Young, Gay Christians, On a Bumpy Bus Ride

The Washington Post ^ | 4/13/07 | Hanna Rosin

[4BoysMom]

Even on American highways crowded with giant family cars, buses are still big enough to make a point. ...

The one driving down Route 7 in Virginia yesterday was purplish on one side and orange sunset on the other. In huge letters it said "Social Justice for Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People." On the highway, fellow drivers either honked and waved or threw Coke cans. In Sioux City, Iowa, someone spray-painted the bus with "Fag, God doesn't love you."

The 25 "equality riders" from a group called Soulforce have roughly followed certain routes of the Freedom Riders who battled Southern segregation in the 1960s.

Instead of bus stations and restaurants, they stop at conservative evangelical colleges they say discriminate against homosexuals. Last week it was Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C. Yesterday it was Patrick Henry College, a seven-year-old evangelical institution in Purcellville, Va., with grand political ambitions. It was founded by Michael Farris, a leader in the home-schooling movement.

A Patrick Henry press release announcing the visit called them a "traveling group of homosexual activists" and "false teachers." Many of the riders come from evangelical families and attended colleges like the ones they visit. At some point they decided that, despite what their church told them, they could be Christian and gay.

At the colleges they try to get this message across to the students. Sometimes they are allowed on campus and sometimes not. When they do meet up with students the conversations proceed awkwardly. One question: Were you abused as a child? Another: How exactly does gay attraction work? Angel answers a lot of questions about which bathroom he uses and what physical "parts" he has.

[Always Right]

People who accurately convey the content of scripture are not trying "to speak for God", though. They are simply following his word - and his law.

True, but be careful not to be citing one verse and ignoring others. For instance, John 3:15-18 says:

“The Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.”

Which would indicate 'once saved, always saved' and the only way to lose salvation is to willfully renounce God. Reconciling all the verses of the Bible takes serious study and thought, and people who throw out one verse often don't get the entire message.

[AmericaUnited]

Young, Gay Christians

They can spawn a whole host of "affiliate" groups:

Young Hooker Christians

Young Porn Star Christians

Young Murderer Christians

Young Rapist Christians

...

[missnry]

Good point. There is a huge problem with people out there that believe that sin should not be addressed by "church people".
"Judge not, lest ye be judged" is the verse that is usually quoted.
This position was confronted by the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth:
"I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. In no way did I mean the immoral people of this world, or the greedy and swindlers and idolaters, since you would then have to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside? But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you. 1 Cor 5:9-13

Those instructions are pretty clear as to how to treat "Christian Lesbians" and "Christian Homosexuals".

[jude24]

The kids in PHC need to be able to interact with people with whom they disagree. It'll be good for them to dialogue with homosexual activists.

I've often thought it would be fun to be a professor at a Christian college like PHC or Liberty's law school. I'd probably never get tenure, because I'd tell the kids, "Alright. You disagree with Roe v. Wade. Your assignment is to give me the best defense of Roe you can."

One cannot say "I disagree" until he can say "I understand."

[zerosix]

"Many of the riders come from evangelical families and attended colleges like the ones they visit. At some point 'they decided' that, despite what 'their church' told them, they could be Christian and gay."

Either this is the view of the "reporter" or the very misguided "homosexual activists" maintained that it was "their" choice to ignore God's rules.

Yes, there are people who are "gay" yet claim to be Christians. One cannot defy God, then claim that they prayed to be "washed clean" by the "blood of Christ," while defiantly maintaining that their lifestyle is not sin. They claim the name of Christ, while refusing His redemption from sin.

There are lots of those kinds of "Christians" in and out of churches. They are deluding themselves, to their own peril.

One has either prayed for forgiveness of sins or one has not. We will all continue to sin but we are now supposed to continue ask, with a contrite heart, to be "forgiven of our sins," not insisting that what we are doing is NOT sin.

[BelegStrongbow]

Also referred to, historically, as ‘heretics’.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

At some point they decided that, despite what their church told them, they could be Christian and gay.

???

[Neoliberalnot]

Another attempt to market deviant sexual behavior on a par with race and gender. Imagine, those that have had their genitals voluntarily mutilated claiming they suffer the same consequences as those once held in slavery. Some people will believe anything the slick marketers promote.

[Graybeard58]

The 25 "equality riders" from a group called Soulforce have roughly followed certain routes of the Freedom Riders who battled Southern segregation in the 1960s.

Equating their chosen life style with the struggles of the civil rights movement.

The glaring difference being that one doesn't choose one's skin color but the homos do choose their immoral ways.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Exactly. “Judge not, lest ye be judged...” is one of the most quoted and least understood verses in the Bible. I wonder if the same people who quote it to say that we can’t condemn sin ever bother to consider that just a couple of verses later, Jesus explicitly told His disciples to take the beam out of their eye, and THEN they could deal with another’s sin, and a couple of verses after that, to not give what is holy to dogs nor to cast their pearls before swine (which obviously entails a moral and rational judgment).

“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” (John 7:24)

[outofstyle]

Why don’t they just go and make their own denomination?

[MuttTheHoople]

I think the best response to the Homosexual group was exhibited by a Christian college in Missouri (can’t find the name of it). They invited the Homosexual activists onto the campus, fed them, and spoke with them. They told them they didn’t condone them being homosexuals, nor did they agree with it, but they showed true Christian love. The homosexuals came away impressed.

Here in Mississippi, the Homosexuals tried to get onto the Mississippi College campus, and were arrested. I for one believed that theys should’ve used the same method that Missouri college used. Enough churches and Christian colleges do that, and Soulforce will pretty much wither away.

Then again, I would like to see this group barge their way into a mosque.

[4BoysMom]

There are gay friendly denominations, but their goal is much bigger. They want to tear down others who believe differently...which is really exactly what they are doing in their ‘equality ride’.

[4BoysMom]

Patrick Henry did offer to have students meet with them off campus and have a debate, and they refused the offer. This seemed to indicate that they were more interested in making a political statement rather than a true dialog.

[Jalapeno]

"Listen up, folks, ... All Patrick Henry faculty and students must adhere to a worldview that says the Earth was created in six days," Reynolds began. "The Bush administration loves them so much. As a tiny school they've had as many White House interns as Georgetown. Janet Ashcroft [wife of former Attorney General John Ashcroft] is on the board. That tells you so much right there."

Thought they wanted to pretend this was about sexuality and faith, not politics.

[YoungSoutherner]

That is what is bothering me about the whole thing. I am sick of gays trying to compare their situation to the civil rights movement or interracial marriage.

[jagusafr]

Everybody wants to go to heaven on the cafeteria plan
We window-shop the dieties
devise our custom destinies
We pick and choose what we’ll believe

“The Truth”, by Dana Jacobson

www.danajacobson.com

[4BoysMom]

I am reminded of Jesus meeting the woman caught in adultery. He told them those without sin should cast the first stone and then stooped and began writing in the dirt. One by one her accusers put down their stones and walked away. He asked her, “Where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?” “No, Lord.” And Jesus said to her,”Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”

Jesus did not come into the world to condemn us, but that through Him the world should be saved. But He also expects that His followers will hate their sin and turn away from it. In this case, they are proud of it.

[4BoysMom]

Great point!

[PeterPrinciple]

At some point they decided that, despite what their church told them, they could be Christian and gay.

Reminds one of Genesis. They want to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil where they get to decide, vs the tree of life.