Bigotry comes with a price...

[lsume]

Nancy Armour at USA Today opines that "Bigotry comes with a price." In other words, if one is a Christian and Jesus Christ is their LORD, the LGBQT+ community has declared ad hominem war against those who believe in God's Holy Word. Speaking out in support of God's Word will cause the "Trans-sexual" community to label you as a bigot. Failing to publicly support anyone who calls themselves queer is tantamount to being labeled a racist.

Christ said if you follow Him you will be hated by the world.

What shall you do? Follow the world in order to fit in and not be labeled a bigot or a racist. Or, obey Jesus Christ who died for our sins, faithfully defend God's Word, and by His grace alone find eternal salvation in the presence of the LORD...

When the writer suggests that "legislators are willing to sacrifice all of it because of their own hate, ignorance and/or political calculation" perhaps she fails to consider that enough of the legislators are choosing "eternal glory" over hosting the approval of man, by hosting the "Final Four" in their city and state.

Opinion: NCAA must make states with anti-trans laws pay with loss of championships

Something to consider is that telling someone who is not interested in The Truth, The Truth, they probably won’t hear it. Also, if Christ hasn’t led you to someone to witness to, you are unlikely to be successful. Rather than get worked up about the reality of this world, trust Christ to carry you through to the finish. I think things are getting worse much faster than I had previously thought possible. Those who were given a little will have that taken away and as I understand it what is taken away will be added to those who are Truly in Christ. Only Christ knows His church.

 

[RDKirk]

Yet real food is more expensive, and we holy people do not love money enough to seek to make more and more of it, and if we do, we have to give more and more of it to church organizations. So what are we to do? eat the sugar

Or we can realize the effects of the worldly system and seek to combat them directly.

For instance, the Salvation Army purchases wholesome food in bulk through food vendor contracts, sells it at cost to anyone (although directing their message to the poor), and provides cooking classes for it.

Their big problem is overcoming the effectiveness of American food industry advertising plus the very difficult stresses of little time and other resources of being poor.

The food industry spends billions in concocting perfect blends of chemicals that take full advantage of the lusts of the flesh. I have a friend who used to program meat-mixing computers for Steak-and-Shake to produce the optimum combination of lean meat and fat for the most delectable taste and texture. One might rightly think of ultra-processed foods as genuine examples of sorcery.

And you can give a poor person a shopping basket full of fresh produce and meats, but you still have to do something about the fact that she's coming home from a full day of work after a two-hour bus ride, having just picked up famished children from the day care, to a studio kitchenette with only one or two heating surfaces and 12 inches of counter space.

Satan has created an unholy trap in the modern Western system that does not have a single pat and easy answer. It takes the Body of Christ working as a body to overcome it...it is not Christ's intention that any single member do it alone.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Christians declared ad hominem war against the LGBTQ+ millennia ago ...

No they didn't, LGBTQ+ wasn't even a term used years ago, it's relatively new.

Calling the act sinful gets you labeled as a bigot.

Heck, in today's world, if a male doesn't want to date a transgendered female, he's called a bigot.

 

[RDKirk]

Hello All,

Two thoughts.

We must always share our reasons for what we believe with gentleness and respect:
1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

Sadly also this is an issue where there seems to be confusion among believers. Some denominations and high profile Christian speakers are in the vanguard pushing for changing the definition of marriage, gender and sexuality. Some denominations are trying to hold the biblical and traditional line. Some leaders give answers that have the perception of being woolly or changeable.

In the long term I think Christians are making themselves vulnerable by not having a unified voice on this issue.

God Bless

I think the only time these gender issues are actually "the reason for the hope you have" is when it's a recovered LGBTQ person who is talking.

Otherwise, well, it's not even the gospel. It's not really anything to be discussed with an unbeliever because it's not anything unbelievers can accept or control until they become believers.

The only thing that will work for an unbeliever--presuming that they've been enabled by the Father, as Jesus asserted is necessary--is the gospel itself or a believer recovered from that particular sin who can testify that his recovery is the reason for his hope.

 

[lismore]

I think the only time these gender issues are actually "the reason for the hope you have" is when it's a recovered LGBTQ person who is talking.

I was more thinking along the line of Christians who are under some form of compulsion, in the workplace of socially, to support LGBQTI. For example public service workers who are ordered to support gay pride events.

When Christians explain why this cannot be done we need to do so gently and with respect but also speaking with one voice. God Bless

 

[RDKirk]

No they didn't, LGBTQ+ wasn't even a term used years ago, it's relatively new.

Calling the act sinful gets you labeled as a bigot.

It's also unnecessary and ineffective because it's irrelevant.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. -- Hebrews 11

"Sinful act" is not a relevant concept either to or for an unbeliever. An unbeliever is not condemned for "sinful acts," an unbeliever is condemned for unbelief. Even if an unbeliever behaved like a righteous person, God would not recognize any of his acts as righteousness, and he would still be condemned for his unbelief.

The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. -- Romans 8

It's a waste of time and effort to try to force an unbeliever to act like a believer. "Sinful act" has no relevancy until a person becomes a believer. It's only after a person has become a believer that specific acts become relevant as either righteous or sinful. Until then, everything an unbeliever does is still sending him to hell.

Heck, in today's world, if a male doesn't want to date a transgendered female, he's called a bigot.

That's actually a vanishingly small group of people on the planet who happen to have a microphone in the US. Even homosexuals chafe at being called bigots for being unwilling to date transgenders, and a lot of both homosexuals and committed transgenders chafe at the criticisms of gender-fluids. That group is not as unified as it looks.

At some point, we have to merely brush off criticisms of tiny parties without taking them to heart or even as credible threats.

 

[RDKirk]

I was more thinking along the line of Christians who are under some form of compulsion, in the workplace of socially, to support LGBQTI. For example public service workers who are ordered to support gay pride events.

Any specific examples of public service workers who have been punished for merely staying home?

When Christians explain why this cannot be done we need to do so gently and with respect but also speaking with one voice.

Or Christians in America can believe what Jesus, Paul, and Peter said about the inevitable tension between the Church and the world, realize that America is "the world" just like every other earthy nation, and take care of one another as the global Body of Christ.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

It's also unnecessary and ineffective because it's irrelevant.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. -- Hebrews 11

"Sinful act" is not a relevant concept either to or for an unbeliever. An unbeliever is not condemned for "sinful acts," an unbeliever is condemned for unbelief. Even if an unbeliever behaved like a righteous person, God would not recognize any of his acts as righteousness, and he would still be condemned for his unbelief.

The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. -- Romans 8

It's a waste of time and effort to try to force an unbeliever to act like a believer. "Sinful act" has no relevancy until a person becomes a believer. It's only after a person has become a believer that specific acts become relevant as either righteous or sinful. Until then, everything an unbeliever does is still sending him to hell.



That's actually a vanishingly small group of people on the planet who happen to have a microphone in the US. Even homosexuals chafe at being called bigots for being unwilling to date transgenders, and a lot of both homosexuals and committed transgenders chafe at the criticisms of gender-fluids. That group is not as unified as it looks.

At some point, we have to merely brush off criticisms of tiny parties without taking them to heart or even as credible threats.

No one is condemning anyone here, but calling sinful acts sin will have people calling you a bigot.

Even in Canada, it's against the law to buy ads with Biblical Passages which condemn sinful acts, not just homosexuality. Such ads are called hate speech.

 

[timothyu]

Yet real food is more expensive, and we holy people do not love money enough to seek to make more and more of it, and if we do, we have to give more and more of it to church organizations. So what are we to do? eat the sugar

Ain't life sweet. But why overpay for a few chemical in a fancy package. Real food is far cheaper in the long run. A few veggies, a bit of real fruit and cheap non-processed meat is not much of a financial burden, providing one is not too lazy too prepare it. Maybe there is an app for that lol

 

[timothyu]

In the long term I think Christians are making themselves vulnerable by not having a unified voice on this issue.

Perhaps they think they are bringing Christianity into the real world of today, but in time they will realize they have just ended back up in the Babel days of old.

 

[timothyu]

Even in Canada, it's against the law to buy ads with Biblical Passages which condemn sinful acts, not just homosexuality. Such ads are called hate speech.

Canada has been at building back better in it's alignment with the WEF for some time now. You've only in the US just gotten back on that track since January after the head wound to the movement four years back.

 

[RDKirk]

Ain't life sweet. But why overpay for a few chemical in a fancy package. Real food is far cheaper in the long run. A few veggies, a bit of real fruit and cheap non-processed meat is not much of a financial burden, providing one is not too lazy too prepare it. Maybe there is an app for that lol

As I said earlier:

And you can give a poor person a shopping basket full of fresh produce and meats, but you still have to do something about the fact that she's coming home from a full day of work after a two-hour bus ride, having just picked up famished children from the day care, to a studio kitchenette with only one or two heating surfaces and 12 inches of counter space.

 

[RDKirk]

No one is condemning anyone here, but calling sinful acts sin will have people calling you a bigot.

Even in Canada, it's against the law to buy ads with Biblical Passages which condemn sinful acts, not just homosexuality. Such ads are called hate speech.

I think you missed the part where I said:

It's a waste of time and effort to try to force an unbeliever to act like a believer. "Sinful act" has no relevancy until a person becomes a believer. It's only after a person has become a believer that specific acts become relevant as either righteous or sinful. Until then, everything an unbeliever does is still sending him to hell.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Canada has been at building back better in it's alignment with the WEF for some time now. You've only in the US just gotten back on that track since January after the head wound to the movement four years back.

Canada is anti-democracy and their laws against free speech keep growing every year.

 

[timothyu]

And you can give a poor person a shopping basket full of fresh produce and meats, but you still have to do something about the fact that she's coming home from a full day of work after a two-hour bus ride, having just picked up famished children from the day care, to a studio kitchenette with only one or two heating surfaces and 12 inches of counter space.

Wonder how her ancestors did it (and didn't have the luxury of a store)

 

[lismore]

Any specific examples of public service workers who have been punished for merely staying home?

For openers:

Firefighters disciplined over gay pride snub

I believe I have a mutual friend with one of the firefighters thereby disciplined.

Or Christians in America can believe what Jesus, Paul, and Peter said about the inevitable tension between the Church and the world, realize that America is "the world" just like every other earthy nation, and take care of one another as the global Body of Christ.

Yes, good point. I just think it's difficult when you try to share a Biblical response with someone (on many issues) and there are other 'Christians' not singing from the same hymn sheet. God Bless

 

[RDKirk]

Wonder how her ancestors did it (and didn't have the luxury of a store)

She didn't go to an outside job for eight hours with a two-hour bus ride there and back. Much of the food was produced right at home. She spent the entire day taking care of the house and the food, and when the children were old enough (from age four or so) they helped out.

 

[timothyu]

Canada is anti-democracy and their laws against free speech keep growing every year.

At least our opinions are censored by those who are offended. lol Hate speech is the issue yes, but it all depends on who gets to proclaim what is hateful. Right now our public broadcaster is full of self entitled minority types who proclaim themselves as masters of our fate and determiners of good and evil. Lot of apples consumed from that tree. Doesn't mean we have to listen to or bow to them like what is happening with tech and media in the US... yet.

 

[timothyu]

She didn't go to an outside job for eight hours with a two-hour bus ride there and back. Much of the food was produced right at home. She spent the entire day taking care of the house and the food, and when the children were old enough (from age four or so) they helped out.

Right.. and whose fault is that that it got changed? The same that are willing to mindlessly accept whatever they are told to do in life when someone want to change the system. You are seeing it right now as some loon wants to instigate building back better.

 

[RDKirk]

For openers:

Firefighters disciplined over gay pride snub

I believe I have a mutual friend with one of the firefighters thereby disciplined.

They mistook their situation. Their job was to hand out leaflets about fire safety, not about gay pride. The location they did so was morally irrelevant.

Would they have been upset if their church had them handing out leaflets about the gospel of John? Was the fire safety information any less true?

Yes, good point. I just think it's difficult when you try to share a Biblical response with someone (on many issues) and there are other 'Christians' not singing from the same hymn sheet. God Bless

There is very little disagreement about the gospel itself.

An unbeliever needs nothing but the gospel. An unbeliever can use nothing but the gospel.

If a person is an unbeliever, nothing but the gospel will even work.

The gospel is not about any particular sinful act, the gospel is about acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior. If a person is an unbeliever, nothing but the gospel will even work.

If you find yourself talking to an unbeliever on a different "hymn sheet" from another believer, it's likely one of you or both has gotten off the gospel.