Exodus has announced workshops being held at this year’s conference. Not surprisingly there are twice as many workshops designed to prevent male-on-male sex than those helping the ladies. As expected Focus On The Family employees are leading politically oriented workshops.
Why Not Gay Marriage?: — Glenn T. Stanton
Responding with Intelligence and Compassion
Many are engaged in the culture over same-sex marriage, but few are engaging it intelligently and compassionately, seeking both to win arguments and the hearts of people. Glenn Stanton, who debates on same-sex marriage on college campuses around the nation speaks from his experience of intelligently and winsomely discussing the issue, but also reaching out to his opponents and making real friendships.Why We Can’t Stay Silent – Melissa Fryrear
When Jesus said, “Blessed are the righteous,” He yearned for people who would defend all that is right against all that is wrong. In addition to seeing people brought to the saving knowledge of Christ, Christians should be compelled by God’s love to defend the biblical worldview and engage the culture. This session offers an historical view of the Church’s influence in the culture and exhorts Christians not to be silent but to boldly defend the tenants of Christianity in cultural, educational, and policy arenas.
Perhaps at this year’s conference Ms. Fryrear will meet a homosexual who has not been molested. If any XGW readers who have not been molested attend the conference please identify yourself to Ms. Fryrear.
The award for best workshop title goes to Randy Thomas. I’ve got no clue what it’s about but it’s got to be good:
Escaping the Gaytrix – Randy Thomas
TBA
From the same city that brought you Kevin Federline comes…
What’s Wrong With Masturbation? – Russell Willingham
We’ve all wondered about Masturbation. Is it healthy self-expression or a bondage? What does the Bible say and not say about it? In this workshop we will explore these questions and look at ways to deal with this challenging issue.
I’ve got no clue what it’s about but it’s got to be good…
My hunch is it’s a take on the film “The Matrix”. Probably Thomas will tell his attendees that the “gay lifestyle” is a false reality…
Of course “biblical worldview” is code for Old Testament law.
Actually, I see “biblical worldview” as a codeword for only a few politically correct portions of the Old Testament.
These folks do not want to hear about portions of the Old Testament that condemn stealing from the poor, usury, lying, and mistreatment of workers. All that is replaced with vacuous, self-flattering talk about “godliness” and “truth.” The Commandment that one honor one’s parents (even if one or both of them are gay) is violated rather boastfully. The biblical Jubilee year‘s redistribution of land and forgiveness of debt are turned upside-down with tirades against “Hollywood liberals” and “elites” — codewords, apparently, for Jews, Catholics, and liberal Protestants.
I’m not an advocate for government-mandated redistribution of wealth, mind you — just sayin’ that the wealth-sharing is right there in the Old Testament. When Jesus told his followers to give all their possessions away to the poor and walk with him, he wasn’t just making stuff up.
It seems Melissa’s message is going to be another perversion of scripture. I’m pretty sure that the beatitude she references has everything to do with pursuing personal holiness, and ~nothing~ to do with the oppression of others beneath a theocratic heel. Actually, I don’t think there is a “Blessed are the righteous,” per se. There is a “blessed are those which hunger and thirst after righteousness;” a “blessed are the pure in spirit;” and, a “blessed are those who are persecuted for for being righteous.” No “blessed are the righteous.” What translation is she using?
Oh right, the Exodus version. I forgot.
not to be silent but to boldly defend the tenants of Christianity in cultural, educational, and policy arenas. (Fryrear)
“Tenants” of Christianity? Right! And Steely Dan is not one person? And we don’t get French benefits?
For fun, I Googled “tenants of Christianity” (630 hits, versus 65,700 hits for “tenets of Christianity”). Curiously, the #3 hit for “tenants” was at http://www.davidduke.com. The #2 hit was at http://www.aljazeerah.info. So at least Exodus is consistent vis a vis their “biblical worldview.”
If Randy Thomas can teach me how to leap buildings in a single bound, stop bullets in midair, and assorted superfast kung-fu moves, then sign me up. Of course, given that it’s Exodus all they probably really mean is that they can teach you how to experience significant and lasting change in how you choose to view and experience space/time.
When Jesus told his followers to give all their possessions away to the poor and walk with him, he wasn’t just making stuff up.Ya know Mike — that is probably the aspect most missing in modern COMMERCIAL Christianity.Charity is meant to be a given. It seeks no reward. It’s not done to “raise and Army for Christ”. It wants no converts. It’s done because others suffer and you can do something about it; be it shelter or food or comfort. It’s a DUTY.And you need not even be Christian to do it. Now that’s pretty cool too, hey? 🙂
Gaytrix????That Randy vanishes further up his own fundament with each passing announcement.And you know — it really doesn’t take much to live unlike he did… don’t get drunk in sleazy bars every night, don’t do mind-bending drugs, don’t be a skank.Self-control…. learn what that means. Simple, no?Yet he now dares tell other people they should live?Thank-you, but no thank-you Randy.
Has Melissa Fryrear ever taken time from her busy schedule to actually read the Bible? And did no one at Exodus proof this?
“Why We Can’t Stay Silent – Melissa Fryrear
When Jesus said, “Blessed are the righteous,”
[He didn’t. As Sharonb mentioned above Jesus didn’t say the righteous were blessed but rather those that hunger and thirst for righteousness. Those who consider themselves righteous were the ones who fought his ministry and message]
He yearned for people who would defend all that is right against all that is wrong.
[Not according to Scripture. I can’t think of an instance in his ministry when Jesus said to defend what’s right. He mostly said “turn the other cheek” and “render unto Ceasar” and things that suggested that political positions don’t need his attention]
In addition to seeing people brought to the saving knowledge of Christ, Christians should be compelled by God’s love to defend the biblical worldview and engage the culture.
[This is not the great commission. Never did Jesus say “engage the culture”]
This session offers an historical view of the Church’s influence in the culture [such as the inquisition?] and exhorts Christians not to be silent but to boldly defend the tenants [sic] of Christianity in cultural, educational, and policy arenas.”
This pretense that your political agenda is ordained by Christ – especially when you make up scripture and falsify Christ’s ministry – is heresy.
Oh, geez, Timothy. You are just begging for another bitch slappin’ from DL aren’t you?Don’t you know you have to “graduate” from a fundy “university” in “christianity” before you are EXPERT enough to tell others what God thinks???I dispare of you sometimes 🙂
This confence sounds just lovely. There are a number of conferences that could be entertaining. Take for example:
Jonathan and David:
Building Healthy Same-Sex Relationships
I wonder how they’ll tell this one. Here’s the story:
“After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan [Saul’s son] became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.”
Scripture is vague on what happened after Jonathan stripped naked. Saul becomes concerned that Jonathan will give the kingdom to David so he plans to kill him. Jonathan saves his life and they meet in a field:
“After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together — but David wept the most.”
David went into hiding and Saul and Jonathan went to fight the Philistines. Both were killed. David was distraught and wrote a song containing the following:
“How the mighty have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,
more wonderful than that of women.”
So Exodus is going to tell us that healthy same-sex relationships include giving up your kingdom for another guy, stripping and kissing, and thinking his love in more wonderful than that of women.
Exodus has finally recognized one of their problems:
“Men and Women who are determined to enter the journey to change their same sex feelings are often full of energy fro change. Once the journey has begun and the mine field of pain is uncovered, many feel defeated to the point of giving up.”
Yeah. That and discovering that they are still attracted to the same sex.
Once again I’m embarrassed that Melissa and I graduated from the same seminary. I’m thinking she missed too many of Dr. Bauer’s Inductive Bible Study classes on the Gospel of Matthew.
This is where I go and comfort myself with the writing of Kahlil Gibran.
He was a devout man at least and he was certainly talented with beautiful prose.
You can’t use what he says in ways easily done by Biblical politics.
Nobody has to interpet love for me, nor does anyone have to do so regarding betrayal.
Last night, I went to my neighbor’s apartment to visit.
Their little 17 month old son crowed and ran to me when he saw me and lifted his arms up, and puckered his lips for a kiss.
Another friend of theirs was there to watch the Lakers game with the young father, while me and the young wife and mother sat on the floor and intermittently played with the baby.
For HOW MANY CENTURIES have we human beings been doing this simple thing?!
Gathering for stories, news, firesides and games?!
This pitiless judgement on gay people, after all these YEARS of gathering together whether we knew that person was gay or not, but were witness to the love and caring that gay person had for us as friend, brother, sister, daughter or son.
When, when, when…will those who claim a life of faith remember these lessons you describe here?
That it’s about how we treat one another that matters. And we are made beautiful by who loves us.
Not who hates us.
My neighbors are so kind to me…I forget that I have pain in my hands, that I’m underemployed sometimes.
Exodus is using people in the worst way.
Good neighbors and friends wouldn’t have to advertise to make you come to them.
It just happens…good people follow good people on their own.
The heart knows what it needs and wants. Most of us know how it seems, when you’re not looking THAT’S when you tend to find what you need and want.
Exodus forces a point they aren’t even entitled to…and it’s disgusting.
Regan:
You should sell your writings. Start a column. Seriously! You’d be a great columnist! That’d solve the under-employed issue. Just a thought.
Thank you, Sharonb…
That is a good thought. And worth considering.
I keep asking Regan to write for my blog but she never does…….SHe is awwesome!
You know what I hate? When both liberals and conservatives cherry pick from the Bible and leave out all the things they don’t agree with.
As an atheist, I believe that the Bible is just another book, full of contradictions and not the first place to look for moral guidance. What Jesus said (assuming he even existed and said anything)has no more importance to me than what Cleopatra or Caligula said.
Mark at May 8, 2006 05:16 PM
Thank you for your thoughts on athiesm. I can respect your personal religious beliefs, as I do all who are equally respectful when they write here.
However, much of what we discuss at this site has to do with the attitudes and teachings of the ex-gay movement, which is predominantly conservative Christian in nature. And, as such, what Jesus taught – according to what Scripture – will be much discussed.
If someone, such as Melissa Fryrear, misquotes scripture or says something contrary to Jesus’ teachings, it is important that we bring attention to this. Those who do share a Christian faith need to have it made clear that the anti-gay bigotry that is paraded by the ex-gay ministries is inconsistent with the message of Christ.
As an athiest, this may bore or annoy you, and for that I appologize. But if someone comes on here making anti-gay claims from an athiest perspective (though that is kinda hard to imagine), you will be a valued contributor to that debate.