8B
RELIGION/tElie Charlotte
Thursday, August 3, 2006
Campaign seeks dialogue
between gays and
Christian conservatives
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
INDIANAPOLIS-”Would
Jesus discriminate?”
The question has been pop
ping up on billboards, yard
signs and in newspaper ads
aroiuid conservative central
Indiana lately in a new, Bible-
based appeal for acceptance of
gays and lesbians. It’s a cam
paign organized by a predom
inantly gay and lesbian
denomination—Metropolitan
Commimity Churches—and a
Jewish gay acti'/ist.
Oi^anizers say the effort is
the first in a planned series of
campaigns across the country
aimed at getting people to
take a fi'esh look at the sodal
justice passages in the Bible.
“Jesus taught us to love
everyone, even our enemies
and those who are different
fiom us, not destroy and mis
treat them,” said one ad pub
lished in The Indianapolis
Star.
‘We want the dialogue to
take place in every dty that
we operate, in some way,” said
Rev. Cindi Love, executive
director of MCC, which has
congregations in 240 cities.
Christians with conserva
tive theological views believe
gay relationships violate
Scripture. They insist their
outlook is based not on preju
dice, but on the Bible and
2,000 years of Christian
teaching.
Liberals see the primary
values of the Bible as beit^
love and inclusiveness, with
long-term gay relationships
left unaddressed. 4
While some are willing to
start a dialogue, the discus
sion arovmd Indianapolis has
n’t always been fiiendly
An independent Baptist
coi^regation along a major
thoroughfare posted the mes
sage “God Discriminated at
Sodom” on its sign board. A
Christian conservative group,
the American Family Associa
tion of Indiana, distributed
radio ads saying, “Not only
did Jesus discriminate; he is
going to discriminate again ”
The MCC and the cam
paign’s benefactor, furniture
designer Mitchell Gold, are
undeterred.
Gold, the North Carolina-
based purveyor of chic furni
ture sold by the hkes of Pot
tery Bam and Crate & Barrd,
is underwriting much of the
$100,000 media campaign
throu^ Faith In America, a
national organization he
foimded to fi^t intolerance.
“I’ve suflfeed a good amoimt
of discrimination by people
holding up their Bible,” Gold
said in an interview. “The
clock is bdi^ turned back,
and I want to stop the dock
fiom beir^ turned back. ”
The characteristics of true love
Continued from page SB
3. What are some of the
characteristics of love? (v 4-8)?
Paul gives a long list of char
acteristics of love. In this list,
there is probably at least one
characteristic that each of us
needs to work on. As we strive
towards godly love, we wid
continually improve on these
characteristics. ■
The first characteristic that
Paul gives about love is that it
is patient. There are a lot of
people who suffer in this area.
Obviously, the Corinthian
church had to suffer fixim this
problem since Paul listed this
characteristic first. It takes
time to develop patience; it
does not come overnight. It is
a characteristic that most peo
ple don’t want to work on. It
is, nevertheless, the out
growth of genuine Christian
love.
Love is kind We should not
mistreat anyone. Tbo often.
Christians esdiibit an unkind
attitude towards others. The
Bible says, “Be ye kind one to
another, tenderhearted, for
giving one another, evai as
God for Christ’s sake hath for
given you” (Eph. 4:12).
Love is not envious or jeal
ous. When someone receives
blessings and successes finm
God, we shoxxld aU rejoice. We
should not get mad because
we did not get that particular
blessing or success.
WITH LOVE AND THANKS •
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All eveiih are rUEEiotl le j)ul)lic For more iiiformaHon please conlach
Veronira (lovan @ 704-^32-08o7, or Sean Brooks @ T04-224-4898
St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church • WebSite: stlukembc.org
1600 Norris Ave., Charlotte, NC 28206 • 704-375-9650
Rev. Cli&)rd Matthews Jr., Pastoi
“ToMake Fully Devoted Youth Disciples £ot Christ’*
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704-865-9016(office) i
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Information that is
A warm and special
thank you for all the mem
bers, family and friends of
the New Zion Missionary
Baptist Church that
assisted in making the
second Pastoral Anniver
sary of Pastor Henry
Williams Jr, First Lady
Katrina Williams and their
family a memorable
event Pastor Williams
and family were truly sur
prised and appreciated
the heartfelt out pour of
love and admiration. The
sentiment was well
coined by one of our Dea
cons, who stated, “Pas
tor, we hope to celebrate
another 40 years with you
as our pastor and leader.”
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