(no subject)
I haven't written for a long time. Today as I was checking my email, I got a message that said something like "Walter Hast has invited you to join the Facebook group 'It was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.' “I was unable to post on the discussion board because I refused to join, but I sent this message to the admin and asked them to post it on the discussion board with my contact info. It has a lot of the thoughts that I've been having recently and things I've wanted to write about.
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I wanted to add to the discussion board, but you have to join the group to do so. If you're willing, I would like you to post this message in the discussion with my name so people can contact me if they want: Walter George Kealey.
First, let me talk about a recent event I went to. I was walking around Center City Philadelphia and I came across a gay pride festival. And in the middle of it was a group of people from a church holding up signs declaring that homosexuality was wrong and a sin. Now for a moment, let's not discuss their message and look at the method. Straight up telling people they are wrong is not the way to go about things. There's a fine line between accountability and judgment. Further, it's wrong to impose your moral beliefs on these people; Jesus agreed because he said so (Matthew 7:6). I doubt holding up those signs changed anyone's mind, but it did make a whole bunch of people hate the church. There has to be a balance, it's counter productive to go around polarizing hundreds people in efforts to get one saved. I often try to remember Jesus's words in John "use your head-and heart!-to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right." (7:21)
Further, the idea of a sexual identity, homosexuality as it exist today, is something that Paul or any other early Christian writer would have no concept of. The acts that Paul was writing against were by men who were only fulfilling lustful fantasies. To extrapolate his writings onto the view of homosexuality today is quite a stretch. I'm not trying to argue one way or the other. I'm trying to pull a Henry Fonda (12 Angry Men). I just don't know yet, but I want to look at everything for some more time; I don't want to condemn anyone.
I ask that you post this message so that a group of believers in Jesus Christ can have meaningful conversation and work through things together. Because that's what it's all about.
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Obvious shout outs to specifically Joshua Grace and Jonny Rashid, as my cell group has been really awesome lately and has gotten me thinking about a lot of things.
On a total tangent, a few weeks ago I was able to participate in Critical Mass for the first time. For those who don't know what that is, about 100-200 bike riders meet at City Hall and then ride around the city for about two hours, taking up many lanes, blocking traffic ect. The goal is to "raise awareness for bikers" but I think people just more do it because it's unbelievably fun. One of the best parts is that even if the light is red, we all ride through, and a few other bikers stop right in front of the opposing traffic. We rode all around city, and it was sweet!
---------------------
I wanted to add to the discussion board, but you have to join the group to do so. If you're willing, I would like you to post this message in the discussion with my name so people can contact me if they want: Walter George Kealey.
First, let me talk about a recent event I went to. I was walking around Center City Philadelphia and I came across a gay pride festival. And in the middle of it was a group of people from a church holding up signs declaring that homosexuality was wrong and a sin. Now for a moment, let's not discuss their message and look at the method. Straight up telling people they are wrong is not the way to go about things. There's a fine line between accountability and judgment. Further, it's wrong to impose your moral beliefs on these people; Jesus agreed because he said so (Matthew 7:6). I doubt holding up those signs changed anyone's mind, but it did make a whole bunch of people hate the church. There has to be a balance, it's counter productive to go around polarizing hundreds people in efforts to get one saved. I often try to remember Jesus's words in John "use your head-and heart!-to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right." (7:21)
Further, the idea of a sexual identity, homosexuality as it exist today, is something that Paul or any other early Christian writer would have no concept of. The acts that Paul was writing against were by men who were only fulfilling lustful fantasies. To extrapolate his writings onto the view of homosexuality today is quite a stretch. I'm not trying to argue one way or the other. I'm trying to pull a Henry Fonda (12 Angry Men). I just don't know yet, but I want to look at everything for some more time; I don't want to condemn anyone.
I ask that you post this message so that a group of believers in Jesus Christ can have meaningful conversation and work through things together. Because that's what it's all about.
----------------
Obvious shout outs to specifically Joshua Grace and Jonny Rashid, as my cell group has been really awesome lately and has gotten me thinking about a lot of things.
On a total tangent, a few weeks ago I was able to participate in Critical Mass for the first time. For those who don't know what that is, about 100-200 bike riders meet at City Hall and then ride around the city for about two hours, taking up many lanes, blocking traffic ect. The goal is to "raise awareness for bikers" but I think people just more do it because it's unbelievably fun. One of the best parts is that even if the light is red, we all ride through, and a few other bikers stop right in front of the opposing traffic. We rode all around city, and it was sweet!