I know that your point of the comment wasn’t about if women should speak or not, but more about what you think is right and wrong about the situation. As a Christian, I do my best to live according to the Bible and what it says. It’s fine to question the Bible and try and find the answer (which I did when trying to figure out my standing on the issue. I looked at both sides), but If we keep taking things out of the BIble or take things out of context because that’s how we “feel” is right and wrong, then there really isn’t any point to the Bible. We would just be better off on our own going with our gut.

But please don’t get me wrong. I listened to Jennifer Knapp for a long before she came out, and I plan on checking out her new CD. I bet she is a sweetheart if you meet her, but I just don’t agree with some of her actions. And I don’t want to you think I think I’m better than her or anything. We’re all sinners. We are all in the same boat! Heck, I lied about something today!! But because I did it doesn’t make it right.

The church I attend believes the same thing I mentioned in my first comment above, and we have homosexuals that come. So I do believe it is possible.

And referring to your question, “are we willing to love people that we can’t change to think and believe more like us? Does the “other” still have intrinsic worth and value?”I answer “yes” on both. God loves everyone, even the devote atheist, who may never worship Him. I believe we should do the same and because Christ died for them, they will always have value.

Also, I apologize about my posts going off topic from the article. I just read some comments that disheartened me. I just wanted people look at the other side of things. I will check out her new CD. She has a wonderful voice! I grew up listening to her!

I’m sorry, but this is off topic to this article…

You used the example of 1 Timothy 2:10-15.

But these verses are often misunderstood.

To understand this better. You need to look at the greek. “Woman” is translated from the Greek gune (wife), and “man” is translated from the Greek andros (husband). “Learn” in greek is manthano which refers to the wife learning the facts of God’s plan of salvation. “Silent” in greek is hesuchia, which refers to tranquillity of spirit or a state of being undisturbed.

In other words:

“But I suffer not a woman [a wife] to teach, [the plan of salvation to her husband] nor to usurp authority over the man, [the husband] but to be in silence [maintain a tranquil spirit]”
(1Timothy 2:12)

It is clear that Paul never intended that a wife remain mute in her relationship with her husband! What kind of marriage would it be if the wife could never speak in her husband’s presence? The proper understanding here is contained in the phrases “to teach” and “to usurp authority.” The word translated “to teach” is the Greek infinitive didaskein and means in this context “to teach [the plan of salvation; the gospel is the focus of Paul's argument here] continually.” The phrase “to usurp authority” (over the husband) is the Greek aude authentein, which literally means to act of oneself, or to dominate. This Scriptural passage makes it clear that a Christian wife should never, in her public or private life, go beyond her God-given position in the marriage and undermine the God-given position of her husband by being the predominant teacher of salvation in the family or church.

For a wife to assume a position of leadership in teaching God’s plan of salvation, whether this teaching be in public or in the privacy of the home, would be to overstep her God-given limits and would undermine the God-given position of her husband.

Spiritual knowledge is granted by God to Christian women as well as to Christian men. The revelations and insight that God gives through His Spirit are meant to be shared by all His begotten children so that all may be edified. Christian wives are not excluded from this mutual edification. It is not ungodly for a Christian wife to “teach men,” including her own husband, by sharing the spiritual insight and understanding that God has imparted to her, whether in public or in private. Paul simply states that for her to assume a dominant role in teaching the gospel would be ungodly and would undermine the God-given order of things.

These Scriptures make it very clear that God never intended that a wife continuously pastor, shepherd or minister to a local congregation. To do so would violate the prohibition against teaching her husband continuously! However, these Scriptures should not be used to forbid a wife to teach men, including her husband, on an intermittent basis, as she is moved by God to do so. If doing so were forbidden by God’s law, no marriage would ever survive!

I’m sorry… You misinterpret the verse.

If you want to look up more, here is commentary on the verses.
http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/what-role-should-women-play-at-church.html

Assuming you are female, the Bible is also clear on your role in the discussion of theology and the asserting of authority on theological matters:

“Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” — 1 Timothy 2:10-15

While this applies to religious gatherings (particularly the “silence” bit), it also suggests that weighing in on theological matters (such as the role of homosexuals in both the kingdom to come and Christianity here on earth) is strictly the responsibility of men… as in, males.

In your eagerness to present oft-quoted and grossly de-contextualized passages of ancient writings, you’ve ignored the glaring elephant in the room: namely that matters of debate over sex, gender and their roles in the lives of Christians has always been fluid and changing.

Whether or not this is good or bad is irrelevant. What is relevant is that you are clearly asserting what you believe to be a literal analysis of those texts. But a literal interpretation of those texts by Paul clearly states that you don’t have the right as a woman to even engage in the discussion, apart from learning under your husband.

Do I believe any of this? Well, no. But understand that the freedom with which you can assert yourself as a Christian woman in a conversation with men was once just as controversial (if not more so) than Knapp asserting both her sexual orientation and her faith.

Now, can we please talk about Knapp’s album, and not her bedroom? How old are we?

Lord, save me from your followers.

As to the other: I figure I have enough blind spots in my own spiritual life that I can be forgiving of other people’s. Do I really think it’s okay not to tithe, take care of widows and orphans, or forgive people who’ve hurt me? Or that it is okay to listen and tell hurtful gossip or harbor hate or steal my employer’s time by browsing the web during work?

I know all of these things are wrong, don’t often ask forgiveness for them when/if they happen, and yet consider myself a Christian. Nobody questions my sincerity.

Jennifer Knapp is using her creative talents to draw people to Christ, yet any discussion of her work is marred by people hatefully focusing on the one sin that she has that they don’t. Congratulations, you’re not gay! Surely that means your impact for Christ is greater than hers, no?

My wife and I were talking about the responses to this thread and she offered two questions that get to the meat of the matter:

If I knew that I could never persuade a homosexual believer to believe that his or her behavior was wrong and help them change, would I still see value in befriending and loving that person?

Conversely, if a homosexual believer knew from the outside that he couldn’t change my theology on this matter, would he still value me enough to enjoy my company?

In short, are we willing to love people that we can’t change to think and believe more like us? Does the “other” still have intrinsic worth and value?

Romans 1:24-27 “Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed in their passions for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”

But the Bible is extremely clear about homosexuality.

I Corinthians 6:9 “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.”

I believe we should love the sinner, but not the sin. There is a point where we can misuse grace where everything is accepted, and there are no boundaries.

I found an article that explains frequently asked questions about homosexuality form Christian perspective if you care to read it. http://bible.org/article/homosexuality-christian-perspective