For several years now, homosexuals have made news by suing or filing discrimination complaints against bakers, florists, photographers, bed & breakfasts, newspapers, farm owners and others who chose to maintain their religious freedom to not endorse homosexual marriage by providing services in support of a same-sex wedding. The quest by homosexuals to have their lifestyle mainstreamed and accepted, whether voluntarily or forced, is having some success. But this success is only coming due to leftists judges and ‘human rights’ commissions that deem First Amendment religious objections to homosexual marriage to be discrimination. The mythical constitutional protection against being offended is taking precedence over the First Amendment freedom of religion.
But while some business owners have stuck to their religious principles, which has cost some dearly, others in the Christian community have softened their stance on homosexual marriage. Many church denominations have stated their position on homosexuality to be that it is not sinful and therefore, neither is homosexual marriage. These denominations include the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church In America, Presbyterian Church USA, United Church of Christ, Unity Church and many others. But while these denominations have chosen to stray from Biblical teachings, other denominations have not.
The Catholic Church has made the news this week for a report on their views towards homosexuals that asks if the Catholic Church can value “their sexual orientation, without compromising” church teachings.
Baptist Press – In a section titled “Welcoming homosexual persons,” the report says, “Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community: are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities? Often they wish to encounter a Church that offers them a welcoming home. Are our communities capable of providing that, accepting and valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony?”
The document says helping people mature regarding “the sexual dimension” is an “important educative challenge” to the Catholic Church. The statement does not support same-sex marriage, saying the Catholic Church “affirms that unions between people of the same-sex cannot be considered on the same footing as matrimony between man and woman.”
The report also says, “Without denying the moral problems connected to homosexual unions it has to be noted that there are cases in which mutual aid to the point of sacrifice constitutes a precious support in the life of the partners.”
But while the Catholic Church is beginning to show the beginning signs of no longer condemning hedonism, the stalwart of conservative churches in the United States – the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) – is holding fast to Biblical teachings. The report from the Catholic Church did not go unnoticed by the SBC.
Washington Post – Russell Moore, the policy leader for the Southern Baptist Convention – the country’s largest Protestant denomination — suggested the document was dangerously emphasizing grace over “truth.”
“Should we patiently love and offer the gospel to those who are refusing to repent of immortality? Yes. Should we baptize and admit those into membership who refuse to walk away from such things? No,” Moore wrote.
In fact, just in the last few months the SBC ejected a California church whose members voted to take an affirming position on homosexual relationships after the pastor endorsed doing so. The New Heart Community Church was deemed to no longer be “a cooperating church under Article III of the SBC Constitution.” And in Kentucky a Baptist committee has voted to sever ties with a Louisville church after its members voted to ordain homosexuals and perform same-sex marriages.
With liberalism creeping into even the Southern Baptist Seminary and Convention, these will definitely be other churches that choose to endorse hedonism and be ejected from the SBC. I wrote a post in August titled Church Endorsed Perversion On the Rise in which I outlined the liberalism that is infecting churches and the false Christians who steer church teachings towards heresy. Getting all churches to endorse homosexuality as ‘normal’ is definitely a goal of the homosexual community. But even though the infection of liberalism in churches is having an effect, for some homosexuals it isn’t happening fast enough.
I read this week of a lawsuit being filed in the United Kingdom that may eventually begin happening here. With so many states now being forced by leftist judges to legalize homosexual marriage, it stands to reason this would be one of the next steps taken by homosexual activists. The lawsuit in question was filed by two homosexual men against St. John the Baptist church, a branch of the Church of England. They want the court to force the church to perform their wedding ceremony. The Marriage Act was enacted last year and it made same-sex marriage legal in the United Kingdom, but it contained a provision allowing churches to opt out of performing homosexual marriages. These two homosexuals find that unacceptable.
A few quotes from one of the two homosexuals, Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, give a clear picture of their thinking.
“I want to go into my church and marry my husband … The only way forward for us now is to make a challenge in the courts against the church.”
“It is a shame that we are forced to take Christians into a court to get them to recognize us. It upsets me because I want it so much—a big lavish ceremony, the whole works.”
“As much as people are saying this is a good thing [The Marriage Act], I am still not getting what I want.”
“… still not getting what I want.” Of course, for homosexuals it’s all about what they want and their hurt feelings because others believe their lifestyle to be an abomination. If they don’t get what they want voluntarily, they’ll use the leftist judges to force it upon us, usually against the will of the vast majority of the populace.
If lawsuits such as this begin to be filed here in the United States it will be the most dangerous attack on our First Amendment freedom of religion in the history of our nation. It’s chilling to think that such a lawsuit could eventually find success if it comes before a federal judge appointed by the moral reprobate Bill Clinton or the Christian-hating Muslim Barack Obama. After the Hobby Lobby ruling from the Supreme Court it seems there is currently a five to four standing in favor of protecting religious freedom. But with two years of Obama yet to go, the possibility looms that one more black-robed leftist could tip the Court over the edge of the moral precipice, taking the Church’s freedom of religion with it.
Call me a pessimist if you choose, but an examination of the mainstreaming of homosexuality in the last few decades is a clear indication that they are by no means finished with their assault on the right and freedom of religion. Will lawsuits such as the one in the U.K. be one of the next weapons the homosexuals use on Christians? Time will tell, but you can bet the farm that the attack on Christian values will continue in perpetuity.
The Gay lobby has a goal to rid the US of Christianity in every way possible. Same way despots have destroyed enemies through history. Once a group such as Jews or Christians are seen as less than human, doing great violence to them is easy. The Gay lobby is walking that path, and many are too willfully blind to see it.
What I’d love to know is how the people on the left can be friendly to and defensive of murderous Islamists. Is it simply because they have a common enemy – Christians? If the Islamists were in charge here the homosexuals would be wishing they had the Christians back.