I received a reply tonight to my email to the local AOG Pastor. I can tell you, my heart was right in my mouth when I clicked to open it, but it wasn’t as bad as I had feared it could be.

Not as good as I’d hoped, either, but at least he didn’t belt me over the head with the bible ❗ 😆

He basically said that anyone is welcome in his church, no matter who they are, but where they would draw the line is

when someone starts to push an agenda that is not in line with the teachings of Jesus and the Bible. If a person is not yet married but living together with someone else we would welcome them to come. If however they began to promote that kind of lifestyle in the church as “Christian” that would create a problem for us.

So I guess I am kind of ruled out because just to say I am with a same sex partner could possibly be seen as pushing an agenda.

avb, I would like to send you a copy of the email as the Pastor has said he’d like to talk more with me if I want to…I have no idea how to approach further discussion…or what to say. Would appreciate some pointers. 🙂

lol… I always shake my head whenever someone says ‘promote the lifestyle’. It’s that evil gay advertising, isn’t it? I can just imagine little Timmy Jenkins sitting with his mother in the front pew, when suddenly a lesbian couple walks by. “Can I be homosexual too, Mommy?” he asks. Yet another victim seduced by the homosexual advertising scheme. Or those children’s books… “Mommy, mommy, I read a story about gay penguins today! Suddenly, I feel this uncontrollable urge to go out and jam my tongue down another boy’s gullet. May I mother? May I please?” Anybody who had the sense to rub two brain cell’s together would realize that gay advertising only works if the people are already gay. Otherwise, we’d all be straight – just think of all the movies, TV, books, and people we meet everyday. Certainly the sheer inundation would be enough to turn any gay man or lesbian straight – if not for the fact that’s it impossible. If there was such a thing as being able to promote an orientation we’d all have been straight and it never would’ve occurred to anyone that any other way was possible.

😆 😆 You crack me up, gettingthere. But there’s a lot of truth in what you’ve said.

As I said, the response was better than I’d feared, but not as good as I’d hoped. I don’t know if I would be able to attend the church under those terms, because it’s just not possible for me to not push an agenda if someone asks me if I am married, for instance.

My reply can only be “No, but I have a partner.” and then if they asked

“What does he do for a living?” I’d be in a position where the truth is an ‘agenda.’ *sigh* I’d have to say “SHE is a student.” And then I guess the fecal matter would hit the cooling device, wouldn’t it?

I didn’t think it was possible to feel discouraged and encouraged at the same time!

That’s how I feel, though. This is a very different response to my email than I might have hoped to receive even five years ago, I think, but it’s still branding me as someone who may potentially lead people astray.

I will need to think a lot before I reply. If I reply.

I’ll send you the email, avb.

Thanks!

what are we both doing up at 2am on a Sunday morning………writers……our best work is done in the dark hours.

Indeed it is! They tell me that the midnight oil is poured by the creative muse…well, no actually, I just made that up. 😉 Sounds good though!

Although, me being in QLD where there is no daylight savings, it is only 1:22am here.

Hi Meg, I split this thread from the Bayside message so as to try and keep everything tidy … hope you don’t mind?

And then I guess the fecal matter would hit the cooling device, wouldn’t it?

I had to do a double take when I read that sentence 🙂 I think what you really meant to say was the @$%& hit the fan? 😆

Reading between the lines, it seems that the Pastor is basically saying that your’re welcome … so long as you conform to some sort of heterosexual ‘norm’ (whatever that is!) and don’t upset the apple cart. Sad really. I’m a big believer in diversity when it comes to contributing to worship …