Watch the video above and you might think there's a real movement spreading across America to welcome people back to forgiving, non-judgmental churches from sea to shining sea.
But you would be wrong.
As Thomas Squires pointed out on our Facebook page:
The video is great (I thought at first it was either a UCC produced vid or Episcopal)....it isn't. Read their statement of Faith: especially where if you join this "initiative" you must be a church that does not condone homosexuality.(See on.fb.me/mPs8SW)
Thomas is right - he did the research I should have done before posting this clip to the web site. Watching the video you would think that those who made it understand that Christianity is not about judging one another. But in the fine print their web site says churches must live by a creed they set out in detail. Reading their creed makes it clear those behind this slick campaign are the same old same old.
Their creed that includes a promise that the church will:
"uphold the Word of God, and not engage in moral compromise (Romans 12:2) or affirm any sin such as sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, stealing, greed, drunkenness, slander, swindling (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip (Romans 1:21-32), witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, factions, or envy (Galatians 5:19-21)."
So much for diversity of opinion - or perhaps you can disagree so long as it is not about anything included in the creeds. Not that there would be much left to disagree about after reading the full creed.
If you really read the Bible, it is quite clear Jesus has little use for "proof texters" whether they are the Scribes of his day or these Pharisees of our day. Proof texting is proof texting and it almost always misses the point of what Jesus wants us to do.
But the hypocritical nature of this campaign does not end with misleading people into thinking that these churches are actually inclusive, that they permit diversity of opinion, that they are different from the old churches - the ones that raised money across America to pass Prop 8 or the ones whose theology supported generations of Jim Crow laws.
What is really wrong with their ad is that it they don't apply their creed to everyone. It is not as if Churches who sign onto this creed will really speak out against ant-gay "hatred" or the "selfish ambition" of the Silicon Valley millionaires who back conservative politicians. It is not as if churches accepting this creed will take even one step to decrease the "malice" so many display towards LGBTQ children. It is not as if this creed requires those folks to do anything more than mouth the old time religion that so many Americans (and even more Europeans) reject.
Next year those who misuse the Bible as an offensive weapon will undoubtedly be back with more slick (and misleading) videos and other uniform promotional materials. If they do, maybe we should call them on their inaccurate advertising. This is a free country and they are free to believe what they want. But misleading people into thinking they are something new is simply false advertising.
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