God Has a Better Way Launch & Backlash
Filed under News, Sexuality & Gender on June 5th, 2009 by Marcus French
We’ve launched the God Has a Better Way website in preparation for the event in Uptown Charlotte on July 25th. Backlash has already come in via Jeremy Hooper of Good As You. This is what he had to say this morning regarding the event on his blog:
Pride & Prejudice
On July 25th, Charlotte, NC, will hold its annual gay pride parade. So what are the good Christians who simply want religious freedom and nothing more (ha!) doing in protest of the event? Well, check this out:
JOIN US FOR A HISTORIC RALLY IN UPTOWN CHARLOTTE ON JULY 25TH!
GOD HAS A BETTER WAY!What
This rally is a Spirit-birthed response to Charlotte’s annual gay pride event. More than one thousand believers will be gathering to worship the Lord, intercede in prayer, and proclaim that “God Has a Better Way”! Nothing like this has ever been done in conjunction with a gay pride event in any city before, and those who join together on this day will be part of history in the making.Who
Everyone can be involved! If you love Jesus and are walking with Him, then you qualify. We need worshipers, intercessors, musicians, soul-winners, walkers, talkers, and believers of every age, color, and size to stand together as a prophetic witness to our society. Everything we do will be law-abiding, safe, and honoring to the Lord in spirit and in word.
“God Has A Better Way”Yes, that’s right: Because, apparently, gay is “anti-God” and every last pride parade attendee is in need of a “better way” to conduct their own affairs, a group of self-appointed moral authoritarians are taking time out of their day to do little more than pester LGBT attendees. If “live and let live” were a concept in need of a suitable antonym, then this event would be it.
But, of course: You have to “love Jesus” in order to be involved. You can’t just be in like with the son. You can’t be anti-gay yet agnostic. And you CERTAINLY can’t be involved in a faith that doesn’t accept Jesus as the messiah. Because in this myopic world of anti-gay evangelism, “everyone can be involved” can and will be followed by “if you love Jesus” without either irony or concern for the narrow purview that this blinder-wearing mindset places on the world and its people.
Oh, God. Please show your most vocal that there truly is a “better way.” Because honestly, dude — these nonstop attacks are making there way look nothing short of “bitter.”
**SEE ALSO: The event’s Facebook page (where please, by all means, go leave your own plans to NOT attend) includes this comment:
“Wash the gay away”? What sort of loofah do you use for that?
Here are a few comments that have come in on the facebook event page since this post went up:
What an ugly event. You should all be ashamed. Just more people who use their interpretation of faith to mask what is nothing more than personal prejudice and fear of people who are different. Silly people. Being gay is a natural normal beautiful variation. Why else would they get excited about parts of the Bible which support their bigotry but blatantly ignore the parts which go against all human decency: slavery, genocide, executing people for trivial matters, etc. When it comes to the Bible, these people surely know how to use it as a weapon. Fred Phelps would be proud of them and surely welcome them in to his Westboro Baptist Church. This immoral, supremacist, deceitful event is not in any way about faith. It’s about arrogance, pride, scapegoating and supremacist ideology. Get used to keeping company with other marginalized religious extremists in America ranting about the coming race wars, oops, in your case it would be sexuality wars, right? (rolling my eyes)
What a wonderfully transparent display of hate and misinformation. Keep it up so everyone can see how very non-christ-like you all are.
Since when did ‘God’ become the opposite of ‘Gay’? I promise to “love [my] neighbor” instead of hate everyone that doesn’t prescribe to a narrow interpitation of the world; perhaps you could do the same.
If you have a moment and believe in this event, please go to the facebook event page we’ve set up and either mark as “Attending” if you know you can come, “Maybe Attending” if you think you might be able to make it, or write on the wall in support of what we’re doing. Our friends in the LGBT community think we’re filled with bigotry and hate. Let’s overcome their wrong assumptions and judgments with the love of God!
Tags: charlotte, gay pride, god has a better way, good as you, homosexuality, jeremy hooper
Possibly Related Posts:
“Our friends in the LGBT community think we’re filled with bigotry and hate. Let’s overcome their wrong assumptions and judgments with the love of God!”
That is a complete straw man. I never in that post invoked the words “bigotry” or “hate.” I NEVER use those kinds of words.
What I think you are on this issue is WRONG. And I think your ideas about gays, God, and Christianity as the only acceptable bath are quite brazen.
G-A-Y,
Look at one of the comments on the facebook event page:
I would say that is accusing us of bigotry and hate. I was asking supporters to demonstrate the love of God on the event page, where accusations like this from the LGBT community are being made.
I’m not speaking for everyone, only myself. In this post, you are DIRECTLY RESPONDING to what I wrote. So your “bigotry” and “hate” reference is rightfully assumed to be in response to what I wrote. I’m saying to you that I did not and do not use those words, but still strongly resist what you are standing for! And I’m saying that painting all gay activists as insult-hurlers may be easier for you, but it is not the truth. Our messaging is much more complex and reasoned than that.
Now, as for what you wrote: You ask folks to “please go to the facebook event page we’ve set up and either mark as “Attending” or “Maybe Attending” if you think you might be able to make it.” So basically, you are telling people to say they are attending even if they aren’t? Doesn’t that go against a commandment or two?
This will be the last thing I say here. If you wish to correspond further, you can comment on my site.
G-A-Y,
Excellent points I had not considered. I changed the post.
G-A-Y,
You said:
I’m encouraged to hear this! Would you be open to people keeping you accountable to this statement with regard to your blog, as you are pointing out things that should be changed on mine?
Marcus,
If you’d like to overcome our misconceptions about your intent, then please join with gay people in opposing active discrimination against them. Lobby legislators to overturn bans on gay people serving in the military. Oppose bans on adoption. Start a petition to allow gay couples to take responsibility for each other.
Because that’s the kind of love that gay people will recognize as actually being love. Remember, Jesus didn’t say that his disciples would be known for saying that they had love, but rather because outsiders, non-believers, would RECOGNIZE their love.
We don’t recognize what you are doing as being love. And I don’t think its a failing in our perception.
What is your definition of love Timothy?
Marc
It’s not my definition that matters, Marc. It’s that other can see your good works, that non-believers see the love.
If your behaviors aren’t being recognized as “love” then either you are defining “love” incorrectly or you are expressing it in a way that doesn’t look like love to others.
Jesus didn’t say, “tell them the TRUTH in love” or “show them tough love” or “love is hating the sin” or anything like that at all. Which is why the common folks saw his good works, glorified his Father, and believed that he loved them. The church folk who saw love as a subject to the law weren’t so convinced.
I understand what you are saying, but is there a standard of love for you Timothy? If so, what is it? What do you class as showing love?
Marc
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.
Marc, you’ll notice that in all those instances Jesus said the Father will judge based on how we respond to the physical needs of those around us, not to their spiritual needs and most definitely not their “culture” needs.
It doesn’t really matter what the LGBT community thinks about Disciples of Yeshua. We operate according to our belief. The definition of Biblical “love” toward those in a lifestyle in direct opposition to God’s Word in the greek:
25. agapao ag-ap-ah’-o perhaps from agan (much); to love (in a social or moral sense):–(be-)love(-ed). agapao is a wider application than that of phileo, embracing especially the judgment and the deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty and propriety: being chiefly of the head, not the heart.
Biblical “love” in this sense, toward those hostile to us, is not of friendship or affection. Love is a matter of an emotionless decision to have charity (goodwill) toward the object of our love. It is doing or saying the best for that person. Of course, that’s subjective and is based on our sincere and true convictions of our heart. For Christians to love a homosexual, is to honestly, earnestly do good (food, clothe, shelter); that is, to help in any way that would not enable actions against Biblical standards. Homosexual sin is not a matter of interpretation. Yahweh (God) is direct, clear and concise toward His Word regarding homosexuality. However, Christians are not to kill, stone, harrass or otherwise harm toward the homosexual. Listen, sin is sin and Christians have enough “heterosexual” sins to engage in stone throwing. We can speak out against what Jesus calls sin and leave it at that. If, however, they want to call our preaching and activities, exercising the same free speech they enjoy, harm–then we can’t help that. The standards they ask us to hold are not those they practice. They call us hypocrites but with the very judgments and accusations they hurl at us, they practice hypocrisy. They march and speak out all sorts of scoffing verbage, yet if we march and spout off the commandments of our most high God, or the high praises, prayers and worship, the homosexuals go ballistic and try to stop us; regardless of whether we said anything about homosexuality or not. What is most puzzling is that very intellectual people seem to be blind and ignorant about what they do and say.
The Disciples of Yeshua need to gather, march and speak out the High Praises and Worship of our Most High God, lift up prayers and preach against sin. Don’t be intimidated by the protests. Do it no matter what.
God bless those who are organizing the “God has a Better Way” event. This should catch on and grow to occur in all our cities all over the nation. I would love to organize one in our capital city in Ca. (Sacramento). This is a great thing. It’s time there’s an equal voice. The opposition to it is expected. Somehow we need to show the homosexuals that we do “Love” (agapao) them. We want the best (eternally) for them and we would die if need be to try to reach them with the truth. No matter of verbal assault or physical threats could stop us in trying to reach homosexuals, including all people who don’t believe in Jesus. In the end times, it may come to laying down our lives.
God bless you people for doing this.
Marc, to get an impression of how the world sees Christianity, you need look no further than John’s comments.
In John’s imagination, love is deciding for someone else what is best for them (eternally) and then coercing them into accepting “the truth”. It is denying the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct and replacing it with the power of the ballot box to force cultural adherence. It is qualifying Christ’s commandments with an asterisk - care for others *IF* it doesn’t “enable” what he believes to be sinful.
John is so convinced of the ill will of “the homosexual” that he can’t see him as a person, only as an enemy who “doesn’t believe in Jesus” and may require “laying down his life”.
I pity John. But worse, I am sorrowed by the message that John gives to the world.
It doesn’t matter what you think. according to God’s Word, Homosexuality is sin. You didn’t mention I said, in my previous response that we are to treat each other with love. I showed the meaning of love as mentioned in the Bible. If you don’t agree,… it’s of no consequence to you or I. There are those I know who are homosexual that I treat the same way I treat everyone else. But, in my experience, that’s not good enough.
If you have a problem with any Christian, it’s not us you have the problem with. Ya see, Jesus said we would be reviled for our belief, for our stand against sin. We, Christians, are not here to win popularity contests. We are here to speak out the Gospel, in love (which i understand many do not do), and let the spirit of God do the rest. We are not here to say what you want us to say or make you feel good with what we say. That is not our mandate. If, along the way, our preaching brings conviction (actually it’s the Spirit of God that does that), that person is given the choice to see and accept Jesus as the Son of God, the Son of man that takes away the sin of the world and believes unto salvation, then great!!! No matter how much noise the homosexual community makes, they will not change our (the true Christian’s) mind. We can co-exist, but know this, we will always state that homosexuality is sin. If somehow the world passed a law that if anyone preached that homosexuality is sin, the true Christians would have to break the law, no matter the legal consequences. You have a cause and are passionate, Christians have a cause and are passionate; so much so, we will die rather than bow to any Ba’al. Many people who call themselves Christians and give homosexuality a wink of approval, is not a true Disciple of Christ.
You can call me a bigot, homophobe (which is a funny term), racist, hater, …whatever you can think of. I uphold Biblical standards and hate no one. I treat everyone with dignity and respect, whether L,G,B or T… Black, White, Blue, Red, Green…. I do business with all sorts of people every day. It doesn’t matter to me who and what they are. However, I have a belief system that is in direct opposition to this world’s standards. So I must be in this world, but not a by product of it. If that brings a vile, cat scratching, hypocritical response from anyone, then so be it.
Also, Christians are blamed for imposing our beliefs and lifestyle on others. Well, what I see, is a community that is constantly imposing their lifestyle on everyone. What hypocrites!!! Christians (true disciples of Yeshua) will continue to oppose the homosexual, forced, agenda to assimilate, control society, demand “special” rights and impose their ways on others while continuing to pretend the opposite.
For years I was a practicing “homosexual.” The desire for men was insatiable. I was so comfortable with a personality type, so much like my own. I could be a man, or at least who I was, and not have to worry about having to learn how to be accepted by a woman or what to say and how to say it. Men know men; it was easy. But when it came to sex, something was different than sex with a woman. Something beautiful, but deeply, deeply evil. It was entirely of the flesh and the soul imitated a spiritual experience. To describe it would not be appropriate to this site. But what I want to say is that I know the inner mind of someone who was searching for sexual identity, feeling comfortable in homosexuality. But when the voice of God came in, I could not continue to practice homosexuality. Since then I have done a lot of deep spiritual searching and seeking God, His word and, in general, Truth and Wisdom. I was a homosexual, but that was a lie. Homosexuality is lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life…. It’s all 3 categories of sin. That’s why it is so great a sin; so great a deception. I would love to share about the whole deception, but it would take a book to do so. I don’t expect you, Timothy, to understand. In fact, I heard you say, “you weren’t really gay. You were just fooling around or searching and found out you were not really gay.”
But, Gay vs. Not- equals a never ending debate. Neither camp will understand or give in to the other. This debate will continue… for just a little while more.
Timothy,
I understand. Somewhere along the line, Christians have pushed so hard on this issue that those outside the Christian community (or Church) have picked up that Homosexuality is a kind of übersin if you will.
Let me make this clear - firstly, Homosexuality is sin. The Bible is clear on this and there is no way to circumnavigate the verses condemning it.
However, let me also say, Heterosexual promiscuity is sin, theft, lying…. a number of other things are sin.
Here, let me ask you some questions; a) If you were a homosexual (and I don’t know if you are) and believed in a judgement day (and I don’t know if you do) on which Christ will judge our hearts - those with sin being sent away and those who are ‘righteous’ being brought into Heaven, would you agree that the only loving thing of a Christian to do would be to try and get those with sin in their lives to stop sinning? b) Do you feel, and this is of personal interest to me, that Christianity vicitmises homosexuals over, say, people who take drugs or steal?
The first question is important - the second question is important too but it’s more a question that I’m interested in.
Just so you know, I don’t hate you. I’ve got heaps of homosexual friends and if I knew you, I’d still be your friend even if you were a raving homosexual (I say raving because we sometimes hear that in Britain and I think it sounds funny). I do disagree with it though - but it’s mostly out of concern for your safety eternally - the same as I’d act towards any of my friends who don’t love Jesus.
Marc
Thank you Marc.
I had said, in a previous response, that “ Listen, sin is sin and Christians have enough “heterosexual” sins to engage in stone throwing.” I am not throwing stones. I would agree that my passion gets mis-construed. The homosexual issue, between christians and gays, has been polarized just like the abortion.
Has anyone tried to calmly talk to your child about something they need to work on and they don’t like hearing what you are saying so they say, “stop yelling at me.” This may be like the problem here. Also, though, Christians need to learn to talk with a genuine tone of concern and love in their voice. However, if and when I speak with gay people, I do speak with love and concern but our ideologies are so different, “stop yelling at me” becomes the attitude.
It’s hard to mince words when Scripture is very plain on this issue. I love gay people as I love people who commit adultery, steal, lie, are addicted to drugs, etc…who are sinners. I am not without sin, why should I point fingers. “Let those who are without sin, cast the first stone.” I apologize for any verbal stones and since I was heavily into homosexuality at one time in my life, I am passionate on this issue. There is a difference, though it may seem similar when writing on a blog, discussing one’s convictions and passions, and throwing stones.
Timothy,
Thanks for sharing your perspective. You said:
Are you stating that an act must be perceived to be loving, for it actually to be loving?
Well this is all fine and dandy, with the exception that I am an atheist and get sick and tired of people trying to enroll me in their latest deist fantasy. There is no rational reason to believe in any god. There is no evidence as to the existence of god. I really wish people would keep their personal beliefs to themselves unless asked, I won’t be asking. I used to have more respect for religion until I saw how many in the evangelical movement treat it like they are selling Amway. The number of times I heard people say “I speak for god” , what? that is sacrilege at very least. He’s a god, he does not need your help communicating. What I see are people trying feel good about themselves and their beliefs,
and doing something for yourself at the expense of others is selfish. A quick look at history will show you how religion has been used to oppress enslave and murder people.
SDR,
Is this your Blog site? Let me ask this,… who asked you? By the mere definition of god, you have deified yourself and therefore are not an Athiest. You are your own god and your first decree as this earth’s new “god,” is to shut up the voices of everyone who disagree with you, which is everyone. And in your new found solitude you will walk through your kingly garden built by…: Oh, who works for you?… no one willingly because your arrogance means people would have to be forced to give you your “due.”
HaHaHa… I just had to write this. When I read your response, I instantly saw you on your own throne, wrapped in a robe (you were wearing boxing gloves…quite out of character for this vision). You got up and walked into your garden to eat of it’s fruit. It was strawberries… off a tree…again, quite out of character. This is the fact that Atheism is quite out of character when held to the truth. Atheism is the deification of self. “Not a mighty god… we se…rve” (to the tune of “what a mighty God we Serve).
I don’t pretend to speak for Timothy Kincaid (though as a matter of full disclosure, I do read his blog on occasion), but I felt compelled to answer this question. Yes, I think that to act in such a way that the recipient of those actions does not accept as loving is, in fact, to act in an unloving and unempathetic way. I think acting without the consent of those who you are acting upon can never be called a “loving” act, and is instead a sign of egoism.
Timothy,
First, let me welcome you to our blog.
Second, let me assure you that God’s love, by His grace and with His help, will be made manifest to many at our rally on July 25th.
Third, let me set the record straight in terms of what Jesus actually said (in contrast with your quote, which is somewhat misleading). This is what is written in John 13:34-35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
So, the real test is the love that Jesus’ followers show one towards another. By this love, the world will recognize that we are His disciples. We endeavor to demonstrate that love on a daily basis, with the help of God’s Spirit.
Too bad you can’t be there on July 25th. Perhaps you would be touched afresh by God’s love and His Spirit!
And a direct question for you: Isn’t God’s message to all humanity that He has a better way? Isn’t that why He sent His Son?
Again, welcome to the VOR blog.
Do you guys realize you’re essentially saying, “My religion says homosexuality is wrong, so you should stop.” ?
Would you prefer the alternative… gays marrying heterosexuals they’re not in love with? I have some friends that unwittingly happened to. They had kids, and then eventually the gay partner (usually male), ended up not being able to bury his feelings anymore. Gay infidelity happened, followed by divorce, and now they have some very confused kids out of wedlock.
Maybe they should just stay single?
Is there peer reviewed psychological evidence that homosexuality can be “cured?” I’ve read about “ex-gays” and it seems there’s a high return to homosexuality rate among them.
I’m just curious how you think gays should live their lives, particularly non-Christians who don’t think your Bible is a good reason to not be with who they love.
–Dan
Dan,
I suppose that there are a few interesting questions raised in your response. One of them is the question of “What is a person who is a homosexual to do if they are not allowed to be married/have sexual relations even in a loving committed relationship?” It’s a good question, but it would be illogical to answer it before answering the second question.
I do not know, personally, of any psychological studies which indicate the ability to stop ‘being gay.’ I have never looked into it myself. I do, however, know a little bit (and I cannot overstate the little) about psychology.
I suppose that Psychology is actually based upon human experience rather than stand alone facts and figures. I mean, you can’t exactly map out someones thoughts and then diagnose another person (in clinical psychology) with the same ‘mindmap.’ This presents a problem for psychology, particularly in the area of sexuality, because you cannot simply ‘fix’ a sexuality to someone. I remember, Andrew Yeoman, I think, who sometimes writes here, talking about one famous Christian preacher (and I forget who it was) who was dressed in womens clothes for drama in school when he was young and later in life, although being heterosexual, actually struggled with desires to ‘crossdress.’
The point that I am making, mankind is naturally geared to work as a heterosexual being - homosexuality, seems to me, to be a result of a number of complex and very difficult socio-psychological (and that’s on of my favourite words) factors ranging from relationship with male-female authority figures (respectively), to cultural upbringing, relationship with opposite sex in childhood.
The testimony of the ex-gay community alone shows us that psychologically speaking, homosexuality is not a sexual preference present at birth alone.
However, at the same time, there are lots of homosexual people who would testify to having always felt the way that they do e.g. British actor Stephen Fry.
So then, taking my previous point, those who have sexual feelings towards the same sex (i.e. homosexual), but want to marry, should seriously think about how deeply engrained their sexual preference is and then seek counsel on this. I realise that this is not a popular recommendation that I am putting forward because matters of the heart are ’sticky and painful.’ Those who are already married to a member of the opposite sex (i.e. heterosexual marriage) should seek counsel and be fully open with their spouse.
I have no personal experience with sexual feelings for men (i.e. Homosexual feelings) and I cannot comment from a personal point of view. I apologise to anyone who feels offended or hurt by what I have said but the question was posed.
I understand if this comment brings significant abuse.
Marc
Hey Marc,
Before going forward, I’d like you to take a non-biased stance on the science. First of all, let’s agree on a few things:
1) If Christianity is real, that doesn’t necessarily mean homosexuality can be cured
2) If Christianity is real, that doesn’t necessarily mean homosexuality is not genetic.
Are you ok with those two statements? If you’re not, then there’s no real need to go forward, as your faith will prevent you from looking at even stellar arguments, if you fear loss of your entire belief system over a small issue. Obviously, if Christianity is real, and homosexuality is natural, that brings a “That’s not fair!” feeling, but in the Old Testament, very little feels fair anyway, no matter what belief system you have.
I actually have a bachelor’s in psychology. While not an expert on the matter, when psychology is done right, it is done with facts and figures. The problem is controlled experiments are difficult, preventing researcher bias is even more difficult, and knowing your operational definitions are accurate of, say “homosexuality” and “amount of desire” are accurate are next to impossible.
That being said, the research we DO have (in biology as well as psychology) says that homosexuality is something that is present at a very young age, and not something that can be reversed.
There have been brain scan studies showing homosexual people actually have different brain shapes than heterosexual people. There also have been chemicals you can inject in fruit flies to turn them gay.
As for the “ex-gay” community, where are they? While I’m not big on Wikipedia as the best source of info, I think this article is very balanced and has sources for every claim http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex-gay .
One thing to keep in mind is that unlike pedophiles, homosexuals are not seeking victims for sexual assault, but are drawn to each other for their feelings. If they are not of your faith, why bother them at all? Why not go after prostitutes in vegas who actually are living a dangerous, often illegal lifestyle. Show them God’s better way.
–Dan
Dan,
What in the world do you mean by “if Christianity is real”? Do you mean “if the essential tenets of the orthodox Christian faith are true”?
Marcus,
Yes, Christianity being real means “the essential tenets of the orthodox Christian faith are true.” Sorry if that wasn’t more clear.
–Dan
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