A conservative, evangelical Christian calls out his own, and some others who just try to avoid queers
I'm waiting for somebody to discount this one:
Now, I do recognize that Pastor Hunt is still an exceptionally conservative evangelical who "has an incredible ministry to those struggling with same-sex attractions," but--on the other hand--he's still actually engaged in talking to all those semi-dangerous queers and dykes out there, unlike the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, which says all Christians should stay away from gays because they might get to know them, and WTF actually like them or something, like poor old Dick Cheney:
Obviously Dick should have just kicked that evil little plaid-shirt-wearing daughter of his to the curb:
There is a lesson here, and that lesson has to do the with unfortunate tendency we all have of putting people into groups rather than dealing with them as individuals. This includes conservative, evangelical Christians. I doubt I will ever see eye-to-eye [or eye-for-an-eye; sorry, couldn't resist] with Pastor Hunt on most social issues, but I can recognize in him a man who has the moral fiber to call out his own, and who at least intends to engage even with people he doesn't approve of, unlike the sniveling cowardly anonymous CADC which deals in pure and simple prejudice.
Or, if I were to use some terminology suddenly in vogue among some of my friends: no matter how far separated from me in terms of politics or interpretation, I can recognize Pastor Hunt as a Christian; the zealots who write for the CADC are merely Christianists.
The president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is repudiating statements made by a former convention official regarding President Barack Obama and the recent murder of abortionist George Tiller.
On a recent webcast of his daily radio talk show, Wiley Drake, former second vice-president of the SBC, called last Sunday's murder of Tiller "an answer to prayer." Then during an interview with Alan Colmes on Fox News Radio, Drake said he was praying the same type of "imprecatory prayer" against the president of the United States.
For years, Drake has encouraged the practice of praying words of judgment found throughout the Book of Psalm, back to God, against enemies. But Dr. Johnny Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia, and president of the SBC, says Drake's comments are out of line.
"[That's a] terrible statement, [a] very unbiblical statement," Hunt responds. "I'm still encouraged that the [Book of] Proverbs teaches that God has the water in a channel -- and my prayer has always that God would turn hearts."
Hunt also referenced the Book of 1 Timothy, which encourages Christians to pray for those in authority.
Now, I do recognize that Pastor Hunt is still an exceptionally conservative evangelical who "has an incredible ministry to those struggling with same-sex attractions," but--on the other hand--he's still actually engaged in talking to all those semi-dangerous queers and dykes out there, unlike the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, which says all Christians should stay away from gays because they might get to know them, and WTF actually like them or something, like poor old Dick Cheney:
The dynamics of cultural corruption has just been documented by a Gallop poll. It validates exactly what the Bible warns us against. Gallop released the results of a poll that measured views of homosexual marriage.
The polling discovered that one of the most important factors that control a person’s opinion about homosexual marriage was that of association, it even trumps a person’s political ideology.
Gallop reports, “Those who know someone who is gay or lesbian are significantly more supportive of gay marriage than are those of the same political persuasion who do not personally know someone who is gay or lesbian.”
In fact, former Vice President, Dick Cheney, is a perfect example. Cheney is reliably conservative on virtually every issue except homosexual marriage. This is likely as a result of the fact that he is the father of an open, practicing lesbian.
Obviously Dick should have just kicked that evil little plaid-shirt-wearing daughter of his to the curb:
According to Gallop, “While 57% of Americans oppose legalizing gay marriage, Americans who personally know someone who is gay or lesbian are almost evenly divided on the matter, with 49% in favor and 47% opposed. Among those who do not personally know anyone who is gay, 72% oppose legalized gay marriage while just 27% favor it.”
Who you allow into your life, and especially that of your children, really matters. The Apostle Paul said it this way, “Don’t be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals (1 Cor.15:33, NASB).
The natural human tendency is to be deceived in situations when we associate with openly sinful people. Human sentimentality kicks in and biblical thinking is set aside. We rationalize and justify behaviors in people we know more than in people we don’t.
There is a lesson here, and that lesson has to do the with unfortunate tendency we all have of putting people into groups rather than dealing with them as individuals. This includes conservative, evangelical Christians. I doubt I will ever see eye-to-eye [or eye-for-an-eye; sorry, couldn't resist] with Pastor Hunt on most social issues, but I can recognize in him a man who has the moral fiber to call out his own, and who at least intends to engage even with people he doesn't approve of, unlike the sniveling cowardly anonymous CADC which deals in pure and simple prejudice.
Or, if I were to use some terminology suddenly in vogue among some of my friends: no matter how far separated from me in terms of politics or interpretation, I can recognize Pastor Hunt as a Christian; the zealots who write for the CADC are merely Christianists.
Comments
As for the statistics I know homosexual people, and I disagree with gay marriage and think homosexual practice is sinful, and I give them respect and kindness even still.
To clarify, this is what Paul wrote in the quoted letter:
1 Corinthians 5:9-12 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men; not at all meaning the immoral of the world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But rather I wrote to you not to associate with any one who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of immorality or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber- not even to eat with such a one. For what have I do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge.
God Bless,