Soloist wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 1:28 pm
Bootstrap wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23, 2021 12:04 pmYes, she clearly did water down her statements in that book. But that's different from what people are accusing her of. How did Jesus talk to prostitutes and the adulteress? How did Jesus talk to the religiously self-righteous who poured out contempt on them? Can we make this about Jesus and the Kingdom of God?
I agree that we need to be clear about sin. But not just the sins of other people. I agree that gay sex is not compatible with biblical Christianity. But I also think we need to be like Jesus in the way we approach sinners. And I think we need to follow biblical principles on a whole lot of other things this thread brings up.
I think you are taking a very high view of her that is not based in reality. I don't know her and I identified quite quickly that she is leaving Biblical Christianity behind if she ever was one.
I don't know here well enough to have a strong view of her teaching at all. And neither do you. So far, you have not provided evidence of your claim or of Josh's. But here's what bothers me: we coddle people who come in and make strong accusations without proof, we never ask them to prove or retract these claims, we don't strongly censure them for doing that. That's what keeps the social media goon squads going. How can people do that and pretend to be more righteous than thou? Why would Christians accept that behavior on a Christian forum? Isn't this Christianity 101?
Once more, here is Josh's claim:
Josh wrote:Beth Moore embraced full inclusion a while ago and also recanted statements in her earlier books.
That directly contradicts Beth Moore's words:
Beth Moore wrote:I hold firmly to a traditional Christian sexual ethic and continue to believe the Bible sets apart marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman. But I also believe that Scripture clearly teaches that all sex outside of marriage is contrary to God‘s will.
That's one reason Beth Moore gave for changing the book, too, that homosexual sin and heterosexual sin are both equally contrary to God's will. The other is that she wants gays to read further and see what she says about being delivered from sexual sin. Gay sinners are no more demonic than straight sinners, both need God's grace, both need to repent. I think the rest of the chapter is clear about that.
https://blog.lproof.org/2019/07/why-i-r ... -word.html
For those needing further information on the removal of some of my words (not God’s words but my own) from the chapter I’d written on “Overcoming Sexual Strongholds” in the prayer book Praying God’s Word:
When I wrote PGW many years ago, I exceeded Scripture and singled out same-sex sin as particularly satanic.
As the years passed, I increasingly winced at what I’d conveyed but the basic rule of thumb in authorship is that it is better not to go back and edit an old book but, rather, let it just phase out and simply don’t make the same mistake in the future. The problem was, because PGW is a handbook and not a regular nonfiction book, it didn’t phase out in the same way. I have had many years to test the fruit of what I wrote and have seen over and over again that numerous readers, who had gone to this chapter with their struggles, came to my words and proceeded no further. My words had kept them from God’s words. That, to me, is a pretty serious stumbling block.
I also heard from some heartbroken mothers about their kids who were having a hard enough time feeling ostracized as it was. This prayer book sits on the bedside tables and on the shelves in many Christian homes. Picture a 13 year old struggling with an onslaught of sexual feelings and temptations who has no idea what to do with them. The child picks up the book and reads my words, only, in this case, comes to the conclusion that he or she is particularly demonic. Not only is that devastating to the child. It is not even biblical.
I hold firmly to a traditional Christian sexual ethic and continue to believe the Bible sets apart marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman. But I also believe that Scripture clearly teaches that all sex outside of marriage is contrary to God‘s will.
Here is what I would want that 13-year-old to know:
I want that kid to know that the author of that book, Praying God’s Word, has been forgiven for more sins than that kid can fathom. I want that kid to know my gracious and merciful Savior, Jesus, and that I would have had reasons in my past to have been thrown out of the camp under Old Testament law if not stoned to death. By the power of the cross of Christ, I live. By His grace alone, I serve.