Sam Castleberry wrote about a protest that will take place on Wednesday, April 14 at Friendship-West Baptist Church, 2020 W. Wheatland Road in Dallas at 6:30 p.m.
Rally for LOVE is in response to their Urgent Utterances Conference held at the church.
Sam wrote:
Last night at the Urgent Utterances Conference at Friendship-West Baptist Church, a hurtful and ugly message was directed against the LGBTQ community. Homophobia and heterosexism was preached from the pulpit during this conference as a means to further inflame and harden the hearts of Christians against the LGBTQ community in the name of God. These kind of negative attacks continue to be a powerful voice among many Christian communities claiming to speak for churches about LGBTQ issues.
However, there are many who believe that the love of God is one of radical inclusion and unrelenting grace. Religious leaders who actively encourage their congregations to deny full equality to LGBTQ people with inflamatory messages must be held accountable. The Bible and other sacred documents can no longer be held hostage by some who use these books as weapons against the LGBTQ community. The Bible has a long history of being hijacked to support the oppression and even at times murder of groups of people. We have only to look at the Inquistion, slavery, denying women equality, etc. to see very clearly what harm has transpired in the name of God. We get that those things were wrong. Today we must reach that same understanding regarding the LGBTQ community.
This will be a peaceful meeting, standing together in solidarity in all of who we are as LGBTQ people, people of faith in all the ways that we celebrate Spirit; calling for an end to the hatred preached from pupilts and calling for an end to using the church as a means to instill fear, inspire hatred and to deny equality to LGBTQ people.
**Please do not bring any negative signs, and refrain from name calling or ugly speak and confrontations. This meeting is about peace and love.
GO Sam GO!!! If I was in Dallas I would be there! Good luck in spreading the Love to ALL people!
You know I love to protest but what was the extent of this message? Is there a history of this church getting involved in LGBTQ issues or is this just another religious loon flaming the fire to increase funds and support for his church? I just want to make sure this is on the same level as broadcasting your homophobia on a marquee (i.e. First Baptist Church) or showing up to peaceful LGBTQ rallies and harassing people (i.e. Pastor Faust and da crew). If this guy wants to preach to the zombies in his church, then go right ahead. In a nutshell, I need more information.
This event was also posted on the Brite Student Association blog and twitter @britedivinity
https://britesa.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/rally-for-love/
This church is currently holding a conference called “urgent utterances.” This is a large meeting which is being attended from people from many locations. During last night’s sermon the comment was made that the “lesbian demon should be exorcised.” This is beyond a religious loon fanning the flames- this is a message of hate being spread to other church leaders. It is important for these leaders to see that such statements are not endorsed by the faith community at large.
This “loon” is apparently the sister of an imminent scholar at Vanderbilt U. Shoe organized the speech and (presumably) should have expected this vitriol from her sister. She certainly didn’t walk out. This is one of those protests that is worth attending since it has ties in academia where the next generation of preachers are being trained.
Correcting a few typos above:
This “loon” is the sister of an imminent scholar at Vanderbilt U (Stacy Floyd-Thomas). She (Stacy) apparently organized the conferences and (presumably) would have expected this vitriol from her sister. She certainly didn’t walk out. This is one of those protests that is worth attending since it has ties in the parish, as well as academia, where the current and next generations of preachers are being trained.
These comments made by a leader of a church and heard by leaders of other religious institutions DID NOT speak up. Then what does that say about the leaders sitting in the room to members of their congregation that have LGBTQ members? For those who want to come out, OMG! If you do they are going to try and cast demons out from you. The leaders in the room should stand up and speak out for the insulting comments that were said. NO ONE said anything. Now we know why T.D.Jakes son is not his son anymore, he calls him his STEP SON after getting caught cruising the gay park in Oak Cliff. I heard NO ONE speak up about that even in the church. Sam I think it’s brave of you to stand up. (STAND IN YOUR OWN POWER.)
I think those that don’t believe (in God) and in what the Word of God says, should be fair and see this from a Christian’s/Church point of view – those that practice homosexuality are sinners – period. Just like a person who lies, steals, commits adultery, etc… I think it’s unfair that the church be attacked for doing what they are supposed to do – teaching the Word of God. You can’t be a Christian and also be a practicing homosexual, it’s not what God intended. And when I say Christian, I mean one that has prayed the prayer: asked Jesus to be their Savior, asked to be remitted from their sins and lives a life as such. If you have done this, then at some point in your life a transformation of your life (ito be more like Christ) will occur and those things that you do that are sinful, you shouldn’t want to do any longer. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, confess it with their mouth and believe it in their heart, shall be saved.
Since we’re on the subject of Churches, and Sinners, Please take a moment and tell the rest of us readers which of these biblical “sinner” categories you fit in? Obviously NONE of you homosexual hating readers have bothered to complain about what your good book says about the other things and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that *YOU* are also the sinner too. Seems to me the word ABOMINATION is *never* compared to the word SIN. But please, tell the rest of us which passage defines SIN and ABOMINATION as one in the same cuz I can’t seem to fine the two words used together.
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De:22:5: The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
Le:11:42: Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
Le:11:41: And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.
Ex:21:12: He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
Ex:21:15: And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
Ex:21:17: And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
Ex:22:19: Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.
Ex:31:14: Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Le:20:10: And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
Le:20:11: And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Le:20:12: And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.
Le:20:13: If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Le:20:15: And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.
Le:20:16: And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Le:20:27: A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.
Le:24:16: And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.
Le:24:17: And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
2Ch:15:13: That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
M’r:13:12: Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.
So I keep hearing this bullshit about “Our God Is A Loving God” but why the fuck does your Bible tell followers to KILL those who don’t worship your deity? Word-processor error or something? Editorial SNAFU?
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2Ch:15:13: That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
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So let me get this right, I’m supposed to kill the Jews, and the Muslims, Buddihists, Wiccans, Celtics, American Indians, and anyone else who doesn’t seek the LORD God of Israel ??
Sounds like a black and white fucked up contradiction to me! Dontcha think? And this was copied right out of your ‘cast in concrete’ book of your so-called “Perfect” God.
Things that make ya go, Huuuuummmmm !!
And another thing. The comment “should be put to death” ….
Exactly WHO is gonna be doing the DEATH PUTTIN’ ???
Certainly not me ?? If I did that then I’d be breaking the “Thou Shalt Not Kill” commandment… So kindly tell me where is this death squad huh?? Or was the commandment wrongly written and should have said “Thou Shalt Not Kill, Except For The Ones We Tell You To” ???
@Nicole: Unfortunately, you’re a case and point of what the problem is here. You think that what you said is what the Bible teaches, when it’s really not. So you think that these people are preaching the “Word of God” when, in all actuality, they couldn’t be any farther from it. The black letters on white paper are exactly that, and until you realize that God’s Word is not limited to a millennia-old document that may or may not have been co-opted by those with an agenda, you’ll never fully understand what God’s love really means. 🙁
Those books that your are referring to are from the Old Testatment, and yes BEFORE Jesus came that’s how it was. People forget that not only is the Bible the story of Jesus and a handbook that Christians use a guide for life, it also tells the HISTORY of the Christian and their walk with God as well. Before Jesus came to redeem the world from it’s sin, yes people were put to death for not believing in God, for adultery, etc… But when God sent Jesus to die on the cross, He took the sins of the world and now when we commit sin, we are able to be forgiven – for our unbelief, for our sexual immorality, for our lying, adultery or whatever. I never claimed to not be a sinner – I do sin. I will tell a white lie from time to time, I have had sex outside of marriage, I am sometimes jealous hearted and judgemental of others. However, I strive everyday to be more like Jesus, but I am only human and many times I fall short of what God expects me to be. I am not perfect and thank God I don’t have to be. Thank God for Jesus because if it wasn’t for Jesus, I wouldn’t be able to be forgiven and given chance after chance to remain in God’s grace. John 3:17-19 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”
And for the record, I am NOT a homesexual hater and I don’t know what in my previous post made you think that. Please don’t lump me into that category of homesexual hater. I have many friends that are gay and I don’t condemn them, I don’t like that they are active, practicing homosexuals, because I believe in my heart that if they continue to live that way, they are condemned to a death in hell for eternity. I don’t condemn for their sin either – it’s not my place to condemn or judge them. Just like I don’t expect them to condemn or judge me for the sins I commit. We are supposed to love the sinner and hate the sin, and I strive every day to do that. I understand why many of you are angry, and I am very sorry that many Christians have made LGBT people feel less than anyone else. Christians are not perfect people, the world has somehow developed this belief that we should be but we are not. We are imperfect in every way and if we are sure of the God we serve, we know that we can ask for forgiveness and He will give it. I pray that for each you posted here, that will God will prick your hearts and show you that the sin you have in life, and not just the sin of homosexuality, but the sins we all commit from time to time, are leading you down a path to death. But it doesn’t have to be this way – by accepting Jesus as your savior you too can have eternal life.
Nicole,
I similarly pray that God will prick *your* heart so you one day see that you are following a human notion of God that is far, far from actual reality.
And on a practical note, the world has not developed the belief that Christians should be perfect. The world has, however, developed the belief that Christians should take care of the beam in their own eye before removing a splinter from another’s…
Peace.
@Carl – am curious to know what you mean by “following a human notion of God that is far, far from actual reality?” What part of what I said is not reality?
Update: Rally for LOVE:
During the day on April 13, 2010 the Urgent Utterances Conference took certain steps to address the homophobic remarks that were made from the pulpit at Friendship-West Baptist Church, and to begin dialogue regarding LGBTQ issues in the church.
In response to this positive step, the planned protest rally scheduled for today has been altered: Instead of protesting outside of Friendship-West Baptist Church, there will be a prayer vigil held at Living Faith Covenant Church at 2527 West Colorado Blvd, Dallas, Texas 75211, where the Apostle Alex Byrd, pastor of the church, has offered to host the event.
We look forward to seeing everyone there.
@Nichole,
I truly respect your beliefs. I may not agree with your assessment of homosexuality but I respect that this is what the church teaches you and I will not try to change your beliefs. I do not have a problem with people like you. You are someone who will see a gay person on the street and the extent of your involvement with that person is to mumble “God bless his/her soul”. You may have this same sentiment for your friends and they probably roll their eyes and agree to disagree with you on that as well. You may go to your church and hear your pastor/priest/rabbi talk about all sins and you lump homosexuality into that basket and privately pray for our heathen souls. That is your business. I am not marching in the streets and rallying against people like you.
My beef is with Christians who come up with referendums like Prop 8 which strips taxpaying, American citizens from rights that have NOTHING to do with the church. I have a problem with Christians who impose their religious beliefs on a public university and have a form of artistic expression shut down. I have a problem with us fun-loving LGBT people enjoying a lovely September afternoon and have unvited Christians spewing hatred at us as we have a celebration of our diversity aka Dallas Pride.
This country was founded by people who were escaping religious persecution. Now we have the religious community sticking their noses into the political arena and we are the ones suffering from your persectution. There was a reason that our forefathers felt that there should be a separation of church and state. So that NO religious institution could impose their beliefs on the REST of the country. That is where we are now.
So, as long as you keep your beliefs to yourself, your church, close family and friends, then we will probably never meet in this lifetime. Start meddling in the political arena, I will see you there.
@Nicole
The God that you are following is what I would term the “traditional” God. It is a God developed using human standards of justice based in outdated, prejudiced interpretations of the scripture. It is the God who craves blood; the God who creates a human being a certain way (in this context, gay) and then condemns them for being who they are. Simply put, it is the God of the Misinterpreted Bible; the God worshipped by those who are more interested in condemning another person to make their own lives seem better by comparison than living a life of compassion and Justice.
I admit it’s not a simple case I’m making here, and it was a realization that took years to dawn on me (I once believed as you do). In the end, it came down to whether the God I followed was a human concept or a divine one. The God so often preached in church is a human God. The one who has infinite mercy, loves all creation, and urges each individual to be true to who *they* know they are (not who someone else thinks they should be) is the divine God. To put it another way, if your God dislikes the same things you do and rarely challenges you to accept what you find unacceptable, you’re following the human God; the God of the “church.”
@Nicole
It would seem that *you* can be forgiven chance after chance but those pesky homosexuals who choose to continue their behavior and don’t get mentioned again in the new testament, can’t… Ok,, I see… (anyone else see the “Double Standard” in this??)
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…But when God sent Jesus to die on the cross, He took the sins of the world and now when we commit sin, we are able to be forgiven…
…I am not perfect and thank God I don’t have to be. Thank God for Jesus because if it wasn’t for Jesus, I wouldn’t be able to be forgiven and given chance after chance to remain in God’s grace….
…I don’t like that they are active, practicing homosexuals, because I believe in my heart that if they continue to live that way, they are condemned to a death in hell for eternity….
@Rick, even if homosexuality was “forgivable,” it would still mean it was a sin, which it’s not. I don’t think you were suggesting that, but I thought I would point it out. When Nicole tells a white lie, her sin is actually greater than the non-sin of loving another person regardless of their gender. 🙂
Venue change for tonight
https://unfinishedlivesblog.com/2010/04/14/dallasfort-worth-rally-for-love-venue-shift-for-tonight-wednesday-april-14/#comments
Homosexuality is a sin that can be forgiven. And let me say this – sin is sin. It doesn’t matter to God which sin it is, He doesn’t like any of it. Whether it’s a lie, adultry, drunkeness, etc… PEOPLE have made sins big and small, not God.
@Tisha – I understand where you are coming from and I respect that. It will probably also not surprise you to know that I don’t support Prop 8. God did not intend for marriage to be between two people of the same sex. He said it and I believe it. I also don’t agree with people spewing hatred, Christian or not. Free assembly is a right, and I believe as long as it’s not racially motivated or sexually discrimanatory then go for it. Christians that can’t disagree with anyone in love shouldn’t call themselves a Christian, as that goes against what Christ teaches. We should approach everything in love, and no we don’t always do that.
@Rick – I don’t know why you think I have some hatred toward gay people because I don’t. As I said before – anyone can be forgiven, however you can’t ask for forgiveness and keep committing the same sin over and over, we can’t use God like that. At some point we have to hold ourselves accountable for the wrong we do and decide that we are going to stop sinning (or at least make the effort to). There is no double standard when it come to forgiveness – forgiveness is for anyone willing to ask for it and truly seek to be forgiven, repent and turn from their sinful ways. I am sorry for the implication of a double standard, that was not my intention at all.
@Carl – God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is not human, he is a divine God that does have unlimited mercy and grace – I truly believe that. I don’t think my views of Him are outdated. The issue is people twist the Word of God into what they want it to be, to fit their lives. They read into the Bible what they want to read. You can’t read the Bible with the human mind and grasp what it tries to teach. 2 Corin 2:14: “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” We have to be in relationship with Him in order to understand His word. The Word is plain and it’s the truth, and yes sometimes the truth hurts.
@ Rick pointed out several scriptures from the Old Testament earlier. I would also like to point out a scripture. 1 Cor 6:9 “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you WERE. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” I know in my heart that God loves everyone one of us. I also think that He loves us too much to allow us to remain the same. Jesus can save and sanctify anybody, no one is exempt from this, NO ONE. I love you all, even though I don’t know you. Yes we disagree on this point, but I will hope that you don’t hate me for my opinions, it’s just what I believe. Take care of yourselves.
I think what some people are not getting is that we don’t want their condescending forgiveness.
I know. They’d say it was God doing the forgiving. But excuse me if I don’t think they speak for God.
@Nicole: You’re exactly right, people DO twist the Word of God into what they want it to be. What makes me wonder is that you seem to think the theology you follow somehow isn’t a product of this exact twisting. You citied 2 Cor 2:14, which I think is very appropriate, since the person “without the Spirit” in that verse just might be you. After all, wouldn’t you argue that my stance that homosexuality is not a sin is something you cannot accept and that strikes you as foolishness? Thank you for using the Bible to help support my point. I appreciate it.
That’s true David. She doesn’t speak for God (thankfully).
In fact, by claiming to do so, she’s violated one of the BIG 10 (that taking the name in vain thing, actually one of the top 4).
Correction: It’s *1* Corinthians Nicole, not 2. Honest mistake (I missed it too 😀 )
Nicole – I read your posts and I agree with you. I don’t see how anyone can read the Bible and completely overlook what the passages mean. Especially 1 Cor 6 – it clearly says that certain people will not inherit (be welcome into) the kingdom. Practicing homosexuals are in that group. Thieves, liars, adulterers, drunkards. Homosexual people don’t see anything wrong with being homosexual because they have been deceived into thinking there is nothing wrong with it. Just like a person who drinks until they are wasted doesn’t think they are hurting anyone, or a drug addict doesn’t see anything wrong with snorting or sniffing until they are in a stupor or like a person that lies or cheats on their spouse. It’s all sin people – all of it and when the sky is cracked open on that last day, then you will see. But by then it will be too late. I urge any sinner to confess Jesus now before it’s too late, while there is still life there is still hope. ‘Every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.”
And @David what name has been taken in vain? The commandment is do not take the Lord’s name in vain. I don’t see where that was done anywhere.
@Carl, the Spirit that is referred to in that scripture is the Holy Spirit. Anyone that can read that it is immoral to have sex with another man (woman) and still think that’s okay to be homosexual certainly doesn’t have the Spirit.
When you’re presuming what God thinks, and forgiving me for something you presume I’ve done wrong (that my religion doesn’t), in my religion that would be you taking the name of God in vain. You cannot speak for God. But that’s just in my religion. And we wrote the book.
@ JJ: perhaps you would be so kind as to give your personal interpretation of ???????????? (because we all know Paul didn’t know how to pronounce the word “homosexual,” much less spell it). We look forward to your exegesis of the Greek, at which point we can continue the debate.
And yes, *anyone* can read that, but not *anyone* can understand it. Your response re: the Greek will help illustrate that point…
As this is a predominantly black congregation and the Pastor is or was being Mentored by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, I’m not familiar (at least during my residency in the D/FW) area of the Pastor preaching homophobic sermons; however, I never attended his church either. So I’m not sure where this speaker was coming from; however, the context doesn’t matter — such statements are dangerous and I’d almost bet Pastor Fred was somewhat surprised by the remark. I don’t know, I’m just hoping. As far as TD Jakes goes — he has gay people on his staff; but they don’t talk about sexuality of people at the church — but doesn’t his sermon include HIV/AIDS and straight relationships — I’m just asking
I saw the scriptures listed; however, I’m not going to respond because I’m beyond such debate with people who consider themselves Christian; however, I find them not to be reasonable. And we are suppose to be able to REASON with PEOPLE of God.
I hope the protest is peaceful and you all get your message across. I’m in GA so I want get there by 6:30. PEACE
Drat. The Greek characters didn’t show. Ah well, the transliteration is “arsenokoitai”