Some Methodist clergy defy gay marriage ban

AP via SFGate ^ | 6/19/11 | DINESH RAMDE, Associated Press

[Cronos]

Bryanw92; My pastor tells me that I’m 80% Baptist and I only stay a Methodist because I like to argue theology

I don't understand this -- Baptists do argue too..

[paladin1_dcs]

Agreed — even the JD bit :) — the media uses that to portray all Christians in that manner. Well, stereotypes work very easily — for example, the image of America in most of the world, thanks to American serials is a place where everyone sleeps with everyone and parties all night and day and works in a hospital or lawyers office after that.

The problem is that stereotypes all have a kernel of truth to them, otherwise they wouldn't work. The example you gave, while obviously overblown and stereotypical, has a large portion of truth in it due to the fact that we, as a people, have idolized profit and pleasure over everything else. While there are a few who don't sleep around now, the numbers of those who do are much, much higher than in the past. The same can be said for the bit about the all-night parties and no one here can deny the fact that Americans have become obsessed with amassing wealth and advancing their careers, often at the expense of others, so while the stereotype may be laughable in one respect, it's a nervous laugh because it's striking a little too close to home.

The same can be said for how the media portrays Christians. We're portrayed as either money-hungry con men, out to pillage the earnings of retired grandmothers or we're portrayed as hypocritical, bigoted sheep who believe anything that the child molesting priest tells us to believe. While I don't ever expect the media to give us a fair shake in their coverage, the sad part is that there are problems in our Churches which give them ammunition for these stories. No one here needs to be reminded about the televangelist scandals of the 80's and 90's or the priest abuse scandals now, but the real problem is that these scandals are just the groundwork for the next big "scandal" which will be the split over the acceptance of sodomites within the Church. Those of us who hold to Scripture as being authoritative on the matter will be held up as akin to those who resisted equality for blacks in America. It doesn't matter that Scripture is on our side, the groundwork has already been laid to ignore it because of the earlier scandals which came about due to false teachings and sin in the Body.

I'll admit that I've painted a bleak picture and some might accuse me of being defeatist, but that's not what I believe either. Yes, we're in for some hard times, possibly as hard as the early Church had to go through, but God said that tribulation builds patience and that the Gates of Hell itself could not prevail against Christ and His Church, so my answer is to encourage those going through the fire to remember what Isaiah the Prophet said about God's faithfulness to those who believe and trust in Him.

[29] He giveth power to the faint; and to [them that have] no might he increaseth strength. [30] Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: [31] But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint. - Isa 40:29-31 KJV