Outreach Inc., a for-profit church marketing firm moving to Colorado Springs from San Diego, isn’t even here yet and already it has generated local controversy.
Four Springs pastors criticize Outreach for its Statement of Beliefs posted on its website. Churches must take care to uphold the Word of God, it says, and not engage in moral compromise or affirm any sin such as sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, stealing , greed, drunkenness, slander , murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, and so on.
Signing the letter are local pastors Roger Butts of Unitarian Universalist High Plains Church, Wes Mullins of Pikes Peak Metropolitan Community Church, Nori Rost of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church and Benjamin Broadbent of First Congregational United Church of Christ.
Here are letter excerpts:
“We lament the political and religious rhetoric that Outreach uses, especially when it comes to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender persons. Outreach equates ‘homosexual behavior’ with drunkenness, witchcraft, adultery, and murder.”
“We don not need one more group that adds to the environment of hostility towards gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals that is rampant in this country. In the wake of several gay teen suicides that caught the media’s attention in the last six months, we are now all more aware of what is at stake when groups promote anti-gay rhetoric and sentiment.”
They “Lament” the fact that this organization stands solidly on the word of God and have not allowed sin to corrupt them. The most important thing is that none of these so-called “churches” are really Christian in nature. They only use the name of Christ to increase their finances, and mislead people away from Christ instead of standing firm and being honest with the people who are fooled into attending their services. And from what I have heard, it is more being used as a meeting place for gay people.
Ah, so in order to be a “real” xian, one HAS to be a judgemental bigot, eh?
riiiiiiiight.
They “Lament” the fact that this organization stands solidly on the word of God and have not allowed sin to corrupt them. The most important thing is that none of these so-called “churches” are really Christian in nature. They only use the name of Christ to increase their finances, and mislead people away from Christ instead of standing firm and being honest with the people who are fooled into attending their services. And from what I have heard, it is more being used as a meeting place for gay people
(Sigh)
The Irony…
Can we be surprised by the four “churches” who whine the loudest? These four refuse to acknowledge what scripture states about homosexuality and embraces the gay movement as acceptable for “God’s children”. After all, gays are made that way, they say. The problem isnt Outreach. The problem is a loose interpretation of the Bible to justify sin.
Sounds to me like DisputeTheLies hit the nail right on the head with his comment.
Again with the name-calling instead of an intelligent post? I guess I should stop expecting more than this is possible. And thank you Steve. I guess we should never expect someone who refuses to learn anything about what Christians or the Bible are really all about and instead just do everything they can to frustrate and abuse people.
God say’s the truth shall set you free! And telling the truth is not easy sometimes when people are stuck in their sins. But God also said it was not going to be easy. And I accept that.
Signing the letter are local pastors Roger Butts of Unitarian Universalist High Plains Church, Wes Mullins of Pikes Peak Metropolitan Community Church, Nori Rost of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church and Benjamin Broadbent of First Congregational United Church of Christ
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None of these people are Christian and do not believe in God’s Word.
“We lament the political and religious rhetoric that Outreach uses, especially when it comes to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender persons. Outreach equates ‘homosexual behavior’ with drunkenness, witchcraft, adultery, and murder.”
“We don not need one more group that adds to the environment of hostility towards gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals that is rampant in this country. In the wake of several gay teen suicides that caught the media’s attention in the last six months, we are now all more aware of what is at stake when groups promote anti-gay rhetoric and sentiment
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What about Groups that promote anti-Christian rhetoric and sentiment
like this letter.
What hostility towards gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender, is this group promoting?
You are right Pastor. These teen suicides they are mentioning are from the hopelessness that teens feel when they are told that they are gay and that they were born that way and can NEVER leave this lifestyle. It makes them feel completely hopeless and separated from God and they would rather kill themselves than go on. I cannot imagine what goes through their minds when they feel so hopeless.
Ephesians 5:1-7 (New King James Version)
Walk in Love
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.
These men need to read that passage an repent and turn to what that passage is talking about
DisputeTheLies – what sadden me the most about these young teen suicides. there is help for them, but they have been told not to trust the Christian Church, by the GLBT Community.
Trying to “cure” someone of being who they are is not hope. There is nothing wrong with being homosexual.
there IS something wrong with trying to convince someone that they are “damned” for being themselves, however.
Way to take a beautiful passage out of context Pastor Roy – it doesn’t even address committed, monogamous homosexuality. Well done. Way to cling to legalism than putting 3 minutes of effort into actually translating that scripture correctly!
And Pastor Roy – your blatant uncaring comment toward gay teen suicides is simply horrible. You cannot put the blame on the entire GLBT community just as the GLBT community has NOT put the entire blame on the Christian Church. The radical right has been targetted, not the Christian Church. Legalism has been targetted, not the Christian Church.
just as the GLBT community has NOT put the entire blame on the Christian Church. The radical right has been targetted, not the Christian Church. Legalism has been targetted, not the Christian Church—
=—
what world are you living in? It is not legalism to call sexual sins – sexual sins.
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.
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what part of thosd passages do you not understand jimhinco?
An it is not out of context since these men support sin
your blatant uncaring comment toward gay teen suicides is simply horrible
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what uncarring comment towards gay teen suicides? Lets look at my comment…
“what sadden me the most about these young teen suicides” – how is that uncarring?
“there is help for them,” – how is that uncarring?
“but they have been told not to trust the Christian Church, by the GLBT Community” – that is the truth so how is that uncarring?
it doesn’t even address committed, monogamous homosexuality. –’
jimhinco – it is still called a sexual sin. No matter how you would like to spin it.
This is the newest form of confusion being passed around to battle Christians with. They are now telling everyone that we must completely remove the words in the Bible that deal with the sin of homosexuality, or be targeted with name-calling and being called hateful. The actual problem is that instead of playing by God’s rule, people instead try to bend or change God’s rules to suit their sins. It is the same thing that has happened for ages. And to top it off, they claim that it is people who are condemning gays, when in all actuality God is the one giving them the choice to play by His rules or choose to condemn themselves forever. It is their own choice. We all have vices that we need to repent of in order to be saved from our sins. It is just that some weaker ones choose not to.
The sad part is that some people insist on continually telling others that they are without hope because they are stuck in the gay lifestyle. And they do so because if people are seen leaving this lifestyle and repenting it destroys their entire excuse for staying unrepentant in their sins themselves.
Jim, they are just going to spin the whole thing so that it sounds like their bigotry is based on good intentions, and then play the victim when they are called on it.
they know that they are motivated by hate, and prejudice, but they will deny it to themselves as adamantly as they deny it to us.
There is nothing xian about their bigotry at all… they simply use their book as an excuse to wage war on all they place “sin” on, like the witch hunters of old.
My, my. What got Pastor Roy’s dander up?? Is anyone checking his blood pressure?
“but they have been told not to trust the Christian Church, by the GLBT Community”
Pastor Roy, where is your documentation to support this statement?
pk1955 – just read peoples comments from the GLBT Community. They are clear about that.
Now where is your proof that the Christian Church is at fault for the gay teen suicides?
my blood pressure is find. Thank you for your concern
I find the concerns of PK1955 really incredible. When you start asking for “documentation” you have really lost it! It has been a known fact that gays do not trust the Christian church and never have, because they live a lifestyle completely in defiance of God and his word.
And it is especially disturbing to see someone claiming that Christians have no right to stand against corruption and sin in our world. All the name calling in the world cannot change the fact that we do have the right.
pastor roy is about trying to convince you that your belief in god is shared word by word by the rest of the world and thankfully it is not. Your beliefs will destroy america.