Fallen Angel [The Rise and Fall of GayChurch]

The Dallas Observer ^ | 4 December 2003 | J.D. Sparks

[B-Chan]

Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse;
for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.

Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct.

They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, they are gossips,
slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Though they know God's decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them but approve those who practice them. — Romans 1:20-32

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings…” — 2 St. Timothy 4:3 RSV

“Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.” - St. Luke 11:17 RSV

[mvpel]

A slightly comical mistake, but Piazza was apoplectic. He slammed his fist repeatedly on his desk and screamed that if one of the assistant ministers snickered, heads would roll. So help him, if just one of them deigned to clap after the recital, it would be the end of his or her career. The pastor's usual pallor had turned beet red.

I owe my life to a priest much like this one - he shattered my father's naive notions about the spirit and character of those in service of the Church in a tirade much like this one, and my father not long after decided to drop out of seminary and give up his decision to become a priest.

[GeronL]

What God are these people worshipping but themselves and their ungodly base desires?

[GeronL]

You... Your father... the Priest was....

Never mind!

I am So glad I'm a Baptist!

[WackyKat]

It's difficult to see your point in posting this, given that the same sordid tale could be told about a lot of ministers and teleevangelists-and all of them heterosexual

[xJones]

One associate pastor who stood onstage that day had an epiphany. The church, it seemed to her, was unraveling at the seams. The gap between what the congregation saw and what took place in boardroom meetings was widening. As church leadership dissolved into bitter squabbles, attendance declined, as did donations.

That's an epiphany? The dingbat didn't realize that a flaming faggot running a 'church' might be involved in a sacrilegious obscene joke untill the crowds & money fell off. She wouldn't know an epiphany if the late Mother Teresa fell on her.

The whole thing is obscenity looking for imagined holy approval.

[blackfarm]

Thats hardly the point its people in open rebellion against God leading a church.

[jocon307]

"She wouldn't know an epiphany if the late Mother Teresa fell on her."

Oh dear, that's quite an image in my mind now.

I'm glad this piece was excerpted, it's from The Onion, no?

[LiteKeeper]

This sham of a "church" is the antithesis of an orthodox, Christian church. There is stricter judgment for those who lead such an organization, and even more so for those who lead others astray. How sad that they can't see the value of accepting the True Gospel of Jesus Christ!

[Liberty Valance]

This aint a church....it's Trading Spaces for the queer eye crowd.

[xJones]

I'm glad this piece was excerpted, it's from The Onion, no?

No.

[MeekMom]

Debased minds indeed. Thanks for the thread B-Chan

[Salman]

bump

[CARepubGal]

Utter Depravity is really sad to see, especially when the name of God is invoked.

[phelanw]

I went to the Dallas paper' site and left an email letter, borrowing the quotation from Romans one of you kindly provided on this thread. If an overwhelmigly negative reader response was generated by every article such as this, we would eventually turn the tide in the culture war. We have to win in places like Dallas before we can begin winning in D.C.

[EagleMamaMT]

This story literally made my flesh crawl. Unbelievable!

[AD from SpringBay]

It's sad, these sodomites. Deluded. And...

"My reaction to the church was, 'Oh, my God!' It was such a beautiful building," recalls former member Terri Frey.

A church is not a building. Perhaps that is where they began their mistake?

[egarvue]

Timing is essential. One mistake--a missed beat, a flubbed line or a crying baby--could ruin the performance.

I agree with you - the above sentence is the first clue that this is a sham. A real worship service is NOT a "performance". Unfortunately, the "performance" mindset is all to prevalent in America's growing megachurches. True worship focuses on God, not ourselves.

[Cvengr]

"I was surprised, but I didn't hold a judgment about it," says the administrator, "Neil," who spoke on condition that he not be identified by his real name.

Neil might get judged for making the judgment not to hold a judgment on the pastor's behavior. (please pardon my use of the word pastor, as the person referenced failed to display qualifications for that title throughout his adult life from the report)

"Maybe it was because he [Piazza] was my friend and not my pastor--I didn't have him on a pedestal. "If he had preached monogamy, then he would've been a hypocrite," he says. "He always said he didn't care what the staff did. 'Just not in my back yard'--not in Dallas and not with the congregation. Power and sex go hand in hand, whether you're a politician or a preacher."

Power and sex go hand in hand????? This fellow obviously doesn't have a clue regarding the power of God. I witness no evidence here of his ever having any faith or salvation. Lust for the flesh and worldly temptations seems to be his only frame of reference.

[clee1]

Judge not, lest thou be judged in the same measure.