Gay Marriage

[Anon]

The trends lately are disturbing.   Recently in PA there was a Bridal Shop owner who declined to book an appointment with a lesbian couple.

 

I did a little searching around after reading it on the news, and the website is basically down (Google reporting it as hacked, but that could just be, I guess, from rapid changes the owner made?) and their Facebook business page is nothing but mean, angry, one-star reviews.  There are also multiple one-star reviews on other review sites across the web for their business.

 

Sometimes I wonder if this is why God allowed me to lose my former business in such a dramatic and unpleasant way.  To avoid having to make these types of decisions...?   Right now the gay agenda wins in America.  Seriously.  If you own a wedding business today, you literally have two choices....close your business, or go ahead and include gay weddings.  There is no middle ground, that I have seen.

 

The anger and meanness that is done to get revenge on a business owner who was found to turn away ONE person or ONE couple is staggering.   I actually searched for a good 45 minutes to try to find a contact email for the owner just to tell her I'm sorry what she is going through, but I cannot find anything online now.  I imagine she was inundated with hate mail.

 

I am feeling sOBered tonight because of it, for some reason.   Freedoms are being lost all over the country....to Christians, and secondly, middle class conservative white patriotic men.   But wow....in America today you literally have to choose between owning your own business, or not giving into compromising your beliefs, whether they are against gay marriage, or against abortion, or whatever else.

 

I dread to see society when my kids are grown and have to somehow make it on their own.   I guess I hope Jesus comes back first...because otherwise it's going to be frightening, and I fear that I will almost wonder why I had my kids, only to bring them up in such a perverse society.

 

I sure hope the bots don't scan the IFB forum...this is fairly private, right?

[Miss Daisy]

I think it was from a post on OB that linked to dozens of businesses lost or losing due to gay marriage and the right to refuse to perform services for their "wedding". Just blows my mind that a PRIVATE  business, receiving no government money, can be told it MUST give service or close down the business.

[John81]

As bad as it is, it has been much worse for Christians of other eras, including some of those written of in the NT, and is much worse for Christians in other parts of the world today. (torture, murder, rape, theft, loss of homes, loss of families)

 

Jesus didn't promise us "rights" (that's a man-made concept even though it's so often covered in a mantle of religiosity) but He did promise us tribulation.

 

I'm sOBered when I read of Peter and John being threatened and beaten by the Jewish religious authorities for preaching Jesus. Rather than complaining, instead of pouting, rather than withdraw and hide, they went forth rejoicing they had been counted worthy to suffer for Christ! To my mind that's a "Wow!" idea. Rejoicing and being glad to be persecuted for their faith in Christ goes directly against our natural flesh. Which, I suppose, exposes that they were walking much more in the Spirit than the flesh than I am. Again, very sOBering to consider.

 

While I've never faced the level of persecution and tribulation some of these business owners have, there have been times I've suffered for following Jesus. I've been punched in the mouth, I've been cussed at, threatened, ostracized, passed over for promotion, etc. Through it all the Lord gave me strength and eventually brought me out.

 

Reading Acts and the Epistles, as well as Christian history, it still amazes me at the amount of suffering and wrongs Christians have willingly endured because they believed following Christ was worth it. Paul, who went through so much even called what he faced "light afflictions" in comparison to the exceeding greatness of the reward of following Christ.

 

Yes, it's a shame to see what's going on in America. It breaks my heart to see folks so horribly targeted with unwarranted hatred and abuse. All of this should make it even more clear that just as Scripture says, our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness. Unfortunately, most American Christians try to fight these battles in the flesh rather than in the Spirit as Scripture says.

 

What future will my children and grandchildren face? PrOBably one with very little tolerance of biblical Christians, perhaps even a future of great persecution. Even if that is the case, I would rather my children and grandchildren be born again followers of Christ suffering for Him than to see them living at peace without hope in Christ.

[BrianY]

This is how the progressive left moves conservative Christians to compromise. Gay marriage should be a non-issue. The Bible never speaks against gay marriage. The liberal left want to fight for gay marriage rights to get conservative Christians to accept gays in general. If we fight against gay marriage and succeed in temporarily stopping it we pat ourselves on the back like we have stood for something. In fact all we have done is become tolerant of them as long as they aren't getting married. The Bible is clear that gays should be put to death (Lev. 20:13). I"m am not advocating that Christians should be killing gay people but rather that that is what the government and powers that be should be doing according to God's law. So this whole gay marriage debate is a fraud to take our focus off of the real issue... Should gays even be permitted to live?

[heartstrings]

I don't know what to tell you.: The OT law's punishment for adultery was also death. But the law can't save anyone. it takes Grace...

 

John 8

1Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

[John81]

This is how the progressive left moves conservative Christians to compromise. Gay marriage should be a non-issue. The Bible never speaks against gay marriage. The liberal left want to fight for gay marriage rights to get conservative Christians to accept gays in general. If we fight against gay marriage and succeed in temporarily stopping it we pat ourselves on the back like we have stood for something. In fact all we have done is become tolerant of them as long as they aren't getting married. The Bible is clear that gays should be put to death (Lev. 20:13). I"m am not advocating that Christians should be killing gay people but rather that that is what the government and powers that be should be doing according to God's law. So this whole gay marriage debate is a fraud to take our focus off of the real issue... Should gays even be permitted to live?

​That was the law for Israel, which even they failed to keep. America isn't ancient Israel, neither is America a theocracy. America, like other nations, is led by the lost and populated mostly by the lost so we can't really expect either to accept or adopt or practice the legal code God gave to ancient Israel on this matter...or in dealings with adulterers, witches, etc.

The devil does use this issue, and similar things, to distract some Christians, turning their attention more to political matters rather than the things God calls us to do. It's one thing to witness to lost homosexuals, and other lost folks and something totally different to verbally assault them. It's one thing to preach what Scripture says on the matter, in love with the hopes of winning the lost to Christ and edifying the saved, and very much another thing to preach homosexuals should be put to death.

As Christians we are called to spread the Gospel, make disciples, live so the light of Christ shines forth in our lives. We are NOT called to establish a theocracy, seek to establish and enforce the OT laws given to Israel.

[1Timothy115]

Pray for God to intercede on Christian's behalf and pray the U.S. Supreme Court will uphold the 6th Circuit Courts decision FOR the states of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee (One Man-One Woman Marriage). I hope it will provide the precedence we Christians should already have under the Bill of Rights, 1st Amendment. There is only one thing which can turn this around, God taking action for the faithful and worshipful ardent prayers of his children.

I had to edit...let's not perpetuate the term 'Gay'.

Edited April 12, 2015 by 1Timothy115

[John81]

Pray for God to intercede on Christian's behalf and pray the U.S. Supreme Court will uphold the 6th Circuit Courts decision FOR the states of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee (One Man-One Woman Marriage). I hope it will provide the precedence we Christians should already have under the Bill of Rights, 2nd Amendment. There is only one thing which can turn this around, God taking action for the faithful and worshipful ardent prayers of his children.

I had to edit...let's not perpetuate the term 'Gay'.

​Amen! The effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous is greatly needed in this.

Also totally agree we should not use the term "gay".

[heartstrings]

I began learning to read in grammar school circa 1967. At that time, I remember "Janet and Mark" having a GAY old time as Spot would run, run, run. That was before the Sodomites, who we as yet had never heard of, stole a perfectly good word. Bible word too.

[MountainChristian]

In Romans 1, Paul says they are worthy of death but he never said to put them to death. 

Amen, if the Supremes uphold their law maybe our North Carolina law will return to the books. 

 

[John81]

Many books and songs prior to the 1970s rightly used the word "gay". It's sad today that word has been so corrupted many folks hear "gay" in an old song (for example) and actually think it's a reference to homosexuals back then.

As Scripture indicates, outside the laws God gave Israel for their governance, all sinners are worthy of death, condemned already. But for the grace of God we ourselves would still be condemned and we are called to share God's offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ.

While I do hope the Court does right in this case, the sad part is it will only be a temporary thing as both cultural and political forces are determined to see homosexual "marriage" become the law of the land whether by court edict or congressional action.

[1Timothy115]

I began learning to read in grammar school circa 1967. At that time, I remember "Janet and Mark" having a GAY old time as Spot would run, run, run. That was before the Sodomites, who we as yet had never heard of, stole a perfectly good word. Bible word too.

​In 1959-60 it was Dick and Jane and 'Spot'. After that we had Alice and Jerry and 'Jip'. 

Anyone know the results of this... Fun with Dick and Jane: Gender and Childhood Conference

[John81]

I still have my Dick and Jane books from kindergarten in the late 60s.

[ThePilgrim]

Good grief I thought Dick and Jane were long gone by the sixties.  I read them in the forties. 

[John81]

Good grief I thought Dick and Jane were long gone by the sixties.  I read them in the forties. 

​Maybe it's because we were a small rural school, I don't know, but that's what we had when I started school in the late 60s.

I always like the pictures. Maybe that's why I kept them.

They are popular among many homeschoolers now.