Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Changing the Conversation at Church

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Monday, I noted that the Human Rights Campaign, America's largest homosexual advocacy group, is assaulting our children, beginning in Kindergarten, with curriculum designed to indoctrinate and recruit under the guise of "safe schools initiatives" and the "Welcoming Schools" program.

They are also targeting the church.

HRC says their, "Religion and Faith Program's mission is to change the conversation about gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered people and faith."

Because of the misguided passion of some Christian leaders and church denominations, the homosexual agenda has indeed been able to "change the conversation." In an attempt to identify with the post modern culture, some church leaders and the churches they represent, have forsaken biblical teaching on the matter, lost their moral compass and consequently their leadership and any redeeming voice in a culture that is desperately in need. Others simply remain silent on the matter because it is less risky.

HRC has created a new resource that they describe as an "on-line weekly preaching and devotional resource" called "Out Of Scripture."

"Out Of Scripture" places comments about the Bible alongside the real life experiences and concerns of homosexuals and their allies, according to their website.

They have collected over 175 conversations about the Bible and, they say, "With the skilled help of 100 diverse scholars and pastors, from over 11 different denominations, you will discover a fresh approach to Scripture."

The "fresh new approach" was displayed by President Obama a while back when he weighed in on homosexual relations saying Jesus' Sermon on the Mount affirmed homosexual relations while dismissing what he referred to as an obscure passage of Scripture on the subject in Romans chapter one.

HRC says, "Out Of Scripture" is "especially helpful for preachers preparing sermons based on the Revised Common Lectionary."

They are also organizing progressive clergy coalitions in fellowship halls on Thursday evenings, partaking in Shabbat services on Friday evenings and preaching from the pulpit on Sunday mornings followed by a "Safe Space Conversation" in a church basement on Monday.

"And," HRC says, "we are taking the message of equality on the road to seminaries, college campuses and assembly halls, talking to people about faith, fairness and the religious tools for advocacy they can draw upon from their own faith traditions."

In the present cultural environment of political correctness, tolerance, fairness rather than justice and eclectic Christian faith, they may have found the perfect storm. As our culture has shifted from what God says---the divine authority of the Scripture, to what I think he should say to be relevant in a post modern culture, we have indeed allowed the Christian narrative to become a relative conversation. Conversations with God have become popularized---and certainly believers can talk to God through prayer.

However, it is entirely possible that we are at a time when people should allow God to have a conversation with them. And He speaks through his Divinely inspired word---the Bible. Perhaps a focus on how we can become relevant to the Bible would be more productive than how we can revise the Bible to become relevant to our experiences and lifestyle.

God help us.

___________________
Gary Randall
President
Faith and Freedom

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