Church Cancels Memorial Service...homophobia In Action Posted: 08-11-07 14:13pm
Another reason not to move to
Texas...sorry, Texan friends:
ARLINGTON, Texas - A megachurch canceled a
memorial service for a Navy veteran 24
hours before it was to start because the
deceased was gay.
Officials at the nondenominational High
Point Church knew that Cecil Howard
Sinclair was gay when they offered to host
his service, said his sister, Kathleen
Wright. But after his obituary listed his
life partner as one of his survivors, she
said, it was called off.
“It’s a slap in the face. It’s like,
’Oh, we’re sorry he died, but he’s
gay so we can’t help you,”’ she said
Friday.
Wright said High Point offered to hold the
service for Sinclair because their brother
is a janitor there. Sinclair, who served
in the first Gulf War, died Monday at age
46 from an infection after surgery to
prepare him for a heart transplant.
The church’s pastor, the Rev. Gary
Simons, said no one knew Sinclair, who was
not a church member, was gay until the day
before the Thursday service, when staff
members putting together his video tribute
saw pictures of men “engaging in clear
affection, kissing and embracing.”
Simons said the church believes
homosexuality is a sin, and it would have
appeared to endorse that lifestyle if the
service had been held there.
“We did decline to host the service —
not based on hatred, not based on
discrimination, but based on principle,”
Simons told The Associated Press. “Had
we known it on the day they first spoke
about it — yes, we would have declined
then. It’s not that we didn’t love the
family.”
Simons said the decision had nothing to do
with the obituary. He said the church
offered to pay for another site for the
service, made the video and provided food
for more than 100 relatives and friends.
“Even though we could not condone that
lifestyle, we went above and beyond for
the family through many acts of love and
kindness,” Simons said.
Wright called the church’s claim about
the pictures “a bold-faced lie.” She
said she provided numerous family pictures
of Sinclair, including some with his
partner, but said none showed men kissing
or hugging.
The 5,000-member High Point Church was
founded in 2000 by Simons and his wife,
April, whose brother is Joel Osteen,
well-known pastor of the 38,000-member
Lakewood Church in Houston. Now High Point
meets in a 432,000-square-foot facility in
Arlington, near Dallas.
Wright said relatives declined the
church’s offer to hold the service at a
community center because they felt it was
an inappropriate venue. It ultimately was
held at a funeral home, but the
cancellation still lingered in some minds,
she said.
Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 13932 Location: everythings better in, texas USA
Posted: 08-11-07 14:15pm
thats so messed up
ugh i hate this state!!!!!
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Jules
Moderator
Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 3760 Location: Merrie Englande, UK
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Posted: 08-12-07 10:41am
I can understand the church's position on
this one and I'm surprised anyone expects
any different from such an organisation.
It is widely known that the Christian
church opposes homosexuality and so the
discovery that this gentleman was gay put
them in a difficult position. It would be
like expecting some Nazis to conduct a
Jewish funeral - inappropriate.
And yes, I am comparing the Christian
church to Nazis
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HcoBrunette06
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 8005 Location: Missouri, United States
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Posted: 08-12-07 10:53am
well it's interesting that the church
would judge someone for being gay, when I
thought they weren't supposed to judge at
all, hmm.
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young Girl
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 13932 Location: everythings better in, texas USA
Posted: 08-12-07 10:54am
Jules
wrote:
I can understand the
church's position on this one and I'm
surprised anyone expects any different
from such an organisation. It is widely
known that the Christian church opposes
homosexuality and so the discovery that
this gentleman was gay put them in a
difficult position. It would be like
expecting some Nazis to conduct a Jewish
funeral - inappropriate.
And yes, I am comparing the Christian
church to Nazis
yeah but whatever happend to "love thy
neighbor" and "god loves everyone no
matter who they are or what they do or
have done"
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Jude-Love
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jun 2007 Posts: 727 Location: Williamstown, Kentucky USA
Posted: 08-12-07 11:19am
the_girlfreind
wrote:
Jules
wrote:
I can understand the
church's position on this one and I'm
surprised anyone expects any different
from such an organisation. It is widely
known that the Christian church opposes
homosexuality and so the discovery that
this gentleman was gay put them in a
difficult position. It would be like
expecting some Nazis to conduct a Jewish
funeral - inappropriate.
And yes, I am comparing the Christian
church to Nazis
yeah but whatever happend to "love thy
neighbor" and "god loves everyone no
matter who they are or what they do or
have done"
It's caca, that's what. Religious people
don't want to do that because they think
they are better than others.
And yeah, I just made a sweeping
generalization, that I completely believe.
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Birch
Moderator
Joined: 07 Nov 2005 Posts: 3963 Location: Bliss,
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Posted: 08-12-07 11:22am
The dude worked at the church.
Denying a dead guy his funeral because of
who he slept with aligns these
"nondenominational" churchgoes with the
Fred Phelp's Crazy Camp. I hope there
were some members of the church who heard
this and got fed up and left.
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HcoBrunette06
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 8005 Location: Missouri, United States
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Posted: 08-12-07 11:28am
isn't that discrimination? can't they get
in trouble for that?
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marytartor
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 125
Posted: 08-12-07 12:08pm
its hard for me to believe they can. I am
catholic and went to a perocial (I can't
spell) school, there was a kid who in his
senior who came out as gay. They tried to
kick him out of the school and church
there was major law suit. It ruled in the
kids favor saying that it was
discrimination.
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marytartor
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 125
Posted: 08-12-07 12:09pm
It is also hard for me to believe that
they did not know. He worked there I am
sure they had suspicions...
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Birch
Moderator
Joined: 07 Nov 2005 Posts: 3963 Location: Bliss,
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Posted: 08-12-07 14:03pm
HcoBrunette06
wrote:
isn't that discrimination?
can't they get in trouble for
that?
Churches are not bound by the same laws
that public and many private institutions
are, even though they receive non-profit
status and are recipients of corporate
welfare (in the means of receiving grants
and other public monies).
Off topic a little, and I am not sure
about other areas, but I know in
Cincinnati only very recently was a law
passed that included sexual orientation as
a protected status. I think it was legal
up until 2003 or 2005 to deny someone a
job/housing/etc. just because they were
gay/lesbian.
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sillyakchick
Moderator
Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 2688
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Posted: 08-13-07 16:46pm
Ugh this is sick SICK SICK! Why why why
is it OK to deny a funeral service to
someone who died, based on the fact that
they were gay. And if a funeral WERE To
take place, it should be a celebration of
his life, regardless of how he lived it.
I am completely "Angered Off" by this!
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arcadia
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 4470 Location: Illinois,
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Posted: 08-13-07 16:52pm
Complete f*king bullsh*t. This kind of
stuff SERIOUSLY makes me see red.
It's sick. That poor family.
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milletics
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 29 Jun 2007 Posts: 204
Posted: 08-13-07 18:25pm
My church wouldnt turn down anyone who
lives in sin.
We would love on them and hopefully they
would choose to follow God and his word.
Many in our church are drinkers and even
worse, but they are welcomed open-arms. We
dont accept their sin. But hope through
the preaching of Gods word they would
repent.
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Jude-Love
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 17 Jun 2007 Posts: 727 Location: Williamstown, Kentucky USA
Posted: 08-13-07 19:24pm
Religion is such a crock of (edited for
profanity) It's hilarious.
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Gu£st
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 20 Apr 2007 Posts: 675 Location: SUBMERGED IN TRUTH
Posted: 08-13-07 20:49pm
"I can understand the church's position on
this one and I'm surprised anyone expects
any different from such an organisation.
It is widely known that the Christian
church opposes homosexuality and so the
discovery that this gentleman was gay put
them in a difficult position. It would be
like expecting some Nazis to conduct a
Jewish funeral - inappropriate.
And yes, I am comparing the Christian
church to Nazis "
Thats a bit harsh dont you think, seeing
as you have only one side of the coin to
make your judgement. I work for a Church a
large Christian Church I think you
probably will guess which one and I dont
know what denomination this guy didnt get
burried at but that is mattless.
There is currently a massive power
struggle going on at the moment a culture
war if you will a lot of churches are
crumbling under the pressure some are
being too liberal and becoming a mockery
to christians and some are remaining
orthodox and are being portrayed as harsh
but there is a culture war going on
between secularism and religion (all
religion) at the moment, its why we have
mad as heck muslims and so called facist
christians and a disdane towards religion
by secular athiests. homosexuality is a
tool that is being used in this power
struggle to demonise Christianity,
terrorism is a tool used to demonise Islam
This case obviously to me left the church
in a sticky predicament, 1st off knowing
the person was gay they agreed to the
funeral, this showes that the problem was
not with the person or the fact he was
attracted to members of the same sex the
problem arose when they had to almost if
you will condone the sexual act by
acknowledging the mans lover. Now the
church has already agreed to do the
funeral which is fine regarding
Christianity but to almost condone the act
from the pulpit would be to go against the
bible and discredit itself amongst its
faithful, now the family could have said
ok dont mention his lover but they didnt
why not? so the church had no option but
to cancel and now this has been used by
the secularist media to discredit
christians.
One has to remember a church is there to
serve God
Last edited by Gu£st on 08-13-07 20:57pm; edited 1 time in total
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Tylanas
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 13 Jul 2005 Posts: 12985
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Posted: 08-13-07 20:52pm
Okay guest, so apart from all of that
drivel:
DO you think it was right for this church
to deny the man his funeral?
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Gu£st
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 20 Apr 2007 Posts: 675 Location: SUBMERGED IN TRUTH
Posted: 08-13-07 21:06pm
"Okay guest, so apart from all of that
drivel:
DO you think it was right for this church
to deny the man his funeral?"
drivel, its not drivel.
Its not about right or wrong, the church
had no option but to do what it did, they
could not condone the act and the family
never offered to move on the obituary and
video etc...what could they do?
go along with the family or the teachings
of Christianity
I believe they made the only thing they
could and they even helpped them find
other arrangements and put food on for the
family.
was it right to deny the man his
funeral......no
would it have been right condone the
homosexual act............no
If then the family were unwilling to
change, who do they please the family and
disrepect God....no
they made the correct deciosion not the
right one (there was no right one)
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Birch
Moderator
Joined: 07 Nov 2005 Posts: 3963 Location: Bliss,
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Posted: 08-13-07 21:20pm
Gu£st
wrote:
"Okay guest, so apart from
all of that drivel:
DO you think it was right for this church
to deny the man his funeral?"
drivel, its not drivel.
Its not about right or wrong, the church
had no option but to do what it did, they
could not condone the act and the family
never offered to move on the obituary and
video etc...what could they do?
go along with the family or the teachings
of Christianity
I believe they made the only thing they
could and they even helpped them find
other arrangements and put food on for the
family.
was it right to deny the man his
funeral......no
would it have been right condone the
homosexual act............no
If then the family were unwilling to
change, who do they please the family and
disrepect God....no
they made the correct deciosion not the
right one (there was no right
one)
No, you got this one wrong.
The family wasn't unwilling to change,
they were unwilling to hold his funeral at
a community center.
The church claims love, but they don't
care about who this man loved; they cared
about where he stuck his penis.
Quite honestly, this guy might be better
off. I would not want a service for me to
be held in such a church anyways. I feel
bad for the family though; not only did
their lives go topsy tervy when he died,
but then this god-awful church (pun
intended) did this political move on them
in the midst of their mourning.
What a bunch of quacks. The church needs
stuck in hole where it belongs.
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Gu£st
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 20 Apr 2007 Posts: 675 Location: SUBMERGED IN TRUTH
Posted: 08-13-07 21:24pm
"The church claims love, but they don't
care about who this man loved; they cared
about where he stuck his penis. "
Birch, you are quite wrong - the church
made the only choice it could given the
situation
