The Gay Gospel?

Don't Baptists misread the Bible too?

Returning to a much-covered theme that will be having readers make an exit for a different blog sharpish, an anonymous reader has kindly sent me a book 'for my armoury', thanking me for a 'sane and committed blog'. I'm quite sure some people think this blog is 'insane' and 'you should be committed'.

Anyway, this book has been sent to me from someone who likes the blog, so I'll say thank you, for it is a gift, but I found it strange to receive it since I am a Catholic and the author of the book is, wait for it, a fully-paid up Protestant who seems to be 'rent-a-church'.

Joe Dallas, the author, is 'past president of Exodus International, lectures extensively at churches and seminars and directs a biblical counseling practice in Tustin, California'. The book seems to be a personal travelog from 'pro-gay' theologian to 'mainline' Christian with biblical quotes aplenty addressing the mistakes made by 'pro-gay advocates'.

I do not wish to sound in the slightest bit derisory towards Protestant churches, or some of their gifted ministers, nor do I think that anything that is not in the Vatican library should be immediately burned, it is just odd that I've been sent a book written by someone in whose lexicon the words "Catholic Church" are most assuredly not. While I appreciate the gift of this book, I do think that the subtitle to the book is interesting, since it is highly likely that, since the author of the book is not a Catholic, that he may just be a 'pro-Baptist advocate' who has 'misread the Bible'.

Humbly, he suggests that while he was actively gay and signing up to 'pro-gay' beliefs, that he had 'lost his salvation'. Now that he has repented it appears that 'losing your salvation' cannot occur. Most amusingly, when he discusses the mainline Churches reaction to the gay liberation phenomenom, he mentions every denomination under the sun...except that which compiled and wrote the book itself. No offense to the kindly man or lady who sent me this...I'm just being honest. I immensely distrust books published by 'Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon 97402'. Inevitably, books written by 'reformed gays', or indeed people who have overcome some particular disorder, like 'reformed chocoholics' or even that most dreadful bore, the 'reformed smoker' are of the, "Sinner? Yes, I used to be a sinner and nearly lost my eternal salvation!" ilk. There are surely few more irritating to God than these and surely few more irritating to men. No offense to those who have given up smoking. I do admire you actually!

The One True Church, the Catholic Church, teaches that anyone, straight or gay, can have the faith of the Centurion and yet lose his immortal soul eternally should he die in a state of mortal sin, therefore cutting himself off from Christ. There are no free passes to Heaven. Let none of us fall into the sin of presumption that 'we've cleaned up our act' and are 'saved'. God has no favourites as St Paul says, for 'pride goeth before a fall'. Still...I'll dip into it, for it does have some very interesting points to make about the Christian LGBT movement, and its rise from total obscurity, to less obscure than before status, so thanks!