Here is a FULL PAGE ad, ran multiple days, in the
Commercial Appeal by Memphis area
"Churches of Christ," attacking gays and lesbians:
Here is my response in a Letter to the Editor:
So the self-proclaimed "Churches of Christ," thought attacking "homosexuals" was so important they had to spend thousands of dollars to put several full page ads in the Commercial Appeal promoting their ant-gay bigotry. I was once a Church of Christ "preacher." I realized I was gay while I was a freshman Bible major at Harding Unviversity. In time I realzied that the "Churches of Christ," were much like the Scribes and Pharisees Jesus spent most of his ministry attacking.
Like the Pharisees, the Churches of Christ think following a literal interpretation of scriptures, written by men, is the path to heaven. Like the Pharisees, the Churches of Christ use the Old Testament Levitical code to condemn others (homosexuals, etc.) while they do not follow the Levitical code themselves. They also misuse the storty of Sodom and Gomorrah to condemn gays, when the sin of Sodom was not homosexuality, it was mass rape, inhospitality and violence towards strangers.
When they turn to the New Testament, the Churches of Christ do much the same thing the Pharisees did with the Levitical Code, they take scriptures out of context to support their prejudices. Jesus never mentioned homosexuality, and neither he nor any of the early discriples, including Paul, had any concept of a "gay" person. Paul condemned specific acts of pederasty (that is what the original Greek words refer to) and temple prostitution practiced among some of the "heathen" religions, not to attack gays and lesbians, which he had no knowledge about.
Of course, the Churches of Christ also think the Apostle Paul was speaking the literal words of God when he said women should be silent in the church and not have any authority over men, thus they don't allow women to be ministers or even lead prayer. They even think it is a sin to use musical instruments in worship, and condemn other churches who do not follow their narrow literal interpretation of the Bible. The "Churches of Christ" represent Christianity as well as the Taliban represents Islam.
I suggest any gay or lesbian person in the Church of Christ should leave immediately. There are some
real Christian churches who follow the real Gospel of Christ, and not the legalistic Pharisees in the Church of Christ. Or better yet, look beyond Bible-based religions, which nearly all oppose equality for gays and women, and embrace secular humanism and reason like I did.
And if the Churches of Christ really want to be disciples of Christ, they should have spent all that money on feeding the poor and hungry in Memphis.
Jim Maynard
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