Tuesday, August 05, 2003
Episcopal Church Approves Gay Bishop
What can I say?
Newly elected, unashamedly gay, Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson put it this way...
"I believe that God gave us the gift of sexuality so that we might express with our bodies the love that's in our hearts. I think that's true of marriage, and I think that's why we hold marriage to be a sacrament."
But, he added, "I just need to tell you that I experience that with my partner. In the time that we have, I can't go into all the theology around it, but what I can tell you is that in my relationship with my partner, I am able to express the deep love that's in my heart, and in his unfailing and unquestioning love of me, I experience just a little bit of the kind of never-ending, never-failing love that God has for me. So it's sacramental for me."
But what does the Word of God say?
"From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes. So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen.
"That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved. When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving. They are fully aware of God's death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too." (Romans 1:20-32)
Yeah, I know...homophobic, intolerant, judgmental, out of touch, etc.....
Whatever.
This is a sign of the times. The darkness will grow darker...yet in the midst of this darkness, God's people will shine forth in righteousness and truth.
Yes, there is forgiveness...if there is repentance. Yes, there is restoration...if there if first regeneration.
I pray that God will grant us grace know the Truth and walk in it in the midst of an ungodly generation.
P.S. Love the sinner...hate the sin.
Newly elected, unashamedly gay, Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson put it this way...
"I believe that God gave us the gift of sexuality so that we might express with our bodies the love that's in our hearts. I think that's true of marriage, and I think that's why we hold marriage to be a sacrament."
But, he added, "I just need to tell you that I experience that with my partner. In the time that we have, I can't go into all the theology around it, but what I can tell you is that in my relationship with my partner, I am able to express the deep love that's in my heart, and in his unfailing and unquestioning love of me, I experience just a little bit of the kind of never-ending, never-failing love that God has for me. So it's sacramental for me."
But what does the Word of God say?
"From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people, or birds and animals and snakes. So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen.
"That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved. When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving. They are fully aware of God's death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too." (Romans 1:20-32)
Yeah, I know...homophobic, intolerant, judgmental, out of touch, etc.....
Whatever.
This is a sign of the times. The darkness will grow darker...yet in the midst of this darkness, God's people will shine forth in righteousness and truth.
Yes, there is forgiveness...if there is repentance. Yes, there is restoration...if there if first regeneration.
I pray that God will grant us grace know the Truth and walk in it in the midst of an ungodly generation.
P.S. Love the sinner...hate the sin.
// posted by theChurchGuy @ 8/05/2003
