Pastor D.L. Foster of witnessfortheworld.org wrote last week:
Your ideology is truly modern, but over 2,000 years ago Christ said “render to Caesar things that are Caesar’s and unto God things that be God’s.”
Actually the basic philosophy of this blog — rational reflection on spirituality, sexuality, and individual rights — dates to the Renaissance. Fundamentalism, on the other hand, is modern, dating mostly to World War II with certain strands dating to the late 1800s.
Christians are not excluded from the political process, rather encouraged to get involved.
I totally agree.
You have false assumptions that just because LWO speaks to things of a political nature it taints their ministry message. Not so.
Pastor Foster originally criticized LWO’s conflicting messages, not me. Foster complained that the angry and punitive political message of LWO organizers, reflected periodically on this blog, is at odds with the alternate LWO message that ex-gays offer nothing more than an option to change. When you get right down to it, I hear Foster opposing LWO’s political message, which favors discrimination against gays and special rights for heterosexuals.
Your feeling that it is discriminatory is subjective to your experiences.
And Foster’s feeling that what homosexuals do (whatever that is) is harmful to society is also subjective.
However, the subjective belief that ex-gay public policy is discriminatory comes not from gay activists, but from ex-gays themselves. Exodus executive director Alan Chambers has explicitly testified numerous times in favor of the right to discriminate. In this respect, among others, Exodus practices moral relativism.
For the record, I do not support denying gays and lesbians, etc jobs, housing, or other basic rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, but the line in the sand is drawn for special rights — for anyone.
Then Pastor Foster may share the libertarian sentiments of the Independent Gay Forum. Many of the forum’s authors oppose anti-hate-crime and antidiscrimination laws across the board.
I do not have a lack of people who seek me out for Godly counsel. Actually, I could use a little help. Are you available?
I offered many years ago to Alan Chambers, Randy Thomas, and others to help Exodus moderate its political agenda to be less intolerant, and to help Exodus focus its ministry on helping ex-gays and confused non-gays without harming gays. But Exodus declined. Instead, Exodus joined the religious right and declared war against those whom it claims to minister to.
I had been naive about the intentions of Exodus leadership. And besides, my friends at Soulforce would have probably picketed my house if I had helped Exodus.
But if Foster’s invitation is genuine and not sarcastic, then I appreciate the gesture.
Hopefully, the gay community will make sure that NAMBLA rites do not find refuge in their organizations, because they are certainly not trying to join Promise Keepers.
NAMBLA may not be trying to join PromiseKeepers, but neither are the heterosexual pedophile groups. And actually, I know of gay groups that have sought to participate in PromiseKeepers.
I agree with Dale’s comment to Pastor Foster, that tolerance must be extended to gays and to non-Christians, if ex-gays are to receive it in return.