While the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington D.C has reneged on its promise to halt its social services programs in the city after the City Council passed gay marriage legislation, three churches in Michigan just can’t handle even a neutral stance on homosexuality, and are thus pulling out of a homeless services consortium.
Kalamazoo’s Martha’s Table, which counts eight churches among its prayer-and-food program, is hosted by the Protestant/United Church of Christ parish at First Congregational Church. And because First Congregational Church dared support LGBT tolerance — by backing Kalamazoo’s transgender protection ordinance — Martha’s Table is seeing three churches make a swift exit, because they don’t want to be part of anything that another LGBT-tolerant church is involved with.
Agape Christian Church and Word for Life Church of God plan to withdraw from Martha’s Table at the end of the year, and Centerpoint Church (formerly Third Reformed Church) has already done so, [First Congregational pastor Rev. Matt Laney, pictured] said.
“The founding principle of Martha’s Table was that churches would come together and put aside their differences in light of what unites us, which is our common commitment to serve Christ and others,” Laney said. “But now this difference has risen above our common commitment to serving Christ.”
Laney said representatives of all three churches have been “very clear” that they don’t want to be “guilty by association” with First Congregational and its inclusiveness of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, said Laney, who publicly supported an ordinance passed by Kalamazoo voters in November that protects GLBT people from discrimination in housing, jobs and accommodations.
“To me, it’s incredibly disappointing,” Laney said. “That’s the best word I can give it. It’s also mystifying. I was very shocked and surprised when they pulled out.”
It’s unclear whether the three churches leaving Martha’s Table will join another homeless services group, or will contribute to starving Kalamazoo’s most needy.
adx
It is interesting and astonishing to note the number of times that “religious” persons whose “church” is supposed to follow the word of Christ *show such blatant and virulent hatred* of their fellow human beings. This COULD be why religion is being attacked, virtually unlike it EVER has in all of American history. It’s showing its most viciously hateful colors in the past decade, and losing ground steadily because of it.
Then claims persecution.
Perhaps everyone could print out articles like this one or simply link to them every single, solitary time a “church” person claims persecution — showing how opposition to and animosity toward these “churches” is founded quite coldly and sanely in the hate they no longer dabble in, no longer sometimes exhibit, but now *daily and gleefully embrace*.
Seriously.
Schteve
They can’t help the homeless because now people are forced to not discriminate? Uhhhh…,right.
boarderthom
The ‘religious elite’ make the ‘cultural elite’ look like small potatoes.
The religious elite whether they be of christian, jewish, or muslim faith are a bunch of morons.
Mike in Asheville, nee "in Brooklyn"
Now that’s the Christian spirit! And just in time for Christmas.
ksu499
Jesus wept.
Brian
TRUE RELIGION
Stephen's brother
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SumnIqY_tUM&feature=PlayList&p=40825452CB0C3150&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=11
LWJII
So I guess they believe that the Christ of the Bible who taught giving to the needy is approving this. What a shame, they are a disgrace to his very name. Those so-called Christians, personally anyone who does the opposite of his teachings isn’t really a Christian in my book, they are only in title not fellowship.
schlukitz
So much lip service being paid to “tolerance” on these threads. This is what we are expected to tolerate on our own site?
No. 119 · jamie
Well id like to tell you faggots that what i would really enjoy would be torturing all of you to death, but you’d probaly go tell the gay police. so I’ll just let you know most men see you fags and are disgusted , no matter what politicly correct bs people say so they dont offend you. America hates you. die faggots.
Posted: Dec 17, 2009 at 1:56 pm
David
“Martha’s Table is seeing three churches make a swift exit, because they don’t want to be part of anything that another LGBT-tolerant church is involved with.”
Even other Christians are not Christian/hateful enough for these fuckwads.
ricky
disgusting. and i know which organization is behind this. the american family association.