{"id":32987,"date":"2014-04-01T11:03:16","date_gmt":"2014-04-01T19:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnshore\/?p=32987"},"modified":"2015-01-14T11:59:14","modified_gmt":"2015-01-14T19:59:14","slug":"farewell-christians-who-wont-extend-jesus-love-to-gay-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnshore\/2014\/04\/farewell-christians-who-wont-extend-jesus-love-to-gay-people\/","title":{"rendered":"Farewell, Christians who won’t extend Jesus’ love to gay people"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"Student<\/a>
\n<\/a>Got in this:<\/p>\n

Hi, John,<\/p>\n

I got a Kindle for Christmas and the first book I loaded on it and read was UNFAIR. [Here<\/a>.] It is a refreshing comfort to read about other Christians, gay and straight, who don\u2019t think gay people are condemned to hell.<\/p>\n

I got so much @#&% for agreeing with that that my husband finally resigned his pastorate of 12 years because of the crap people at his church were giving him. It was a dark valley that he and I walked through after that split\u2014but always I remembered it\u2019s a fraction of the grief, rejection and heartbreak that gay people face every day from some people and groups.<\/p>\n

I had the clobber verses thrown in my face. Several people accused my husband of being a universalist, of preaching a \u201csocial gospel,\u201d of coming to that church under false pretenses, of not having control of his wife, etc. This was a congregation that had always affirmed and shown love and respect for my husband prior to this. About half the congregation left from this smaller-sized Southern Baptist church when my husband resigned, pretty much everyone under 50 years old.<\/p>\n

My husband is now working at a funeral home as a family service counselor, and he does like it and is doing well. It is kinda sad that he is not pursing ministry in another denomination, though, as he is a gifted minister. However he just hasn\u2019t been ready to consider going back.<\/p>\n

It has a been an ongoing journey to heal from the hurt caused by these people who I thought loved us like family.<\/p>\n

I know that God loves everyone, and that everyone includes gay people.<\/p>\n

Thank you for using your gifts to shine the light. I appreciate you and your ministry.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Key phrase in this good woman\u2019s letter?<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 pretty much everyone under 50 years old.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

That being, of course, the people who left her husband\u2019s Southern Baptist<\/em> church when they discovered they were worshipping with Christians who were willing to extend the love of Jesus Christ to straight people, and no further.<\/p>\n

These days of course everyone\u2019s up in arms about the gay issue; I get hate mail about it every day from \u201cChristians\u201d whose raging apoplexy is matched only by their shocking illiteracy.<\/p>\n

The whole gay-Christian \u201cdebate\u201d is like watching a great ocean wave rising and cresting. Soon enough it crashes onto the shore, all thunderous fury and spray.<\/p>\n

And then it is no more.<\/p>\n

The anti-gay Christian bigots will grow old and die,* and a fresher, truer, more gracious, more enlightened Christianity will take its place. This will happen\u2014this is<\/em> happening\u2014because God is good, God is fair, and above all God is love. And finally, ultimately, inevitably, love conquers all.<\/p>\n

Farewell, anti-gay Christians. For as surely as one day follows the next, your time is coming to an end. May God show you more mercy in the next life than you showed gay people in this one.<\/p>\n

* A couple of commenters below made the point that it is not, by a long shot, only young people who are choosing to leave denominations and churches that refuse to refute the toxic lie that God condemns homosexuality. That\u2019s a good strong point I wanted to make sure to \u2026 well, jam in right here. Heck, I was 44 when this happened<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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