From: "Dan" 

On Mar 28, 11:17 am, "Daniel S. Vieira"
 wrote:
> * irenic * wrote:
> > Our mission is to all people, including gay and lesbian people, their
> > families, their friends and those with whom they work. Our mission is with
> > gay and lesbian people as members of our churches and partners in the
> > gospel. This has always has been the case, even when we did not know it.
>
> > To accept this does not mean that we have to accept same sex partnerships
or
> > partnered gay clergy. Historically and in the present day many of the gay
> > and lesbian people who have served the church in mission and ministry, both
> > lay and ordained, have not accepted such partnerships for themselves nor
> > seen them as valid expressions of a holy life for others.
>
> > In our present time more and more societies are accepting gay lifestyles as
> > valid and morally acceptable. Many countries are committed by law to
> > allowing gay rights and offering same sex unions. This means we are
required
> > to engage in these societies in a new way.
>
> > Agreeing to listen does not imply that we must accept the position of those
> > to whom we are listening.  However it does mean that we seek to hear God
> > speaking to us and discover his will. It does require that we offer respect
> > and, perhaps change the way in which we speak.
>
> While the two top paragraphs sound ok, this opens the door to
> post-moderism and deconstruction of Christian morality.
>
> Sure, there have always been people in the Christian Church who have had
> a homosexual orientation.

Yes there have been, but the church has only been aware of it for a
relatively short time. For most of its history, the church's teaching on
sexuality was predicated on the asumption that people were free to choose
between approved and condemned forms of sexual behavior.

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