Originally Posted by votivesoul
Perhaps not. But let me throw out a scenario.
An avid soulwinner from an Apostolic church, makes friends with a transgendered person at work. He or she, as the case may be, is determined to win this person to the Lord.
The soulwinner prays, interecedes, travails, and fasts, being a light and loving friend to the transgendered person.
Finally, a chance to really talk with the transgendered person comes around. They have a wonderful conversation about the Lord and His goodness. The Gospel is mentioned. An invitation to the soulwinner's church is given.
The transgendered person accepts, thinking that if this kind, warmhearted and loving person is what a true Christian is, then his/her church must be just the same.
The transgendered attends on a Sunday morning. He or she attempts to use the restroom per the gender of choice. Someone sees it, reports it to an usher, the usher tells the pastor, and the pastor tells the usher to clear the foyer and wait (or worse, go in) for the transgender to come out.
A scene is made, the usher isn't as kind, warmhearted, and loving a person as the soulwinner/coworker. Or maybe so, but is just following orders. Or maybe so, but just isn't up to speed on all the politically correct lingo, and offense is made. The transgender is:
1.) Told to leave the building for the safety of whichever gender
2.) Allowed to stay for the service, but warned that he or she must use the appropriate restroom next time, or he/she won't be welcome back
3.) Nothing is said, but the transgender person is then subtly escorted and followed by the usher for the rest of the meeting, while a quiet word is sent throughout the church so that husbands can protect wives, mothers can protect children, and etc. The transgendered person then of course, realizes what's going on, even though no one has said a thing.
If allowed, he or she stays for the rest of the service, out of courtesy for the soulwinner coworker.
Afterward, heart hardened, feeling hurt and embarrassed, the transgendered person never wants to step foot into an Apostolic Church again.
He or she closes him/herself off from the Gospel. The avid soulwinner can't make a dent.
And for what?
For straining at a gnat while swallowing a camel?
For forgetting the weightier matters of the law?
This scenario is not intended to mean that transgendered people don't need to repent, or that we should coddle them in their sin.
But the Gospel is more important than where a person relieves themselves.
Accommodation, to me, is like an olive branch that let's a transgendered person, who doesn't know his/her right hand from his/her left, who is dead in trespasses, and already condemned, know that he or she can come to a meeting without being judged, harassed, ridiculed, or whatever, and that he or she is then free to experience the presence of God, hear the Word of the Lord proclaimed and heralded, and make a choice to give his or her heart to Jesus, without restraint, and without the church interfering simply because of what restroom he or she went into before service began.
That, to me, is way more important.
|
Hybrid Mode
