| House Churches & Cell Groups For members who attend home churches and cell groups. |  | | 
5th December 2008, 10:21 AM
| | Newbie 45  | | Join Date: 11th October 2008
Posts: 76
Blessings: 48,573 My Mood
Reps: 179,319,593,842,267 (power: 179,319,593,846) | | | Underground church comming? Ok, I don't want to make this a political thread. I just want to see how this scenerio plays out.
1 New administration and congress legalized gay marriage,
2 gay couple comes to a church to get married,
3 preacher says "can't unless your a member" (not sure thats a viable reason, some of you out there might beable to correct me on that one)
4 gay couple applies for membership at the church (I know how most of us feel about "applying for membership", just play along with me for now)
5. church will not admit couple because of their homosexual practices
6 couple sues church and wins.
Now if this happens, what becomes of the church? Mainly, what becomes of the Church? I believe His Church will go underground. I don't think I could attend somewhere where God's word cannot be preached or that we allow blatent disregard for It.
So this is what I'm thinking. We are going to have a state ran church, one that will only preach the state's accepted Word.
And we are going to have Christ's Church, who for fear of being sued will be underground, in our homes.
I believe God is in control of all things. I believe this is a purification process. But that is mho.
What are yours?
J. | 
6th March 2009, 08:25 PM
| | Newbie 23  | | Join Date: 6th March 2009 Location: Casa Grande, AZ
Posts: 5
Blessings: 69,918
Reps: 10 (power: 0) | | Hmm, I don't think that can happen (at least not under the current legal system). Churches are private organizations, you know...let's use schools as an example. Public schools are not allowed to discriminate (althought they do still have some criteria for admission), however private schools are basically allowed to use whatever criteria they want to admit students. It's because private schools are not receiving government money, and the same thing goes for churches. But who knows these days, it seems like we might be getting a new constitution soon. | 
6th March 2009, 09:12 PM
|  | Regular Member

| | Join Date: 1st March 2008
Posts: 1,671
Blessings: 100,365
Reps: 76,406,953,280,889 (power: 76,406,953,285) | | | I think there will always be opt-out conditions with churches, as it's not part of the core beliefs of the members.
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6th March 2009, 09:14 PM
|  | Legend

| | Join Date: 25th March 2004
Posts: 35,324
Blessings: 20,985,026 My Mood
Reps: 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 (power: 9,223,372,036,854,820) | | | Like what happened with the boy scouts...
__________________ Since the Torah is a finite book expressing the will of an infinite God, many lessons must be derivable from each passage from all the infinite angles. | 
7th March 2009, 01:43 AM
| | Veteran 60  | | Join Date: 13th September 2006 Location: MA
Posts: 5,168
Blessings: 3,066,822
Reps: 82,497,073,551,423,360 (power: 82,497,073,551,434) | | | I don't see the government telling the church what to do about gay marriages any time soon. | 
7th March 2009, 09:59 AM
|  | Legend

| | Join Date: 25th March 2004
Posts: 35,324
Blessings: 20,985,026 My Mood
Reps: 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 (power: 9,223,372,036,854,820) | | LONDON, England, June 12, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Church of England has raised the alarm against new government proposals that will force churches, groups, and individuals to provide services to homosexuals, including blessing "marriages" or civil partnerships, or providing communion under pain of legal prosecution.
The 2006 Sexual Orientation (Provision of Goods and Services) Regulations, which are due for adoption October 2006, prohibit the discrimination of services based on sexual orientation, in the same manner in which discrimination based on race or sex is illegal. http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jun/06061209.html
__________________ Since the Torah is a finite book expressing the will of an infinite God, many lessons must be derivable from each passage from all the infinite angles. | 
8th March 2009, 11:34 AM
|  | Newbie 48  | | Join Date: 28th February 2009 Location: Birchwood, TN
Posts: 34
Blessings: 70,372 My Mood
Reps: 380,174 (power: 383) | | | This is a legal not political question Most Churches incorporate to become tax exempt its called 501c3 Being a corp. has benefits legal status and such. The Big one is having a receipt for tax deductions. But they have to follow rules set by the government. The deal is in the US Churches cannot be taxed any way. They have no legal status –no court action possible – no recourse cant sue or be sued. It is hard to get bank accounts, own land among other things (these things can be done or overcome) Also there are no government rules to follow. These Churches are called Unregistered or Free This is more common in House and small churches although some larger established Churches are becoming Free Churches. I pastor a Free Church in TN. We meet in our home. Harold | 
8th March 2009, 11:45 AM
|  | Legend

| | Join Date: 25th March 2004
Posts: 35,324
Blessings: 20,985,026 My Mood
Reps: 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 (power: 9,223,372,036,854,820) | | | which will make underground churches more appealing as the government dictates more and more what the church can and can not believe..preach.
__________________ Since the Torah is a finite book expressing the will of an infinite God, many lessons must be derivable from each passage from all the infinite angles. | 
12th March 2009, 08:28 PM
|  | Messianic Cyclist 33 
| | Join Date: 28th October 2004 Location: Scotland
Posts: 14,126
Blessings: 17,386,714 My Mood
Reps: 501,339,811,658,689,344 (power: 501,339,811,658,711) | | Another secnario. Preach the gospel of Jesus in your church. Like Peter did at Pentecost. Many churches these days would throw you out for that.
__________________ Maranatha | 
12th March 2009, 09:59 PM
|  | Legend

| | Join Date: 25th March 2004
Posts: 35,324
Blessings: 20,985,026 My Mood
Reps: 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 (power: 9,223,372,036,854,820) | | | So true... tough crowd.. itchy ears..stiff necked, .. full of pride.. blind... deluded.. and trying to get the sliver out of the other person's eye... idle gossipers.. the list goes on.
__________________ Since the Torah is a finite book expressing the will of an infinite God, many lessons must be derivable from each passage from all the infinite angles. |  | | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes | Linear Mode | | | |