Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!usc!apple!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: tom@dvnspc1.dev.unisys.com (Tom Albrecht) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: homosexuality Message-ID: Date: 20 Jul 90 06:26:19 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Unisys Corporation, Devon Engineering Offices Lines: 84 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article mls@sfsup.att.com (Mike Siemon) writes: > >> Homosexual groups are also using negative tactics to turn the opinion >> of young people in our society. They are demanding the right to >> present their case in our public school under the guise of wanting to >> "help youngsters with their latent homosexual feeling." This is > >Tom's charge is nonsense. It a conflation of two highly biased and >competely unfounded stereotypes used constantly against us -- that we >"recruit" and that (or so the conservatives seem to think) hordes of >American youth would become gay overnight if there were any trace of >social acceptance. My charge is not nonsense. You just misread what I wrote. I did not say the things you are attacking. I said nothing about recruiting youngsters to be homosexuals. Whether homosexuals are born with or learn their orientation later in life (actually I believe it's a combination of both) is irrelevant. My point was that there is an ongoing attempt by some homosexuals to invade the school systems of our country to desensitize heterosexual children to the aberrant nature of homosexuality. They are attempting to build up a new generation of heterosexual people without all the "hangups" of their parents. It's happening in the schools, on TV and in the movies, in the music children listen to, in virtually every area of society that affects our children. I understand that even the advertising on billboards in San Francisco has become place for equal access by homosexual groups. It's sad to see this happening in our public schools, it's even sadder to see it happening in the Church of Jesus Christ. That was the gist of my comment on the PCUSA. BTW, I understand the PCUSA General Assembly has voted to remove the section of its constitution dealing with advocacy groups, thereby eliminating their "official" voice from within the denomination. If it passes the presbyteries and next year's assembly, several pro-homosexual groups will find themselves out on the street (as will pro-life and conservative/evangelical groups). But I hope you will not deny that homosexuals try to get access to school under the pretense of helping the "10%" of youngsters that are already homosexual. To our moderator, Michael writes: > You are saying that gay men and lesbian women >can have no full part in your church unless they deny themselves or >(what you *will* have, since you insist on it) become hypocrites? Do >these so easily excluded Christians have any voice at all? I don't think it's asking too much for believers in Jesus Christ to give up their old, sinful habits for the sake of the Kingdom. As Paul told the Corinthians, "Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, drunkards, ... For such WERE some of you. But you have been washed; but you have been sanctified; but you have been justified in the name of our Lord Jesus, ..." Unfortunately many churches don't sing that tune anymore. They're more interested in the broad path of accommodation. But the broad path leads to destruction. The oldline churches are in a real catch-22 situation. Most are loosing members at an alarming rate. The PCUSA, for instance, lost 43,000 within the last few years. Their (combined) membership has gone from about 4.5 million in the mid-60s to under 3 million this year. There are expecting to loss even more as the deadline draws near for congregations to leave with their property. (This deadline was a result of the merger of the northern and southern Presbyterian churches). Do they continue to drift to the left making room for the homosexuals in their pulpits and denominational hierarchy and further alienate the mostly conservative members? How do they put a stop to the trend and cause the unrepentant homosexuals into another, more accommodating denomination? It will be interesting to see how things develop. I for one would like to see at least one major Protestant denomination get off the fence on the issue and use some biblical terminology on the matter. How refreshing that would be. >Do you also debar moneylenders from participating in your church? If the moneylender wished to remain a moneylender AFTER professing faith, he has a serious problem that needs further repentance. Certainly some serious discipleship is in order. -- Tom Albrecht