Episcopal Church is pro gay folks...

[BotanyBoy]

Freak out right wing homophobes....church just got gayer~!~~!

"The U.S. Episcopal Church on Tuesday approved a liturgy for clergy to use in blessing same-sex unions, including gay marriages in states where they are legal, becoming the largest U.S. religious denomination to approve such a ritual."

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest...ch-Largest-to-approve-same-sex-union-blessing

 

[christy1989]

I knew it!!! The red doors gave it away!

 

[Bert Notorius]

The Church needs to put butts in the seats, regardless of what they've been used for.

 

[DonovanCrane]

I'm lost, on this one; given the Biblical attitude towards gays, I don't understand why any gay person would want to be part of a church that bases its teachings on the Bible. The Bible literally commands the death of men who have sexual relations with each other.

If any gay Christians can answer this for me, I'd like to understand. Really, I would. (Personally, I'm happily not associated with any formal or organized religion, so the fact that I'm bisexual doesn't conflict with my spiritual values.)

 

[Bert Notorius]

Gay people are just like normal people...whodathunk.

idiot

 

[BoyNextDoor]

I'm lost, on this one; given the Biblical attitude towards gays, I don't understand why any gay person would want to be part of a church that bases its teachings on the Bible. The Bible literally commands the death of men who have sexual relations with each other.

If any gay Christians can answer this for me, I'd like to understand. Really, I would. (Personally, I'm happily not associated with any formal or organized religion, so the fact that I'm bisexual doesn't conflict with my spiritual values.)

Not all of us believe everything we read.

 

[DonovanCrane]

Gay people are just like normal people...whodathunk.

idiot

So, membership in a church defines one an normal? Wow; that's a lot of abnormal people out there.

If you were paying attention, you'd see that I'm just trying to figure out why someone would want to join an organization that condemns their way of life; it'd be like a black man joining the KKK. Its an honest question, not meant as an insult to either Christianity or gays.

By the way, "normal" isn't a classification that really applies to anyone. We're all different, so generalizations about what "normal" people want or do mean literally nothing. Usually, what one calls "normal" is really just what that individual finds to be a likely pattern of behavior based on their own experience, observation, and psychological conditioning.

 

[Bert Notorius]

So, membership in a church defines one an normal? Wow; that's a lot of abnormal people out there.

If you were paying attention, you'd see that I'm just trying to figure out why someone would want to join an organization that condemns their way of life; it'd be like a black man joining the KKK. Its an honest question, not meant as an insult to either Christianity or gays.

By the way, "normal" isn't a classification that really applies to anyone. We're all different, so generalizations about what "normal" people want or do mean literally nothing. Usually, what one calls "normal" is really just what that individual finds to be a likely pattern of behavior based on their own experience, observation, and psychological conditioning.

There are a lot of fornicators sitting in church pews.

 

[KRCummings]

I'm lost, on this one; given the Biblical attitude towards gays, I don't understand why any gay person would want to be part of a church that bases its teachings on the Bible. The Bible literally commands the death of men who have sexual relations with each other.

If any gay Christians can answer this for me, I'd like to understand. Really, I would. (Personally, I'm happily not associated with any formal or organized religion, so the fact that I'm bisexual doesn't conflict with my spiritual values.)

Jesus didn't have too much to say on the subject specifically. Only Paul did and what he said has been debated for 2000 years.

 

[DonovanCrane]

Jesus didn't have too much to say on the subject specifically. Only Paul did and what he said has been debated for 2000 years.

I've not spent much time in a church setting; does Christianity then presume that the Mosaic Commandments (the full 613, not just the 10) are superceded by the teachings of Christ? I'd expect that anything directly contradicted by Christ would be deferred to his more "up to date" teachings, but I would have assumed that anything he didn't directly address would remain subject to the laws given to Moses.

 

[KRCummings]

I've not spent much time in a church setting; does Christianity then presume that the Mosaic Commandments (the full 613, not just the 10) are superceded by the teachings of Christ? I'd expect that anything directly contradicted by Christ would be deferred to his more "up to date" teachings, but I would have assumed that anything he didn't directly address would remain subject to the laws given to Moses.

What difference does it make what Moses said? Very little of the Old Testament matters to Christianity. To accept Jesus as God is all that matters. If one does that then all sins are forgiven. You can even eat shellfish.

 

[DonovanCrane]

Okay. I'll accept that as true, at least for your variation of Christianity.

I'm not going to try to start an argument, and, in fact, I'll be leaving this thread behind after I ask this. It is purely meant as food for thought.

If it doesn't matter what Moses said, and if the majority of the Old Testament is irrelevant to Christianity, why do most Christian Bibles include the Old Testament?

Again, just food for thought. If you don't think its relevant, don't even think about it. I'm just one of those crazy bastards that likes to question everything.

 

[KRCummings]

Okay. I'll accept that as true, at least for your variation of Christianity.

I'm not going to try to start an argument, and, in fact, I'll be leaving this thread behind after I ask this. It is purely meant as food for thought.

If it doesn't matter what Moses said, and if the majority of the Old Testament is irrelevant to Christianity, why do most Christian Bibles include the Old Testament?

Again, just food for thought. If you don't think its relevant, don't even think about it. I'm just one of those crazy bastards that likes to question everything.

Same reason everyone reads The Hobbit before Lord of the Rings.

 

[Fala]

Okay. I'll accept that as true, at least for your variation of Christianity.

I'm not going to try to start an argument, and, in fact, I'll be leaving this thread behind after I ask this. It is purely meant as food for thought.

If it doesn't matter what Moses said, and if the majority of the Old Testament is irrelevant to Christianity, why do most Christian Bibles include the Old Testament?

Again, just food for thought. If you don't think its relevant, don't even think about it. I'm just one of those crazy bastards that likes to question everything.

Well, human nature pretty much trumps, doesn't it. Always has, always will.

 

[fair_warning]

If it doesn't matter what Moses said, and if the majority of the Old Testament is irrelevant to Christianity, why do most Christian Bibles include the Old Testament?

The Old Testament is kinda like the foundation of the whole Jesus thing. It explains what the Christ is and the New Testament explains who he is.

 

[Liar]

The Old Testament is kinda like the foundation of the whole Jesus thing. It explains what the Christ is and the New Testament explains who he is.

I was just gonna reply w "context", but yeah. This.

 

[BotanyBoy]

This has nothing to do with jesus or god folks.....it's about the money.

 

[fair_warning]

For sure, the sound of ka-ching, ka-ching is what the church hierarchy hear. But the common folks, the believers, can't hear the sound of their wallets shrinking.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

What about the Democrat homophobes?

 

[BotanyBoy]

What about the Democrat homophobes?

Them too....however I find the homophobe population in the evangelical christian right wing population to be far, far, far denser than on the godless heathen left wing crowd. The ratio has to be something silly like 10 million to one....

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

That reminds me...

Yesterday's political ad of the Day; Environmental Evangelicals supporting ObamaClaire McCaskell...

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

http://www.wnd.com/2012/02/religious-right-bashes-green-evangelicals/
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2903151/posts



They can't be ALL that bad...

 

[Johnny_Ray_Wilson]

I knew it!!! The red doors gave it away!

I get that one. I often wondered about those myself.

I'm lost, on this one; given the Biblical attitude towards gays, I don't understand why any gay person would want to be part of a church that bases its teachings on the Bible. The Bible literally commands the death of men who have sexual relations with each other.

If any gay Christians can answer this for me, I'd like to understand. Really, I would. (Personally, I'm happily not associated with any formal or organized religion, so the fact that I'm bisexual doesn't conflict with my spiritual values.)

So, membership in a church defines one an normal? Wow; that's a lot of abnormal people out there.

If you were paying attention, you'd see that I'm just trying to figure out why someone would want to join an organization that condemns their way of life; it'd be like a black man joining the KKK. Its an honest question, not meant as an insult to either Christianity or gays.

By the way, "normal" isn't a classification that really applies to anyone. We're all different, so generalizations about what "normal" people want or do mean literally nothing. Usually, what one calls "normal" is really just what that individual finds to be a likely pattern of behavior based on their own experience, observation, and psychological conditioning.

I've not spent much time in a church setting; does Christianity then presume that the Mosaic Commandments (the full 613, not just the 10) are superceded by the teachings of Christ? I'd expect that anything directly contradicted by Christ would be deferred to his more "up to date" teachings, but I would have assumed that anything he didn't directly address would remain subject to the laws given to Moses.

Wow! Finally nice to come across a poster who sees religion exactly as I do.
Hooray! I have never understood why "Christians" pick and choose which parts of Christianity they like and decide whatever does not appeal to their idea of God, they then throw it out.

Catholics, Protestants, or any domination of choice are all the same in that respect.

 

[Johnny_Ray_Wilson]

Jesus didn't have too much to say on the subject specifically. Only Paul did and what he said has been debated for 2000 years.

Jesus had a lot to say on a lot of things. He was considered a rebel by the church, do not forget that. This notion of groups of people, in this case the gays, deciding they can pick and choose what they want of an established religion, is utter nonsense. Either follow the teachings of God and his son, Christ, or form another religion.

Why bother trying to be accepted into a religion that does not agree with you? That's idiocy and stupidity at its' finest.

What difference does it make what Moses said? Very little of the Old Testament matters to Christianity. To accept Jesus as God is all that matters. If one does that then all sins are forgiven. You can even eat shellfish.

The 10 Commandments were a pretty big deal.

You are forgiven of your ignorance.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The Old Testament is kinda like the foundation of the whole Jesus thing. It explains what the Christ is and the New Testament explains who he is.

Jesus never ceased to be a Jew.