Posted on 02/24/2014 5:51:18 AM PST by xzins
Jesus Christ would absolutely bake a cake for a gay person. He’d bake a cake for a straight person. He’d bake a cake for a girl, a boy, a person who isn’t sure what they are, a black person, a white person — Jesus would bake that cake if it, in some way large or small, drew that person closer to Him.
And Christians should too.
Christians should show love and compassion to gays, straights, and everyone else. Christians should show God’s love in hopes of drawing people to a relationship with Christ. 95% of that may just be relationship building, but it should still be done.
If a Christian owns a bakery or a florist shop or a photography shop or a diner, a Christian should no more be allowed to deny service to a gay person than to a black person. It is against the tenets of 2000 years of orthodox Christian faith, no matter how poorly some Christians have practiced their faith over two millennia.
And honestly, I don’t know that I know anyone who disagrees with any of this.
The disagreement comes on one issue only — should a Christian provide goods and services to a gay wedding. That’s it. We’re not talking about serving a meal at a restaurant. We’re not talking about baking a cake for a birthday party. We’re talking about a wedding, which millions of Christians view as a sacrament of the faith and other, mostly Protestant Christians, view as a relationship ordained by God to reflect a holy relationship.
This slope is only slippery if you grease it with hypotheticals not in play.
There are Christians who have no problem providing goods and services for a gay marriage. Some of them are fine with gay marriage. Some of them think gay marriage is wrong, but they still have no problem providing goods and services.
Other Christians, including a significant number of Catholic and Protestant preachers, believe that a gay marriage is a sinful corruption of a relationship God himself ordained. Because they try to glorify God through their work, they believe they cannot participate in a wedding service. Yes, because they believe they are glorifying God in their work and view it as a ministry, they view providing goods and services as a way to advance, even in a small way, God’s kingdom.
Herein lies the dispute of the day. The latter group does not stand in the way of the former group providing cakes, flowers, and pictures for a gay wedding. Some of the former, however, believe the government should compel the latter group to violate their conscience. They only see the transaction through the customer’s eyes as if the vendors are passive participants.
That’s the problem.
We are not talking about race. We are not talking about restaurants. We are talking about a specific ceremony people of faith believe God himself created and ordained. Should the state force people to violate their conscience in that regard?
It is not staggering that there are aggrieved gay rights activists who think the state should be able to force people to recognize as normal that which most Christians view as sinful. What is staggering is the number of Christians who apparently think the State has the right to decide and enforce this issue.
You might think Jesus would bake a cake for a gay wedding. I think you are wrong. I do not think Jesus Christ would participate in the ratification of a sin — and a marriage between two people of the same sex is a sin. Are you really going to tell the millions of Christians in the United States who think otherwise that not only are they wrong, but the state should be able to force your opinion of what Jesus would do on them? In your pride, you might think 2000 years of Christian orthodoxy and the majority of practicing Christians in the world today are wrong — but don’t think among people of practicing Christian faith you are in the majority.
I understand if you are not a believer and define yourself based on your sexual preference that you think the government should legitimize you by forcing others to treat you in a particular way. But it boggles my mind to think any Christian should want the government to force their view of Christianity on another believer.
If you think the government should be able to force Christians to provide goods and services to a gay wedding or risk losing their business, why not command a preacher’s service? If a Christian baker cannot opt out, why should a preacher be able to opt out? And why not take from churches their tax exempt status if they fail to participate?
Christians should serve. But the government should not force them to.
Christ would not bake a cake because a person is a pervert. There is no such thing as a 'gay wedding'. Wedding explicitly means male and female. Christ is the Bridegroom and Christians are the 'bride', spiritually speaking of course.
The saying 'love the sinner, but hate the sin' is not applicable, because these perverts are the sin, just listen to them. They have no shame.
I wonder if Jesus would clean my house? Maybe loan me some money?
1 Co 6: 9-11
Beyond that, churches do NOT have tax exemptions
Jesus was a jew and I don’t think he would be baking any cake
What about real estate taxes? I was under the impression those are reduced or absent for churches, but I may have misheard.
Actually, Jesus was/is God with us. His flesh linage was from the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Levi. I do agree that He would not bake cakes.
Why would Jesus take the cake from the children and give it to dogs? Unless the “dog” shows greater faith than the children!
I did. Please enlighten me on the apparent salient point that I missed.
Yes, you are correct. I assumed we were talking about the IRS. The principle is the same, though, with real estate taxes and the county tax office.
The first amendment. Authorities can’t make a law that curtails free exercise.
I don’t call freedom of religion an “exemption” any more than I call freedom of speech an exemption.
Why would his flesh, which we all must eat, be the bread that gives life to the world?
What happened to you? You used to uphold Christian/Conservative values. Now every time I see your posts, they’re mocking Christians and Conservatives. Whatever happened, I hope you learn to cope with it, and get back on track.
Yes, Jesus would, but it would be served with a message as well.
Yes. I agree with that. The author would agree with that.
Stop stalking me.
Get over yourself. I’m a FReeper. I read threads here. If you don’t want me to read your posts, don’t post them.
Leave me alone, or I will contact the Admin Mod.
Why would Jesus bake anyone a cake? He gave his life! That should be enough.
>> “ Jesus would bake that cake if it, in some way large or small, drew that person closer to Him.” <<
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Hogwash!
Yeshua never once attempted to draw anyone to himself; he often seemed to be attempting to aggravate people deliberately, to challenge them at their foundation.
A quick read through Matthew 10 is in order for those that saw him as a pussy!
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