The Bible says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice." (Ephesians 4:29-31)
Banish the word "faggot" from your vocabulary.
Don't say, "That's so gay."
Throw away words that express your disdain, animosity, and hate for people who experience same sex attraction. (I won't list some of the awful things I've recently seen said on blogs. It makes me so angry.)
If you talk that way, and you are a Christ-follower, you are bringing shame on the name of Christ.
Cut it out.
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For a story of how hate words have pushed people away, see this testimony by a young intern at Harvest USA named Laura: Searching for Safety, Finding a Savior.
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P.S. I know that there is another side to "words" when you are talking about homosexuality and that is allowing the true enemies of the gospel set the agenda for what words are acceptable and what words aren't. This is not a call to "play nice," but to put no unnecessary stumbling block in front of those who need Christ and His grace. Don't give in to fear but do give in to love!
2 comments:
Excellent. Over 20 years later, I still remember a prominent SBC evangelist--whose name any Southern Baptist in the know would easily recognize--talking about the "queers" from the pulpit. That was the night I wrote him off (not that there weren't several other reasons to do so).
Thanks, Byron. That's another good word to do without.
By the same token, even if someone else wants to use that word for themself, I won't be using it.
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