Does the Bible tell us to question or examine other self  proclaimed Christians? Of course it does.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 Jn 4:1 (my bold)

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. 1 Cor 5:12-13

The reason why so many self identified contemporary Christians believe we should accept Obama’s “I am a Christian” declaration without due examination is because they have been infected with tolerance teaching.  Tolerance effectively renders biblical truth subjective, thus erasing  absolute truth. They interpret this to mean that no one has to right to tell another self declared Christian they are wrong, because one person’s opinion is just as good as someone else’s.

But that’s not what the bible tells us. Its not subjective opinions, but God’s absolute truth that matters. Satan has the ability to transform himself into an angel of light and his servants into ministers of righteousness (2 Cor 11:13-15). Knowing this, why would we want to accept face value what any Christian says —especially when their behavior is conflicting—without testing it against God’s word? Its a foolproof recipe for deception. Widespread deception is evident throughout the Christian community.

Consequently, Chuck Currie doesn’t value absolute truth, only tolerance and as he puts it “reconciliation”. As they stated in the letter, they dont even want us to have this conversation! Since when it is wrong to question something that is not what it seems? If Currie got his bank statement and it reflected less money than he believed he had, wouldn’t he question the bank? So the letter itself is illogical.

Currie is convinced that any dissent of Obama’s words must be racism. It matters not if youre black, white, yellow or brown, if you do anything other than devoutly bow to the image of the unclothed savior of the United States, its RACISM!

Liberal white clerics like Currie get quite upset at alleged racism. It helps to assuage their guilty consciences about American slavery their foreparents engaged in. To them,  racism is the world’s greatest sin next to “homophobia”.  So when the Rev. Currie got “informed” about me, he wrote:

It has been pointed out to me in an e-mail tonight that the author of the Gay Christian Movement is a man named DL Foster, an African-American who says that he experienced “deliverance from homosexual sin almost 20 years ago.” It is particularity tragic that a black man would seek to reinforce a caricature of African-Americans.  Furthermore, The American Psychological Association has noted you cannot turn gays into straights.  As Rev. Foster attacks gays and African-Americans, one can’t help but be reminded of the recent news that Ken Mehlman, the chairman of George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign that played on anti-bigotry, came out this week as gay.  There were, of course, some African-Americans who opposed the civil rights movement.  We can only speculate on the motives of such people but I see no reason to do that here.  That fact remains that Rev. Foster pedals hateful rhetoric whatever his personal motivation might be.

And this is coming from a so called Christian minister? Since when did an APA statement trump what the bible says? Whose report will you believe? The APA which is populated by people whose science is at best self serving, or the eternal God whose record reflects an undeniable history of doing exactly what men say is impossible?

We report, you examine and decide.

The Dunamis Word blog takes a look at the doctrine of the homosexual denomination United Progressive Pentecostal Church based in Atlanta. In his post “When progress takes you to hell“, Pastor Burnett writes

Obviously even gay folk can pimp congregations. In this organization, the chief apostate has the ability to change what he wants to change within this church at any time. Here is the statement that affirms such directly from their web site listed below:

“While the leaders and founding members of UPPC are adamant about connecting the Body of Christ in progressively minded fellowship, without the rigors and mandates of a reformation, there remain some uniting principles that guard our fellowship from heresy and hypocrisy.  These tenants from our Basis of Union, and are non-negotiable throughout our Covenant Connections. Should our Basis of Union come into question for amendment, it can only be changed as a result of an Apostolic Conclave or by the sovereign will of the Founder and Chief Apostle, Oliver Clyde Allen III.”

Did you read the words heresy and hypocrisy??? You mean to tell me that they don’t believe that encouraging same gender unity is a heresy? They don’t believe that tucking a bible under their arm after being in an illegal and illicit and biblically condemned relationship is hypocrisy?

The UPPC apes pentecostalism, biblical titles and tithes, but somehow finds it “heretical” go against its swiss cheese “Basis of Union” which includes having sex with people of the same gender. Read the whole story

One of my favorite blogs Journal of a Battling Christian reviews one of the debilitating philosphies  of our age and how it affects organizations like Exodus International who promote reparative therapy.  His post “The Century of The Self, Freud and Reparative Therapy” shows how self-centered ideology can come to no good when dealing with homosexuality.

I’ve sort of gone back and forth in my mind in regards to Exodus International. On the one hand I am in support of their desire to minister to Christians who have unwanted same sex attractions and to help people come out of the “Gay lifestyle” (for the lack of a better term).

On the other hand I am in total disagreement with their support and avocation of Reparative Therapy, Freudian psychology and so forth. For an alternative viewpoint on the issue and for a more Biblical approach to counseling I highly recommend reading Richard Ganz’ book Psychobabble and Jay Adams’ book Competent to Counsel.

I consider myself therefore to be a “sympathetic critic” of groups such as Exodus International and Focus on the Family. I do not critique them in order to discourage them in their efforts, rather as a theologian and Christian I want to seek to encourage them to rethink some of their ideas, methods and practices so that they might become more thoroughly Biblical in their approach.

I too am an opponent of reparative (or conversion) therapy. For Exodus to continue partnering with this unbiblical approach is damaging to their cause and is creating a chorus of voices who see overcoming homosexuality as something they can pay to get done on a therapist’s couch. When it fails (which it will) they are angry, bitter and vocal. Read the whole story

Speaking of deception, Sola Dei Gloria writes a good peice on what causes deception. No doubt about it, deception is running rampant not just in the world (ponzi schemes, etc) but in the church as well. Its everywhere and some people want to keep our attention on unimportant things while the spiritual crooks keep up their attacks on the vunerable and ignorant. But are those deceived really innocent?

“What causes deception? We like to believe that people lying to those they deceive cause deception. However, if we think critically about that (yes, I know that post-modernists have lost that ability, but humor me) deception is not the direct result of the lie, but is only takes effect when the one being deceived desires something from the deceiver such as a relationship or something else that is offered. The deceived believe the lie in order to receive something else that they want.”

Sure there are deceivers, deceiving spirits, wolves, false teachers,  and the likes prowling the church in search of victims, but you dont have to be one. Here’s some  excellent teaching on how to protect yourself from deception.

Via ExTimes,  we learn that the site has issued a challenge to the nation’s prominent mega pastors to openly repudiate the Barack Obama’s “two fathers” lie issued on Fathers Day.

Here’s what the savior of the US (SOTUS) said:
“Nurturing families come in many forms, and children may be raised by a father and mother, a single father, two fathers, a step  father, a grandfather, or caring guardian.”

In response, BCNN has placed a call to action on their website urging Christians to tell Obama he’s dead wrong on this.

“Black Christian News has called for the nation’s “Megachurch Pastors and Prophets of God to Publicly Rebuke this unwise President,” according to its website. Explicitly the statement calls for T. D. Jakes, Eddie Long, Charles Black, Charles Stanley, Pat Robertson, Tony Evans, Al Sharpton, Kirbyjon Caldwell, Jesse Jackson, David Jeremiah, Frederick Haynes III, and others to stand up against what it sees as the progress of a homosexual agenda.”

But will they do it? So far, not a peep.

Many Christians fail to realize (or want to realize) that Obama is the political equivalent of Carlton Pearson. His ideology is a political inclusion philosophy which (even as a self proclaimed Christian) drives him to devalue Christ as equal to other religious figures. The Word of God is used only as a social justice prop when convenient.

One of the guests was Dr. Eugene Rivers,  who self identified as Bishop Blake’s Chief Policy Advisor. We’re not sure what policy he is advising the bishop on, but nevertheless that’s his title. Dr. Rivers was discussing a rather interesting  Huffington Post article by Eddie Claude Jr, declaring the black church was “dead”.

Then, this statement towards the end of the article:

But where are the press conferences and impassioned efforts around black children living in poverty, and commercials and organizing around jobs and healthcare reform? Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr., the presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ, appears to be a lonely voice in the wilderness when he announced COGIC’s support of healthcare reform with the public option.

Speaking of reform

Supt Harvey Burnett of Peoria, IL, who wrote a comprehensive victims advocacy plan for COGIC questioned why no one was asking Bishop Blake about his reluctance to enact a victims advocacy program for the denomination.

As Bishop Blake is hailed for his humanitarian service, we must also ask why has there been no action within the Church Of God In Christ to institute any resemblence of a victims advocacy program to help the church minister to its own hurting victims of clregy sexual abuse and misconduct? Dr. Rivers claims this area is a “legally complicated issue” and offers his own version of why the church is doing what it is doing and approaching the subject as it has been.

Rivers says that Pastor Burnett has made an “excellent point”. But then he calls the issue of victim’s advocacy “legally complicated.”  Listen to the conversation here. It begins about the 13:44 mark.   Dr. Rivers says that he is “privy to a lot of the discussions”  in regard to sexual abuse issues in COGIC.  Speaking to Pastor Burnett, he says, “I would love to reach out to you…” before Sharpton tells his assistant to get the information.   Its strange that although Burnett was clear that his perspective was about victim’s advocacy, Rivers didnt even utter the word “victim”. Intentional?

Incidentally, Al Sharpton himself was drawn into COGIC’s Sherman Allen sexual abuse case when lawyers for the plaintiffs filed a motion to have him testify as an expert witness on clergy matters. The defense fought against it, fearing Sharpton’s presence at the trial would draw unwanted media attention. The case was dismissed in February.

Read Pastor Burnett’s blogpost challenging Al Sharpton is raise the issue with Bishop Blake.

“Rev. Dr. Martha Simmons, Creator and Director of The African American Lectionary. During a Feb. 18th 2010 interview with Santita Jackson on Chicago’s WVON 1690 She appeared along with Dr. Brenda Wade who we will feature in another article. Dr. Simmons stated that not only does the bible not address the issue of sexual orientation, but the word which many people claim that was used to address this issue (Gk: arsenokoites) was a word of unknown origin and meaning and was allowed to creep in later translations of the bible. She stated that this word was defined by scholars as 1- sexual behavior or 2- sexual orientation. She says that most biblical translations only refer to homosexual sexual behavior not homosexual orientation.”

Simmons started the AA Lectionary, a type of topical sermon bank for black preachers. Judging from the gaggle of liberal,  black liberation theology activists she highlights there, I wouldn’t spend ten seconds looking for sermon material to preach in church.

We are increasingly having to deal with the slithering teachings of people like Simmons (shown with homosexual bishop Vickie Robinson) who are importing false constructs into the church. Simmons’ doesn’t derive her conclusions from any honest and legitimate study of God’s Word, but rather hers is a mixture of religious and social ideology.  As we have said before, its a major error in judgment and exegetical analysis to determine that silence equals consent and approval in the scriptures.

Thus, Simmon’s argument is nothing more than a contrived strawman. The issue isn’t, nor will it ever be, whether the bible addresses sexual orientation. The issue is a vain attempt to circumvent with worldly wisdom, God’s creative intent for human sexual expression. The fallacy of the argument can be proven with a logical application to a host of contemporary issues that are not expressly mentioned in biblical texts.  But any true student and lover of the Word knows that the logos is infused with a supernatural ability to transcend time and culture.

Dunamis Word blog explains in much more detail why Simmons is being patently disingenuous in her attempts to justify homosexual behavior. Its odd how these so called religious scholars resort to such triteness of thought to convince people to believe against the will of God. Common sense would tell you that if a person has wrong feelings, it will produce wrong behavior. Homosexuality as evidenced 100% of the scriptures which mention it, is without doubt wrong behavior.  If you allow God’s word to correct wrong feelings, motives, thoughts at the root of your wrong behavior, you’ll live a life pleasing to God.

Where the term originated. Homosexuals used to be called homosexuals who had a “sexual preference”. They found out that didn’t work.  As a minority seeking more power and  needing wider social acceptance,  a more potent political identifier which deleted the idea that their behavior was a choice was concocted.  So, it was changed it to  “gay and lesbian”. Gay and lesbian was easier on the ear and opened a political and social door closed to “homosexuals”.  This self identifying metamorphosis has been adapted by pedophile and polygamists too.

As gays and lesbians gained the political clout they needed to affect laws and social mores, other sexual minorities took note and clamored for some of the power sharing. A new term was needed to include  everything not yet discovered in the pandora’s box. Hence, sexual orientation.

So the term sexual orientation is a fairly new etymological offering which has evolved to include a conundrum of sexual malfunctions outside the normal scope of male-female covenant relationships.   Advocates claim a person’s sexual orientation is “fixed at birth”.  But what’s very interesting about the sexual orientation theory is its selective application. While homosexuals and lesbians swear by it, they are still unwilling to include pedophiles. It was only in recent years that the “transgenders” got into the power circle after accusing the gays of hypocrisy.

What the bible says about our identity, emotions, thoughts and feelings
The bible says a great deal about our identity, emotions, thoughts and feelings. But all are oriented in respect to right relationship with God. In other words, with God as the source of right wrong, we learn what is and is not acceptable to him even if it involves the intangibles of our lives.

Jesus told his disciples that it was evil thoughts and motives which defile people causing them to act out what was on the inside, thus “defiling” him. Mark 7:15 There is nothing from outside a man that, entering into him, can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

And He said, “That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within and defile the man.” vss 20-23

Look closely and you’ll see homosexuality.

Hebrews 4:15 – Our feelings matter to Christ, but only as identity with us in the struggle to overcome temptation and sin.

2 Cor 10:5 Any thought, feeling, attraction or vain imagination, when in contradiction to the supremacy of Christ  must be destroyed.

Jeremiah 7:24 Acting on one’s wrong feelings and thoughts are evil and cause a person to go “backward, not forward”.

Therefore if ” sexual orientation” is based on how one feels about themselves, Jesus and the bible significantly condemn any feelings, thoughts and actions which lead a person into ungodly activity.

What’s the intent of the term’s current usage?
The introduction of the phrase “sexual orientation” marked a watershed moment in our society. Finally homosexual activists and their allies had something in which they could conveniently insert just about any feeling or sexual behavior and call it “orientation”. It is an intentionally broad term because of the growing expressions of perversion needed a home and this provided it.

Planned Parenthood tells teens that “sexual orientation is the term used to describe whether a person feels sexual desire for people of the other gender, same gender, or both genders.”

The conventional gay wisdom is that you are what you feel. And  no one can tell you what you feel is wrong for you. Typical postmodernist relativity stuff. As I asked a young gay man once who vigorously asserted to me that since he “felt” gay from the age of two, it was proof he actually was gay. I asked him if he’d felt like a pig since he was age two what would he be right now? Its silliness that doesn’t even qualify as logic.

You might be astonished to know that this type of shallow, illogical relativity has literally become “scientific” evidence upon which laws in this country are passed.

What implications does it have on the church?

Its dangerous and unbiblical for the church to adopt and include terms as “sexual orientation”. If the concept is biblical, then there is only one legitimate sexual orientation. God created man and oriented him sexually, emotionally and relationally to the woman. Thus any other attraction, emotion, feeling, behavior or the likes is illegitimate as it is rooted in fallen sinful nature.

Inclusion of such destructive terms continue to set the church at odds the divine plan of redemption. If sin can be justified with clever new phrases and “scholars” who sanctify the clever new phrases what will be the church’s message?

If our core message is not that man is hopelessly degenerate apart from the repentance and remission of sin, what is it that we will be teaching and preaching. Self help? Im ok, youre ok? All you need is a hug?  No! Our core message is what distinguishes us from every other religion because it is the express reason Jesus Christ came, suffered, died and rose again. If we allow outside influences to dilute or change that message in the slightest, we stand to lose our identity.

You might be appalled, but that’s how the Rev. Paul Turner, a gay christian pastor in Atlanta  identifies himself. In fact, its the title of his blog which he says is the “journey of an inner city open and proud gay pastor.”

Really? proud to call yourself a religious b****? What insanity these people engender while at the same time portraying themselves as followers of Christ who promote inclusion in the church?

Turner in the video, one of the featured speakers to homosexuals in Atlanta in the wake of California’s defeat of Prop 8.

Beyond just the disgusting irreverence of the reverend, a much deeper revelation emerges as to why God specifically branded such actions abominations. Its a real time snapshot of the word qadesh in the Old Testament. Is this what the “Rev” Paul Turner is calling himself, an effeminate “temple prostitute”? Per this bible and history site, this was one of the lowest forms of idolatry.

Asherah Queen of Heaven, Ashtoreth, Athirat, Astarte, and Ishtar.  Her “male priestesses were known as kelabim, the faithful “dogs” of the Goddess, who practiced divinatory arts, danced in processions, and served as hierodules qedeshim, in the company of other priestesses.

Males priestesses known as dogs? This definition is what commonly defines a female dog.

And just what god is Turner representing? According to 1 Kings 14:24 such actions are called “abominations” and have no connection with anything remotely identified with our God much less his son Jesus Christ.

Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?  Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. James 3:11-12 NKJV

By the way, this is the former pastor of bulletproof ideologist Candace Chellew.

You should also read:
Dallas gay priest has a potty mouth

Before we get to the story at Eternity Matters, let’s review what we’re dealing with here.

Neil has the writeup of how the Rev. Chuck Currie of Portland, OR, a  UCC minister says recommending Jesus Christ as the answer to Tiger Woods sexual sin and addictions is a “mystery” to him.

By the way, Chuck is holed up in the same apostate denomination as “bulletproof” expert Candace Chellew and lesbian bishop Yvette Flunder, so you can just imagine the insanity dripping from these people’s mouths on a continual basis.

Neil accurately calls Currie a “false teacher” who has finally come out of his fake Christian persona.

Chuck Currie claims to be a Christian Reverend but teaches the opposite of what Jesus did on virtually any spiritual topic. I’ve addressed his false teachings several times as well as documenting his status as an unrepentant serial liar and libeller. If he was just some lone heretic he wouldn’t be worth mentioning. But he is typical of liberal theologians and their bad reasoning.

But today he really went all out. This “Christian Reverend” was put off by Brit Hume’s simple premise that Tiger should turn to Christianity to be forgiven and changed. Chuck committed multiple fallacies in attacking Brit and abandoned any pretense of being a believer. Words like his mock the cross and the blood of the martyrs. Watch the video at the bottom then consider Chuck’s text:

FOX’s Brit Hume thinks that if Tiger Woods would become a Christian all would be ok for
the disgraced golfer (whose hero image was destroyed by the uncovering of numerous affairs).

Hume simply stated that Buddhism doesn’t offer the forgiveness and redemption offered by the Christian faith. Hume thinks Christianity is true and recommends it. Chuck parades as a “Christian Reverend” but does not recommend Christianity.

One thing false teachers and ministers of satan count on, is that their overbearing superfluous spirituality will intimidate believers into silence and give them more room to spread death with their mouths. Let’s put a stop to it.

Although Candace Chellew claims to be a gay christian, a Rwandan elephant might be a better representation. We’ve talked about her sophistic butchery of scripture here and here before. Now she’s protesting gays at parades being treated with love. She’s found incontrovertible evidence  of a conservative Christian conspiracy to convert gays from their true orientation with a sinister bait and switch tactic using water bottles and bracelets. Wow, thankfully she’s now exposed it and gays the world over are safe.

A new book by two pastors with a ministry focus on traditional sexual “sinners” like those in the porn industry and those who “struggle” with pornography, is seeking to revive this sort of “friendship evangelism.” They’re traveling the country, attending gay pride parades, handing out “Jesus Loves You” water bottles and wrist bracelets apologizing for how the church has treated “sinners” like gays and lesbians.

On the serious side, Ms Chellew’s biggest problem (like most gay christian clerics) is that she has a substantial amount of misplaced (and unjustified) caan-like anger at God and his Word. Sorry, republicans, conservative Christians, James Dobson nor Exodus International created the Bible. In fact, no one Chellew continuously blames had anything whatsoever to do with what is contained in the scriptures. But because we simply believe what it says and proclaim its truth, its just as if you wrote those hateful words to her. That’s a reference to the homosexuality is an abomination part which she doesn’t like because she thinks her lesbianism is her identity.

Its strange that one sinner would say, I’m better than that sinner because I don’t do that! Isnt that breaking the dreaded thou shalt not be judgmental law? Believe it or not that’s exactly Chellew’s issue with sex industry workers. She’s better than those degenerates!

“The offensiveness of this “friendship evangelism” cannot be overstated. Let me outline what I find most offensive. First, gay and lesbian people are lumped in with porn stars. I agree with them that the porn industry is harmful not just to women, but to men. It degrades both men and women—but women especially. I join with them in their quest to change the behavior of porn stars. However, I am offended that my community is lumped in with them. There is absolutely no comparison. It’s like comparing the heterosexual community to the porn industry. Yes, there are some perverts in the heterosexual community, but that doesn’t mean the whole community is perverse. Same goes for the gay and lesbian community.”

So what’s wrong with handing out bottles of water and Jesus loves you bracelets at gay pride events? Gays have always complained that Christians don’t show them love and are always hatin’ on them cause of who they are. Well, now that Jason Harper and Craig Gross are not doing that Chellew thinks its definitely because they are conniving “friendship evangelism” devotees like her sister. Who, by the way she mistrusts too.

Well, with all this Christian 007 action going on, just who does Chellew, defender of the gay christian kingdom of gay faith trust? Most likely herself and her book, Bulletproof Faith. Its her version of how to protect yourself from the evil Christians who want to tell you Jesus loves you but secretly want you to burn in hell. Its like a one year how-to-survive-in-post-Sadam Iraq guide.  Talk about conspiracy theories.

While Chellew is busy instructing frightened gays how to duck and dodge Christians who sincerely love them, perhaps its never occurred to her (that comes from fear of reading the bible) God might actually be still speaking to her over and over.

As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” Heb 3:15. In other words, when God speaks to you, don’t play the bulletproof card.

And doesn’t God move in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform? Afterall, God did grant a jackass temporary speaking abilities to reprimand an apostate prophet and tell him he was about to get his head chopped off by an angel.  The case of Balaam strangely parallels the whole bulletproof ideology. Lying to people about God will only result in bondage, disobedience and severe consequences.

Apostate-in-chief John Shelby Spong (remember him?) wrote of BPF “It is an amazing truth that gay and lesbian Christians need to develop a bullet-proof faith in order to survive the attack of other Christians. That, however, is the experience of many homosexual persons. Candace Chellew-Hodge has in this book committed herself to the task of making that survival a reality. I salute her and her work”

Sounds like a perpetual victimization manifesto cult pledge. Like Spong’s crybaby manifesto, Chellew declares “there’s only one side to this issue.”   There’s something  ironically hypocritical about that when Challew’s church the UCC declares “God is still speaking”. But such are those who live in deception.

The incredulous thing is that people like Bulletproofing Chellew and Manifesto-ing Spong actually want us to believe them instead of God. What foolish arrogance.

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19 NIV

Stay with me on this, its a maze but here it is in a nutshell.

Warren, ever the jack in the box, visited Uganda  March 27, 2008 and strongly urged pastors not to tolerate homosexuality in their country. As some point, a bill came to light which is said to criminalize homosexuality with a death penalty attached. Consequently the pastors, led primarily by well known Ugandan evangelist Martin Ssempra (left), put their weight behind the murky, misinterpreted bill. After Warren’s letter and visit tied him to the controversy, he denied he was involved. Homosexual activists and media types turned up the fire on him for lying…again. As expected from Warren, he now condemns the bill, the pastors actions, and anything else he can to save face with homosexual activists who don’t like him anyway.

The east central African nation, its legislators and an ad hoc pastor’s taskforce has been at the center of a major firestorm of criticism and condemnation from all directions.  You can google to get all the details.

Now, Ssempra has shot back across the Atlantic with an angry letter publicly blasting Warren for flip-flopping on the issue.

December 19th, Ssempra sent two “open emails”, one to Christianity Today and the other —perhaps more detailed— to Warren Throckmorton demanding that Rick Warren repent within the next seven days for “wronging” the Ugandan pastors.

While Im not interested in the debating the morass of controversy fueled in part by gay activists who quickly gave Uganda’s legislation a sound bite title, it does once again show how false prophets like Warren can inflict considerable damage even on whole nations.

Warren has done the same thing on homosexual issues before.  Remember his Obama inauguration prayer controversy and then the Prop 8 debacle? Its a major double mindedness at best.  The pastors should have told Warren to butt out and fix his own problems but I digress.

Here’s some excerpts of Ssempra’s email via Throckmorton’s blog which should serve notice to Warren defenders to take off your anti-snake glasses and see that this man is bad business.

Ssempra, representing the pastor’s taskforce, writes:

“We acknowledge receipt of a letter from you in which you called on us (Ugandan Pastors) to “speak out” against the proposed “Anti-homosexuality Bill 2009” which is currently before our parliament. This bill has been greatly misrepresented by some homosexual activists causing hysteria and we take this opportunity to give you the background, facts and response to the concerns you raised. A special meeting of 20 denominational heads met on Thursday 17th Dec in the offices of the minister of Ethics and Integrity, examined your letter and formed a joint task force to respond to you as well as help support the parliament in the passage of this bill.  We are further distressed by your unwarranted abuse of our duly elected officials who are in the process of making laws in the fulfillment of their mission and make demand that you biblically issue an apology for having wronged us as demonstrated by the facts of this letter.”

Ssempra makes a vivid point about the state of western Christian church and its plunge into apostasy:

“The take-over by homosexuals of western institutions that should have remained as defenders and protectors of moral integrity in society, particularly the church, to the extent that even evangelical church leaders in America no longer protest when a practicing homosexual is appointed into pastoral leadership in the church (e.g. the election to the office of Bishop of  Mary Glasspool in your state of California last week and Gene Robinson in New Hampshire before her). This institutional takeover by homosexuals has been systematic and planned, to the extent that other bodies like the UN, national governments, financial institutions, private companies, NGOs, etc. have become spokespersons of the gay movement and daily use official resources to promote the gay agenda and to arm-twist anyone who opposes this agenda. In a globalized world, this western takeover of institutions by homosexuals has turned into international promotion of homosexuality and of other vices like abortion and pornography in other countries.”

Ssempra noted that 200 of Uganda’s top religious leaders have backed the law and cited a growing chasm in the global church over homosexuality.

“We note with sadness the increasing levells [sic] of accepting of the evil of homosexuality. The ordination of Mary Glasspool a Lesbian as a bishop in Los Angeles without any condemnation from you, has increased the widening gap between the global south church in Africa and the global north church in Europe and America. In these increasingly dark days, we encourage you not to give into the temptation to water down what the bible says so as not to offend people.  Jesus’s gospel is a stumbling block, and a rock of offense.  Rick you are our friend, we have bought many of your books and have been blessed by them. Do not let the pressure of bloggers and popular media intimidate you into becoming a negotiator for homosexual paedophillia rights in Africa. As you yourself say about evil, – “the Bible says evil has to be opposed. Evil has to be stopped. The Bible does not say negotiate with evil. It says stop it. Stop evil.”(RW-12/2007) Since the bible says that the giant of  homosexuality is an “abomination” or a great evil, you cannot achieve the peace plan without  a purpose driven confrontation with evil.”

I do not know whether the bill is good bad or in between.  I do know that Ssempra is right on this issue. Homosexuality is satan’s weapon of choice to usher in the antichrist era on the world. And while I don’t believe legislation alone will stop it, believers should recognize that we are beyond the point of no return. This isnt about so-called civility, equality and loving acceptance of people. That’s what they (the blind guides) tell you, but a spirit is at work and those who misjudge its intent will be conduits of devils into the contemporary church.

That was the response of Pastor Deitrick Haddon, who apparently took exceptional offense at the Lexi/Tonex interview and twittered about it on yesterday.

But, one gospel industry fan blog was quick to call his words “hateful”.  Here’s what Gospel Pundit wrote:

Deitrick Haddon typed these words on Twitter today during a rant about the now-infamous interview between Lexi and Tonex, in which Tonex acknowledged his same-sex attractions.
I’m not going to use this post to bash Deitrick, but really to ask that all of us, as CHRISTIANS, take a moment to examine our hearts and live life more carefully.
As I’ve stated before, I disagree with Tonex’s position as it relates to his interpretation of Scripture, the term “fornication,” and the things to which he feels entitled as a result.
But I don’t care how wrong we believe Tonex is in his lifestyle choices– the standard of holiness that we’re trying so hard to uphold does not give us a free pass to use hate-filled words.  Quite the contrary, WE are responsible for LIVING OUT the standard of holiness by addressing people in love.
God is not pleased with the anger we exhibit, and the venom we spew, just because we say “I’m doing it for YOU, Lord.”  We condemn other religions for committing hateful acts in the name of God, we have seen (as a nation) racial oppression premised on people’s errant interpretation of Scripture.  And we’ve not liked it. Yet here we are.  And we’ve become so engrossed with judging every little thing that happens on this Earth that we easily become distracted from the greatest commandment– LOVE.  I’m willing to guess that God would rather we simply keep quiet than demonstrate hatred in His Name.  It’s not okay.  Why?  Merely because I never ONCE saw Christ do it. Our task, then, is to humbly throw ourselves at the Father’s feet and say “Lord, I see injustices and I see things that displease You.  They make me angry too.  I hate what you hate.  But in response, teach me to LOVE the way YOU LOVE.” Let’s do better. (their bold)

Haddon used the word sissy, but didnt call Tonex a sissy. He said there wasnt a sissy bone in his body. I dont know Haddon well enough to know whether that’s true or not, but that’s not the focus. Does what he said rise to the level of “hate”?

And this sidebar: trust me when I say I’m not defending Deitrick Haddon. I’ve had issues with his gospel music industry career, notably he didnt just find out that there are indeed sissified behavior being celebrated in gospel music. But we’ve heard no objections before from him.

But in fairness Gospel Pundit did an interview with Tonex in which he gushed that Tonex was “refreshingly candid and incredibly kind person”. That alone to me says volumes as to why he immediately jumped to defend Tonex’s honor, instead of calling this false prophet out for sowing this poison.

Inspite of the writer (EJ Gaines) protests that Christians shouldn’t engage in gratuitous name calling ( and they shouldnt), his own motivations come into question. My friend, San Diego-based Carlotta, who’s written extensively about Tonex on her Christocentric blog summed it up:

EJ, your comments are indicative to the problem with Christians today. They make a big fuss over the little things while whispering over the MAJOR THINGS!

Just compare your post on the Lexi Show interview over Tonex. There should have been some major outcrying from you over the anti-biblical and spiritually dangerous lifestyle that Tonex was trying to justify. But instead you are having a fit over Deitrick’s use of the word sissy?

I agree with you also that as Christians if we are to labor in love, rebuke in love and always respond in love, we do have to be mindful of how and what words we speak to people. But let’s put everything in its proper place – the rebuke of Tonex should have been far greater than your rebuke of Deitrick Haddon!

Exactly. Why all the outrage over Haddon’s remark but you downplay the destructive HERESY vomit out of the mouth of someone you claim is “refreshing”? It really is indicative of how messed up church dwellers have become.

h/t: Andre