|
Should there be a gay church?
05/07/2007 22:27:37 / full of life
“Homosexuality is not just a little sympathetic curse. It is a serious evil, wickedness is at its core, and it is Satan at his brightest.” — Apostle John Peterson.On January 9, 2007, a controversial issue was broached on the show ‘Religious Hard Talk’, hosted by Mr. Ian Boyne and aired on TVJ. The show presented Bishop Grant Lynford and Reverend Robert Griffin (not Catholic priests) who made a case for gay priests and the legitimacy of a gay lifestyle in the Church. They are members of the Metropolitan Community Church in the USA, the first openly gay church that had its beginnings in the 1960s.
In a subsequent letter to the editor, Roman Catholic Bishop of Montego Bay, Charles H. Dufour, dismissed the suggestions. “While persons who are of homosexual orientation cannot be denied the freedom to express their beliefs and ideologies, the expressions of the bishop and the priest on Religious Hard Talk’ do not represent the teachings or traditions of the Roman Catholic Church,” his letter stated.
The Bible presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity (Gen 19:1-29; Rom 1:24-27; 1 Cor 6:10; 1 Tim 1:10). Tradition has always declared that, “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered”. So if the Bible condemns the practice, does that mean that Jesus is a gay-basher? Does He frown on the homosexual lifestyle?
However, the local religious community appears deeply divided on the issue. While the Roman Catholic Church takes a hard-line stance in its denouncement of homosexual behaviour, others are preaching tolerance and in some cases, a decriminalization of the practice.
In a previous interview, Reverend Canon Ernle Gordon of the St. Mary’s Rectory commented that the society has to stop treating homosexuals like criminals, noting that he has helped many of those that have come to him for spiritual help.
“As a Christian, I ask God to forgive those who commit adultery, fornication, those addicted to gambling, attempted suicide and participate in homosexual/lesbian acts.”
“Our duty as Christians is not to genuflect to the wishes of a society that is bloodthirsty…it is not our desire to call down blood and fire on people. I have seen people who were once homosexuals now living normal Christian lives,” he said.
A few years ago, American Apostle Carlisle John Peterson spoke at a public forum dubbed ‘Responding to the Homosexual Agenda’. Peterson, in the local parlance, ‘blazed a fire’ on what he called a ‘militant homosexual assault against the image of God within man’ after reading excerpts of a so-called ‘Homosexual Manifesto’ downloaded from the Net.
“This is war!” he declared. “There is a strong demonic force intent on displacing males in the society, we must rise up, and affirm ourselves as men. It is our responsibility. We need to hit the ground and have a moment of prayer to catch a fire all across the nation. You cannot legislate against demonic power.”
Apostle Peterson upbraided another speaker, the former Jesuit Schade for having ‘put down the Bible and now was quoting from the American Psychologists Association’.
“Don’t let the devil fool you, you cannot be born that way. These men are struggling under a demonic influence,” he said to hoots of approval, and a few ‘gun salutes’ from elated males.
“Homosexuality is not just a little sympathetic curse. It is a serious evil, wickedness is at its core, and it is Satan at his brightest,” Apostle Peterson intoned.
|
|
|
MEMBERS COMMENTS
|
|
VIEWING 1 - 6 OUT OF 6 COMMENTS
|
|
|
|
