August 2, 2012

In an article published by LifeSiteNews Archbishop-elect of Glasgow Philip Tartaglia took the position “that society has been silent when it comes to the health risks and dangers of the homosexual lifestyle.” In defending the Archbishop the director of the Scottish Catholic Media Office, Peter Kearney, stated that there is “something of a conspiracy of silence around the vast array of medical evidence that exists to suggest that same-sex behavior is hazardous, is harmful, and is dangerous. And the wider question really is as a society why don’t we debate that? Why don’t we have that discussion in the same way, for example, that we’ve been happy to look at how smoking, how alcohol, how over-eating, how drug addiction can cause harms to people’s health?”

August 1, 2012

Christianity Today published an article describing the controversial statements by Peter Kearney, the director of the Scottish Catholic Media Office. About a week ago Archbishop of Glasgow Philip Tartaglia stated in a forum that evidence linked gay sex with early death rates and “suggested that the early 2011 death of Labour MP David Cairns could be linked to his homosexuality.” Tartaglia later apologized for suggesting Cairn’s death was linked to his homosexuality. Amidst a barrage of criticism Kearney boldly stated that society was not taking a “compassionate” response by choosing to ignore the “complex infections, diseases and illnesses that are caused” by gay sex.

July 25, 2012

Excerpt from Chris Stump’s article: “It was never enough for me to give up the bad habits. I had to give them up and replace them with something better. You see, those habits served as fleshly gods. When I was anxious, stressed, bored, or depressed I’d run to them. They were the things that sustained me. So taking them away was never enough. Because I would still have those stressful, fearful, or depressing times. I had to give those up and seek the one who actually could bring healing, growth, and freedom.”

“Worship isn’t just praying and journaling. It’s the time when we allow Christ into the very depths of our souls. (more…)

July 18, 2012

“Throughout those years living a homosexual lifestyle, I meet and knew Christians, some were family members and friends of my family members, who I am sure meant well but did not express the love of Christ to me as I know it now. Instead they shared a god who was disgusted with me, who saw me as an abomination, who condemned me to hell, who hated me and that would not bless me because of my homosexual lifestyle. I thought to myself, I don’t want to know this God and if all Christians are like this, I don’t ever want to be a Christian. It just drew me away from this god they wanted me to know” To read how this women become a Christian and ex-gay go to http://www.charismaministries.org/coming-out-again-a-testimony-of-freedom-from-homosexuality/

July 13, 2012

In an article published by The Gospel Coalition Kevin DeYoung argues that the division over homosexuality within church denominations is irreconcilable. The article concludes: “So my plea is for these denominations to make a definitive stand. Make it right, left, or center, but make one and make it clearly. Insist that member churches and pastors hold to this position. And then graciously open a big door for any pastor or church who cannot live in this theological space to exit with their dignity, their time, and their property. Because sometimes the best way to preserve unity is to admit that we don’t have it.”

July 19, 2012

Dr. Robert Gagnon responded to an article by Craig Gross that argued homosexuality was not any worse a biblical sin than gluttony. The following excerpts are from Gagnon’s article “It’s Silly to Compare Homosexual Practice to Gluttony.”

“When Gross erroneously concludes from 1 Cor 6:13 that gluttony and homosexual practice are comparable sins, he means not that gluttony is as bad as homosexual practice but rather that homosexual practice is no worse than gluttony. Gross asks, ‘Why is one [gluttony] accepted and one [sexual immorality] rejected? … Why do they believe that the gay guy goes to hell but the fat preacher who builds some of the largest churches in the world makes it to heaven?’”

“Gross’s questions are easy to answer: (more…)

July 19, 2012

Theologian Dr. Robert Gagnon is not giving Alan Chambers a pass on theological issues he believes Chambers has distorted and minimized. Gagnon’s critique of Chambers’ letter is in four areas. Below are excerpts from all four areas discussed in Dr. Gagnon’s essay “Being a ‘Simple-Minded Jesus Lover’ Is No Excuse for Really Bad Theology:”

“Alan’s first strategy is to play the ‘aw, shucks’ humble card. He’s not a Bible scholar or a theologian, he says, but just a ‘simple-minded Jesus lover,’ neither Calvinist nor Arminian. As ‘just a Christian,’ Alan can rise above the controversy (‘That argument is so last year’) to tell us what the Bible really says. This posture, however, does not entitle him to avoid the hard work of actually reading Scripture contextually (as opposed to cherry-picking favorite texts) and revising his theology when others point out the problems in his interpretation of Scripture.” (more…)

July 19, 2012

Pastor Voddie Baucham of Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas recently made the case that homosexual orientation should not be considered like race when it comes to matters of civil rights and marriage. Following are excerpts from Voddie Baucham’s article on The Gospel Coalition website:

“Unidentifiable Minority”

“The first problem with the idea of conflating “sexual orientation” and race is the fact that homosexuality is undetectable apart from self-identification. Determining whether or not a person is black, Native American, or female usually involves no more than visual verification. However, should doubt remain, blood tests, genetics, or a quick trip up the family tree would suffice. Not so with homosexuality. There is no evidence that can confirm or deny a person’s claims regarding sexual orientation.” (more…)

July 17, 2012

Melinda Holloway is the latest to share her testimony on the Exodus International website’s “Real Stories.” Following is the first paragraph of her testimony entitled “No More Hiding:”

“I became a Christian at the age of eight and I was taught from the Bible that homosexuality was an abomination. So when I began having same-sex attractions in my early teens, they scared me. I wondered how I, as a devoted Christian, could be tempted by not just any sin, but THAT sin. God knew about my struggle. But because of my fear of rejection, I would not talk to anyone about my struggle.”

July 16, 2012

After the recent Christianity Today article on the theological debate that Dr. Robert Gagnon initiated with Exodus International president Alan Chambers, Christianity Today has published a letter from Alan Chambers. Chambers does not appear interested in the theological debate at all and seems comfortable living in God’s grace. Here is an excerpt from Alan Chamber’s letter titled “Thoughts from a Simple-Minded Jesus Lover:”

“I doubt there will ever be human resolution to the debates surrounding eternal security, whether or not someone can be actively gay and a believer, or so many of the other weighty and divisive controversies plaguing our congregations. But I hope there will be a genuine desire to proclaim the truth of what God is for above all else. I hope that we will all take personal holiness more seriously than we do. I hope that we will seek to judge less and pray more. (more…)