May each of you have the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, and the hand to execute works that will leave the world a little better for your having been here. -- Ronald Reagan

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Disciples of Christ (First Christian Church) Is Joining the Anti Christian Bigoty Assault on Indiana. I'm a Member of the Church. Don't Like It.

The denomination I belong to had a post on Facebook that they were going to move our National Convention from Indiana because of the anti gay law. Story here. It's not that at all, that is a lie, and several in my church 'liked' the post. I posted the following. Support this move in my view supports the anti Christian bigotry of half the country and certainly the Left and Democrats.

My post, which I sure will piss off a bunch of church members, but must be said.

If they do this, I'll have to rethink being a member of the Disciples of Christ. This is not an anti gay bill. None of these freedom of religion bills, the federal one or the 19 states, have ever been the source of gays civil rights being violated, or discrimination against them. What I see here is discrimination against Christians. The reason states are passing these laws is because Christians don't have a way to protect ourselves from state supported anti-Christian hate and bigotry. This is no more than part of the culture war, and is a viscous attack on Christians. These hate-filled anti Christian bigots are being helped by the secular government. How dare Christians try and protect themselves from these attacks. Never ever have these laws been used to discriminate against gays, but gays are forcing Christians to loose their businesses and go bankrupt, losing everything because they practice scripture and the rules of their churches, and spiritual consciences. And Christians are the intolerant ones? I had thought about leaving the Disciples' Church in 2000 or 2001 when the Council of Churches meeting in South Africa, the Protocols of Zion were trotted out, and was just accepted by the Disciples' representatives. To me, that Antisemitism and this anti Christian bigotry are equivalent. My view is if you support this action then you're not supporting the freedom of religion, you're contributing to the destruction of Christianity. It used to be protected by the Constitution. Cal Thomas: "The uproar about Indiana’s law is political theater. It is also a trap set by the Left, which Republicans risk falling into. It works this way: Find a Republican state (Gov. Pence is a Republican and the legislature is overwhelmingly Republican); pick an issue you can twist to your political advantage – and Republicans' disadvantage; enlist the help of a gay-friendly media; threaten a boycott of the state by prominent individuals and businesses; use this issue in the next presidential campaign to brand Republicans as racists, bigots and homophobes. In this theater of the absurd, any defense becomes indefensible. The die has been cast; the scarlet letter attached. ... One potential good has emerged from this, however. Miley Cyrus has announced she won’t be bringing her 'twerking' self to Indiana, which is bound to have a positive effect on the state’s moral climate." More of my thoughts about this here.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I agree. I left the CC(DOC) because I got sick of the leftist and secularist agenda that the hierarchy promotes. It grieved me reading the comments below each of the posts on CC(DOC)'s facebook page pertaining to Indiana's RFRA. The venom coming from many of the posts was both sad and shameful. Not once did I read a comment from any of the leadership condemning the name-calling and venom. I weep for this denomination and other denominations which are also promoting the secularist and leftist agenda. I just wanted to write and to say I'm with you on this. Continue speaking the truth in love.

Steven Dexter said...

Thanks for the support and sorry you had to leave DOC. I've brought this to the attention of our executive committee, elders and asked them to bring it to the congregational committee. I told them I want the church advised the DOC leadership is using Christ's name and our church for their political agenda, and want at least the regional managers to show up here and explain themselves. If not I'll find other ways of causing them grief.

Unknown said...

I am sad that I needed to leave (for my own spiritual health), but what saddens me more, is that a big reason I left was because the regional hierarchy (Texas) gave me grief for not towing the party line. In other words, I was chastised for daring to disagree w/ Obama, Pelosi, and the ACA (Obamacare). I called it Marxist and got skewered.

I made it through a Disciples seminary very much surprised at the caustic leftist atmosphere there. I went in naive, and came out at least knowing about the leftist bend. I was shocked at the caustic attitudes of people who were seeking to become ministers. I expected better.

Anyway, I am very glad (for many reasons) that I went and graduated from this seminary. Yes, I got my degree and it got me on my present career path. It also prepared me for the assault we're facing today.

Keep up the good work. I am glad I found you on the DOC Facebook board, and am reading your blog. Even though I've left the DOC, I still hurt and am grieved over what's happening to this denomination. My prayer is that the DOC will get back on a good path.

Steven Dexter said...

Thank you for the feedback/comment. It's labor intensive, but I need to get a mailing list of each Disciples church and address this issue. My three blog posts, after our Executive Committee meets this month, I'm printing and sending to Sharon Watkins, getting the names or her oligarchy in addition. I need to see what our Executive Committee and Congregational Committee will, if anything, say and do. I have members of my church that agree with me once I inform them of the latest blogs and letters Watkins has penned. I said, a couple Bible studies ago, when we were sharing prayer concerns, that we pray for the DOC leadership, they have lost or turned away from Christ, and need to be saved from that. So like you, my prayer is the DOC will get back on the path.