Your thoughts about NC Baptists kicking out churches that welcome gay people?

Question

The North Carolina Baptist State Convention is booting out 4 churches because they are unwilling to forgo welcoming gay people into their congregations.

"The decisions came as a result of the convention's move in 2006 to cut ties with congregations that affirm homosexuality or that are aligned with organizations that convention officials view as affirming homosexuality.

The November vote changed the convention's bylaws, which had initially required member churches only to support the entity through partnerships and financial donations. But under the new policy, churches that "knowingly act to affirm, approve, endorse, promote, support or bless homosexual behavior" will lose membership."
http://www.abpnews.com/1676.article

What do you think of the Baptists taking this one issue as the only unforgivable heresy?

Answer 1

My dad won't shop at Target because they support the gay community. How can people be that close minded? I can understand people having different views on religion and politics, but to hate someone who only wants to love and be loved is crazy.

PS: Target rocks!

Answer 2

Baptist have no hierarchical church structure. Conventions are on a volunteer basis only. Liberal Baptist churches tend to join the CBF (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) while conservatives join the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention). The decision is really no big deal in terms of the denomination. No single church has authority over any other.

And this is not the only issue a conservative Baptist would care about. If the church started practicing infant baptism, you can be assured they would lose membership to that group. But there would be another they could join, most likely.

Answer 3

The State Convention isn't booting out churches because they are 'welcoming gay people',they are booting out the churches because some of them are supporters of homosexuality.The Convention would boot out any churches that supported any other sin,they are simply carrying on the principle.I'm all for homosexuals being welcomed in the churches,but no,churches shouldn't be endorsing what the Bible calls a sin.It's hypocritical.

Answer 4

I believe that the Baptist church has the rights to do what they feel is best for the church. The majority of straight church goers are not going to have a problem with this decision but the gay community are the ones who will be up in arms. Although the state would say that this a violation of equal rights, the seperation of church and state is going to eliminate any chance for change. Stupid but it is how it goes.

Answer 5

If, as Christians believe, all sins are equal in magnitude to God; and if, as Christians often say, 'we are all sinners,' then by that reasoning, NO ONE should be allowed to set foot in the church. Not just homosexuals.

That said, the Baptists can do what they want - there are other churches that will accept them.

Answer 6

They probably think the original Bible scrolls were written in English.

Moses wrote (Leviticus 18:12):
V’et zachar lo tishkav mishk’vey eeshah toeyvah hee."

idiomatic expressions to mean;

a married man should not spend sexual time with another man, because it would cause disharmony with his wife. (or words to that effect)

the original verse did not condemn homosexuality, it was condemning dis-harmony between a man and his wife.

Added: I am left-handed. I was born that way.

What if someone told me that I was welcome to their church even though I was a sinner by being left-handed.? Would they pray for me to change my ways and become right-handed like they are? Should I feel guilty while eating my dinner with my left hand?

Answer 7

I believe they are wrong and that God will judge them as they have judged others.

The churches will be fine, they simply splinter off into independent Baptist churches of which there are many. I applaud their true Christian spirit in welcoming gays into their churches.

...no matter what Baptists may think, they are not in charge of deciding on unforgivable heresy or sins. This arrogant attitude may be the destruction of them. They are flagrantly defying the word of our Lord Jesus Christ. As so called Bible literalists their hypocrisy is beyond belief. GBY

Answer 8

Back when I went to Church, I was taught of the parable of the Prodigal Son. To me, it was a story of unconditional love. Didn't Jesus encourage others to be "fishers of men"? How can ou fish for souls when so many are turned away?

Oh well. I guess I can't interpert God's perfect word as well as all those smart folk in NC.

Answer 9

i ought to signify going. there'll be making a music, some bulletins. reckoning on the Church they could take in an providing, or have providing boxes in diverse places for his or her contributors to drop they contributions. there should be a particular music via the choir, a soloist or a small team. there'll be a sermon, then an invitation, a final music and the dismissal.

Answer 10

As a straight male I think its too bad that a group of so-called god loving people can alienate and cast out their own based on fear and hate , when the ones they are banning were acting out of love and acceptance of all humanity regardless of differences when their sole desire was to come and worship. It makes me think that there is I have always been correct in my belief that there is always going to be backward thinking in the south.

Answer 11

first of all, i can tell your view by your icon, so this won't be winning best answer:

II Thess. 3.14 says that if people in our congregations live in sin that we should remove them from our congregations, have nothing to do with them, and try to win them back over to the right side.

homosexuality is a sin. those churches allowing homosexuals to become part of their ekklesia is sinful. those other churches in the convention have the right to not be associated with homosexuality, and they are not the ones in the sin, so they have the right to remove churches that would associate them with that sin.

you are right though, Christians need to take Church discipline more seriously and realize exactly what it is that we should be avoiding. It's a whole lot more than homosexuality.

EDIT: i also need to clarify that this is coming from the point of view that Church is for believers, and only believers should be welcomed in - this is the BIBLICAL model. sinners should be welcome into the lives of Christians - who should love and tolerate sinners and can lead them to the Lord - but not into the Church. to introduce sinners into the Church is to say that the Church is a building, but it is a called out assembly of believers who want to follow Christ. that cannot include those who are not yet considered "saints" by God.