ASK THE CLERGY HOW WILL YOUR CHURCH HANDLE REQUESTS BY GAY COUPLES TO WED?Dave Drummond, Pastor West Hills Church, West Hills Our church will not allow gay couples to wed, nor will I perform gay marriage ceremonies -- not because we are bigoted big·ot·ed adj. Being or characteristic of a bigot: a bigoted person; an outrageously bigoted viewpoint. big , but because we are biblical. I am not homophobic. I have someone very close to me who is homosexual that I love. It is not a matter of being anti-gay, but rather being pro- God. The Old and New Testaments both condemn homosexuality. In Genesis 19, God judged Sodom, where the practice of two men coupling got its technical name of sodomy sodomy Noncoital carnal copulation. Sodomy is a crime in some jurisdictions. Some sodomy laws, particularly in Middle Eastern countries and those jurisdictions observing Shari'ah law, provide penalties as severe as life imprisonment for homosexual intercourse, even if the . Jude 7 tells us the nature of their sin: "Sodom and Gomorrah Sodom and Gomorrah Legendary cities of ancient Palestine. According to the Old Testament book of Genesis, the notorious cities were destroyed by “brimstone and fire” because of their wickedness. ... gave themselves up to sexual immorality Noun 1. sexual immorality - the evil ascribed to sexual acts that violate social conventions; "sexual immorality is the major reason for last year's record number of abortions" evil, wickedness, immorality, iniquity - morally objectionable behavior and perversion Perversion See also Bestiality. bondage and domination (B & D) practices with whips, chains, etc. for sexual pleasure. [Western Cult.: Misc. " (New Century Version). Romans 1:27 says that homosexuality began when "Men abandoned natural relations with women and ... committed indecent acts with other men" (New International Version). Jesus said marriage is the God-given institution in which one man and one woman are united to be "one flesh." Any other sexual relationship is sin regardless of what the courts say. We will accept these people but not approve their practice. Pastor Jerome Lossner St. Phillip Lutheran Church, Compton We would never permit gay marriage in our church. As a conservative church that believes the Holy Bible to be the inerrant in·er·rant adj. 1. Incapable of erring; infallible. 2. Containing no errors. Adj. 1. inerrant - not liable to error; "the Church was...theoretically inerrant and omnicompetent"-G.G. , infallible and only Word of God, we cannot pick and choose the portions of Scripture we like. Romans 1:27 is not an "obscure passage" as one politician recently said. Either all of the Bible is God's Word or none of it is. At the same time, our church does not believe it is a sin to be a homosexual, but it is a sin to practice it. In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , if you are gay you must remain celibate. Homosexuality is no worse a sin than adultery, and all sin can be forgiven when the sinner is truly penitent. It is called original sin. Your sin may be different from my sin but it is still sin. A person who practices any sin is no worse a sinner than I am. We're all in this together We're All In This Together can refer to:
AIDS is not God's punishment for homosexuality. Believing that would deny that Christ made a complete atonement for our sins on the cross. God loves everyone and that includes gays! Rev. Katherine Pershey South Bay Christian Church, Redondo Beach The members of my church agree on one essential thing: that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he is our Lord and Savior. Beyond that, we interpret the Bible according to our own conscience. Some believe that Scripture, while inspired, reflects the worldview world·view n. In both senses also called Weltanschauung. 1. The overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world. 2. A collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group. of its original context. These Christians believe that God's love transcends cultural prejudices, and that God blesses loving, monogamous relationships regardless of sexual orientation sexual orientation n. The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes, especially a direction seen to be dictated by physiologic rather than sociologic forces. . Others believe in a literal interpretation of Scripture and maintain that homosexual relations are sinful. Still others fall somewhere between. All are faithful Christians, seeking God's will through scripture, tradition, reason and experience. As my church prayerfully discerns how to respond to gay couples seeking the covenant of marriage, I trust we will do so with deep love and respect for one another. Furthermore, we will continue to be a church where all people are joyfully welcomed. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Dave Drummond, Pastor West Hills Church, West Hills (2 -- color) Pastor Jerome Lossner St. Phillip Lutheran Church, Compton (3) Rev. Katherine Pershey South Bay Christian Church, Redondo Beach |
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