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Starbucks has raised the largest "Pride" flag in Seattle history over its corporate headquarters building in recognition of Seattle's month long celebration of homosexuality.
The Seattle Times is reporting that "Seattle has surpassed San Francisco as having the largest concentration of same-sex couple households."
Josh Friedes with Equal Rights Washington, the state's largest homosexual advocacy organization, says Seattle has become "a nesting city for gay couples."
Why? Why is Seattle a better "nesting" place than San Francisco, Washington DC, Portland or New York?
Pastor Ron Moe-Lobeda of Seattle's University Lutheran Church gives some insight to Seattle's "nestability" in his response to the Time's Danny Westneat column on a different, but related matter.
The Seattle Times is reporting that homosexuals are indeed settling in Seattle, in fact they say "1 in 17 household are those of gay and lesbian couples."
The Times' story says Steven Austin and Michael Pirkle moved here from Huston after ruling out Denver, San Francisco and Portland.
They told the Times "Seattle feels just right."
But what makes Seattle feel just right? Other states have "redefined marriage."
The 2 men said, "What blew me away was in December when we got married, it was as if the entire city was celebrating...and it didn't seem to matter if they were gay or straight."
So is that what makes Seattle so special?
They say, "We have encouraged all our gay friends from Texas to move here."
During the campaigns to protect marriage (R-71 and R-74), I and others said the way in which the law was constructed would cause Washington State to become a magnate for homosexuals. I will not say "I told you so."
It is a column by the Times' Danny Westneat calling on religious people to become more tolerant of atheists, and Pastor Ron Moe-Lobeda's published response that perhaps best defines why Seattle is such a great "nesting place" for anyone who chooses to live in rebellion to natural law and God's Truth.
Westneat claimed in his recent column that while the country and the state---people living in Seattle believe they are the "state," are becoming "increasingly tolerant" to various revised versions of morality "atheism may be the last taboo."
He is basing his column on a recent poll from Pew that shows people in general don't particularly like atheists.
Westneat, himself a professed atheist, asks, "Can atheism be the next gay marriage?"
Pastor Ron at University Lutheran Church responded to Westneat and his published response seems to suggest atheism can indeed and should be the "next gay marriage."
The pastor says, "Religious people have a duty to understand atheists."
Of course we do. And I think most of us do understand atheists.
Christianity teaches "all have sinned and come short..." Since biblical Christianity is an acceptance of Jesus Christ on a personal level, most of us can remember a time before that transformation took place in our life. A time when we ourselves rebelled against God in various ways.
We also understand that whether we are enslaved in a destructive lifestyle, uninformed spiritually or outright rebellious toward God, He loves us anyway and is willing to forgive and restore us.
However, when you read the pastor's words, it becomes apparent that he is talking about "understanding" in the pattern of the new "tolerance" which really means "affirmation" which leads to "celebration."
When the Washington State campaign began to redefine marriage, it launched in Bellevue with a press conference. I was standing next to the Associated Press reporter who asked the Equal Rights Washington people why they were demanding the word "marriage" when they already essentially had all the benefits through their legalized domestic partnerships.
A lesbian responded--"We want the public to affirm our relationships." It was never ultimately about "equality" so much as it was about "moral affirmation."
If you look at the service schedule for this weekend and Sunday services at University Lutheran Church, you will see that Pastor Ron and his church is not only "understanding" the homosexual lifestyle, but affirming and celebrating it by including the "Gay Pride Parade" in their worship to God this weekend.
I cannot believe it was for this that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of All Saints Church in Whittenberg.
His 95 theses are commonly known as The Indulgences.
Is affirming and celebrating that which the Bible condemns a new form of Indulgence by today's church? Are they seeking social acceptance by forgiving sins that they cannot forgive by simply redefining or ignoring what the Bible actually says?
Here is Luther's take on that notion.
Luther's Indulgence #32 says, "All those who believe themselves certain of their own salvation by means of letters of indulgence, will be eternally damned, together with their teachers."
Martin Luther said, "You should not believe your feelings more than the Word which the Lord who receives sinners preaches to you."
He also said, "For where God builds a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel."
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Strong. Be Faithful. Be Blessed.