01/08/2009
Rev. Ed Bacon to Oprah Viewer: Being Gay is a Gift from God
The Reverend Ed Bacon's response to a question from a gay man on Oprah yesterday that "being gay is a gift from God" (it's not mentioned in the show summary) has set the Oprah forum boards on fire, with so-called Christians angry at the statement.
The show, on spirituality, was broadcast as part of Oprah's "Best Life Week".
A sermon from Rev. Bacon entitled "Spiritual Practices for the Weary" which addresses marriage equality and was delivered last year at All Saints Church in Pasadena, AFTER THE JUMP...
Posted 11:32 AM EST by Andy Towle in News, Oprah, Religion | Permalink
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Homosexuality is not a gift from God -- it's a rental. The first 30 years are free, then the payments start. You signed the lease before you were born.
Posted by: TikiHead | Jan 8, 2009 2:26:46 PM
The definition of the word Christian is to be Christ-like and follow his teachings. Jesus himself stated that he was the fulfillment of God's covenant to the people of Israel and that he was sent by God for all the people of the world. The New Testament is what Christians should be following as it is God's new covenant for all the people.
As I recall, Jesus did not address homosexuality explicitly but asks us to treat our neighbors as we wish to be treated and to not judge others lest we be judged. A real Christian follows our Lord's example and knows that gays are God's children as much as anyone else. The message Rev. Bacon delivers is one I hope I emulate when I give sermon to my fellows. God loves all his children, please remember that above all else.
Rev. JerzeeMike
Posted by: JerzeeMike | Jan 8, 2009 2:35:37 PM
@Tikihead: Aw crap! I threw those bills out when they started showing up cause I thought they were junk mail. What's their collections procedure like?
Posted by: Jay | Jan 8, 2009 2:40:03 PM
"What's their collections procedure like?"
Vicious! There's no shutoff notice, you just wake up one day and no longer like Madonna, Kathy Griffin or American Idol.
Posted by: TikiHead | Jan 8, 2009 2:59:41 PM
Oh Tikihead,
LOL
Honey, as long as there is Cher they can't "shutoff" the gay.
Posted by: 1♥ | Jan 8, 2009 3:23:15 PM
Meh
Posted by: TANK | Jan 8, 2009 3:32:48 PM
I'll take Francis over this smug snake oil selling doucheburst any day of the week. At least he could paint.
Posted by: TANK | Jan 8, 2009 3:45:40 PM
Wow! Alright, Tiki - I'm convinced. I'll pay my bill and any late charges. Idol starts too soon for me to lose the gene now!
Posted by: Jay | Jan 8, 2009 4:43:39 PM
"I don't judge but my LORD does".
For the people who say this:
Fine, looks like I'll just have to wait for that to come when I die and I'll happily burn in hell than to live in a heaven where God doesn't want me. So if you really believe that then you should be making life here on Earth as comfortable as possible for us for the short time we can be here. I've been more inclined to believe in God because of Christians who want marriage for us and would be happy to join in your religious crusade if you would just stay out of our bedrooms.
Also the bible says NOTHING about lesbians so why do you still oppose that? What bible reference do you place that on?
Posted by: Aiden Raccoon | Jan 8, 2009 6:27:30 PM
Actually AIDEN, the homobigot Paul did address girl on girl action.
Romans 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
But who cares what this misogynistic, slavery supporting, homophobic closet case had to say? He was about as Christ-like as Jerry Falwell.
Posted by: Zeke | Jan 8, 2009 8:13:10 PM
All this sky fairy business is dull. Who wants to have sex?
Posted by: Ben | Jan 8, 2009 9:17:13 PM
Thank you, Red Seven. I can't take this bullshit Christian right-wing garbage any more. These people are no more Christian than a Nazi skinhead. There is nothing Christ-like in what they say or in their behavior. Christianity has been hijacked. Forget the fact that Christ warned about idiots like these using his name to further their own hateful, biased agenda. Frankly, all of this has forced me to take a good hard look at religion as being nothing more than myth and mind control. I've so over all of it.
Posted by: Joe Allan | Jan 9, 2009 12:56:21 AM
Agree with so many of the comments. One thing I'd like to know, maybe I missed it. Where has Oprah been on the gay rights issue? She has more money than God so she can afford to take a stand. It's great that she invites people of various backgrounds on the show to illustrate a diversity of viewpoints to her audience, but it would be so much more effective for her Bible-toting fans if she was to come out explicitly for LGBT rights. She could be doing us so much good. Is she against LGBT rights?
Posted by: Ted | Jan 9, 2009 1:24:57 AM
To say that being gay is a gift from God.
Is a slap to God's face, given that there are several scriptures in the bible that states it is detestable act. For a clergy to make such a blasphemous comment, he must be on drugs. We all will be held accountable for our actions (good, bad, moral, or immoral) on the day of judgement.
Therefore, if one wants to live in contrary to God's principles then he/she will have to answer for their lifestyle.
Posted by: FedUp | Jan 9, 2009 5:06:07 AM
Fedup, For your opinions to have any credibility, one would have to believe in an idiotic diety. God is not stupid, but you are.
I do not have a "lifestyle;" rather, I am gay because that is the way God made me, in his image. Yes, we will all be held accountable; therefore, if you act on your stupidity and bigotry, you will be rightly condemned. It is your 'judgement' [sic] that is flawed not God's.
Now go away stupid little troll. This blog is for adults who are capable of thought. You fail on both criteria.
Posted by: rudy | Jan 9, 2009 8:46:59 AM
@ Fedup
Your proslavery Bible is a "slap to God's face".
My Bible is the Thomas Jefferson Bible where Jesus is a just a simple man that simply wants us to love one another.
Of course that’s something that you will never understand.
Posted by: 1♥ | Jan 9, 2009 8:50:03 AM
What is read in the Levitical Code is dealing with Male Temple Prostitution.
The Levitical code is cerimonial.
In the levitical code swine/pig is considered an unclean animal-ceremonially. Man took it further and made the pig a morally-physically-spiritually unclean animal. In the beginning of creation God said that it was good. and to Peter in a vision he told Peter to kill and eat things that in the Levitical code were off limits. And then told Peter "Don't call unclean what I have made clean"
There is also a section that talks about a woman lying down before a beast. That is dealing with sexual or spiritual submission to an animal made into a god. Bulls Pigs and certian other animals were common 'gods' to the surrounding people of the Hebrews. Aaron the high priest made a golden bull at the demand of the people and they worshipped it and had sex beneath it.
Sodomites were male temple prostitutes. Which is why people will associate oral/anal sex with Sodomy.
That verse in Leviticus is not dealing with same sex attraction.
Posted by: TylerAnthony | Jan 9, 2009 9:35:34 AM
Rudy & 1love,
Your "lifestyle" [sic], are yours'. However, there is no present day Bible that condone your lifestyle. And for a so-call man of god (clergy) to say it's a gift, makes me wonder which god is he serving.
As stated before it is not my place to judge, however if you can show me in the Bible where this is acceptable or is a gift then I will adjust my paradigm.
Posted by: FedUp | Jan 9, 2009 10:30:04 AM
@Fedup
I don’t accept your proslavery bible as the “word of God”. Your proslavery bible also includes many stories (start with Genesis) that are complete works of fiction. Like 600 year old Noah building a boat and living another 350 years after the supposed flood. And if Genesis isn’t true that would mean the bible is in error from the start and can not be trusted.
My Bible, the one that founding father Thomas Jefferson wrote, doesn’t condemn me for being Gay. That’s because Jesus never condemned anybody for being Gay. It’s quite obvious that Jesus didn’t care if people where Gay or not. But Jesus did care that we all learn to love one another.
My being Gay is most certainly a gift from God because I’ve learned not to believe in the lies of your proslavery bible but to believe what is in my heart.
♥
Posted by: 1♥ | Jan 9, 2009 11:41:54 AM
You never win a religious dispute with reference to the bible to back ya up. All you really end up proving is that it's internally inconsistent, viz., meaningless. But it doesn't discredit it for some strange reason. Faith as a mental illness...
Posted by: TANK | Jan 9, 2009 1:28:51 PM
@ 1love
You need to study your Bible. Given that the Bible was inspired by God (2Tim 3:16). You are correct the the Bible is proslavery, since it was written over a 1600 year period (1513 BCE through 98 AD) and published in more than 2300 languages. It is the only book that provides detail info for the past, present, and future.
NOTE:- If the Old Testament books are not good for you. Then here are some New Testament scriptures for your reading (2Cor 6:9-10 & 1Tim 1:10).
I hope that you will have the instential fortitude to examine these verses.
Posted by: FedUp | Jan 9, 2009 10:03:37 PM
That alone should give you pause to refer to it as god's word, fedup. There's no way to know who wrote the bible, in fact...it's been rewritten over and over again. Ya know, there's no good reason to believe that Jesus even existed as an historical figure...
I do hope you have the intestinal fortitude to read the book of a primitive death cult that quite literally worships death, not life; and at every turn emphasizes death over life. Read the irrational ravings of a cult is in no position to criticize any other religion on rational grounds that employ the use of evidence. Pastafarianism is just so much more fun, too--but just as plausible as christianity.
Posted by: TANK | Jan 9, 2009 11:06:42 PM
You can say all this about Christians not living their lives exactly to the Levitical law, but do they claim it to be a gift from God to sin? I didn't think so. To say to sin, being gay, is a gift from God is absurd and ridiculous.
Posted by: Anonymous | Jan 9, 2009 11:27:39 PM
To believe something for which you have no evidence is absurd and ridiculous. That is, to be a christian is ridiculous...and it seems immoral as I answer to a higher power than the one that condemns homosexuality. Adult ethics.
Posted by: TANK | Jan 9, 2009 11:35:07 PM
The needless suffering of one thing capable of suffering is enough to cancel out the existence of the christian god.
Posted by: TANK | Jan 9, 2009 11:36:09 PM