and taking calls between songs. My only complaint is that it was an FM station so it was hard to hear over the background noise sometimes. That was until...
During one of the breaks between songs, the DJ/radio personality said they'd received a letter/e-mail/call (I can't remember which) from a listener. The gist of it was that this guy had previously led a homosexual lifestyle but had since gotten into the church and led a heterosexual lifestyle for an undisclosed amount of time. This became his testimony to the pastor (I think...maybe it was the church). Anywho, since then the pastor asked him to step down from his position in the church. He said he's since been contemplating leaving the church as well as committing suicide.
WOW! Needless to say, I was more than a little perplexed. On the one hand, I don't know the whole story or whether it was conveyed with a neutral tone. On the other, I can understand, even though I don't agree with, the clergy's position based on the information I have. More importantly, this does not sound like anything Jesus or the Father would say to anyone in search of salvation that has become a living testament. I know if the situation is as black and white as the caller's letter made it seem, then it doesn't feel right in my soul. It just doesn't make sense to me.
What do you think?
5 comments:
If this man truly change his course of life, I don't think he should have been ousted. With a correct heart condition, no one should be ostracized. One thing is for sure - homosexuality is not something that God intended for us to practice, so I'm glad the individual decided to live his life according to Bible principles.
That's how I feel. I don't think it would have been an issue if he said he was once addicted to drugs.
check out my post, which is on this subject matter.
i agree that the man should not be outsted and that the pastor is being overzealous and somewhat homophobic in his actions.
i agree with Biblical references, but i can and will say, there are many homosexuals who have led better God-fearing lives (in spite of their sexual orientation) than many hetrosexual christians.
the subject is a double-edged sword no matter how you look at it.
I think that everyone has said how i look at it...
he confessed and he was looking to share his story, his testimony if you will, to possibly help a lot of people who are possibly struggling with the same issues...
but now he can't even be a witness and help someone overcome because he has been turned away from the "leader" in the church...
that's why i think its so important for us NOT to get caught up in the "man leaders" in the church...they are not the head, Christ is the head and they are supposed to answer to Christ but all too many times people don't hold them actuable so they think that they can make any decisions they want because it wouldn't be a "good image" for the church, while not really worrying about the soul...
that's truly sad to me, because the pastor is really not serving his purpose, in my opinion, because he isn't modeling the actions or way of Christ or the Father...
so again, you all have said basically how i feel as well
@blu - I saw your post, and I can feel that. It's like having a phone interview and then being turned away because you don't fit the person's mental image on the other end. And you're right about our sinful nature as humans. None of us are sin free. So, why judge thy neighbor rather than love thy neighbor.
@t.c. - hands down agreement. The host of the radio show described the church as a hospital for souls. It's like being turned away from the ER...just doesn't make sense.
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