Religions > Atheism > Southern Baptists Expels Church Because Pastor Has Gay Friends
| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Yang, AthD h.c, Kicking AWOLs Cocaine Snorting Ass" |
| Date: |
22 Jan 2006 10:36:07 PM |
| Object: |
Southern Baptists Expels Church Because Pastor Has Gay Friends |
Think of it this way, this is the same organization that was created
in support of slavery. Getting kicked out by these guys should be a
badge of honor.
http://www.houstonvoice.com/2006/1-20/news/localnews/baptists.cfm
Pastor Randy Haney of Faith Harbour Church in nearby Baytown said he
allowed an upstart group that welcomes gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender individuals to use his church’s facility as a personal
favor to a friend.
Haney’s congregation welcomes everyone, and did not object to his
decision, he said.
“This didn’t involve the church in any way,” Haney said. “This is me,
Randy Haney, not Faith Harbour.”
But as a result of Haney’s friendly deed, Faith Harbour was
disaffiliated this week from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention
by the religious organization’s executive board. Haney said Thursday
that officials with the convention have not yet told him about their
decision to remove his church.
“I found out about it from a friend and read the article [on the
Baptist Press website),” Haney said.
An official with the convention’s public relations department did not
return a call seeking comment by press time.
According to the Baptist Press, the convention’s executive board voted
unanimously Tuesday to disaffiliate the church in Baytown, which is
located east of Houston about 30 minutes from downtown. Haney, who is
a full-time geography teacher, said he allowed his friend’s group
Eklektos to use the church’s storefront facility to meet.
“We both have a passion of bringing Christ to people who don’t know
[about him],” said Wendy Bailey, Eklektos founder.
Safe place to learn about God
Bailey, who is an ordained Presbyterian minister, said she is not sure
if the group will evolve into a full-fledged church, or become a
traveling ministry. She said her goal is to offer a safe place for gay
people to learn about God.
“This community of Christians is especially called to welcome and
affirm people who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered,”
Eklektos’ website states.
“We are a diverse group of disciples — diverse in age, race, gender,
ideology and sexual orientation. We are united in Christ and in the
affirmation that all people are loved and called by Christ to be His
disciples and to be a part of His healing/reconciling work in the
world.”
Haney said he doesn’t agree with homosexuality, but welcomes everyone
into his church. He said the small church has a congregation of around
50, with an average of about 30 attending services each week.
“I make no bones, I think homosexuality is wrong,” he said. “But I’m
not going to cast someone out just because I don’t believe in it. If
we as churches are not open to welcome everyone, then who will?”
On Dec. 20, Haney met with the convention’s credentials committee and
two staff members for almost two hours. In a summary of the meeting,
church officials tried to get Haney to stop allowing the group to use
his facility, citing church bylaws, according to the Baptist Press
report.
“One cannot be presenting the life-changing Gospel to homosexuals and
at the same time affirm the lifestyle,” Joe Stewart, board chair and
pastor of First Baptist Church of Littlefield, told the convention
news service. “When we sign an agreement to be part of the Southern
Baptists of Texas Convention, we have those theological parameters
that we live and abide through and that is part of what makes us
unique and distinct.”
Church guidelines
Stewart said the board followed church and biblical guidelines,
referring to Matthew 18 in the Bible. Article III of the church’s
constitution states that “among churches not in cooperation with the
Convention are churches which act to affirm, approve, or endorse
homosexual behavior.”
“The door is still open for them to reconcile if they will just agree
to abide by the theological parameters of the Southern Baptist of
Texas Convention,” Stewart told the Baptist Press. “Although we want
to reach out to people caught in sin, at the same time we can’t affirm
the lifestyle.”
Haney, who is founding pastor of Faith Harbour, said that the nearly
four-year-old church is still affiliated with the Baptist General
Convention of Texas. He said he doesn’t expect that group to
disaffiliate itself from his church.
The pastor believes the series of events unfolded due to a vendetta.
“It’s all based on a women who says she wants to harm Faith Harbour,”
Haney said.
“It always amazes me how much people hate those who try to get out of
the box and take the message of Jesus Christ to those who are
considered unclean,” he wrote on the church’s internet blog. “Now that
I think about it, that was part of what the Jews hated about Jesus.
“How dare we defile the sanctuary by inviting sinners to come and be a
part of hearing the message of Christ. Doesn’t the Bible make it plain
and clear that we are all sinners? Isn’t our righteousness only found
in Christ and him alone?”
The Southern Baptist of Texas Convention includes more than 1,700
churches across the state.
-----
Yang
a.a. #28
AthD (h.c.) conferred by the regents of the LCL
a.a. pastor #-273.15, the most frigid church of Celcius nee Kelvin
EAC Econometric Forecast and Sorcery Division
Proudly plonked by Lani Girl and Crazyalec (aka aka Yang's little poltregeist *****)
The Bush 'balanced' budget: 2 trillion and worsening
The Bush 'economic' policy: 12.5 million FEWER jobs than Clinton and counting
The Bush Iraq lie: -2221 GIs, one friend's co-worker's son and mounting
Having Bush ***** up my country: Worthless
-----
Contact duke's priest and ask
him why duke is such a racist:
http://www.stpatrickbr.org/
Father Gerard "Jerry" Martin
stpatrickbr<AT>bellsouth<DOT>net
Saint Patrick Catholic Church
12424 Brogdon Lane
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70816
.
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| User: "Brian E. Clark" |
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| Title: Re: Southern Baptists Expels Church Because Pastor Has Gay Friends |
30 Jan 2006 07:32:52 PM |
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In article <h2n8t1dkr7852r8dp4b6r7023gidkcdpik@4ax.com>, Yang,
AthD (h.c), Kicking AWOL's Cocaine Snorting ***** said...
Think of it this way, this is the same organization that was
created in support of slavery. Getting kicked out by these
guys should be a badge of honor.
In certain Christian circles, despite the endless rhetorica
about hating the sin but loving the sinner, it's still
impermissible to treat gays as full-fledged human beings. A
preacher who extends common courtesy to homosexuals, even by
proxy, dilutes the propaganda and weakens the effort to denounce
"the other."
-----------
Brian E. Clark
.
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| User: "stoney" |
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| Title: Re: Southern Baptists Expels Church Because Pastor Has Gay Friends |
31 Jan 2006 09:24:17 AM |
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On Mon, 30 Jan 2006 20:32:52 -0500, Brian E. Clark
<reply@newsgroup.only.please> wrote in alt.atheism
In article <h2n8t1dkr7852r8dp4b6r7023gidkcdpik@4ax.com>, Yang,
AthD (h.c), Kicking AWOL's Cocaine Snorting ***** said...
Think of it this way, this is the same organization that was
created in support of slavery. Getting kicked out by these
guys should be a badge of honor.
In certain Christian circles, despite the endless rhetorica
about hating the sin but loving the sinner, it's still
impermissible to treat gays as full-fledged human beings. A
preacher who extends common courtesy to homosexuals, even by
proxy, dilutes the propaganda and weakens the effort to denounce
"the other."
/Baptist Fascist Zombies
"You are not of the body...."
--
Fundies and trolls are cordially invited to
shove a wooden cross up their arses and rotate
at a high rate of speed. I trust you'll
be 'blessed' with a cornucopia of splinters.
.
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