Neighbourhood Comes Together and kicks out religious haters...response - "Rain Down on Me"

[EquitesVeritatis]

Funny how no one points out one of the neighbor's saying "We don't like your kind on our street." Such words bring us back to how blacks were segregated. Ironically enough the blacks say the very same thing to Mexicans in Memphis. Discrimination, hate, bigotry etc, all only visible when its the whities and/or the religious committing it.

[peytonlive]

the only God worth serving is the God of love. wow, this is such a beautiful song!

[a0square0canoe]

I'm sorry, but God doesn't hate homosexuals. It says in the Bible that God loves EVERYONE. That isn't an exclusive statement. Everyone means everyone. He loves sinners, saints, murderers, adulterers, rapists, missionaries, Al'Qaeda, homosexuals, pastors. EVERYONE. The only thing wrong with your statement is the ACCEPTANCE thing. God cannot live where sin inhabits. In the Bible it states that man shall not lie with man and woman shall not lie with woman, for this isn't what I intended...

[a0square0canoe]

@a0square0canoe ...or something along those lines, I don't have it memorized. Since no one is born a sinner (children are automatically innocent, as they have no grasp of sin or righteousness, only need), that would mean that no one could be born homosexual. It doesn't mean that God hates homosexuals. He loves them and every one of his children, even the prodigals. By direct relation, WE should love them and every one of his children. Don't hate the sinner, hate the sin.

[kcarbol]

@a0square0canoe - this letter on the internet provides some serious "pause for thought": Google "Letter to Dr. Laura (Schlessinger) homosexuality"

It's a letter from a listener regarding the Dr.s (and listener's) take on this issue.

[kcarbol]

@a0square0canoe - Hey! Thanks for your comment. How is something "wrong with my statement" - it did not express opinion per say. The flaw in your response is that you do not mention (or quote) all the other various scripture in the various translations of the bible that also state things that you (in statement) imply are God's word that we then should also live by today; e.g. "stone the adulterer", etc. *Sigh*...feel free to continue with your input. We all learn from various opinions.

[a0square0canoe]

@kcarbol Your point is valid. However, some of the things that were accepted in the Old Testament as "God's word" were proven false in the New Testament... by Jesus. For instance, there is a portion in the Gospel of Mark where an adulterous woman was set to be stoned. Jesus came across this and said, "Let you who is without sin cast the first stone." The truth of the matter is, the Bible was written by men, most of whom were told by God what to write. However, there were likely instances where..

[a0square0canoe]

@a0square0canoe ...people who wrote certain things (ie: stone adulterers) and weren't ever questioned. Have you ever heard of Westboro Baptist Church? If not, look them up. THEY give Christians worldwide a bad name, and the pastor claims to be speaking for God. None of their statements are even remotely backed by the Bible.

[kcarbol]

@a0square0canoe... And therein partially lies the point (and the conundrum of all of this) - Jesus did not say these things. John certainly (also) said it well: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." Wouldn't it be nice if everyone stopped throwing stones!

[a0square0canoe]

@kcarbol While Jesus may not have said that homosexuality is a sin, he did not counter that point from the Old Testament. He revoked most of the things in the Old Testament (ie: sacrificing animals, stoning adulterers, etc), however anything he did not revoke should still be viewed as a sin or something necessary. Just because Jesus never restated the Ten Commandments in their entirety in the New Testament doesn't mean that they are obsolete.

However, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't....

[a0square0canoe]

@a0square0canoe love homosexuals. Your quote is an example of one of the many verses that explicitly says to love one another. I have a friend (several, in fact) that is gay, and I don't stone him, hate him, or treat him any differently. Does that mean I sit idly by and allow him, a Christian, to continue down a path marked as sinful? No. I don't continually tell him that he's going to "BURN IN HELL," I just ask him if he's rethought his life occasionally. The people that are in the wrong are...

[a0square0canoe]

@a0square0canoe ... the ones that continually tell others that they are vile creatures that should be ashamed of themselves.

[LOLA8238]

I think the song is beautiful and the message is one we can all learn from. Spread love and peace!