RBachman
Puritan Board Freshman
My denomination (PCA) has a ministry that posted a subpage describing the LGBT as a Community. On said site I could not find the word 'sin' anywhere, nor any language to that effect. Rather it is viewed as a community, a people-group. And the links and nonsense on it go right along with what the LGBT want: validation for their sin.
I am concerned that this is wrong, possibly heretical, and possibly deserving God's judgment (brimstone and lighting kind). But I am equally concerned that my understanding of Reformed Evangelism may be defective. I have recast this into other categories such as witches, adulterers, drunkards, gossips, pedophiles, murderers, etc. A colorable argument could be made in most of these cases that there is some kind of community or gathering specific to them and their behaviors. But it seems to me that all of these categories of sinful behavior are condemned in Scripture, and are not to be tolerated in the church (both in the OT and the NT). But what about in society at large?
But it gets harder to parse this out in the NT since we are to go into the world and preach the gospel. And Jesus did engage with some of the sinful folk (adulterers, prostitutes, etc.). So do we treat LGBT like the Mbuti Pygmies, just another people group to reached, or do we treat them like a false collective of sinners trying to foist their idols on the public?
Did the Puritans ever address this? I have tried to make the LGBT be another RC Church, but it just doesn't fit (not evil enough perhaps). Would the Church rightly have an outreach to the Wiccans that validated their standing as a legitimate belief system and community worthy of engaging for Christ?
To see what I am referring to go to this link on the PCA website: http://www.ministrytostate.org/lgbt/
I recognize that there are other members of the PCA on this forum. Know that I have asked my Session to look into the matter, and I have sent notes (so far unacknowledged) to the comment link with the ministry.
My main interest is in my own understanding of true evangelism and true outreach, versus faux outreach to faux folk.
NB: Editors, If this is too controversial, feel free to delete it without explanation.
I am concerned that this is wrong, possibly heretical, and possibly deserving God's judgment (brimstone and lighting kind). But I am equally concerned that my understanding of Reformed Evangelism may be defective. I have recast this into other categories such as witches, adulterers, drunkards, gossips, pedophiles, murderers, etc. A colorable argument could be made in most of these cases that there is some kind of community or gathering specific to them and their behaviors. But it seems to me that all of these categories of sinful behavior are condemned in Scripture, and are not to be tolerated in the church (both in the OT and the NT). But what about in society at large?
But it gets harder to parse this out in the NT since we are to go into the world and preach the gospel. And Jesus did engage with some of the sinful folk (adulterers, prostitutes, etc.). So do we treat LGBT like the Mbuti Pygmies, just another people group to reached, or do we treat them like a false collective of sinners trying to foist their idols on the public?
Did the Puritans ever address this? I have tried to make the LGBT be another RC Church, but it just doesn't fit (not evil enough perhaps). Would the Church rightly have an outreach to the Wiccans that validated their standing as a legitimate belief system and community worthy of engaging for Christ?
To see what I am referring to go to this link on the PCA website: http://www.ministrytostate.org/lgbt/
I recognize that there are other members of the PCA on this forum. Know that I have asked my Session to look into the matter, and I have sent notes (so far unacknowledged) to the comment link with the ministry.
My main interest is in my own understanding of true evangelism and true outreach, versus faux outreach to faux folk.
NB: Editors, If this is too controversial, feel free to delete it without explanation.