BRENHAM LAUNCHES LOCAL PFLAG CHAPTER
The efforts of a group of families and friends of LGBTQ youth in Brenham have led to the launch of a local chapter of PFLAG.
Meetings will begin being held the second Sunday evening each month at 5:30pm in the fellowship hall of Brenham Presbyterian Church with June 12th as the first official local meeting. All are welcome, and there is no cost to attend.
For more info about PFLAG Brenham, send an email to PFLAGbrenham@juno.com or visit online www.facebook.com/PFLAGbrenham.
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None of you have addressed how you would handle things if your son or daughter were a gay or lesbian! What would you do and what would Jesus do? Would you disown them? Would you not allow them to attend church with you as a family. Would you not give them unconditional love? Would you not allow your church or your pastor to give them unconditional love. Please dig deep in your heart and tell me what you would do! It’s always easy to judge rather than to be judged. I’m so glad I have a pastor and a church who also loves my child unconditionally and makes them feel welcome and loved!!
Those of you who commented here with anything other than loving supportive comments are going against God’s word.
If you believe that being gay is a sin that is your opinion, your interpretation of the Bible. But please realize that there are hundreds of thousands of well-educated Christians in close relationship with the Lord who do not believe that or interpret that. And we are among your neighbors, coworkers and friends. We respect your opinion/interpretation and know there are many in this community who share it. We do not ask you to change it. You may believe everyone else is wrong, but it’s not your place to debate it. Live in peace. Remember daily that God said in the Bible 100 times NOT to JUDGE and 95 times to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. If you study the Bible, you know that when a certain message is repeated, God really means it! Take this to heart. Make those the commands you follow as you seek to be Christ-like.
If you think that by stating your opinion here unsolicited, you are somehow “discipling” others, which Christians are called to do, you are not. The purpose of discipleship is to help lead others to Christ. You are only pushing people away. It is not your place to judge. Read the Bible! Love others and be a light in the world. Keep your opinions to yourself. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. That is all.
If anyone else feel s the need to write something further here that is opinionated or hurtful…please take a minute, think it over, and do the right thing. “Do not judge.” (Matthew 7) “He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles.”(Proverbs 21:23)
This is an interesting take on the issue, but one that I believe to be wrong. God does not have to emphasize something multiple times to make it important, God saying it once is all it takes. He spoke the world into existence by saying it only once.
The belief that the bible speaks clearly that the homosexual lifestyle is a sin is not an interpretation, it is clearly stated. Judgment it is an individual issue, in this case we are talking about sin in a broad terms by saying that the homosexual lifestyle is a sin. No one is calling out a specific individual or a person by name, we are simply referring to this practice as sinful which the Bible is very clear about. Those who practice this sin are still to be loved and respected, but we should also pray for their freedom from sin. I argue with great sincerity that by pointing out sin and encouraging freedom from that sin we are practicing actually love at it’s finest.
It is very much the place of Christians to debate moral issues of sin and this a as good a place as any. Further, the opinions are solicited by inviting comments after each article for people to share their thoughts. To many times we are told to love everything and everybody while ignoring the sin that is in among us. Christ did not practice this nor should we.
United Methodist Bishop Carceno, who is with the churches and people of Orlando, offered this message.
“As I have prayed for the victims of this latest shooting, for the shooter and his family, for the people of Orlando, and for us, I have been struck by a concern that has penetrated my heart. Is it possible that we … with such a negative attitude and position against LGBTQI persons contribute to such a crime? When we say that those who are of a homosexual gender identity are living lives that are incompatible with Christian teaching … and that they are not important enough for us to invest resources of the Church in advocating for their well-being, in essence when we say that our LGBTQI brothers and sisters are not worthy of the fullness of life that Christ offers us all, are we not contributing to the kind of thinking that promotes doing harm to these our brothers and sisters, our children, the sacred children of God?”
I am thankful that this group is in Brenham. And I pray that our community does not attempt to remove it, if they can’t find it in their hearts to embrace it.
This lifestyle does not belong in Brenham, or anywhere for that matter… Should not be supported or embraced.
Then take away all the adulterers, those who curse, those who have disrespected their parents in any way & those who are jealous of things others have-all sins. Let’s see how many folks are left in town!
Get over it! It’s here and has been for years. They are just braver and not living in the closet any longer or living a lie and married to someone that they don’t really love! Love, love, love instead of hate, hate, hate. Come on people don’t call yourself a Christian if you can’t accept all people.
After reading this, a reply is something I must offer:
For a anyone to feel that we are somehow worthy of the life Christ offers us is arrogance beyond belief, the Bible makes it clear that even our most noble deeds “are like filthy rags”. None of us are worthy of the grace given love that Christ offers, it is freely given without condition because we will never be worthy. Let us also realize that all of us are living lives incompatible with Christ’s teaching because we are all sinners. With those things being said, let us also realize the homosexual lifestyle is not compatible with Christ’s teaching and the Bible calls it out as a sin just as it does any other sin. The fact is that it is no more wrong or right than any other sin, it is simply sin. The members of the LGBTQ community can be brothers and sisters in Christ, but if they are honest, they are not living according to God’s word or according to his design. God did not make people to be gay any more than he made them to be a thief, a child molester, a liar, a gossip, or a religious zealot who harms people. There are lots of reasons someone may believe they are gay or transgendered, but people who are entirely honest and consistent with God’s teaching cannot help but know that God did not make them this way. We should not condemn these people any more than we condemn ourselves for our own sin, but we should not be delusional enough to believe that God designed someone this be this way. Sin is still sin.
With regard to this group, I believe it is wrong for the church to invite a group of people into it’s buildings whose goal it is to promote and normalize sin. The church is supposed to be a place where we begin to find freedom from our sin. I strongly believe what these people are doing is not Godly and it is not something that has no place in a church. That does not give anyone the right to be abusive, mean, or disrespectful, but it does require the church to be true to God’s word and to love the sinner and not the sin (in this case they are showing love for the sin). When we pick and choose what we believe and don’t believe about the bible, we are essentially choosing to not believe God as a whole. That is a lack of belief and a lack of faith.
I am saddened that a church would choose to be a part of something like this and I am further saddened that those who are a part of this group are not trying to find freedom from their sin instead of embracing it as a lifestyle.
Sad, so well put.
My children, like their parents, are sinners. We will talk about sin, and while they are under our roof, there will be consequences. When they leave our care, they will make their own choices, but they will at least know what is right and what is wrong. There will be no excuses and we will still love them when they mess up. You can rest assured that we will never celebrate their sins. Because we love them, we teach them right from wrong.
In my church, we are all sinners. Those who come to know Christ are saved by grace, and not our own good works. We don’t turn people away because they have sin in their life. The Bible is clear on sin and actively engaging in homosexuality is a sin. Pastors who engage in celebrating sin, against the Word of God, are not fit to be pastors. If your pastor is pushing to normalize sinful behavior, run, don’t walk to the nearest exit for the sake of your soul and your family’s.
Kevin,
No, it is not possible that we have contributed to the crime in Orlando. Christians believe that homosexuality is a sin, and we are all sinners in some way. Christians believe that sinners should repent but that is their own choice.
The act of terrorism in Orlando was committed by a Muslim. Sharia law mandates that homosexuals must be killed. The Bible says they should repent. See the difference?
Christians believe that same sex marriage violate God’s Word. In Muslim countries, they stone them or throw them from rooftops.
Please don’t try to mix Christian beliefs with the actions taken by Muslims. Those in this town who still believe in traditional marriage are not equivalent to those who would take others lives for their choices.
We are all God’s children and if a gay or lesbian can’t feel loved or welcomed in a church setting then we aren’t doing our job as Christians. Being gay is something I would never choose for my child and it is not something my child not choose. Do I understand how it happens — no but it’s not my job to figure out why or how God created people in different ways. Heaven only knows he or she would never CHOOSE to be ridiculed by hateful so called Christians. Has a gay or lesbian child ever done anything to hurt you? You will find that most of them are very kind and loving individuals! Put yourself in their place or in the place of a parent of one and then see how you feel and if you should really be blasting the church! As a parent it’s called unconditional love. Thank you Brenham Presbyterian Church and its members for welcoming everyone. We are all God’s children. Love one another!
Beautifully said!
It’s very easy to criticize when you don’t have someone in your family who has had to live in a society filled with judgmental people. Common Sense – if you had a child of your own that came up to you and said he/she was gay would you love them any less. Would you send them packing with nothing and tel them you never want to see them again. Is that the Christian thing to do.
Last time I checked it was God who served as the keeper of the gates not us. Maybe before we judge others for their sins we should all take a look in the mirror and leave that up to God.
I agree with common sense. That is why God created a man and created a woman.
So now some of our local churches are celebrating sin. I’m not saying we should treat people as outcasts for their choices, but a church should not be in the business of celebrating sinful behavior.
Yeah, you are saying we should treat people as outcasts for their behavior. Also, being gay isn’t a behavior. You are or you aren’t, it’s the way God made you and God doesn’t make mistakes. If the church you go to doesn’t have any sinners in it then you need a new church.
You seem to have misread what I said, but at least we both agree that it’s a sin. I’m also pretty sure I didn’t say my church has no sinners. However, I would take your statement one step further and say that if your church celebrates sin, you should look for a new church.
If we follow your line of thinking, we could also claim that God made people to be thiefs, rapists, murderers, and alcoholics…and we should just celebrate their behaviour as well.
Being a thief, rapist, Omer a murderer is a choice! Alcoholism is a disease! Being gay is neither! I hope that someone in your life will help educate you!
They are all choices.
Mr. Jones if you know any gay people ask them if it was a choice!
Really, I didn’t have to look far. I lived as a gay man for years before I came to my senses. It was and is a choice.