I got this from a friend's blog. I was wondering what you guys think?The billboard reads:
Mission Gathering Christian Church
Is Sorry
For The Narrow-Minded, Judgmental, Deceptive, Manipulative
Actions Of Those Who
Took Away The Rights And Equality
Of So Many
In The Name Of God.
In case you don't know, the billboard is referencing the passage of Proposition 8 in California which defines marriage as something between a man and woman. It makes homosexual marriage illegal in California.
I guess my main thought is cynical. Why would I apologize for someone else’s action? It looks a whole lot like patting yourself on the back while stabbing a knife in the back of your brothers and sisters in Christ.
It seems as though the billboard itself is narrow minded, judgmental and above all manipulative (meaning the church is trying to manipulate public opinion and generate positive feelings for their particular church - not for Christ).
The billboard totally discounts the opinion of those who love homosexuals, want homosexuals to find (if they haven’t already) and follow Christ, and draw a distinction between equal rights and special rights. There can be disagreement without rancor. Unfortunately, this church - in trying to stop the attacks - launched one at other churches and believers.
This kind of generalization is wrong. To condemn the motives of those with whom you have a disagreement is not the way Christ would have his church behave.
But, I could be wrong. I've been wrong many times before... ask Amy.
4 comments:
From their website... "Missiongathering was started by several young adults from the San Diego area who were disenchanted with the institutional church. From it's initial beginnings this group of friends and spiritual seekers began to use words like open, organic, emergent, fluid, and ever-evolving to describe their community. They wanted to embody God's grace to the merging/postmodern culture they were a part of. To take ancient symbols and the story of God's grace and live out what they mean for us today. This community of faith—this gathering of restless spiritual wanderers from all over San Diego County--found a safe haven for Christian spirituality as opposed to religious institutionalism."
Is anyone really surprised by their billboard and homepage? Sounds about par for the course if you ask me.
Oh, and this.
"The bible’s origin is a human response to God. Its interpretation is both historical and metaphorical. Its function is metaphorical - a way of seeing life’s journey and sacramental - a way of encountering God to experience both truth and transformation through a relationship with God."
I disagree. When I read the billboard I didn't see the church as being manipulative or discounting the opinions of other Christians that love homosexuals. I feel like the church was just trying to convey that not all Christians hate homosexuals. Being gay in America it is easy to believe that everyone who calls themselves a Christian or who is associated with the church is an intolerant homophobe. Through out the years "Christians" have promoted unbiblical attitudes of intolerance and hate towards homosexuals loudly and bodly until that is all that homosexuals hear and I feel like this church just took an oppurtunity to just as loudly and bodly proclaim that not every Christian feels that way. I do not agree with everything that the billboard said or with the words that they used however I think that their hearts were in the right place.
Susie, I agree also that they probably were trying to reach out to homosexuals. A noble and worthy thing for certain. However, their preferred method baffles me. For them to reach out to the GLBT community by bashing "the church" is like me reaching out to pedophiles while at the same time calling child molesting laws intolerant and out-dated.
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