Some of you at American University may have seen some posters that were hung up earlier today by a student on campus who does not attend The Gathering. Essentially, those posters were designed to make the campus aware that we are a ministry of McLean Bible Church and that our church upholds the Biblical teaching that homosexuality is not God’s plan for our lives.
My guess is some of your friends might have seen the posters as well and might have some question for you about The Gathering. So, I hope the following three thoughts are of some benefit in answering any questions you might be asked.
1. The Bible’s Position on Homosexuality.
The Scriptures teach that all sex outside of marriage is contrary to God’s plan for us. That includes premarital or extramarital sex, pornography and homosexuality. The Bible does speak directly to the question of homosexuality in Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6, 1 Timothy 1, Leviticus 18 and many other places. To pretend those passages aren’t clear is not intellectually honest. As a church, our primary responsibility is to teach the Word of God as He wrote it in all areas.
2. The Church’s Response to Homosexuality.
Our prayer is that we can uphold the Bible’s teachings while at the same time treating all people with the gentleness and respect they are entitled to regardless of their sexual orientation. That’s incredibly important to us at The Gathering and MBC because it’s incredibly important to God.
So many times the church in America has gotten this wrong in ways that are nothing short of contemptible. Those who preach hate while claiming to represent Jesus are an embarrassment to us all and do not represent the God of the Bible.
3. Remember What Jesus Said Was The Greatest Commandment
One day Jesus was asked a very simple question. Matthew’s Gospel records both the question and Christ’s answer:
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
And He said to him, ” ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’
“This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”- Matthew 22: 36-40
Maybe that’s the most helpful thing we can like out. Love your God with all your heart. Love your neighbor as yourself. I’m pretty convinced that as long as we’re doing that, we’re walking in the path of Jesus.
If you want to talk more, shoot me an email or post a comment.
Are you really dedicated to upholding all of the Lord’s word, or just the sections that you believe in?
For example:
Leviticus 19:27 “Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.”
Leviticus 11:7 “…and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.”
Leviticus 19:19 “Do not wear material woven of two kinds of material.”
Leviticus 11:12 “Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales; that shall be an abomination to you.”
Perhaps you could explain the church’s view that homosexuality is an illness and an example of “sexual brokenness” that needs to be healed.
http://www.mcleanbible.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=1190
“Many other places” is a bit of an overstatement…in fact, there are only six places in the Bible where homosexuality is mentioned or alluded to. And many of these have more literal translations that make the passage mean something else entirely.
I encourage anyone who reads this to check out the Religious Tolerance website at http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_bibl.htm to see what the bible actually says about homosexuality.
You seem to have forgotten the part about wanting to take over the government of the United States.
So, I assume the Gathering and MBC believes that slavery is ay-okay, considering it is condoned in the Bible.
And I’ve seen many members of the Gathering wearing clothes which consist of two types of material, so that means they are sinning in the eyes of the Lord. Does MBC and the Gathering send their members who wear such abominable clothing to reparative therapy camps as well?
I mean, if your members can pick and choose which verses of the Bible they are going to adhere to– ignoring passages on shellfish and interwoven clothes, but promoting the idea that homosexuality is a sin and an illness– then why can’t gay or liberal Christians ignore the passages about homosexuality?
It seems MBC and the Gathering are on a self-righteous path to damnation, perverting God’s word in favor of an agenda promoted by the church’s ignorant leaders. Like all churches, really, such as Catholicism and Mormonism, two faiths I’m pretty sure you consider yourselves better than even though you subscribe to similar cuckoo-crazy principles and rituals.
But hey, why should any of us feel bad when many of your members are eating shellfish, wearing interwoven materials, and using the Bible as a shield for your bigotry?
Is the Gathering willing to condemn the McLean Bible Church’s views that homosexuals should be healed?
If you have homosexual members, are you willing to allow them to practice in your congregations without trying to convert them?
Additionally, if two homosexuals are married to one another, does that mean they are not living a life of sin? You said that sexual activity outside of marriage is a sin… well, there are homosexuals who get married, who wait to have sex until they are married.
I think it is rather clever of you to say that we must treat homosexuals with gentleness. Since your ways of “curing” homosexuals are anything but gentle. You are willing to corner your gay members into living a life of lies– i.e. forcing them into heterosexual relationships– rather than accept them for who they are.
And do not say that you accept homosexuals, or McLean Bible Church is an accepting institution. This:
http://www.mcleanbible.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=1190
Is NOT acceptance. This is a dangerous act of psychological manipulation. You are telling people that they are not worthy of God’s love because of WHO they love. And in order to be loved by God, they have to become heterosexual.
How can the Gathering claim to be tolerant and accepting of homosexuality when they are associated with a church which believes homosexuality is a mental illness which needs to be cured?
Dear Anonymous.
I have been thinking about you. I have prayed. In my family when our baptist/reverend uncle passed to be with the Lord, two young men in our family came out of the closet. They were afraid to before our uncle died. I have experienced talking and working with them since. And I love them. It is not unusual for these young men to be suicidal and needing of nerve calming medicines. When further talking things through with them they have agreed to do what I am asking you to do or to try to do. Just say a prayer to God that you would like him to show you His truth. He is there waiting for you to just ask the one with all the answers the questions. God Created you in your mother’s womb and knows every detail of your entire life, past, present, and future and He dearly loves you. There are answers that you will find as you seek to know The Living God in a personal relationship. God looks at the Heart. Go ahead. Try it. He has many names. Christmas is when God reaches down to us. Salvation comes by His Grace. He is waiting for you to talk it over with Him. He would quiet Heaven just to hear your every word. Prayer is talking to God. Dan Rather interviewed Mother Teresa and was intrigued by her statement that she talks to God. He asked her when she talks to God what does He say. She says nothing, He is listening. He got a little frustrated and asked , “No, I mean when you talk to God what do you say?’”— and she replied,
“Nothing I am listening.” God will never tell you something that contradicts His Word. His Word is Truth and it is written in the Bible. If you take out your bible and look up all the verses you have mentioned, quoted, or those that have been quoted to you, His words of Truth will touch your life and being.( what have you got to loose by trying this)You can never reach out to God and not have Him reach out to you. Every time He is there waiting to reach you. God loves you deeply, go ahead and ask him. He knows your heart. We were created to know Him more and to worship Him. Jesus is the only one who can fill the empty Hole/whole in human hearts no matter who you are. “It is what we do with Jesus that matters.” He is the Way, The Truth, and the Life. He suffered and died on a cross at Calvary. He became sin for us. He conqured death and rose on the third day. He is alive, and if you ask Him into your Heart and believe He is who He said He was in His Word(the B-I-B-L-E) then you will begin to know Him as your Lord and Savior. Everybody needs Him to be their Lord and Savior. When you receive Jesus His Holy Spirit lives in you and He helps to Illuminate His Word and Truth as you read it and meditate on it.There is a Godhead who consists of the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. How is a Mystery. What have you got to loose by trying this out??? Maybe you have everything to loose if you do not try it. go ahead take the step. His Love never fails. I will lift you up in prayer, and will lovingly think of you. Peace be to you that only the Almighty Father can give. servant kz
I guess I could pretend that made sense? but i don’t really understand what you’re trying to say or how it’s relevant.
There are several anonymous posters here…