News-Record.com

but you kick the churches out who let gays in. I guess you can look at that as not excluding anyone.

"The news media have not reported the whole truth but slanted the press release"...

Imagine that...

"but you kick churches out who let gays in"

No, they don't. If you mean letting gays be members, then you are correct in your statement.

"The Bible is specific, Old and New Testaments, concerning church membership, and that's what the convention decreed."

Really? I don't remember the bible being all that specific about drinking alcohol or dancing. I don't even remember the bible specifically saying that gay people couldn't be members of a church.

It's just a shame that a bunch of bigoted old white people, once again, put folks with open minds and hearts out there having to defend their decisions.
Mr. O'Brien, while you may have felt otherwise, your leaders have put you in the position of apologizing for their narrow interpretation of Jesus's message for all people. After all, this is the same group that was 100 years late in apologizing for their stance on slavery. Go figure.

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2006/11/columbia.php

neocon and others:
I guess this sums you gays, I mean guys, up.

http://www.ipce.info/library_3/files/homophobes.htm

Here's a little humor for all the homophobic Baptists out there!

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/2006/02/hotdogshomophobes.html

Gotta wonder who the control group was for the study.

Nit,
I imagine some who post here fit right in the 80%.

Mr. Obrien, To cut to the chase, if I were gay, I would not go to a church where I was not wanted. What would a gay person do when the pastor starts to derail a gay life style and send them on the road to perdition?? What do you think the gay person's reaction would be: "I'm sure glad I attended worship today so that I know why I'm going to Hell?" And Yes !!Praise the All Loving God who blessed me with this genetic make up!!

Joejoe,

You are correct. I think in some ways it is a positive thing when a group lets you know where they stand and puts it in writing. It puts a certainty on it and gives people a choice of whether or not they accept that belief or not.

I've never put much importance on church membership. I've declined them all my life because there has always been one thing or another I just flat out didn't agree with or believe. On my obit, they can easily replace the words "was a member of" to "attended".

The only church I want to be a member of is the spiritual church of Christ.

BTW, once you become a member you can't park in any of the good "Guest" parking places! ;)

This LTTE takes the cake with me!

As for "church membership," I am reminded of words attributed to Jesus the Christ; "come unto me all who are heavy laiden and I will give you rest." That sounds like an exclusive club to me!

Shalom

(I think the SBC is mad because they didn't get into the BCS.)

I think the Baptists should do the same thing to the Consitution that they're doing to the Bible: cut out the stuff that doesn't matter and focus on what does.

Start with the Preamble. Original form:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

New form: "We People form a perfect Union."

Isn't that really what they're trying to say?

Pragmatist! You are hilarious...and correct.

Satchel Paige once said, "I don't eat where they don't want to feed me". The same holds true for the Baptists. Who could possibly be fed by a church that is more concerned about who it excludes than the love of Jesus???