Arkansas Church Kicks Out Young Gay Man For ‘Choosing A Sinful Lifestyle’

[rougueone]

If I remember correctly there was something that this sexually immoral person was a member of this congregation for 6 years? Forgive me if I am misstating this. No one ever knew that this person was a sexually immoral person? No one? Not the pastor? Not his close circle of friends in the church? and He all of a sudden just came out and said, 'I am a sexually immoral person,' then, the congregation, 'kicks him out.' I probably missed something when I read the article.

I am NOT complaining about a congregation following Paul's admonition. Never did, never will.

Obviously, I would (and have) moved to another congregation.

What I tried to say, and obviously very badly, is that my experience with some of the sins Paul talk about in this particular verse, I personally, have not heard a sermon about them, did not say, that no sermons about these other sins were never preached.

Ah, BTW, the 'gossiper' that I was talking about, had been swiftly kicked out of the congregation, however, that did not help the congregation at all, which was very sad. I was not a member of this particular congregation.

I used to go to a congregation and when the pastor 'retired' and another came in and started preaching about american idol, etc. I did move to another congregation.

So, I ask your forgiveness for not explaining myself correctly.

this sexually immoral person was a member of this congregation for 6 years?...... No one ever knew that this person was a sexually immoral person? ..... his close circle of friends in the church?

It is obvious the guy hid his behavior. He had limited his friends in the church, and or only allowed them into his life at a distance.

I am NOT complaining about a congregation following Paul's admonition. Never did, never will.

Obviously, I would (and have) moved to another congregation.

If not complaining, but admittedly you would seek another church, this reveals you are in disagreement with Pauls admonition.

LIG, It is a blessing to belong to a fellowship that you can confess your mistakes, ( sins) , if your willing to correct them. Repentance is so crucial to your walk, my walk, all. Your intimacy with your Lord, Jesus. Yet your friend...... John 15:15:

15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

This life is not easy. Jesus stated this many times. Jesus also stated for HIS children it is a harder life. But the rewards are eternall and so well worth it.

2 Timothy 3:12
all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Luke 6:23

"Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.

 

[serpentdove]

Membership will require a higher standard. If they were trying to ban them completely I'd feel differently.

We don't let unrepentant sinners defile the sanctuary (Ac 5:4-5).

 

[PureX]

The church did absolutely love this guy. They embraced him by trying to restore him as God-Scriptures stated.

Yes. According to their own beliefs. They were seeking to force him to comply with their own beliefs about what scripture is, and what it means.

It never occurred to them that they could be wrong. Or that what they were doing was out of their own self-righteousness, and not out of love for the man in question. Just as it is not occurring to you.

Sin is deadly.

Yes, the sins of false pride and self-righteousness, especially. Because they lead us into so many others.

Please recall what Gods begotten son endured for our sin. Tortured is being mild. The 40 lashes were " skinned alive" and broken bones with each strike of the whip.

Yes, all at the behest of his prideful, self-righteous religious "brothers", who presumed unto themselves the right to judge and condemn him, when they were in fact only condemning themselves. Because as Jesus said; "As you judge others, so shall you be judged in return". "But as you forgive others, so you shall be forgiven".

I feel confident that the church probably had more pain for this man than he did for himself.

I doubt that very much. But I'm sure that's a convenient thing for them to tell themselves, as they erase and dismiss their own sins while condemning others of theirs.

 

[lifeisgood]

It is obvious the guy hid his behavior. He had limited his friends in the church, and or only allowed them into his life at a distance.

Probably yes, probably not. But we weren't there, so, can only speculate.

If not complaining, but admittedly you would seek another church, this reveals you are in disagreement with Pauls admonition.

Not in a case such as this. I am in total agreement that this particular pastor, in this particular instance, was totally and completely correct when the member decided that he was going to live in a 'sexual' immoral way openly and in total disagreement with God.

Now, on the fact of seeking another congregation, which I have in the past, would I, lifeisgood, stay in a congregation where:
- american idol,
- angels leaving feathers behind, as if the Bible teaches that angels have feathers,
- you do not get healed because you do not have enough faith, as if your faith is God
- you are not rich because you do not confess enough or correctly, as if God has promised that His children will be materially rich in this world,
- etc., etc., etc.
is the bread of the day,
I, lifeisgood, will definitely seek another congregation, which I have done. (I have been in congregations where ALL or some or a combination of all of the above plus others have been the plate of the preaching. Can't stay in a congregation like that.)

LIG, It is a blessing to belong to a fellowship that you can confess your mistakes, (sins), if your willing to correct them. Repentance is so crucial to your walk, my walk, all. Your intimacy with your Lord, Jesus. Yet your friend...... John 15:15:

15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

This life is not easy. Jesus stated this many times. Jesus also stated for HIS children it is a harder life. But the rewards are eternall and so well worth it.

2 Timothy 3:12
all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Luke 6:23

"Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.

It is a blessing to belong to a congregation where you can come and confess your sin and they will embrace you correct and help you with correcting it. Hard to find, but that congregation exist.

After many years of searching for a congregation without american idols, angel feathers, precious stones (but only for certain ones), etc., I have found a congregation where the pastor has stated 'there will be no hip hop in this church,' 'no angel feathers,' 'no get rich schemes,' in this congregation. In this congregation, we will have only Jesus Christ and what He did at the Cross of Calvary' as our only hope. I am happy because it is only 45 minutes from my house. I'm willing to travel 45 minutes from my house to get sound doctrine.

I, lifeisgood, am distraught that for the past various years, all the congregations I have visited, all I get is 'angel feathers,' 'get rich quick schemes,' don't bring your Bible here (oh, yeah, heard that one too), 'you're sick because you do not have enough faith', etc.

If you are gathering in a congregation that preaches the True Gospel of Jesus Christ and what He did at the Cross of Calvary, you are blessed indeed, my brother. Many of us are struggling to find a 'true' congregation without all this nonsense in our areas and I pray that the Lord will place such a congregation in the path of those seeking for such.

 

[patrick jane]

- angels leaving feathers behind, as if the Bible teaches that angels have feathers,
-
i


a congregation without american idols, angel fathers, precious stones (but only for certain ones), etc., ,' 'no angel feathers,' 'no get rich schemes,' in this congregation.

, all I get is 'angel feathers,' 'get rich quick schemes,' don't bring your Bible here (oh, yeah, heard that one too), 'you're sick because you do not have enough faith', etc.

aawww horse feathers !

 

[Angel4Truth]

If I remember correctly there was something that this sexually immoral person was a member of this congregation for 6 years? Forgive me if I am misstating this. No one ever knew that this person was a sexually immoral person? No one? Not the pastor? Not his close circle of friends in the church? and He all of a sudden just came out and said, 'I am a sexually immoral person,' then, the congregation, 'kicks him out.' I probably missed something when I read the article.

yes, he kept it hidden till he finally announced to his parents and others that he was not going to hide it anymore and came out with full intent to embrace the homosexual lifestyle (his words)

Three months ago, he revealed his sexual preference to his parents after years of struggling with it.

"I asked for God to kind of just take it out of my life and give me some hope and faith that I could find a wife or a girlfriend," said Settles.

But he said that lifestyle is not for him.

"I was tired of living for somebody else, living for my parents or my friends or whoever," said Settles. "I kind of just chose to live for what I wanted and be happy."... and

"I don't feel comfortable sitting at pew or sitting beside my parents when all I'm going to see is people pointing their fingers at me because of the lifestyle I chose," said Settles.

http://www.localmemphis.com/news/local-news/arkansas-church-revokes-gay-mans-membership
The original article that huffington post linked too, in the op.

I am NOT complaining about a congregation following Paul's admonition. Never did, never will.

Sounds like you are still questioning it to me.

Obviously, I would (and have) moved to another congregation.

Then you know full on Pauls instruction is correct and what can happen when a church doesnt follow it.

What I tried to say, and obviously very badly, is that my experience with some of the sins Paul talk about in this particular verse, I personally, have not heard a sermon about them, did not say, that no sermons about these other sins were never preached.

Im sorry to hear that. Seems there is a famine for the word of God in many churches.

Ah, BTW, the 'gossiper' that I was talking about, had been swiftly kicked out of the congregation, however, that did not help the congregation at all, which was very sad. I was not a member of this particular congregation.

Perhaps they waited too long to handle the issue.

I used to go to a congregation and when the pastor 'retired' and another came in and started preaching about american idol, etc. I did move to another congregation.

So, I ask your forgiveness for not explaining myself correctly.

No problem.

 

[glorydaz]

aawww horse feathers !

Someone from the funny farm should take this boy away.


Is there no line you won't cross in order to draw attention to yourself, pj?

 

[aikido7]

Someone from the funny farm should take this boy away.


Is there no line you won't cross in order to draw attention to yourself, pj?

When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." (Said about Jesus, from Mark 3:21)

Don't you think we need to allow for the fact that even good folks can fear anyone who exhibits strange, crazy behavior.

 

[Lon]

You mean right after he judged and condemned her? oh wait...nevermind

There is nothing else to tell a sinner than 'sin no more.' Until they do it or don't, there was nothing else to say.

"go" and "sin no more."

Considering that the story was added to the bible in the 3rd century it seems likely that nothing was said.

Don't look for excuses for purposeful defiance. You are either a person enslaved by your passions or you are a person enamored with Christ and looking for Spiritual matters. Luke 16:13

The one caught in flesh is using another for selfish purpose.

All sexual sin is enslaving and we all need to not practice it or any other sin defiantly against God and His church. All sins that hurt the body in selfishness need to be stopped. The body of Christ is not prey for fleshly consumption.

Go and sin no more:
1 John 1:6,8,10
1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

[oatmeal]

so your church should kick you out of the congregation?

Homosexuality, like murder, kidnapping, rape, and others were sins that required the death penalty under the law of Moses.

It does say that of overeating. However, when anything becomes more important to us than God, then we have made an idol. And I John 5:21 and other places make it clear that we are not to serve idols, nothing should ever come before God in our lives.

 

[Idolater]

Correct: which is why I am an Idolater of Christ, because of these very special words you wrote! :thumb: Amen!

when anything becomes more important to us than God, then we have made an idol. And I John 5:21 and other places make it clear that we are not to serve idols, nothing should ever come before God in our lives.

 

[aikido7]

Correct: which is why I am an Idolater of Christ, because of these very special words you wrote! :thumb: Amen!

Idolatry is the oldest human sin. Worshiping anyone is different from following their teachings.

Jesus is an iconoclast who was turned into an icon on a pedestal.

 

[kiwimacahau]

Seems an inhuman, uncharitable, hard, and very judgmental decision that this church board made.

You are correct. They are inhuman, unchristian and uncharitable. May they recieve back what they have given. Romans 2:1

 

[Idolater]

That's correct: worshiping means that you believe in their divinity.

Worshiping anyone is different from following their teachings.

 

[aikido7]

That's correct: worshiping means that you believe in their divinity.

Since the real Jesus referred to himself as "Son of Man" which means "Son of Adam" or, more simply, human being I don't think he wanted worship.

"Why do you call ME good? Only God is good."

Now that I think of it, once he did refer to himself sort of indirectly as a prophet. But he never saw himself as God.

I don't use the Gospel of John for my sources for this. John's Jesus does not resemble the Jesus in the synoptics at all. John's account is theological, but is not very historical. For all Jews, idolatry was a sin.

 

[ok doser]

You are correct. They are inhuman, unchristian and uncharitable. May they recieve back what they have given. Romans 2:1

so, in your church, if a member says that they intend to embrace a life a sin, you do what?

make them your leader?

 

[Idolater]

I draw from the New Testament and also from the witness of the earliest Idolaters of Christ (Christians) for my sources. The N.T. itself was generated by the earliest Idolaters of Christ (Christ himself produced no writings), so I see the N.T. as part of the earliest witness of Christ: not the whole witness though, since there are witnesses outside of the N.T. that are historically as valid as the N.T. is: even though the earliest Idolaters of Christ chose to declare the N.T. as Scripture, they didn't declare all other witnesses invalid: just that not all is Scripture.

Since the real Jesus referred to himself as "Son of Man" which means "Son of Adam" or, more simply, human being I don't think he wanted worship.

"Why do you call ME good? Only God is good."

Now that I think of it, once he did refer to himself sort of indirectly as a prophet. But he never saw himself as God.

I don't use the Gospel of John for my sources for this. John's Jesus does not resemble the Jesus in the synoptics at all. John's account is theological, but is not very historical. For all Jews, idolatry was a sin.

 

[aikido7]

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, it was the son that walked away from his family to pursue a lifestyle of sin.

Church discipline is about forcing the sinner to either renounce his sin and remain in fellowship with the church, or to renounce the church to pursue a lifestyle of sin.

The young man in the OP made his choice.
The church will still be there waiting if he changes his mind and wants to return.

You chose to stand with the disgusted older brother in the parable.

 

[aikido7]

...I see the N.T. as part of the earliest witness of Christ: not the whole witness though, since there are witnesses outside of the N.T. that are historically as valid as the N.T. is: even though the earliest Idolaters of Christ chose to declare the N.T. as Scripture, they didn't declare all other witnesses invalid: just that not all is Scripture.

It's all about human interpretations. The gospels are one set of interpretations and so are the letters of Paul. And we go on interpreting scripture in ways that make sense to us.

This fact is seen in the discrepancies of the Bible as well as the many different versions and translations that are available in any Christian bookstore.

 

[ok doser]

You chose to stand with the disgusted older brother in the parable.

because the homo in the op had repented and was returning to the church contrite?


oh wait, this one goes differently