Phil Robertson "Fired"

[jvcarroll]

Good points!
Let me say this:
There are only two types of people that God sees when he looks down on earth. They are those that are saved, and those that are lost. God did not send his son Jesus to this earth for only straight people, or only gay people, or only black, or white people, he sent his son for ALL. "For God so loved the WORLD, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) It's all a matter of the heart.

Now for my previous comment that you quoted. I know what your saying, and your right Christians are not getting bashed by this issue. I honestly think that Christians are doing all the bashing of themselves and of the gay community. Christians are being taught all the things to hate, and I am not going to list them all, because there are quite a few. What they are not being taught is the message of the gospel, and with that they are giving themselves and the people they are "bashing" a bad name.

I'm glad you took my message as intended. I have so many friends, from Buddhists and Muslims to Baptists and Jews, that believe so many things just as strongly as the other. I spend my time respecting them and learning from them. It won't likely change my agnosticism, but it does make me a richer person to have such wonderfully different people in my life.

On another note (not in reply to this post), I also think many people misunderstand what being gay actually means. It is not a lifestyle, action or a behavior. It is simply a state of being. Everything else depends on the decisions each individual makes. LGBT's should be treated like individuals like any other group of people.

 

[CensoredAlso]

there were certain "rules" back in the days of the Old Testament as part of the Old Covenent with God, before the New Covenent with Jesus basically overwrote it

Yes, this is very important to keep in mind.

 

[dwayne1115]

I don't know about anyone else, but this whole conversation has gotten me to read my Bible and study more. So some good has come out of it!

 

[CensoredAlso]

I don't know about anyone else, but this whole conversation has gotten me to read my Bible and study more. So some good has come out of it!

Studying is a very good word for the Bible. Not just reading it but understanding it.

And you're right, good things come out of discussion. Censorship, not so much, lol.

 

[jvcarroll]

You're right. I have google as well. I googled the Bible allowing or endorsing rape, incest, slavery, etc. and for every Bible verse that is trotted out there as showing endorsement I can find a Bible verse or interpretation that refutes that. I guess it depends on your particular bias as to whether you support and believe or not.

But if someone asks you to slap them, do it quick or a lion will eat you! That is truly frightening!

But in all seriousness, you've hit the nail on the head. The Bible is filled with so many strange passages and contradictions that many scholars spend their lives trying to make sense out of it. Christians should be able to understand how such a mess would frustrate some people in such a way that they disregard the whole thing. As for me, a non-Christian agnostic, I take the gentle message of how Jesus treated others and try to live by that. That is simple. Well, it's easier said than done, but the idea is simple.

 

[dwayne1115]

Studying is a very good word for the Bible. Not just reading it but understanding it.

And you're right, good things come out of discussion. Censorship, not so much, lol.

Your right a lot of times people will take a verse, just one verse and run with it. They don't look into the deeper meanings of what the one verses are trying to say.

 

[dwayne1115]

I'm glad you took my message as intended. I have so many friends, from Buddhists and Muslims to Baptists and Jews, that believe so many things just as strongly as the other. I spend my time respecting them and learning from them. It won't likely change my agnosticism, but it does make me a richer person to have such wonderfully different people in my life.

On another note (not in reply to this post), I also think many people misunderstand what being gay actually means. It is not a lifestyle, action or a behavior. It is simply a state of being. Everything else depends on the decisions each individual makes. LGBT's should be treated like individuals like any other group of people.

Oh man, believe me when I say that it has taken me years to get where I am in my beliefs today. As a Teen I was called to preach, and was in a very strict independent Baptist church. They believed and taught me that almost anyone that did not go to that church was lost and on there way below. Even if they had made a profession of faith they where still not in that church and therefor out of God's will. In that church I was taught how to use the Bible, to go against homosexuality, abortion, atheist, and so on. I was also taught to be so hatful, and bold about pointing out peoples sins when trying to lead them to Christ.
Thank God I finally was able to get out of that church, and basically had to start over in what my beliefs where. It has been a long and winding road, but I am finally getting to a good place with what I believe and with my relationship with God as well.

 

[jvcarroll]

Oh man, believe me when I say that it has taken me years to get where I am in my beliefs today. As a Teen I was called to preach, and was in a very strict independent Baptist church. They believed and taught me that almost anyone that did not go to that church was lost and on there way below. Even if they had made a profession of faith they where still not in that church and therefor out of God's will. In that church I was taught how to use the Bible, to go against homosexuality, abortion, atheist, and so on. I was also taught to be so hatful, and bold about pointing out peoples sins when trying to lead them to Christ.
Thank God I finally was able to get out of that church, and basically had to start over in what my beliefs where. It has been a long and winding road, but I am finally getting to a good place with what I believe and with my relationship with God as well.

That's wonderful!

Incidentally, The Advocate (one of the longest-running LGBT publications) followed Time Magazine's lead in naming Pope Francis their person of the year too. If that can happen, anything is possible! A lot of people were upset about it on all sides of the issue, but I'm happy to live in a world like that.

 

[jvcarroll]

Well, now I feel stupid. The Duck Dynasty cast have been uncovered to be largely fake. I mean, they exist as people and I'm sure they believe what they profess, but their trademarked persona was entirely invented for television. Here are some cast member pictures taken prior to the series...frosted tips and all. They're basically just rich yuppies. I'm not a fan of the tone of the article these came from (there's no cause to be that mean), so here are the pictures without the snark.

 

[dwayne1115]

Humm, I really don't know what to think of that. I think I would be more upset if they faked there beliefs then if they spoke true from the heart. I mean actor's believe that they are Christians/religious all the time, but this would almost be a lie.