As I've said before, many times, there are two main reasons for this PERCEPTION that Christianity is all about bashing the Gays...
1. Media hype. Anything controversial, any controversial statement made by any religious figure, is proclaimed loudly and long in the national-level media. Preaching or speaking against adultery, divorce, lying, cheating or stealing is not controversial enough to merit media attention... anything about homosexuality IS, because it has been top-of-the-news for some time leading up to the SSM decision. Controversy spurs readership/viewership and therefore spurs advertising sales.
2. The Opposition: There is no coordinated and organized group protesting in favor of social acceptance for adultery, theft, lying, cheating, etc. There is for homosexual issues. This produces a clash which increases the controversy value of the story, leading to more media hype.
The TRUTH....
The truth is the average Conservative/Evangelical/Fundamentalist church doesn't actually focus on homosexuality to the degree the media hype makes it sound. In fact there are very few churches, nuts like Westboro aside, for whom it is a major issue at all.
In some 50 years of attending many different churches in the Southeast (the Bible Belt), I would have to say that I have rarely heard a sermon about homosexuality. I have heard it mentioned in sermons from time to time, but rather rarely was it the subject of an entire sermon. Far more commonly, sermons addressed issues more common to the congregation and community, like the life and teachings of Jesus, the nature and need for salvation, the importance of marriage and family, on love and compassion, charity, forgiveness, faithfulness, sobriety, moderation, and against adultery, premarital sex and teenage pregnancy, lying, gossiping, dishonest business dealings, and so on.
Contrary to the media frenzy, the average church does not spend all its time in a dizzy frenzy over What Are Dem Gayz Up To. Far from it.
Frankly I think I've probably heard about as many sermons on Gluttony (an unpopular topic lol) as sermons on homosexuality.
So it is really a matter of media hype feeding a perception that is far from the truth.
What is a little sad is, what is says about the intellectual capacity of the American people on average.
So it is really a matter of media hype feeding a perception that is far from the truth.
It's astounding just how ingenious most people are. Especially with the internet. I can see that before the internet, things would have been a lot harder to see, but now, no.
I have never attended a fundamentalist church in the Southeast so I'm not discounting or arguing against anything you've said.
But from my perspective it is really more than just a simple matter of media hype.
Where I get the impression that Christians feel differently about homosexuality than virtually any other "sin" is what I hear from Christians on a more-or-less daily basis; either here at USPOL and other online discussion forums, on Facebook and other social media platforms, and through interactions with Christians "out in the world".
I never hear Christians discuss sins other than homosexuality, with the exception of abortion, with the same degree of vitriol, spite, and anger.
In my opinion, experience, and perception, it goes beyond simply "hating the sin" to a real bigotry and probably even hate in some (many?) cases for the sinner.
As I've said before, many times, there are two main reasons for this PERCEPTION that Christianity is all about bashing the Gays...
1. Media hype. Anything controversial, any controversial statement made by any religious figure, is proclaimed loudly and long in the national-level media. Preaching or speaking against adultery, divorce, lying, cheating or stealing is not controversial enough to merit media attention... anything about homosexuality IS, because it has been top-of-the-news for some time leading up to the SSM decision. Controversy spurs readership/viewership and therefore spurs advertising sales.
2. The Opposition: There is no coordinated and organized group protesting in favor of social acceptance for adultery, theft, lying, cheating, etc. There is for homosexual issues. This produces a clash which increases the controversy value of the story, leading to more media hype.
The TRUTH....
The truth is the average Conservative/Evangelical/Fundamentalist church doesn't actually focus on homosexuality to the degree the media hype makes it sound. In fact there are very few churches, nuts like Westboro aside, for whom it is a major issue at all.
In some 50 years of attending many different churches in the Southeast (the Bible Belt), I would have to say that I have rarely heard a sermon about homosexuality. I have heard it mentioned in sermons from time to time, but rather rarely was it the subject of an entire sermon. Far more commonly, sermons addressed issues more common to the congregation and community, like the life and teachings of Jesus, the nature and need for salvation, the importance of marriage and family, on love and compassion, charity, forgiveness, faithfulness, sobriety, moderation, and against adultery, premarital sex and teenage pregnancy, lying, gossiping, dishonest business dealings, and so on.
Contrary to the media frenzy, the average church does not spend all its time in a dizzy frenzy over What Are Dem Gayz Up To. Far from it.
Frankly I think I've probably heard about as many sermons on Gluttony (an unpopular topic lol) as sermons on homosexuality.
So it is really a matter of media hype feeding a perception that is far from the truth.
I agree with most of what you've said and my experiences are similar. HOWEVER.....while not a large majority, for those Christians that do adovcate discrimination against homosexuals or same sex marriage, that is the ONLY sin they want to take such actions against. Bakers seem perfectly willing to bake cakes for marriages Jesus considered adulterous or selling candy to gluttons.As I've said before, many times, there are two main reasons for this PERCEPTION that Christianity is all about bashing the Gays...
1. Media hype. Anything controversial, any controversial statement made by any religious figure, is proclaimed loudly and long in the national-level media. Preaching or speaking against adultery, divorce, lying, cheating or stealing is not controversial enough to merit media attention... anything about homosexuality IS, because it has been top-of-the-news for some time leading up to the SSM decision. Controversy spurs readership/viewership and therefore spurs advertising sales.
2. The Opposition: There is no coordinated and organized group protesting in favor of social acceptance for adultery, theft, lying, cheating, etc. There is for homosexual issues. This produces a clash which increases the controversy value of the story, leading to more media hype.
The TRUTH....
The truth is the average Conservative/Evangelical/Fundamentalist church doesn't actually focus on homosexuality to the degree the media hype makes it sound. In fact there are very few churches, nuts like Westboro aside, for whom it is a major issue at all.
In some 50 years of attending many different churches in the Southeast (the Bible Belt), I would have to say that I have rarely heard a sermon about homosexuality. I have heard it mentioned in sermons from time to time, but rather rarely was it the subject of an entire sermon. Far more commonly, sermons addressed issues more common to the congregation and community, like the life and teachings of Jesus, the nature and need for salvation, the importance of marriage and family, on love and compassion, charity, forgiveness, faithfulness, sobriety, moderation, and against adultery, premarital sex and teenage pregnancy, lying, gossiping, dishonest business dealings, and so on.
Contrary to the media frenzy, the average church does not spend all its time in a dizzy frenzy over What Are Dem Gayz Up To. Far from it.
Frankly I think I've probably heard about as many sermons on Gluttony (an unpopular topic lol) as sermons on homosexuality.
I don't think Americans lack intellectual capacity; I think they're intellectually lazy. And it's also true that we're all bombarded with information. I think Goshin is right that the media drives what people are talking about.
I can say, having attended church faithfully most of my life and having worshipped in many denoms' churches that I have never once heard homosexuality being harped on in a pulpit.
Do those w/ these strong "religious" feelings which leads them to discriminate also have strong feelings against other "sinners" which actually make God's top ten list..(see below)
Or how many of them are divorced/married to someone that is?? My guess is aHellaVa of them..:lol:
“Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality,[d] and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”
I agree with most of what you've said and my experiences are similar. HOWEVER.....while not a large majority, for those Christians that do adovcate discrimination against homosexuals or same sex marriage, that is the ONLY sin they want to take such actions against. Bakers seem perfectly willing to bake cakes for marriages Jesus considered adulterous or selling candy to gluttons.
So it is really a matter of media hype feeding a perception that is far from the truth.
Hey, people / Christians sin, repent, are forgiven in Christ, and for most of them they move on.
The real question is: Where's the repentance (Luke 13:3) and turning from their sin from the gay sex crowd?
And by the way, I doubt the fanfare about homosexual sin & gay marriage wouldn't even be seen to the extent it is except for the media hype and except for gays flaunting it and cramming it down everyone's throat. I don't see any 'Adultery Pride' parades, do you?
So nice try.
You of course see (wont go into why) what gays do as forcing it down your throat, but have you ever thought about what you do & what you may be forcing down someone elses..??
Since "Christians" are so laxed about adultery, fornication, etc~~~~THEY DON'T NEED A PARADE, they already got acceptance....SShhisshhh:3oops:
God forbid righteous laws should be looked upon as some pernicious curse on mankind.
So all Christians are adulterers and fornicators, etc.? By your logic all gays are murderers because some are.
Do those w/ these strong "religious" feelings which leads them to discriminate also have strong feelings against other "sinners" which actually make God's top ten list..
How many gays were in those churches to be preached to?? My guess none, @ least openly so.......
You would be very much mistaken. Do you think that gay people don't go to church?
Well I believe it is all that, but more......
Like the organizations & their barking dogs in DC passing & threatening to pass legislation against gay marriage, allowing discrimination against gays etc....
Hey, people / Christians sin, repent, are forgiven in Christ, and for most of them they move on.
How many were/are in the congregation??
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