Homosexuality

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Homosexuality

• preference, on the part of adults, for sexual
  behaviour with members of their own sex

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Cabinet split over new rights for gaysObserver,
Sunday October 15 2006

• Face to faith Lesbians and gays are the Bible's
  greatest lovers, says Trevor Dennis The
  Guardian, Saturday October 14, 2006
• Gay bishop 'could split church'
• Daily Mail, 16th October 2003
• 'Bullied' homosexual wins right to claim damages
• Daily Mail, 12th July 2006

So much confusion, so much doubt
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Gay protest disrupts Synod

• OutRage! is a direct action campaigning group in
  the United Kingdom which was formed to fight for
  the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
  It is a radical group which has frequently been
  criticised for being extremist members have been
  arrested on some OutRage! actions.

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Church leaders to urge gay priests banDaily
Mail, 13th October 2003

• And so to wed For thousands of gay men and
  women, it's the day they thought they would never
  see - their wedding day. Gareth McLean meets the
  first couples to take advantage of this momentous
  social change The Guardian, Saturday November
  19, 2005
• The evangelical rappers on a mission to save UK
  youth Critics say US group is
  homophobic and its leader is 'Bush with a Bible'
  The
  Guardian, Saturday July 29, 2006

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Do you mean some vicars aren't gay? Daily Mail,
22nd June 2003

• Pride in homosexuality - as written in the
  scriptures The Guardian Wednesday June 28, 2006
• Schools campaign will tackle homophobic bullying
  The Guardian, Tuesday July 4, 2006

• MPs split as gay adoptions passed Daily Mail,17th
  May 2002
• Gay rights no problem, says Catholic Kelly
  The Guardian Wednesday May 10, 2006

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Christian faces court over 'offensive' gay
festival leafletsDaily Mail, 6th September 2006
Hate what we don't understand

• Archbishop raises prospect of division over
  homosexuality Daily Mail, 27th June 2006

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Meanwhile, a new "anti-discrimination" law being
considered by the British government could lead
to schoolbooks that endorse homosexuality being
forced on children as early as kindergarten.
Books promoting the homosexual agenda are already
on the recommended reading lists that the British
Department of Education distributes to primary
schools. Agape press

• Twice as many men as women start civil
  partnerships The Guardian, Thursday February 23,
  2006
• There were 3,648 civil partnerships during the
  first six weeks in which they became legal,
  government statisticians said yesterday. The
  figures, the first to emerge since the Civil
  Partnership Act came into force on December 5,
  reveal that twice as many men as women entered
  into partnerships. It means that 7,296 lesbians
  and gay men are now in legally recognised
  relationships with someone of the same sex and
  eligible for new shared rights.

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Song lyrics Elton John

• dedicated to Matthew Shepard (December 1, 1976
  - October 12, 1998) An American student from
  Laramie, Wyoming, who died after being attacked
  by two men because he was gay.
• Two lives ruined one life spent
• Western skies dont make it right

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Homosexuality

• Why are Christians split in their opinion with
  regards to homosexuality?
• How do we respond to this issue?

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Biblical references regarding homosexuality are
both

• Few
• and
• Negative

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• Not only is the New Testament church
  uninterested in the topic, it has nothing new to
  say about it . . . Biblical judgements against
  homosexuality are not relevant to todays
  debate. Scroggs

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Pro-gay revisionist theory states that

• Biblical texts are clearly not referring to
  todays dilemmas surrounding homosexuality, but
  rather that they are denoting something very
  different. Therefore . . .
• . . .homosexuality is redefined as being
  God-ordained and morally permissible.

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Old testament

• Genesis 191-29 194-11, Judges 1922-25,
  Leviticus 1822 2013, Ezekiel 1650
• Leviticus Do not lie with a man as one lies
  with a woman that is detestable. 1822
• If a man lies with a man as one lies with a
  woman, both of them have done what is detestable.
  They must be put to death their blood will be
  on their own heads. 2013

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Exploitative Homosexuality

• Same-sex love in biblical times involved
  exploitative relationships.
• Thus what the New Testament was against when
  stating that the homosexual offender is a law
  breaker and a rebel (1 Timothy 19-10,
  1Corinthians 69-10) who will not inherit the
  kingdom of God, was the image of homosexuality as
  exploitive and primarily its more sordid and
  dehumanizing dimensions.

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• Paul did not employ one of the frequently used
  words or phrases in circulation at the time that
  referred to this exploitive act.
• For Paul homosexuality reflected a distortion of
  Gods design, homosexual behaviour was evidence
  of a people in rebellion against God their
  Creator.
• Paul always spoke significantly on heterosexual
  relationships throughout.
• Literature of the time showed that same-sex love,
  possessing loving and caring characteristics was
  to be seen.

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So, how do we as a Church respond?

• It is important for us to first make a
  distinction between sexual orientation and
  practice.

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• self-righteous judgement of homosexuality is
  just as sinful as the homosexual behaviour
  itself Hays, 1994.

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The church response must be

• Condemn the act not the person
• Create an atmosphere of love, support and
  appreciation
• Speak openly about this issue, so that homosexual
  feelings are not something to be ashamed about
• Commit to people the Church must be ready to
  journey with somebody who is homosexual, if needs
  be for a lifetime
• Bring them into an accountable relationship
• Pray with them, encourage them, mentor them

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• There is no greater truth in all the world - God
  Loves People! Stewart