Christian artists openly gay ?

I think many were shocked when Ray Boltz publicly announced his homosexuality. Now Jennifer Knapp is out of the closet and a self-admitted lesbian.
This stuff is difficult for me, as I am against embracing that which is opposed to God, namely sin. But at the same time, I don't hate on these people, (love the sinner hate the sin) I just have a hard time understanding this mind-set.
How can they reconcile the many Words from God throughout Scripture that denounce this lifestyle and continue to claim Christianity as their belief. We're not talking about a sin that's committed and repented from, which God said will be a perpetual problem in our lives while in these fallen bodies. We're talking about a lifestyle that is chosen, embraced yet diametrically opposed to God's standard. We're all born with some particular sin that dominates the rest, a sin that we struggle with till we die.... for example, someone may be predisposed to domination in their sexual orientation, this leads them to desire and think about taking someone by force and raping them. This sexual orientation is deviant and should be resisted, prayed about and maybe some counseling. What I'm trying to say is, everyone has something that's predominately errant in them and that they have to put in overtime in prayer and accountability -we're all fallen and imperfect. Doesn't mean we should just give up the fight and accept the sin. My personal dominate sin I struggle with since I gave my life to Christ has been being angry with life - hating life, manifesting in outbursts of anger including cursing and breaking things. I have acknowledged this sin, confessed it and repented from it. Doesn't mean it won't still rear it's ugly head at times, but I refuse to give in to it because I know what God's Word says about it and how I should make an effort to seek Him when this sin arises, and He takes it from me. But to give in to it and say "Well, this is just how I am, I can't help it, I was born this way..." IS A COP OUT. And these musicians and others who represent Jesus are making a big mistake by embracing this abherancy in their nature and worse yet are all the Christian fans who accept them for who they are, instead of pulling their support until repentance is made public.
It's becoming more widely accepted (esp with this latest Bill SB48 calling Homosexuals a "race" to not be discriminated against, and making it mandatory to exclude anything negative in any textbooks or school activities -which would include Bible groups on campus. It also requires textbooks to contain great acheivements by gays throughout history in an effort to paint them in a positive light). It's no different than a Christian who struggles with desires to have multiple partners deciding to give in and publicly announce a new lifestyle he/she was born with.
This, my friends, is giving up on fighting temptations that God commanded us to do, and making a mockery of God's Word which should always be regarded as the final truth.

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

....How can they reconcile the many Words from God throughout Scripture that denounce this lifestyle and continue to claim Christianity as their belief. We're not talking about a sin that's committed and repented from, which God said will be a perpetual problem in our lives while in these fallen bodies. We're talking about a lifestyle that is chosen, embraced yet diametrically opposed to God's standard. .........

I refuse to give in to it because I know what God's Word says about it and how I should make an effort to seek Him when this sin arises, and He takes it from me. But to give in to it and say "Well, this is just how I am, I can't help it, I was born this way..." IS A COP OUT. And these musicians and others who represent Jesus are making a big mistake by embracing this abherancy in their nature and worse yet are all the Christian fans who accept them for who they are, instead of pulling their support until repentance is made public.
......

I think I am pretty much completely onboard with you on this one, but I think I would stretch it out to anyone (not just Christain celebrities) who think they can live in a perpetual life-style of sin and still be under God's grace.

And don't get me wrong. I struggle with sin on a daily basis. I loose my temper too easily and sometimes swear. I eat too much at times (gluttony), and get too little excercise (sloth). But I think the difference is that I hate these things about myself, and want them gone. I'm certainly not going to embrace my sin, and start parades or events to celebrate my sinful nature (can you just see me wearing a t-shirt that reads "Fat. Lazy, Angry.....And PROUD OF IT"?). Foolishness.

Another thing that shocks me a bit, is that all sorts of people, with all sorts of different beliefs and world views call themselves "Christian". Many of them do not hold to the complete word of the bible. Some will pick and choose what they like from the bible, and still others call themselves Christian without even reading God's word (I know, I was one of them for many many years). So sometimes people calling themselves "Christian" may have very different beliefs about what is "wrong or right".....even things that seem very obvious (black and white) in the bible. They probably even includes people on this very board.

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But I think the difference is that I hate these things about myself, and want them gone.

BINGO!
With the Gay issue, I think a lot of justifying is going on. Which is why I brought up the whole "born with it" argument, and showing that we're ALL born with specific errors that we lean towards as our predominant temptation... call it what you will, but God calls it sin. Whether we "feel" ok with it or not, God condemns it and His children should be the first in obedience to call sin, sin. Then repent, not embrace it.

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can you just see me wearing a t-shirt that reads "Fat. Lazy, Angry.....And PROUD OF IT"?

I hate to say it, but a shirt like that would prolly sell !

I was devastated back in the early 90s to hear Leslie Phillips leave Christian music and embrace questionable lyrics.
Now we got very talented artists who chose to represent the BIBLE and it's Author, now saying they're gay and it's O.K. ??? I'm no longer devastated at these headlines since I learned my lesson about exalting humans. However, I'm still saddened by these choices, and whether they want the position or not, they fall into the category of teachers being held to a higher level of accountability by the very fact that they bear the name Christian, lead in praise, and sing lyrics representing Biblical truths. These artists, and especially in Jennifer's audience have a big influence on impressionable minds (Knapp's biggest audience is majorly teen girls).
These are indeed the last times Jesus spoke of.

Amen



Guilty/Forgiven I think you said that quite well.

I have to agree. I don't think I have anything to add.

Yep! Same here!!

Besides artists in the various genres of CCM who have "come out" as gay, I'm aware of quite a number of industry types (both artists and execs, and some of them friends of mine) who have for various reasons embraced the narrative that unchallenged homosexual behavior is consistent with life in Christ.

This is a real concern to me. I feel that a day is near at hand where Christians in America will be legally sanctioned for publicly defending New Testament teaching re: sexual purity.

Seems that the longer I live this life, the harder it becomes to discern sheep from goat. Fortunately, the issue of which is which is NOT my call to make!

Rob

ProgPariah77 wrote:

Seems that the longer I live this life, the harder it becomes to discern sheep from goat. Fortunately, the issue of which is which is NOT my call to make!

Rob

Amen to that. Yeah, I was reading an issue of Down the Line a couple of months ago where they were doing features on three openly gay artists (I can only remember Ric Alba, not who the other two were) and was amazed at the amount of contradiction in their stories. It was like insisting that 2+2=5.

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This is a real concern to me. I feel that a day is near at hand where
Christians in America will be legally sanctioned for publicly defending
New Testament teaching re: sexual purity.

If you do a little research, our Hate Crimes bill that we've already passed could do exactly that. It was fashioned after a similar Canadian law that has actually jailed several ministers for speaking openly about homosexuality. I believe that Holland has similar issues, but I'd have to ask Vonnie.

"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:28

Man...sign of the times indeed! Amen!

Pointyguitarz wrote:

Man...sign of the times indeed! Amen!

Welcome to CHM!
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What bugs me is that Christian metal is bagged on when some artists turn away from God, yet CCM is still blooming.

"As it was in the days of Noah"

"As it was in the days of Lot"

So shall it be....



I am from Canada and the laws passed in the past 20 yrs +/- leave one to pray for deliverence. Example. A law passed a couple years ago placed the obligation, not the right for a judge or similar judicial figure to marry gays if requested. In other words, if a local magistrate has the liscence to marry, and a gay couple requests his/her services, then he/she is bound by law to provide the service. There was a move afoot to include all persons with a marriage licence to perform if so requested. If that move was successful, then my father in law who is an elder in his local assembly, and who holds a licence to perform marriage, would have been bound by law to marry a gay couple if so requested. Thankfully, a loophole in the rights and freedoms part of our constitution allowed for religious beliefs to be taken into account.



But it's only a matter of time before the right politicians (or wrong ones actually) with a public move, has that changed.



Surely we are in the last days.

What you will see then are clergy who will cave and perform those ceremonies or they will relinquish their license. I would fall into that latter category.

Guilty/Forgiven: Man, you really have hit the nail right on the head with this thread!

This is a very serious issue that deeply saddens me. I really wish I knew what I could do about it!

But the Bible DOES say that many of God's people WILL be deceived. We certainly ARE seeing that these days! Are things REALLY getting so much worse than they have been, or are my eyes just being opened wider?