Would you support or help advertise...?

[DarthNeo]

My brother in law has a cousin who is living in an openly gay relationship. My sister in law and brother in law are both Christians. Recently the gay cousin opened a craft shop that sells handmade and home made soaps and candles. The BIL and SIL have started helping him advertise on social media.

Do you believe it is a good testimony for a Christian to help advertise a gay person's business just because they "are family." Their go to quote is hate the sin, not the sinner. I am not saying to HATE the cousin, but I definitely would not contribute to the success of his business either...

Your thoughts?

 

[Armoured]

My brother in law has a cousin who is living in an openly gay relationship. My sister in law and brother in law are both Christians. Recently the gay cousin opened a craft shop that sells handmade and home made soaps and candles. The BIL and SIL have started helping him advertise on social media.

Do you believe it is a good testimony for a Christian to help advertise a gay person's business just because they "are family." Their go to quote is hate the sin, not the sinner. I am not saying to HATE the cousin, but I definitely would not contribute to the success of his business either...

Your thoughts?

What does his sexuality have to do with his business?

 

[DarthNeo]

What does his sexuality have to do with his business?

As a Christian, would you buy a cake from an openly gay baker?

 

[Armoured]

As a Christian, would you buy a cake from an openly gay baker?

Sure, why not?

As a Christian, would you hire a taxi driven by an openly Hindu taxi driver?

 

[DarthNeo]

Sure, why not?

As a Christian, would you hire a taxi driven by an openly Hindu taxi driver?

Probably not unless I saw it as a witnessing opportunity...

So where do you draw the line of supporting those things which Christ does not condone?

 

[Armoured]

Probably not unless I saw it as a witnessing opportunity...

So where do you draw the line of supporting those things which Christ does not condone?

I don't see supporting someone's business as "supporting those things which Christ does not condone". Good luck getting a taxi when you need one.

 

[DarthNeo]

I don't see supporting someone's business as "supporting those things which Christ does not condone". God luck getting a taxi when you need one.

LOL...I don't live in NY so usually not an issue. And riding in a "stranger's" cab is NOT the same as a "family member"...

 

[RaymondG]

I believe it is against Christian testimony to refuse to help a brother because they are in the same state of sin that we were in before we because Christian. If it were not for the help of others, some of us would still be out there.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Some may add "only if they are Christian," to their own demise.) If you promote not supporting anyone for any reason, when you need support, you will not get it.

"What you do to the least of these you do it as unto me" (again some may add..."only if they are Christian)

"Love they neighbor as thyself" ("only if they are Christian??").

Feel free to hold your support from others. I personally always try to do to others what I want done to myself. If I had a business, I would not want people to not support me for any reason....So I would not find any reason to not support others.

 

[PloverWing]

I'm with Armoured on this. The part of the cousin's life that you disapprove of is his same-sex relationship, not his soap-making.

I can see boycotting a business if the business itself is harming people -- if, for example, the soap is made by workers who are exploited, or some such. But in this case, the cousin is simply making a living in an honorable way; I assume you do approve of that aspect of the cousin's life.

 

[Armoured]

LOL...I don't live in NY so usually not an issue. And riding in a "stranger's" cab is NOT the same as a "family member"...

Tell you what, if you can go the next month without patronising the shop of someone involved in something Jesus doesn't condone, you let us know, and I'll concede the point.

 

[DarthNeo]

Tell you what, if you can go the next month without patronising the shop of someone involved in something Jesus doesn't condone, you let us know, and I'll concede the point.

Again, you are missing the point. It's a FAMILY member, someone who SAYS they are a Christian but living in a gay relationship. I know sin is sin and ALL separates us from God. But is one thing to sin and feel remorse about it verses saying, Hey I know God does not approve of gay marriage, but since I am saved, I have grace, so I am going to do it any way...

Psalm 1:1 "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!'

Sin is a progression. First we walk with sin (entertain it) - then we stand with sin (fellowship) - then we sit with sin - (relationship)

 

[Armoured]

Again, you are missing the point. It's a FAMILY member, someone who SAYS they are a Christian but living in a gay relationship. I know sin is sin and ALL separates us from God. But is one thing to sin and feel remorse about it verses saying, Hey I know God does not approve of gay marriage, but since I am saved, I have grace, so I am going to do it any way...

Psalm 1:1 "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!'

Sin is a progression. First we walk with sin (entertain it) - then we stand with sin (fellowship) - then we sit with sin - (relationship)

It's at this point I usually say something about motes in thy brother's eye...

 

[PloverWing]

Again, you are missing the point. It's a FAMILY member, someone who SAYS they are a Christian but living in a gay relationship. I know sin is sin and ALL separates us from God. But is one thing to sin and feel remorse about it verses saying, Hey I know God does not approve of gay marriage, but since I am saved, I have grace, so I am going to do it any way...

Psalm 1:1 "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!'

Sin is a progression. First we walk with sin (entertain it) - then we stand with sin (fellowship) - then we sit with sin - (relationship)

Let me put the question back to you, in this way:

If you have someone in your life who has made a life choice that violates your religious convictions (in this case, is in a long-term same-sex relationship), to what extent do you feel obligated to exclude them from your life? Based on what you've said, I assume that you wouldn't want to endorse their relationship directly, by going to their wedding or something similar. But would you feel compelled to cut off all association with them? Would you go to dinner at their home, or (in a more neutral location) go out to lunch with them? Would you still talk to them on the phone? Would you talk to them at all?

I don't come from a church tradition that includes shunning people, so the custom is somewhat unfamiliar to me. To what extent does your conscience require you to separate from people who make long-term choices that you regard as sinful?

 

[DarthNeo]

Let me put the question back to you, in this way:

If you have someone in your life who has made a life choice that violates your religious convictions (in this case, is in a long-term same-sex relationship), to what extent do you feel obligated to exclude them from your life? Based on what you've said, I assume that you wouldn't want to endorse their relationship directly, by going to their wedding or something similar. But would you feel compelled to cut off all association with them? Would you go to dinner at their home, or (in a more neutral location) go out to lunch with them? Would you still talk to them on the phone? Would you talk to them at all?

I don't come from a church tradition that includes shunning people, so the custom is somewhat unfamiliar to me. To what extent does your conscience require you to separate from people who make long-term choices that you regard as sinful?

Totally shun...no. Have dinner in their home, no. In my home, yes. Talk to them on the phone, yes. Have lunch with them, yes.

What are you thoughts on this verse?

But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one, no not to eat. 1 Corinthians 5:11

 

[PloverWing]

I think the issue is not a simple one to decide. St. Paul in I Corinthians 5 does seem to be saying that the Corinthian church should expel Christians who engage in certain kinds of immoral behaviors. At the same time, we have the stories of Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners. We also have Romans 14, which addresses a group of Christians who disagreed with each other about whether certain kinds of actions (like eating meat sacrificed to idols) were morally acceptable.

So if you're proposing that the cousin should be disciplined by his church or expelled from his church, I can see how I Corinthians 5 can be used as justification for that. But I think there are other passages that should be taken into account as well.

For myself, I'm extremely reluctant to expel someone from the church or from my friendship. It's a very harsh step, and it probably won't change the person who's been shunned, except to make them feel lonely and rejected. I don't know if perhaps it worked better in Corinth.