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Christianity Today Poll (same-sex marriages)

Totenkindly

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I just thought this was interesting, from a curiosity standpoint.

(The demographic would be people interested in Christianity Today who also were willing to visit the website and vote anonymously on the matter.)

Christianity Today Poll
Should churches discipline pastors who are in faithful same-sex relationships?

9% -- Yes, if the church laws say pastors should be married or celibate.
1% -- No, churches don't have a right to judge pastors' personal lives.
81% -- Yes, such relationships are unbiblical.
7% -- No, faithful same-sex relationships are as legitimate as heterosexual marriages.
2% -- Other

Total Votes: 1450

The current poll is, "Is it possible to change your sexual orientation?"
Interesting.
 

Ivy

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It's a pretty conservative magazine, no?

My dad used to frequent an AOL chat sponsored by that mag. It got pretty wild in there. I had no idea people really believed some of these things before I visited there.
 
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*tries to keep mouth shut*... *fails*

I mean, no offense, and I'm not trying to judge homosexuals... But, let's put it this way: A Christian church, or at least one that follows the Bible, teaches against homosexuality... Think about this for a while. I mean, having a gay pastor is like... well.... having a drunk driver running a MADD meeting. It just doesn't add up.

Christian churches who prohibit gay pastors are not trying to be bigots; they're just following their own Bibles. I mean, okay, if a Christian doesn't live up to the Bible, he's often considered a hypocrite, and yet when he does, he's a bigot? That's rough...

And, beSIDES, the 81% didn't say they were "wrong" or "inferior" or "animals"; they said they were "unbiblical"...

Read your Bible, and you'll find this:

I Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders Nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Then, how can you say having a gay pastor is Biblical?
 

Sahara

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*tries to keep mouth shut*... *fails*

I mean, no offense, and I'm not trying to judge homosexuals... But, let's put it this way: A Christian church, or at least one that follows the Bible, teaches against homosexuality... Think about this for a while. I mean, having a gay pastor is like... well.... having a drunk driver running a MADD meeting. It just doesn't add up.


Oh I agree that it doesn't fit with the Church, it's modernism changing religion to suit a new morality, which is ace but if the bible is against homosexuality, and that's your preference, why then would you still want to be a Christian, and follow a god who doesn't want you?
 

Totenkindly

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Wow, 3 responses in 3 minutes!

Just to be perfectly clear: Ransomed, do not feel that you need to keep your mouth shut just because some of the people here will disagree with you, okay?

I think the discussion is a good thing.
 

Sahara

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Christian churches who prohibit gay pastors are not trying to be bigots; they're just following their own Bibles. I mean, okay, if a Christian doesn't live up to the Bible, he's often considered a hypocrite, and yet when he does, he's a bigot? That's rough...

Not really, I would rather the hypocrite than the bigot.:)
 

lastrailway

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Just a question: does Bible mentions anything against gays?
Oh, ok, these are two questions actually: are Christian priests allowed to get married, anyway? I think at least orthodoxes and copts are not
 
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Oh, ok, these are two questions actually: are Christian priests allowed to get married, anyway? I think at least orthodoxes and copts are not


Protestant pastors definitely are, and Greek Orthodox priests do. I'm not sure about the other churches with priests. I know Catholics don't.
 

Sahara

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Just a question: does Bible mentions anything against gays?Oh, ok, these are two questions actually: are Christian priests allowed to get married, anyway? I think at least orthodoxes and copts are not


In the tale of Sodom and Gommorah I believe.
 
O

Oberon

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81% bigots.

No.

The answer with the 81% response rate is "No; such relationships are unbiblical." In other words, same-sex relationships are incompatible with the foundational text of the faith.

That's different from saying that such relationships are inherently wrong, bad, immoral, sinful, or what have you. The case that such relationships violate a literal application of the biblical text is pretty clear, cut and dried; the question is, however, whether the Christian chooses to apply the text that way.

If one does, it's not a matter of hating gays and lesbians, or loving gays and lesbians; the bible says what it says. If your opinion is correct, then, it's not so much the Christians that are bigoted, but the bible itself.

One can do what many in the modern church do, and find other ways of applying scripture that make same-sex relationships valid.
 

Sahara

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No.

The answer with the 81% response rate is "No; such relationships are unbiblical." In other words, same-sex relationships are incompatible with the foundational text of the faith.

That's different from saying that such relationships are inherently wrong, bad, immoral, sinful, or what have you. The case that such relationships violate a literal application of the biblical text is pretty clear, cut and dried; the question is, however, whether the Christian chooses to apply the text that way.

If one does, it's not a matter of hating gays and lesbians, or loving gays and lesbians; the bible says what it says. If your opinion is correct, then, it's not so much the Christians that are bigoted, but the bible itself.

One can do what many in the modern church do, and find other ways of applying scripture that make same-sex relationships valid.

I am humbled. I went guns 'a' blazing (no Ti see).:rolleyes:
 

Totenkindly

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Then, how can you say it's Biblical?

Well, if I were to argue....

You can count the number of verses dealing with homosexuality on one hand.

Then you get into what "homosexuality" meant at that time, which dealt more with prostitution and pederasty and religious paganism (when you look at the OT, for the latter) -- those were the images conjured by that word. I think in the text you mention, it specifically referred to the "top" and the "bottom" in religious prostitution, as the connotation went.

The Sodom and Gamorah incident was about inhospitality and gang-rape of innocent strangers, not homosexuals, as per a reference to inhospitality in the NT as well. (Similar to how homosexuality in prison is more about violence and control.)

And you could look at the OT law as developed by Israel to be a contrast to the pagan nations and as part of sexual indulgence and also joining two things that are not alike. Note that lesbianism is not addressed in the myriad of examples. And many other things that are "unlike" are now indulged in by Christians and others without regard to the text.

Paul makes an argument based on what is "natural" but assumes homosexuality in nature as to be what is unnatural. He appeals to the "common sense" of what people might see as natural, when talking to the Romans.

I don't know, but those are the sort of arguments I've seen.

So, along with somewhat of what Oberon is saying, I suppose the final arbitrator here to be how exactly one views the Bible.
Is it God writing supernaturally through people?
Is it a book compiling people's experiences with God?
Is it a book that details one nation's view of what it meant to follow God, in their time and place?

Many of the debates seem to occur because the two sides arguing have a different view of the origin and evolution of the Bible as a document.

Note that this makes things even more heated, because both sides are claiming the Bible as "their own" and saying other interpretations are invalid. The sides are wrestling over ownership of the text and disenfranchising people who disagree. No wonder it gets so heated.
 
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