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Featured Pastor Unveils Gay Wedding Strategy

Discussion in 'News & Current Events' started by Revmitchell, Apr 2, 2015.

  1. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    As debate continues to rage over the viability of religious freedom laws, the Rev. C.J. Conner of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Dodge City, Kansas, has detailed a plan that he says would help both congregations and business owners be a “bit smarter” about protecting their right to refuse wedding-related services to same-sex couples.

    Conner, who recently published his thoughts on the matter, told TheBlaze that Christian business owners who wish to stay true to their values by not taking part in gay nuptials are currently “on the losing end” of the current social and political debate.

    “We can’t trust our government anymore to uphold the Constitution,” he said. “We can’t trust our government to protect the rights of Christians, or just the right of any individual not to be forced to violate their deeply held convictions, and so we have to be a little bit smarter.”

    Photo credit: Shutterstock
    Photo credit: Shutterstock
    The pastor, who said that he has been helping churches navigate these issues for decades, went on to recommend that Christians and houses of worship, alike, take ownership and get back to the “basic Christian understanding of marriage.”

    In doing so, he suggested that bakers, photographers and others who provide wedding-related services should engage in exclusive and direct contracts with Bible-believing churches.

    While these business owners could still serve the general public — gays and lesbians included — for other occasions related to their services, weddings would only be afforded to contracted houses of worship and their affiliated church members.

    “To have them engage in contractual obligations within their faith communities and not offer those services to the general public,” Conner said. “To kind of reclaim the sanctity of marriage, which the church has lost. We’ve done some things to lose some ground on some of these issues by not holding marriage in high enough value.”

    http://www.theblaze.com/stories/201...ess-owners-and-same-sex-nuptials-on-its-head/
     
  2. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    I like that idea!
     
  3. church mouse guy

    church mouse guy Well-Known Member
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    Hoosier attorney Eric Miller, a former candidate for Governor against Mitch Daniels, suggests that the sodomites want to use the government and the point of a gun to confiscate the church property also. Eric's website is Advance America.

    Here is page on what Indiana did before Pence backed down:

    http://www.advanceamerica.com/blog/?p=1854
     
  4. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

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    I just don't get the sanctioned discrimination coming out of the church. If you're gonna position yourself as a Christian business who only does business with other Christians, then so be it. But be consistent. Don't do business with other sinners for the same conviction.
     
  5. church mouse guy

    church mouse guy Well-Known Member
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    You mean like people who only troll on Christian boards?
     
  6. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    Been doing a bit of self-examination today?
     
  7. church mouse guy

    church mouse guy Well-Known Member
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    I think that gays and lesbians seek to confiscate at government gunpoint more than people's life savings and businesses but that they also intend to use government guns to confiscate churches.

    It seems sodomites are not just confined to the Metropolitan Community Church, the official sodomite denomination.
     
  8. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

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    You're paranoid. The majority of them are just like you and concerned about their own self-interest. You don't want anybody telling you what you can't do and they are the same.

    I not too long ago heard someone say something similar about the Baptist Church and racism.
     
  9. church mouse guy

    church mouse guy Well-Known Member
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    What no one wants the government to employ guns to force people to do is to cater some sort of event for the Clintons! Ugh! Talk about repulsive! Bill and his weirdo friends.
     
  10. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

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    Then use the same law the government already passed instead of going government bill PLUS.:thumbsup:
     
  11. church mouse guy

    church mouse guy Well-Known Member
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    Tell you what, Zaac, you probably agree that you are entitled to cater whatever you want from Islamic female mutilation ceremonies to Clinton events, but what God has not given you the power to do is to force others to do what violates their freedom of religion.

    And believe me it is against my religious convictions to cater a Clinton rally.
     
  12. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Apparently old Zaac condones their behavior. That is why he hates any threads discussing homosexuality being posted.
     
  13. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    I have always been an advocate of religious library, as well as upholding the right of business owners to select or reject those who want to contract with them, but I honestly don't understand how baking a cake, taking photos, or providing flower arrangements constitutes endorsement of persons, a wedding, a lifestyle, etc.

    Do these services providers do a criminal background check on all they serve? Do they engage in pre-marital counseling with male-female couples to determine if they are getting married for the right reasons? Do they provide services for those who do not share their faith and polity?

    I honestly don't get it.
     
  14. church mouse guy

    church mouse guy Well-Known Member
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    Supposing some guy wants to sue your church and confiscate it because you won't let him use the ladies' room?
     
  15. Jedi Knight

    Jedi Knight Well-Known Member
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    You knocked that one right outta the park Church mouse guy! :)
     
  16. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    You are providing a service and accepting payment which enables them to conduct their "business".

    At what point would you object?

    Supposing you are a printer and someone wants you to print posters for a KKK march in your town?

    Or you are an internet marketing consultant and someone wants to do an email advertising campaign to invite people to a Church of Satan seminar?

    Would you do it?
     
  17. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    I realize you are actually talking about church property and not the church.

    That aside, your scenario has nothing to do with my post. Moreover, religious institutions are protected under the First Amendment guarantees and the federal RFRA. I also support appropriate state RFRAs that are similar in content to the federal version.

    But my post had nothing to do with RFRA, legislation of any sort, or government protections.

    I was asking how someone thinks they are endorsing a same sex marriage by simply selling a cake, flowers or photography services? Does that mean they are endorsing every event/person/organization they serve?
     
  18. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    Weddings are not dependent upon baked goods, flowers, or photography. Their wedding is regulated by the government and the person officiating the ceremony.

    At the point where I was asked to perform the wedding or create pornographic art using baked goods, flowers, or photography.

    As I said in my original post, I support the rights of businesses to select the jobs they choose to perform. Printing posters - for payment - is not the same thing as endorsing the event. I would like try to use the opportunity to open a dialogue with the KKK organizer. Whether or not I performed the work, they would know that I did not approve, but that they - as an individual - are loved.

    As far as I know, the Church of Satan is a publicity whore, but it does not conduct e-mail campaigns. Most overtly occult groups do not. But if I pretend that your situation is real, I would probably use the opportunity to open a dialogue with the CoS representative. Whether or not I performed the work, they would know that I did not approve, but that they - as an individual - are loved.

    I know those are supposed to be "killer" questions, but unless the organization or activity is illegal, I would have to weigh whether or not I would be an effective witness to the person/group. Jesus is the example here. He did not keep the evil people from Himself, but often opened Himself up to engagement with Him - often bringing transformation to those who were doing evil. That's what loving one's enemies does.

    Let me throw one back at you: Should an attorney vigorously represent someone in court with whom he/she disagrees and whom he/she thinks is guilty? Can a Christian be an advocate for a dishonorable person? If so, then God can use Christians to work in the lives of Klan members and satanists too.
     
    #18 Baptist Believer, Apr 2, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2015
  19. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    The bride of most if not all weddings would beg to differ. However, that is irrelevant.
     
  20. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    :laugh:

    In my case, it was the mother of the bride. She obsessed for months over the flowers and cake.

    I was in charge of the photographer and I got that knocked out in a couple of days - months before the wedding - and didn't worry about it at all.
     
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