I've got to include that in the article!

THAT, my friend...is a PERFECT example.

Now....since I allowed your last venomous post to be published...let me try to put it all into perspective for you. Please - I ask as respectfully as I can for you to try to be objective and listen without the very obvious bias you have for some reason.

You began your comments to me by several comments that tell me you still miss my point. You make simple stabs like "unassociated much" which demonstrate to me that you aren't following at all what the intent of my article is. Being the one who made the video - I can assure you that I am aware what the subject matter was ... and it was not "Jennifer Knapp is a Homosexual". Had it been that, then - sure - putting in healthcare into that would have made me Captain Random. My topic was about Toxic Christianity. (I was pretty clear on that in the title).

Lately, Ive heard so many friends, noted speakers, authors, artists, and many others who proudly speak the name of Christianity showing a wold in twitter and Facebook that they speak love i none corner of their mouths and speak venom out of the other. It could be on a variety of topics. Does it mean that the mention of the topics is wrong? No. Does it mean disagreeing with the topics is wrong? No...my focus is HOW it is being handled and discussed.

Now...lets fast forward. The straw that ended up "breaking the camel's back" was seeing a ton of folks who were making some very publicly hateful comments about Jennifer Knapp. I'm not talking "Jennifer Knapp is doing something sinful by being gay" .... I'm talking being outright hateful.

I grabbed my cam phone...and I shared my thoughts.

Somewhere while filming it...I realized that SOMEONE would hear me CASUALLY mention it...and MISTAKE me for saying "folks...back off her! It is OKAY to be GAY! QUIT BEING SO MEAN TO THOSE WHO ARE GAY!" .... so I made sure to stop and say "the Bible is very clear about it." I figured we didnt need more than that for the sake of this discussion. After all...the purpose of my discussion was NOT whether or not homosexuality is right or wrong - or homosexuality at ALL ... the purpose was to say "watch how you say things".

I went further to simply mention that, if I were repeating in a particular sin, I would want someone to hold me accountable - not waste so much time gossiping about it on twitter or facebook to say "wow, I can't believe Jason did THAT!"

Now....let me digress. I sincerely hope you have read and sincerely listened to each word. I hope you have done so with more than just critical focus in how I have spelled or what form sentence structure I used...or whether or not I used a tripod.

It saddens me that you have taken the time to be so degrading in your comments - spewing the very venom that I warned about to begin with. It bothers me that you paint the picture of me that I might not be against homosexuality by the words you type. (You first wanted me to take a scriptural stance against it...then when I do mention Leviticus, you become sarcastic about it - making comments like "even outside of Leviticus! Even in the New Testament! I know, surprise!"

My big question.....? Why? Why be anonymous? Why take the time to be so rude and throw so many rocks? I've said nothing wrong in my video. I've done nothing wrong scripturally, theologically, morally...yet you attack. ... and the question is still...why?

Perhaps I will not get as honest of answers as I have taken an honest measure to try to set a record straight that I never tarnished to begin with. Perhaps a guy who is "laughable" and "likes to hear (myself) talk" is more "admirable" in the fact that he gave you, someone who chooses to hide in a cloak of anonymity, the ability to have their comments posted on his blog when he could have just edited them away as if they never happened. I've given you more than enough opportunities to speak...now I am simply asking you to be fair and honest in what you say.

"If I were dealing with repetitive sin, I'd like for someone to tell me, 'You. Stop. It's bad. God loves you. Be good."

You seemed to have missed the entire point. You seemed to have missed quite a few points and have taken from my statements what you feel can be used for target practice. Not only did I say "homsexuality is not cool"...I called it sin. I said that is not acceptable by any standards Biblcally. I've made no mistake to say that it is wrong. The intent of the article is not to say or show how homosexuality is wrong. Nor is to show where murder is wrong. Nor is it to show where gluttony is wrong. Nor is it to show where any other number of sins are wrong.

The point was this....

Should we be bashing someone repeatitively for their sin all over the internet? Or should we be praying for them?

You see...you have watered down ever word of what I said to mean that my intent was "someone needs to go to Jennifer Knapp and say 'God loves you...now run along and don't be gay anymore!' " ... all it took was listening to EVERY word I said to know that I was not saying that at all. What I WAS saying was that we should be praying for someone privately...instead of bashing publically. I said that I would much rather have someone come up to me and hold me accountable for my sins than criticize me behind my back. Have their been people in Jennifer's life talk to her to hold her accountable? I'm sure! I'm also fairly sure that 99.9% of the people online spewing venom never have.

So, my anonymous friend, I hope I've addressed your concerns. I'll be happy to address several passages in Leviticus that specifically target the sin of homosexuality when I ever post an article that has a subject of why homosexuality is wrong. It, however, was not my focus. It is the focus you are trying to make it. You have taken the subject matter and cast it aside and tried to replace it with your own.

Trackbacks will refer back to the origianl article, please. I\'m glad you enjoyed it!

Will do. In the meantime....I'll be praying that the situation is in His favor.

I think I get the gist of what you are saying....though I think it is separate to the feelings I was originally feeling. (If I've lost the whole idea of the connection...please redirect me).

I would tend to agree with you with regards to a lot of what I am seeing out in the world today. Instead of being "set apart", we are trying too desperately to fit the same mold. We try to emulate someone else (the "superstars" as you put it) instead of emulating Christ.

I strongly feel that when we start trying to be someone else...when we start trying to emulate someone else's sound or just doing what some other group is doing....then it can become (as you put it) an instance of having a congregation participate, "theater-style, to another's worship".

God gets tired of it too...

Just listen to Amos.

Amos 5:21-24 (The Message)

21-24"I can't stand your religious meetings.
I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
your pretentious slogans and goals.
I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes,
your public relations and image making.
I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That's what I want. That's all I want.

I can remember the day that FOSTERED my start as a worship leader of today. It was a small rural church in Adamsville, Tennessee. The music minister, at the time, asked if anyone had a song they'd like to come up and sing. There I was...not even a teen...but I shot up like a rocket because I had a song on my heart and a desire to sing it to my God. That hasn't changed.

We're all "annointed" through Christ. My worship isn't any more "annointed" than the next guys. When I refer to someone "really feeling His presence", it is never because I feel that, without my pompous help - God's presense would be forever absent. Absolutely not. The issue is moreover with this.

I don't CREATE worship. I never have. I never will. You worship. I worship....and the atheist who lives just around the corner from you worships. The guy sitting up a few pews from you on Sunday was worshiping, too while the service was going on....but he was worshiping his iPhone and the cool application he installed so that he could check his stocks at a moment's notice. The guy up on the stage could have been worshiping his brand new guitar he just bought and how sweet the sound was.

We are all worshiping SOMETHING. I don't create that. It is my opportunity to help try to direct that worship where it should be. That will forever be what I do.

Thanks for your words....and thanks, as always, for your input. Assuming I know the "Donna" in question, you always have a great way with putting a great direction with things. Please tell A.U. that I miss seeing him on Thursdays. If I am entirely wrong on "Donna"...then count me off as being off my rocker for the last fifty or so words. (lol)

God bless ya!

Becky,

Are you no longer at Una? Hope all is well on your end.

Jason

Don't get me wrong, Gregg - I don't get annoyed with the people that simply say "good job." It is just an uncomfortable feeling that I find it hard to deal with. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

Glad you got something out of the article, Bryan.