What is your stance on Churches inviting and praying with LGBT?

Cis.jd · Aug 15, 2024

I live near Hoboken, NJ, and recently, a Pride Mass at a local Catholic church stirred a lot of controversy among Catholics.

“Pride Mass” at Catholic Church Wounds the Sacred Heart

Wolves are destroying the Faith from within. For a seventh year, a sacrilegious “Pride Mass” took place on June 23, 2024 at Our Lady of Grace Church in Hobo

www.tfp.org

Personally, I’m politically independent and prefer to assess situations based on context, not ideology. I find both far-left and far-right views often extreme, especially when they enter spaces like churches. Churches should be places of refuge and hope, not political battlegrounds.

That said, I don’t understand why some Christians react so angrily to churches welcoming LGBT individuals. If the goal is to help people find God, isn’t the church precisely where they should be? Who are we to deny anyone the chance to seek faith? If a person struggling with their sexuality is willing to explore a relationship with God—even if they’ve been told He hates them—shouldn’t that be encouraged?

We see churches accepting people with various sins, yet some react harshly to LGBT individuals. Unless a church explicitly endorses actions contrary to its teachings, why object to them extending a hand to those searching for God?

HTacianas · Aug 15, 2024

Cis.jd said:
I live near Hoboken, NJ, and recently, a Pride Mass at a local Catholic church stirred a lot of controversy among Catholics.

“Pride Mass” at Catholic Church Wounds the Sacred Heart

Wolves are destroying the Faith from within. For a seventh year, a sacrilegious “Pride Mass” took place on June 23, 2024 at Our Lady of Grace Church in Hobo

www.tfp.org

Personally, I’m politically independent and prefer to assess situations based on context, not ideology. I find both far-left and far-right views often extreme, especially when they enter spaces like churches. Churches should be places of refuge and hope, not political battlegrounds.

That said, I don’t understand why some Christians react so angrily to churches welcoming LGBT individuals. If the goal is to help people find God, isn’t the church precisely where they should be? Who are we to deny anyone the chance to seek faith? If a person struggling with their sexuality is willing to explore a relationship with God—even if they’ve been told He hates them—shouldn’t that be encouraged?

We see churches accepting people with various sins, yet some react harshly to LGBT individuals. Unless a church explicitly endorses actions contrary to its teachings, why object to them extending a hand to those searching for God?

If an LGBT person came into my Church I probably wouldn't recognize them as such and it would be none of my business. I would leave it between them and the priest. But raising some kind of pride flag over a Church is no different than raising a gun over a Church and celebrating how many notches are in the handle.

PloverWing · Aug 16, 2024

Cis.jd said:
That said, I don’t understand why some Christians react so angrily to churches welcoming LGBT individuals. If the goal is to help people find God, isn’t the church precisely where they should be? Who are we to deny anyone the chance to seek faith? If a person struggling with their sexuality is willing to explore a relationship with God—even if they’ve been told He hates them—shouldn’t that be encouraged?

I also do not understand the anger. There's a level of emotion that goes way beyond "I disagree with you".

If a person comes to my church seeking God, I will not turn them away.

David Lamb · Aug 16, 2024

Cis.jd said:
I live near Hoboken, NJ, and recently, a Pride Mass at a local Catholic church stirred a lot of controversy among Catholics.

“Pride Mass” at Catholic Church Wounds the Sacred Heart

Wolves are destroying the Faith from within. For a seventh year, a sacrilegious “Pride Mass” took place on June 23, 2024 at Our Lady of Grace Church in Hobo

www.tfp.org

Personally, I’m politically independent and prefer to assess situations based on context, not ideology. I find both far-left and far-right views often extreme, especially when they enter spaces like churches. Churches should be places of refuge and hope, not political battlegrounds.

That said, I don’t understand why some Christians react so angrily to churches welcoming LGBT individuals. If the goal is to help people find God, isn’t the church precisely where they should be? Who are we to deny anyone the chance to seek faith? If a person struggling with their sexuality is willing to explore a relationship with God—even if they’ve been told He hates them—shouldn’t that be encouraged?

We see churches accepting people with various sins, yet some react harshly to LGBT individuals. Unless a church explicitly endorses actions contrary to its teachings, why object to them extending a hand to those searching for God?

The bible makes clear that all human beings are sinners. Picking on one particular sin, wither it's a sexual sin or something else, and saying that people who have committed that sin are not welcome in a church service is surely wrong.

Cis.jd · Aug 16, 2024

HTacianas said:
If an LGBT person came into my Church I probably wouldn't recognize them as such and it would be none of my business. I would leave it between them and the priest. But raising some kind of pride flag over a Church is no different than raising a gun over a Church and celebrating how many notches are in the handle.

Has the orthodox ran into this controversy? I'm seeing both Catholic and Protestant churches having a bit of that flag.

BCP1928 · Aug 16, 2024

Cis.jd said:
Has the orthodox ran into this controversy? I'm seeing both Catholic and Protestant churches having a bit of that flag.

They shouldn't. They shouldn't put a national flag in their churches, either.

Cis.jd · Aug 16, 2024

BCP1928 said:
They shouldn't. They shouldn't put a national flag in their churches, either.

agreed.

How about conducting services for them? Is that wrong?

BCP1928 · Aug 16, 2024

Cis.jd said:
agreed.

How about conducting services for them? Is that wrong?

Is conducting religious services for sinners wrong?

HTacianas · Aug 16, 2024

Cis.jd said:
Has the orthodox ran into this controversy? I'm seeing both Catholic and Protestant churches having a bit of that flag.

I have never heard of any Orthodox Church doing anything of the sort.

CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN · Aug 16, 2024

I see nothing wrong with churches preaching God's word to everyone. I have a problem with them being worldly, and having rainbow flags and rainbow flowers to celebrate or welcome gay people. The rainbow is supposed to be God's signature. That he will never flood the earth again. I'm not into worshiping Flags either. That's also worldly nonsense.

Whyayeman · Aug 16, 2024

BCP1928 said:
Is conducting religious services for sinners wrong?

I remember as a boy seeing a poster in front of a local Methodist church. It read: 'This is a church for sinners. Why not come and join us?'

The congregation was offended and made the minister remove it. As a boy already questioning my religious education this was another nail in the coffin of the little faith I still had.

2PhiloVoid · Aug 16, 2024

Cis.jd said:
I live near Hoboken, NJ, and recently, a Pride Mass at a local Catholic church stirred a lot of controversy among Catholics.

“Pride Mass” at Catholic Church Wounds the Sacred Heart

Wolves are destroying the Faith from within. For a seventh year, a sacrilegious “Pride Mass” took place on June 23, 2024 at Our Lady of Grace Church in Hobo

www.tfp.org

Personally, I’m politically independent and prefer to assess situations based on context, not ideology. I find both far-left and far-right views often extreme, especially when they enter spaces like churches. Churches should be places of refuge and hope, not political battlegrounds.

That said, I don’t understand why some Christians react so angrily to churches welcoming LGBT individuals. If the goal is to help people find God, isn’t the church precisely where they should be? Who are we to deny anyone the chance to seek faith? If a person struggling with their sexuality is willing to explore a relationship with God—even if they’ve been told He hates them—shouldn’t that be encouraged?

We see churches accepting people with various sins, yet some react harshly to LGBT individuals. Unless a church explicitly endorses actions contrary to its teachings, why object to them extending a hand to those searching for God?

I'm not sure what the problem would be with inviting or praying for LGBT individuals at any church. Why would there be a problem with this when churches invite adulterous, polyamorous straight individuals to church over whom to pray all the time..................??

BNR32FAN · Aug 16, 2024

Cis.jd said:
I live near Hoboken, NJ, and recently, a Pride Mass at a local Catholic church stirred a lot of controversy among Catholics.

“Pride Mass” at Catholic Church Wounds the Sacred Heart

Wolves are destroying the Faith from within. For a seventh year, a sacrilegious “Pride Mass” took place on June 23, 2024 at Our Lady of Grace Church in Hobo

www.tfp.org

Personally, I’m politically independent and prefer to assess situations based on context, not ideology. I find both far-left and far-right views often extreme, especially when they enter spaces like churches. Churches should be places of refuge and hope, not political battlegrounds.

That said, I don’t understand why some Christians react so angrily to churches welcoming LGBT individuals. If the goal is to help people find God, isn’t the church precisely where they should be? Who are we to deny anyone the chance to seek faith? If a person struggling with their sexuality is willing to explore a relationship with God—even if they’ve been told He hates them—shouldn’t that be encouraged?

We see churches accepting people with various sins, yet some react harshly to LGBT individuals. Unless a church explicitly endorses actions contrary to its teachings, why object to them extending a hand to those searching for God?

I think the church is a good place for all sinners provided that sin is not being condoned.

Cis.jd · Aug 16, 2024

2PhiloVoid said:
I'm not sure what the problem would be with inviting or praying for LGBT individuals at any church. Why would there be a problem with this when churches invite adulterous, polyamorous straight individuals to church over whom to pray all the time..................??

It seems to be a problem when lgbt people are in. For some reason, they seem to be there for more honest reasons than many i've met in church. I've been to a mass that was loaded with mafia guys inside of it. Scary stuff.

rebornfree · Aug 17, 2024

Whyayeman said:
I remember as a boy seeing a poster in front of a local Methodist church. It read: 'This is a church for sinners. Why not come and join us?'

The congregation was offended and made the minister remove it. As a boy already questioning my religious education this was another nail in the coffin of the little faith I still had.

That's so sad. I hope you know that there are church congregations who would be happy with such a sign.

Whyayeman · Aug 17, 2024

rebornfree said:
That's so sad. I hope you know that there are church congregations who would be happy with such a sign.

I am sure you are right. In the context of the churches and LGBT attendance this inclusiveness has been amply demonstrated. I know enough about the Christian faith to know that such inclusiveness should really be a given.

Yet it is sufficiently contested to be an issue on this forum. For me, that sad.

2PhiloVoid · Aug 17, 2024

Cis.jd said:
It seems to be a problem when lgbt people are in. For some reason, they seem to be there for more honest reasons than many i've met in church. I've been to a mass that was loaded with mafia guys inside of it. Scary stuff.

Come to think of it, if there's a group more in need of God's grace, mercy, forgiveness and reformative mindset in Christ, it's the mafia.
Or maybe it's the guys at MindGeek.

PloverWing · Aug 17, 2024

I attended the Twin Cities Pride Service at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis earlier this summer. The structure of the service was the fairly standard Rite II, Eucharistic Prayer A, with an emphasis on the message that God's love includes those who are gay, bi, or gender-diverse. The Scripture readings were for the feast day of Pauli Murray, whose feast day in the Episcopal calendar is July 1. I found it a moving experience.

Cis.jd · Aug 17, 2024

2PhiloVoid said:
Come to think of it, if there's a group more in need of God's grace, mercy, forgiveness and reformative mindset in Christ, it's the mafia.
Or maybe it's the guys at MindGeek.

If they were sincere they wouldn't be in the mafia after that (or before that). They did seem like regulars, or at least i think they were.

rebornfree · Aug 18, 2024

Whyayeman said:
I am sure you are right. In the context of the churches and LGBT attendance this inclusiveness has been amply demonstrated. I know enough about the Christian faith to know that such inclusiveness should really be a given.

Yet it is sufficiently contested to be an issue on this forum. For me, that sad.

I've realised, since posting, that the sign could be interpreted as inviting people to continue to sin! Obviously it isn't! I think that touches on the issue of why the subject is debated. All are sinners and should be invited to hear the gospel, but when people accept the faith they should turn away from sinful lifestyles, whatever those lifestyles may be. I'm sure that is what the sign was aiming to do. One problem with churches displaying the Pride flag is that it could be interpreted as condoning sin instead of inviting sinners to hear the message of repentance.

What is your stance on Churches inviting and praying with LGBT?

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