This entry responds to this faith blog.
I enjoyed reading this blog because divorce and homosexuality are two issues I have thought about separately but not much in congruence with one another. Still further, it gets me to think about the right we have to “kick” someone out of the church.
It’s also interesting to read a dialogue where no one tries to assume they know exactly what the answer is. The blog stands alone as an interesting idea, but it’s actually the comments in response to it were enjoyable as well. I digress.
I respect the author’s willingness to call out such a common hypocrisy. I still do not agree with the idea of excommunication, however modernized it may be. A fellow Christian deserves as many second chances as can be given to him. I realize it’s the right of a church to finally disallow a member to some extent.
However, unless it was an extreme case, I think I can safely say I would not feel comfortable refusing another’s membership in my church. Now, if that member openly hurt another member, then it becomes an extreme case.
When it comes to homosexuality, I do not feel it warrants “de-membership.” We are all sinners in need of forgiveness. My sin is no less than the homosexual man, practicing or not, worshipping next to me. I should hold him accountable for his actions, as he should me. Do I feel like I can tell him where to worship, when he has only hurt himself? No, I don’t feel that I can.
If anything, I have the opportunity to help him in his struggles. He may then do the same for me. I feel this surrounds what church is all about.
I comment very little on idea of homosexuality and divorce because I do not feel I have much more to say than what the blog and its comments discussed. I do feel we have a responsibility to each other in the church but not a right to force someone out, except in extreme cases.
Living out our faith 