Why churches fear gay marriage

[alienlovechild 75]

I tend to feel that even if one "hates the sin", that there's no reason why people can't mind their own business.

Hence having priests lobby from the pulpit to get their congregations to vote for discriminatory ballot initiatives are probably being... how shall I put it... a mite overzealous.

So Christians should be the ones in the closet now?

Preachers do have the constitutional right and perhaps religious duty to speak up on policy issues. Would you tell a gay priest or gay-friendly minister to shut his mouth as well?

[Danno 1,228]

Some churches might just be afraid of their gay priests lining up to marry their little boy toys.

Speaking of....

Anyone know if the Catholic Church stopped accepting gays in the Priesthood?

Why would they? A priest takes a vow of celibacy, so their sexual orientation hasn't nor should it make any difference.

Perhaps it shouldn't make any difference ... yet the facts speak other wise.

We are not hearing of hundreds of girls having been molested in one archdiocese alone (500), it is the abuse of boys. This experience has been witnessed across the country, the same story over and over, the lives of young boys and teens, destroyed by trusted Gay Priests seeking sex.

Gay men comprise 5 % of the population... and even allowing for a higher percentage in the Priesthood, how is it possible to ignore the "Gay-Priest factor" when this small minority of men account for such huge proportion of abuse?

It should also be noted that only a small minority of priests as a whole have been involved in this and it is not fair to blame all priests nor blame the many gay-Priests who are innocent of this.

To ignore the overwhelming trend here is to cling to your preconceived notions that *all segments of people act uniformly in all environments*.

The approach you take places your PC views above the victims.

According to what I just finished reading about the topic, the Catholic Church, in 2005 did issue a directive to prevent men with "deeply rooted homosexual tendencies" from being ordained.

Apparently there were more problems than just the kid-sex thing .. but thats for another post.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I tend to feel that even if one "hates the sin", that there's no reason why people can't mind their own business.

Hence having priests lobby from the pulpit to get their congregations to vote for discriminatory ballot initiatives are probably being... how shall I put it... a mite overzealous.

So Christians should be the ones in the closet now?

Preachers do have the constitutional right and perhaps religious duty to speak up on policy issues. Would you tell a gay priest or gay-friendly minister to shut his mouth as well?

Just pointing out that that sort of prohibitive lobbying is unchristian. I'm not saying they should shut up.

[Danno 1,228]

You'd be surprised to find out how many gays are in your church.

You would be surprised how many sinners that are Christians. That's a given in all Christian theology for the last 2000 years. Where have you been?

That would be all of them. No one is without sin.

Something else that occurred to me - its a little odd that while christian churches will generally take anyone in on the basis that there is no sin so great that Jesus will not forgive, some of them will actively ostracise gay people because of their lifestyle (even if that means forcing them to step down from positions in the priesthood, or hounding them out church congregations), even going to the extent of having priests lobby from the pulpit to ensure that their congregations will vote to support repressive legislation like Prop 8.

Awwe com'on, it's not so exclusive to practicing homos in church is it?

If a guy is chasing (and sometimes catching) other mens wives... he might be shown the door too if he continues.

Nothing wrong with this.

.. when you have a church member whose moral failings are a badge of honor, you have a church in trouble (I would think).

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

You'd be surprised to find out how many gays are in your church.

You would be surprised how many sinners that are Christians. That's a given in all Christian theology for the last 2000 years. Where have you been?

That would be all of them. No one is without sin.

Something else that occurred to me - its a little odd that while christian churches will generally take anyone in on the basis that there is no sin so great that Jesus will not forgive, some of them will actively ostracise gay people because of their lifestyle (even if that means forcing them to step down from positions in the priesthood, or hounding them out church congregations), even going to the extent of having priests lobby from the pulpit to ensure that their congregations will vote to support repressive legislation like Prop 8.

Awwe com'on, it's not so exclusive to practicing homos in church is it?

If a guy is chasing (and sometimes catching) other mens wives... he might be shown the door too if he continues.

Nothing wrong with this.

.. when you have a church member whose moral failings are a badge of honor, you have a church in trouble (I would think).

That's not the Christianity I was brought up to respect.

[Peikko 1,575]

Oh, so we are merging poedophiles and homosexuals once again? Neat!

[Danno 1,228]

I tend to feel that even if one "hates the sin", that there's no reason why people can't mind their own business.

Hence having priests lobby from the pulpit to get their congregations to vote for discriminatory ballot initiatives are probably being... how shall I put it... a mite overzealous.

So Christians should be the ones in the closet now?

Preachers do have the constitutional right and perhaps religious duty to speak up on policy issues. Would you tell a gay priest or gay-friendly minister to shut his mouth as well?

Just pointing out that that sort of prohibitive lobbying is unchristian. I'm not saying they should shut up.

And when "the church" lobbied for civil rights or even the abolition of slavery... were they also

"unchristian"?

Is it Lobbying that is unchristian.... or the issue?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Semantics danno. Try again.

I think we're all grown up enough to separate our contexts - let's not interject any more irrelevant and trite comparisons than we have already.

[EstebanTrabajos 7]

Ironic some of the preachers of those churches are closet homosexuals,

Religion sucks

[Amby 490]

gay people go to church too

[Danno 1,228]

That's not the Christianity I was brought up to respect.

If you're from Brittan, the Christianity you might know from your youth is fading fast.

It may be respected... but no one shows up at the doors on Sunday.

"Respect" is nice... "Relevance" is even better.

Don't you agree?

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Oh, so we are merging poedophiles and homosexuals once again? Neat!

NEVER!!! Because, that would be completely idiotic, right????? And no one here is an idiot, right?

[NickD 203]

In theory at least doesn't make any difference whether a person is gay or heterosexual or even indifferent, just as long as they are not having sex with anyone else or with themselves for that matter. Sex is only permitted between a lawful married man and woman without any restriction for the purpose of procreation of children. And not only procreation, that is just the start of it, proper education and the welfare of the children are equally important. Wonder if that includes tons of video games, cars, and other forms of entertainment?

Celibacy has a simple meaning, no sex in any form, even a sin to think about it. Ha, was teased at one time in my life for going against my church's teaching for practicing birth control. Guess I was.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

In theory at least doesn't make any difference whether a person is gay or heterosexual or even indifferent, just as long as they are not having sex with anyone else or with themselves for that matter. Sex is only permitted between a lawful married man and woman without any restriction for the purpose of procreation of children. And not only procreation, that is just the start of it, proper education and the welfare of the children are equally important. Wonder if that includes tons of video games, cars, and other forms of entertainment?

Celibacy has a simple meaning, no sex in any form, even a sin to think about it. Ha, was teased at one time in my life for going against my church's teaching for practicing birth control. Guess I was.

Conclusion: Len + Bren are sinners and are going to hell. Oh well. ####### happens.

[Amby 490]

gays go to church and donate money to their church...don't fear the gays...they're people too!