Taking Action

[keltic63]

OK, I did something today. I saw this news storyBaptist Convention Adapts Stance on Homosexuality and decided that I needed to very politely let Rev Bill Sanderson know that his actions of introducing this "motion" would be divisive and hurtful. It was easy to look up his church website and find his email address. This afternoon I sent him the following message:

Dear Rev. Sanderson,

Greetings to you in the name of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

I am writing to express my extreme disappointment in your recent action of introducing a motion into the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, in which the purpose appears to be to cause hurt & division in the body of Christ, and to encourage violence (spiritual, and perhaps even physical) against the children of God who are differently made.

I am a gay child of God. I am fully devoted to Christ. I hold the position of music director in our church, First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, Greensburg PA. I know of God's love for all his creation. There is enough Biblical research to show that the Bible does not address sexual orientation as we know it today. The verses chosen by many to "clobber" homosexuals are very often taken out of context, or selected for their seeming opposition to homosexuals while surrounding verses are ignored, but perhaps just as relevant. Case in point:
Leviticus 20:13 says that "If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." Yet, just 3 verses away in Leviticus 20:9 we read "For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him." Are we to select the verses we choose to obey? Wouldn't it be better to do scholarly research guided by the Holy Spirit to discover what God is saying to us in these scriptures? I also submit Leviticus 11:10-12 as further proof of the disregard for scripture demonstrated by those who desire to use it to hurt God's gay children. I haven't heard of any Religious demonstrations outside of Red Lobster or any other seafood restaurant. Yet, the Bible clearly says that eating lobster and shrimp is an abomination, and one would presume the same kind of abomination that is used to describe homosexual behaviors.

So I ask you, what is your point? What do you hope to achieve by introducing this motion? I'll be in prayer for you, your church, and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, that God will soften your heart and call you to a deeper understanding of what His love can do.

Grace and Peace,

Steve Clark

It's a step. I hope that it at least causes some reflection.