Reportedly the Christians met once a week to pray and sing on the public corner. Whether they’re hoping to “straighten out” gays or simply trying to facilitate encounters with Christ is unclear, but their method is problematic; it’s not how Jesus would do it.
Jesus went to the people he wanted to meet and he ate with them — or served them. He fellowshipped and got to know the community in personal and intimate ways. He attracted them with his love and his stability. He didn’t stand around singing hymns and praying for them, which might have seemed both separatist and condescending — and therefore off-putting — to the very people he hoped to engage.
The Christians may have unintentionally come off as condescending. We may presume that they would not want a crowd of gays meeting on their curb each week to proselytize. As a Catholic I would take issue with other Christians, no matter how well-intentioned, standing at the curb praying for my redemption based solely upon their knowledge not of me, but of my habits or my religion. Their singing songs for my salvation would come off as sitting in judgment of me. Even if that’s not how they meant it.
You can read the author's views about the Gay community and their behavior at the same link. I'd rather focus on the Christian perspective for a moment...or at least my personal thoughts.
This issue creates such volatile responses that it's heart breaking at times, and extremely frustrating at others. There is also such hypocrisy boiling from both sides of the debate. One side cries intolerance never looking back to discern their own intolerance of other groups. Regardless, there are no easy answers in this decision.
My perspective is that God has allowed us free will to make the decision to follow his advice and live life according to the way He created us to live, or we can live according to our own will. I don't think He meant for Christians to coerce or force others to live according to God's plan.
That being said, I think it is everyone's right to vote in the way in which they feel they are lead in relationship to their worldview or religious beliefs. I don't think that the gay community should coerce Christians into voting for gay marriage by demanding that they are intolerant if they don't comply.
I don't have a problem with civil unions allowing homosexuals legal rights that married couples have, but I would vote against gay marriage because I believe marriage is reserved for a man and woman. Though I wouldn't picket, engage in a sing-in, or throw a raging hissy fit in attempt to coerce others to do the same.
Again, it's a matter of free will, IMHO.
The part of her article that really hit home with me is where she explains that Christ met, ate and communed with those whose worldviews were in conflict with his own. Actually, guys like Oleg, Rob and a few others take this approach when they come to my blog and chat in a respectful manner. Rather than scream and rant on and on about IDist views from the familiarity and comfort of their own side, they reach out and attempt to actually try to converse with me on my turf without being total jerks. Though we may never agree on anything, it certainly helps me learn to respect them if not their position. I just think that in so many of these controversial topics, there is too much preaching to the choir. Granted, there are times when you have to walk away, but if people can just *try* to understand each other better, it certainly helps ease the hatred and misunderstanding.
Just my 2 cents.
