Saturday, August 23, 2008

FEAR OF RETRIBUTION AMONG DISSIDENTS IN THE LDS CHURCH REGARDING THEIR OBJECTIONS TO CALIFORNIA'S PROP. 8

This article is both encouraging and revealing at the same time.

Notice the line: "In an e-mail, site managers at lds4gaymarriage declined to be identified for this story, saying no one was willing to give their names 'because of the fear of retribution by the church.'"

"Religion" breeds fear! The Spirit breeds freedom!

Christianity is of the Spirit of the Lord, if it's Christianity in fact! Freedom of thought, freedom to disagree, freedom to hear, obey, and share the voice of God in one's daily life, relationships, and ministry are what characterize the "ecclesia," the "called out ones" who comprise the Church of Jesus Christ! The rest are impostors!

Christianity knows nothing of fear; gives no quarter to wolves in sheep's clothing; knows nothing about discrimination or advocacy of discrimination against any of God's children; knows nothing about any mere human mediator between the Christian and God!

Jesus is our only Mediator! Jesus defines the call on each of our lives, and no mere human being dare interfere with that call!

You wouldn't know it from most of the assorted professing Christians and clergy who monopolize the airwaves, and who inhabit most of the leadership positions within the institutional Church and the Mormon Church, and who preach their false gospel of exclusion from assorted pulpits throughout the world, but Jesus brings freedom from yokes of bondage.

Moreover, is these very types of legalistic and oppressive religious leaders and clergy who were roundly condemned by Jesus!
I urge you to open your Bibles and read the following verses: Matthew 23:13-15; 23; 25; 27; 29.

It is by no means any accident that the very first recorded words taught by Jesus as he began His public ministry were the following: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19)

Echoing this pronouncement by Jesus, the Apostle Paul wrote the following: "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2Corinthians 3:17)

Why would anyone voluntarily want to be part of any religion that placed such yokes of bondage upon him or her that he or she was afraid to speak his or her mind; was afraid to disagree with that church's leaders; was afraid of being ostracized by others due to his or her beliefs; fear church "discipline?"

Kim Farah, spokesperson for the 13 million member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, was quoted as saying the following, that speaks volumes:

"'The Church, of course, recognizes and accepts that some among its very large membership may view the issue differently,' Farah said in a statement. But members who engage in clear opposition to church doctrine may cause local leaders to consider church disciplinary action, Farah said."

What an indictment of the LDS Church! When people are afraid to speak Jesus' message of freedom from yokes of bondage; are repulsed by discrimination against any of God's children; are offended by a church's advocacy of constitutionally mandating removal of civil rights from same-sex couples who want to marry; are afraid of being "disciplined" by those who claim to represent Jesus' church, something has gone horribly wrong!

You might want to check out the site: Latter Day Saint Doctrine And The Case For Civil Same-Sex Marriage.
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2 comments:

genevieve said...

The article was quite revealing in that people fear men rather than fear God. Jesus spoke so eloquently in the the passage in Matthew about the leaders of the church in his time. the same is happening today.

I'm thankful for the those who have chosen to speak out. No person should not have to deny who they are. As a transgender individual, I fully support same sex marriage AND I am a born again Christian.

Genevieve

Jerry Maneker said...

Thanks Genevieve. And the message that has to be broadcast is that there is absolutely NO inconsistency between being Gay and/or Transgender! Thanks for that statement! It needs to be widely disseminated.