It is a given that many fervent followers of the Bible are still hung up on the whole “human sexuality fact sheet,” but the lengths one North Carolina Baptist church has gone to lash out at a former member go truly above and beyond the already-high bar of ignorance set in Jesus’ name.
Or, as the leadership at First Baptist Church in Bostic, NC calls it, “Christian love and genuine spiritual concern.”
Upon learning that one of their former members, Kelly Toney, is in a — gasp — loving, committed marriage with another woman, the church took it upon themselves to intervene.
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It didn’t matter that Kelly hadn’t actually attended the church in a decade and a half. Details, details.
The letter calls for Kelly to see the light, admit her sins, divorce her wife — essentially turn her happy, loving life completely upside-down so that it fits with one subjective interpretation of an ancient text. There’s just so much logic to it we don’t know what to do.
“If there is no willingness on your part to receive this appeal and display repentance and abandonment of this area of open immorality,” the church writes, “then the Church will have no choice but to take appropriate and prayerful action to address the standing of your fellowship with this Body at such a time that will be determined by the leadership and members of this congregation.”
The sad part is on some twisted level they think they are acting on a force of good, and that’s a delusion we can’t imagine will unwind itself easily.
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In a message posted on Outsports, Kelly writes that while she attended the church with her family as a child, she parted ways with the congregation as she came to terms with her identity, seeing the disconnect between the two forces.
“Not once did I receive a letter saying I’ve been missed or to get back involved in church over the past 15 years,” she writes.
But once the church discovered Kelly’s marriage, they decided the Christian thing to do is meddle.
Here’s the fully letter she received:
This is the letter Kelly received from her church today. from https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Baptist-Church/108149889226963
Posted by Lori Ann Toney on Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Scott Albert Bennett
Wow. Next we’ll be getting letters from Santa Claus for not following his traditions. Or maybe The Great Pumpkin! :p
Marshall R. Krug
it’s absolutely NONE OF THE CHURCH’S BUSINESS! PERIOD !!!
1EqualityUSA
Divorced members? How many have taken place in the past fifteen years. Christ actually spoke of divorce. Never said a word about us. Grab your pitchforks and go.
Brian JC Kneeland
the only action would be to bar them from their church – and that seems a small price to pay!
Brian JC Kneeland
I sure don
Brian JC Kneeland
don’t understand their brand of Christianity!
Juanjo
Just have to bask in the christian love and compassion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvhFs2bdRpE
Dawn Marie Broyles
That’s just fucked up and they call themselves Christians. Wow! This is why I left Christianity because they judge you and have no right to!
Masc Pride
The brunette is hot.
DCguy
The article said “The sad part is on some twisted level they think they are acting on a force of good, and that’s a delusion we can’t imagine will unwind itself easily.”
I understand where the author is coming from. I think I’m just more cynical. I don’t know if I believe that they do think that. I think they are gleeful in that they can attack another. I kind of wish that the author is right, but don’t hold out much hope for it when it comes to groups like that church.
Alex Rothwell
There isn’t anything this church can do. She is free to do as she pleases. The letter is all hocus-pocus. This church won’t be getting any money from this person. I hope !
Erica Jade Worthington
Gay people (and gay marriage) existed way before the bible was written, so your “traditional values” are completely wrong
redcarpet30
Baptists are a bunch of shit starters. If they want to be left alone with their tax exempt status then they need to learn to shut the fuck up and mind their business I don’t care if the bible says to evangelize or not.
GG
Curious how their ‘love’ looks and feels like hate.
Riess Livaudais
That’s all I would tell her “church”
Jesse Erickson
Somehow I doubt Jesus taught blackmail
tdh1980
Somehow I don’t think that intimidation and harrassment are covered under First Amendment rights.
Kamal Patel
so wait, they believe marriage is for life, but want them to divorce, but then they dont recognise same sex marriage so how can they then get divorced, or are they now saying that they recognise same sex marriage …………Christians huh, dont you just love em
Jacques van Rooyen
In the end it’s all about who gets the most action
1EqualityUSA
We should not be funding hate with our taxed income. This has to stop. We pay them to persecute us? We fund political oxen? We pay taxes, while these Churches suckle the jackal and chase worldly pursuits. Politics is worldly, so any church using that system to gain power will only manage oppression. I do not want to fund oppression. Faithless are they who wallow in politics. Pulpitpoliticalpanderingunenlightened. I wouldn’t buy unenlightened, so my taxed income should not be appropriated towards it.
Ladies, shake the sand off of your Birkenstocks and don’t give this group another thought. They usurp, most likely a worse offense than the love you two share.
Faye Denton
Being born gay is something that occurs in every culture around the world. There are lots of different things that occur, extra limbs, no limbs, little people, giant people, harelips, no nose, no eyes, lots of stuff. Being gay is just something you can’t see on the outside of a person. The people who condemn these people are not Christians. Do they condemn the rest of the people with unusual birth differences? A church like this has no business calling itself “Christian.” I say go to a real Christian church, not a fake one.
Transiteer
A threatening letter from a Christian (albeit Baptist) Church?? Wow! Not one thing Christian in this at all. Proves, once again, that Christianity, as a fake (read invented) religion has become so decayed, so corrupted, it has ceased to have any relevance to anyone at all, except for bullys, mentally disturbed Conservative people, and to those who rely on their Fairy Story giving them control over people. Tell this phoney church to f**k off. Atheism is where it’s at – you’ll find more Humanity there. Without any threats.
GC1985
If they keep harassing this couple, the couple should consider seeking a permanent injunction in court (not just a restraining order as this is a church committing these actions).
Dave Downunder
So the bottom line is that if she doesn’t comply they will excommunicate her from a church she left willingly a decade ago and they will pray for her. So in other words there will be no impact on her existence what so ever. Knock yourselves out guys.
GC1985
@Dave Downunder: Well if they keep harassing her, she may have a legal case against them.
Dave Downunder
@GC1985: In that case let’s hope she get’s some money out of it.
1EqualityUSA
Scalia was ready to rule against Unions, making due optional in Friedrichs v Teachers, but I say we start fighting having our tax dollars fund hate. We should be able to choose whether or not one cent goes to these political machines called churches. I don’t want to fund them.